What do you do if Santa Claus gets stuck in your chimney?

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Many of us have every intention of giving original Christmas gifts, but, unfortunately, we often wait until the last minute so we end up buying the standard Christmas gifts like the proverbial box of chocolates or gift basket. If you would like to break free from the boring Christmas gifts, here are some tips on how you can give some original Christmas gifts this year.

Make a List

If you wait until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping, you will have a difficult time finding Christmas gifts that are personal and meaningful. Instead, make a list of all the people that you need to purchase gifts for. List some of their hobbies along with their likes and dislikes; this will help you figure out what gifts you want to give them. For example, if you have a San Francisco Giants fan in the family, list a few things that they might enjoy like a jersey, sweatshirt or even a bobble head. Having a list makes it much easier when you go to buy your Christmas gifts.

Add Some Personality

To make your Christmas gift stand out from everyone else's, add a little bit of your personality to it. Make your gifts instead of buying them. How can you add your personality to the gift? Consider writing a personalized note on the back of the item. Let's say you are giving someone a framed picture. Matte it yourself and include a quote or a nice phrase underneath the picture. Then add a letter to your loved ones on the back of the picture.

Make It Nice

Christmas gifts don't need to be flashy displays. Your loved ones will appreciate whatever it is as long as you took the time to think about them and you actually searched to find a gift that they would appreciate. Christmas gifts don't need to be big or expensive. Creating a gift basket is a simple way to show the people in your life that you love them. If you are going with several gift ideas, a gift basket is the best way to go because you can wrap them up and include each one so you aren't limited to one big gift.

Who Is It For?

When it comes to creating original Christmas gifts, keep the recipient in mind. If you are giving the gift to your co-worker, a coffee mug is appropriate. If the gift is for your spouse, they might not feel the same way about receiving a coffee mug for Christmas unless their favorite team is the Cubs, for example, and you've gotten them a Cubs travel mug. This is why it is so important to know your audience when you are choosing Christmas gifts. Avoid giving general gifts and truly put some time and effort into the gift buying process so the gift recipient knows just how much you actually care about them.

The Basic Essentials

If you can't seem to come up with a good Christmas gift idea, food is a gift that will never fail. We all need food to survive. The great thing about it is that it makes for a wonderful gift no matter what time of the year it is. If you have a college student, give them a box full of canned goods, pasta and other foods. A box of imported chocolates is nicer than a Russell Stover's box from Wal-Mart. If you put a little time into it, you will be able to come out with some favorable results.

Christmas decorations can get a little boring year after year which is why it's important to change them up a little bit. With a little bit of glue and some different fabric, you can add some flair to your Christmas stockings this year. Here are some easy ways to add some flair to your Christmas stockings:

Choose a theme

One of the easiest ways to add some flair to your Christmas stockings is to pick a theme for your Christmas stockings. Even if you don't have more than 2 people living at your home, you should create about 6 different stockings. Now, create a nativity scene on the stockings or create Santa Claus being pulled by his reindeer. A theme is a fun way to add to the joy of the Christmas season. You can create your own stocking with some felt fabric or you can purchase one in the store for about $5.99.

Pick the right size for your purpose

As you prepare to decorate your stockings, keep in mind that they need to be big enough to accommodate the decorations you want to add. If you have chosen a large theme, a standard stocking won't work as it will be too small. Miniature stockings are great for hanging on the Christmas tree or for hanging on doors or on cabinet drawers.

Add different decorations to your stockings

Decorate stockings using bells, small ornaments or other Christmas themed pieces for a fun flourish. This is a simple way to make the stocking stand out. You can also use pine cones and holly along with cinnamon sticks to personalize the stocking and make it smell good. If you are making the stocking for your pet, glue some of their favorite treats to it. Glue some candy canes to the stocking to add a little candy flavored pizazz!

Use different colors

Instead of just getting the usual green, red and white stockings, look for some different colors. A blue stocking with white cotton balls stuck to it like snowballs is definitely a cute way to decorate your stocking. A lot of people have used jeans to make unique denim stockings; denim also makes pretty, unique trim on stockings. A pocket cut from a pair of jeans & glued to the front of any stocking is a great way to add a special present to it along with a candy cane or another fun treat. If you want to stick with the traditional Christmas colors, use 2-3 different colors. Use some green felt for the toe and heal of the stocking and red for the rest of the stocking. Get some white fleece for the top of the stocking and then glue your name across the top on the white part of the stocking. It's a fun way to make your stocking look great. Use the red and green felt to cut out the letters of your name so you can glue them to the top of the stocking. You can also use the white fleece to cut out your name and glue it on the body of the stocking.

Hang them in a different place

Instead of always hanging stockings over the fireplace, how about hanging them in a different place? The bathroom or the kitchen could use a little decorating this time of year. You don't have to use the same stockings that you stuff with presents; Christmas stockings in the bathroom are a cute decoration and they can hold the hand towels. In the kitchen, the Christmas stockings can hold other things like candy canes or little gifts for your guests. Knit some tiny stockings to add to the bathroom or to other rooms in your home.

Nothing beats the joy on your loved ones' faces when they open Christmas gifts. Going to the store and fighting the crowds to find the best gift is one way to shop for gifts. However, there is another way. Have you thought about creating some homemade Christmas gifts? Homemade Christmas gifts allow you to add a personal touch to the gifts you're giving, a touch sometimes devoid amidst the commercialization that sometimes overshadows the holiday season.

If you are ready to start making your own Christmas gifts, here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Tasty Treats

Perhaps one of the easiest and most budget-friendly Christmas gifts to share is your gift of baking. Homemade bread is always delicious. How about whipping up some candy this year? Homemade caramels are wonderful gifts for just about everyone. If you need a fancier gift for someone, make candy canes and hang them on an inexpensive glass or a mug. Use some tinsel to fill the inside of the mug and pass them around this year. It's a cute gift for just about anyone and it won't cost you too much money.

Family Pictures

Who doesn't love to see a picture of their loved ones? Although you may not be able to afford professional pictures, get your family together and snap a photo with your digital camera. Frame the photos and have each one of your family members sign the matting of the photo and add the year to the matting as well. It's an inexpensive way to share your talents with your loved ones.

Homemade Ornaments

Ornaments are another easy homemade gift you can give to just about anyone. Get some clear glass ornaments and have fun decorating them. Pour a little acrylic paint inside the ornament and spin it around to create a unique tie-dye or spatter look. Placing a small family picture inside a glass ornament then stuffing it with some tinsel will make it sparkle. Another great ornament design involves pouring a bit of Elmer's glue in an ornament, spinning it around, sprinkling some glitter inside it and then spinning it around. This ornament will shine on the tree as it picks up the colors from all the different lights. Do you have a pet? How about making a cute ornament for them? Milk Bone ornaments are adorable for your favorite puppy. Use a Milk Bone and glue antlers and eyeballs to it along with a red nose; don't forget to glue a hook to it as well so you can hang it from the tree.

Countdown to Christmas Card

If you have a knack for crafts, create a Countdown to Christmas display for your loved ones. Purchase a large poster board or you can sew the countdown. You will need 25 different pictures of Christmas. A fun thing to do is to find pictures from all your previous Christmas' to share with your loved ones. Now, you will need to glue the pictures onto the poster board and cover them with another poster board that has doors that open for each day. Decorate the doors for each day and include the numbers on each day so they know what days they need to open. This gift will take awhile to create, but it will be a long-lasting gift that your loved ones will use year after year.

Christmas Card Holder

Since you get so many Christmas cards, why not make a Christmas card holder for your loved ones? Purchase a basket from a craft store and line it with some red and green felt. If you want to get really creative, turn the basket into Santa Claus.