Crafty, DIY projects make some of the best gifts for birthdays, the holidays, and other occasions. A homemade gift, if it's done well, is a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind present that tells the recipient that you spent hours planning and creating the gift especially for them. Even the most appropriate store-bought gift doesn't hold a candle to a homemade gift in terms of letting someone know you care. Another benefit of homemade gifts is that they're usually less expensive than something from the store. As another bonus, you know that the recipient will appreciate the time and effort you put into creating their gift, even if they don't like it or won't use it. And finally, with a DIY gift, you know the person doesn't already have one! During the Christmas holiday season, homemade gifts are particularly popular. Decorating a Christmas tree with ornaments is one of the biggest traditions of the season, and for that reason homemade Christmas ornaments can make a great holiday gift for family, friends, or coworkers. There are thousands of ways to make Christmas ornaments. Almost anything small and cute can be attached to a string to turn it into an ornament. For a very classy DIY ornament, you can purchase blank glass balls with Christmas tree hooks from most craft stores. If you decide to go with blank glass balls, you will need to decide how you want to decorate them. Here, the possibilities are endless. Hand-painting the ornaments is a popular choice. You can create a design or picture that will appeal specifically to the gift recipient, and your one-of-a-kind artistic project will adorn their tree for years to come. For painting glass ornaments, there are a few tips you should keep in mind. First, make sure you have a good set of detail paintbrushes. You will need to make very small details, and the round glass surface can be challenging to paint on, so good brushes are essential. Allow yourself enough time to play around with painting one or two test ornaments. That way, when you start painting ornaments for gifts, you will already know the ropes. Also, remember to invest in a good clear finish. After the paint dries completely, coat the ornament with the finish (I like to use Paint-for-Plastic) so it will still look wonderful years from now. Another popular choice for glass ball ornaments is to decorate them from the inside. Some people choose to fill the ornaments with cash. This is a fun and original way to give money for Christmas. You can also put other things inside the ornament, including colorful candy, glitter, or small toys. An ornament filled to the brim with cake sprinkles looks very festive. Here's another idea: paint one side of the ornament with a jungle scene, and then fill the ornament with tiny jungle animals made of plastic or paper. The animals will bob around inside the ornament with your hand-painted jungle as a backdrop. There are no limitations when it comes to decorating ornaments. Three-dimensional fabric paint can be applied to the outside to give the ornament texture. Hot glue works well for the same purpose, but it can be a little more difficult to control. At your favorite hobby or craft store, you can purchase some small decorative items to glue to the outside the ornament, such as fake flowers or fruit. Combine these with paint, glitter, and other design elements, and you'll have a truly stunning decoration. Tissue paper can be collaged into designs and stuck on with your clean finish. You can even use Christmas wrapping paper and ribbon in your designs! If you're looking for a good DIY craft project for the Christmas holiday season, try homemade Christmas ornaments. Everyone on your Christmas list will love them, and it could even become a new tradition!