Homemade 2009 christmas gift

Creating Christmas gifts by hand is always a winning gift idea for any one you may be close to. These are especially loved by parents and grandparents, because they appreciate and understand the time, attention, and love that went into making the gift. Here are a couple of easy things you can hand make and give to love ones as Christmas gifts this year.Your picture. Nevertheless not just any old picture. Find a nice block of wood that's a little larger than the picture you want to use. Sand that piece of wood down smoothly, then coat it with a nice stain color. You can leave the wood natural too if you'd prefer. Next cover it with a few coats of clear sealant. When the last coat has started to dry, it will become tacky, or sticky, so it will act like glue. Place your picture centered on the wood and press it down firmly. Make sure there are no air pockets underneath.

Let this dry completely for several hours, then cover the entire thing - picture and all - with another few coats of clear sealant or finish. You can use a family picture for this project as well, and you can even use a, much larger piece of wood and create a whole collage using multiple pictures. Once the project is fully finished, you can attach a small wire or cord to the back for use in hanging, or you can buy an inexpensive hanging hook from a craft or hardware store.

Ornament pictures. This idea is done almost the exact same way, but the main difference is you'll make Christmas tree ornaments out of your pictures. Just buy some flat, lightweight wood pieces at a craft store, or by some plywood and cut it into the shapes and sizes you want.
Then put small wallet sized pictures on them using glue or the finish mentioned above. You might even paint these in different colors first, then apply the pictures over the painted wood. The gives them a "frame" of their own within the shape of the ornament. Drill or punch a small hole in the top of the wood piece, then thread some pretty matching ribbon through for hanging.