For many, this Christmas will be one of the hardest financially they have faced in years. Nothing is quite as stressful as looking at your list of who to get presents for with sinking feelings of worry, knowing that two pay packets is just not going to stretch that far.

This is where crafts can really be a lifesaver. With a little bit of preparation you can create some fantastic gifts for hardly any money at all and as they have been handmade rather than shop bought, it’s more thoughtful and often more environmentally friendly-what’s not to love?

Here’s a really quick and easy gift idea, which I made recently for my mother in law. She loved it and as it took

Materials

An old box- I used one which had previously contained perfume so had two little drawers.
Black Gloss Spray paint.
Some pictures (these can be printed out although I have used decoupage paper as it is less likely to tear under glue and varnish).
PVA Glue.
Quick Drying varnish.
Ribbon.

Glue Gun.
Scissors.

Instructions
1. Spray your box. It may need two coats depending on what colour and condition it is in.

2. Cut out your pictures.
As my mother in law loves butterflies and is a keen gardener, I went for butterflies and flowers.

3. Glue your pictures onto your box. Leave to dry.

4. Apply a thin layer of varnish. To get a really lovely glossy decoupage finish you will need to apply quite a few coats of varnish (hence the reason I use quick drying varnish).

5. I replaced the rather tatty looking handles with ribbon using a glue gun

6. You can fill the box with pink tissue paper and include a few small treats, soaps, perhaps some beauty samples (make up counters are great for giving these to you for free especially perfume) or even fill it with some handmade chocolates.

You can see more of Betty’s Ideas for