CINDY, INCIDENTALLY:

For the last two weeks, I have been researching the world of DIY gifting; which for those not great with acronyms it means: Do-It-Yourself.

The recession, which is now one of my favorite things to blame everything on, has made being crafty and thrifty kinda chic.

Suddenly, buying secondhand clothing is being touted as the new way to shop wisely and handmade gifts are no longer just for the artists or kindergartners in your family.

Through the years, I have become a cookie baker, giver and tester. It’s the one time of the year where overindulging in cookies feels noble versus an act of sabotage of all those cardio-kickboxing classes I take.

This year it seems that DIY gifts are popular and you can find some great ideas for everyone in your life: The foodie, gardener, bookworm, knitter and soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.

I compiled a list of a few projects there is still time to pull together this holiday season, check them out.

For the dog lover: Bake a batch of dog biscuits and then place them in a paper bag with a tennis ball. There are thousands of dog biscuit recipes available online, you can choose from your basic beef biscuit to a peanut butter and honey treat.

The Gift of Experience: If you know how to play the piano, salsa dance, have some wrestling moves that can work as self defense, or perhaps you know a thing or two about Thai cooking. Offer up your expertise to a friend or family member as a special day between the two of in exchange of a gift.

Family Recipes: Create a recipe booklet of family recipes as great way to pull together heirloom food traditions that you can pass on through the years.

Food gifts: This is my personal favorite, mainly because many years ago a neighbor gave me cookie mix in glass canning jar and I fell in love with its sweet intention. Since then food gifts — from baking mini loaves and cookies to making homemade limoncello from fresh Meyer lemons, just seems like a great way to give a gift and be thoughtful at the same time.

Picture Perfect: Finding a complimentary photo of you and a friend, sibling, pet or family member can be a great (and sentimental gift) that’s also affordable. Purchase a frame at a secondhand store or discount store and decorate it with stencils, beads, scrapbook stickers or paint it another color.

Time: I’ve always wondered what the big fuss was with making Gingerbread Houses; it just seems like a lot of time spent on spreading frosting on cookies I’d much rather eat in front of the TV. But one Christmas, my stepsister and I bought a bottle of red wine, listened to Christmas music and put together this really ugly and horribly made Gingerbread House. We laughed a lot and talked, and it is to date one of the best memories I have when I think about a holiday moment, mainly because we were spending time with one another. Time, it’s a great gift and not one we always have enough of with people we care about. That may be a little corny, but it’s true.

CINDY ARORA is a freelance writer. She may be reached at [email protected].