If you aren't careful, the holidays can end up costing you a bundle. Between parties, travel and buying gifts for family, friends and teachers, the dollars quickly add up. And that's before we help Santa with some of his shopping.

In these tough economic times, consider making some of your gifts at home. You don't think you're that creative? You don't need to be an ersatz Martha Stewart to make gifts that will put a smile on a friend's face or make your child's teacher feel appreciated. All it takes is some time, a little effort and a belief that sometimes, it really is the thought that counts.

Gift certificates for a night of baby-sitting, a back massage or a week of laundry duty for your messy teenager are standard make-it-yourself fare. (They cost nothing but your time.) But here are a few other suggestions for handmade gifts that are almost as kind to the pocketbook.

Food is one of the most popular homemade holiday gifts to receive as well as one of the easiest to make. Mix and match a few of your favorite cookies, brownies or other baked goods, or try this recipe from Bon Appetit for Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle. Then, package the sweets in a festive container, such as Martha Stewart's "compartmental" cookie boxes ($14.95 for six at Michael's, including 24 squares of tissue paper). This recipe makes about 3 1/2 pounds of brittle for less than $10, or enough for four to six gift-sized portions.

There are just eight ingredients, some of which you'll already have on hand:

• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
•   3/4 cup light corn syrup
•   3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 4 cups chopped salted roasted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

And it couldn't be easier; all it requires is cooking the sugar mixture to the hard crack stage, adding peanuts and cooking some more, and then pouring the hot mixture onto a cookie sheet. And voila! You've got a crunchy candy treat.

Here's how:

Butter 2 heavy baking sheets.

Stir first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260 degrees, about 40 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Mix in peanuts and butter and cook, stirring constantly, until thermometer registers 295 degrees, about 15 minutes.

Add baking soda and vanilla and stir briskly (mixture will foam up). Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly.

Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until cold and hard. Break brittle into pieces, and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Can be prepared one month ahead.

Eating is a big part of the holidays, but Christmas also is a time when many families enjoy treasured traditions, such as decorating the tree together or pulling names out of a hat for a grab bag. This felt Christmas "growing tree" is a perfect gift for the friend on your list with a growing family, in that it allows them to document their children's growth from year to year. After getting measured, kids write their height on felt ornaments and add them to the tree, using tape measures glued on the sides as guides.

The colorful tree, which takes about an hour to make, is one of several holiday crafts featured on FamilyFun.com. But I first saw it several years ago in my friend Helen's house. In the years since, she's made one for every member of her family as well as countless friends. It's easy to see why: all you need for the project is 2 yards each of red and green felt, a pair of plastic 6-foot tape measures, felt scraps in assorted colors, a wooden dowel, a 20-inch piece of yarn or ribbon and fabric paint and glue. (I ended up hand sewing the pieces onto the banner for added security, but it's not necessary.) Total cost is about $15.

To make: Cut a 6-by-2-foot piece of red felt and lay it on a flat surface. Apply glue to one long side. Press a tape measure onto the glued edge, with the 1-inch mark at the bottom of the banner. Glue the second tape measure to the opposite side.

Cut out a 7-by-5-inch tree trunk from the felt scraps. Center it on the banner 2 inches from the bottom and glue it in place. From the green felt, cut five triangles that measure 20 inches tall and 17 inches across the base. Glue a triangle onto the banner, overlapping the top of the trunk by an inch or so.

Glue on a second triangle so that it covers the top half of the first one. Add the other triangles in the same manner. Top the tree with a big felt star.

To make a casing for the dowel, fold over the top of the banner and glue the edge to the back. Insert the dowel, then tie the ends of the yarn to the ends of the dowel.

Finally, cut out a bunch of colorful 3 1/2-inch circles on which kids can note their heights and the year with fabric paint. When gluing the ornaments onto the tree, line up the tops of the circles with the appropriate marks on the tape measures.

Maybe you'd rather give the gift of relaxation. Martha Stewart's Web site offers recipes for two spa-inspired bath and body treatments: a homemade body scrub and scented bath fizzies. Both are made from basic kitchen ingredients and essential oils, extracts of plants and fruits that are sold at health-food stores such as General Nutrition Centers.

There are dozens of scents to choose from -- everything from lemon, grapefruit and geranium to peppermint and eucalyptus. You'll want to color the scrubs with shades that match the scent you use, say, light pink for grapefruit or green for peppermint. Glass jars with flip lids (available at your local dollar store) make nice containers, as they allow the recipient to see what's inside. For easy use, tie a bath sponge or small spoon to the lid with a ribbon. (Label designs can be downloaded for free at marthastewart.com/december-crafts.)

Here's what you'll need to make four gift-sized containers of body scrub: 2 cups Epsom salts or organic cane sugar, 1 cup carrier oil (sunflower, grapeseed or light-grade olive oil), 8 drops essential oil. and food coloring.

Stir together Epsom salts or sugar and oil in a bowl, mixing well. Add essential oil, 1 drop at a time. Add food coloring, one drop at a time, and stir until color is even throughout. Spoon into glass canning jars or other pretty containers. Decorate with a colorful label.

Ice-cube trays give these fizzie bath salts their shape. Pack each type in a separate jar so the scents won't meld. Write the name of the scent on a vellum tag and tie it around the jar with a pretty ribbon.

•   1/2 cup citric acid (available at wine-making supply stores and online)
• 1 cup baking soda
•   3/4 cup cornstarch
•   1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• About 6 drops of food coloring
• 10 to 15 drops essential oil

Stir together the citric acid, baking soda and cornstarch in a glass measuring cup. Pass mixture through a fine sieve or a flour sifter into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar. Fill spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Spritz mixture lightly with water until you can pack mixture with your hands. Add oil, one drop at a time, until strength of scent is to your liking. Using your hands or a metal spoon, mix ingredients until the color is even throughout. (If mixture begins to dry out, spritz again.) Spoon into ice-cube tray, pressing firmly. Let dry at room temperature overnight. Pop out of trays gently. Transfer to jars.

Makes 1 dozen (use two for bath)

-- Marthastewart.com

Here are some additional recipes/instructions for homemade holiday gifts.

The recipe makes enough for four gift-size portions, each of which can be measured into a small plastic bag and tucked into a cup or mug filled with mini marshmallows, candy stick stirrers and a spoon. Wrap each filled gift cup in cellophane and don't forget to include a tag with the following instructions: "Spoon 3 or 4 generous tablespoons of cocoa mix into your cup (depending on the size), add boiling water, and stir well."

• 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you're ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix.

-- FamilyFun.com

Cookie mixes in Mason jars are a hit with just about everyone. All the measuring is done, so the recipient has only to add butter, eggs and vanilla.

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
•   1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1  1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the salt and baking soda in with the flour, then layer the ingredients in a large mason jar in the order listed, with the chips on top. Tie on a raffia or ribbon bow.

Enclose a card with the following mixing and baking directions:

Store this jar in a cool, dark place for up to three months before using. To make, you'll need contents of this jar, 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift dry ingredients in jar through a colander to separate out the chips. Beat butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Beat sifted ingredients into butter until blended. In a small bowl, beat egg with vanilla. Mix beaten egg mixture into butter mixture until blended. Stir in chips. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter, spaced well apart, onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 4 dozen.

-- christmas-cookies.com

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
•   1/4 teaspoon orange extract
•   1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 11-ounce bags white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together cranberries, orange zest, extract and walnuts. Spread mixture over the prepared pan to within 1 1/2 inches of the edges, then evenly cover that mixture with the chocolate chips and put the pan in the oven. When the chips just start to look melty (5 minutes or so) take them out of the oven and use a rubber spatula to spread them evenly over the parchment. Chill until firm, about half and hour, and then break into pieces.

Makes about 2 pounds, or enough for 4 gift boxes

-- Wondertime.com

Flavored vinegars are incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. With different vinegars and combinations of herbs, the possible variations are practically limitless. For the best effect, be sure to use a lot of herbs: one cup of loosely packed fresh herb leaves or 12 cup dried herbs to 2 cups of vinegar.

Classic herb/white wine vinegar combinations include: basil, parsley, fennel and garlic; dill, basil, tarragon, and lemon balm; and dill, mint and garlic cloves. For the pictured recipe, we used oregano, cilantro, garlic, black peppercorn and hot red pepper.

Place the herbs in a clean, sterilized car. Pour the vinegar over the herbs and cover the jar tightly. Allow the herb-vinegar mixture to steep in a dark place at room temperature, shaking the jar every couple of days. When the flavor is right, strain the vinegar, fill the clean, sterilized bottles, cap them tightly and label them.

-- "Herbal Vinegar" (Storey, $12.95)

This wooden snowman can be used as a tree ornament or a doorknob hanger.

• 5 craft sticks
• 2 mini craft sticks
• 3/8-inch wooden circle
• 1-inch wooden heart
• 78-inch wooden teardrop
• Assorted acrylic paints and paintbrushes
• Craft glue
• 10-inch cord
• Fine-tipped black permanent marker
• Extra-fine tipped opaque white pen

Paint one side of craft sticks with white paint; let dry. Paint 34-inch of ends with black paint; let dry. Repeat for remaining sides.

Paint one side of one mini craft with black pain for hat brim. Paint one mini craft stick, circle and heart with blue paint for scarf. Paint teardrop with orange paint for nose. Let dry. Repeat for remaining sides.

Glue craft sticks side by side for snowman body. Center and glue hat brim onto snowman body. Using bullet end of marker, dot eyes below hat brim. Using fine-tipped end, draw mouth below eyes. Outline nose and scarf pieces.

Using opaque pen, outline hat and hat brim.

Dry-brush cheek area with red paint. Using end of paintbrush handle, dot cheek area with white paint for cheeks.

Using end of paintbrush handle, dot an evenly spaced row inside scarf outline pieces with green paint. Let dry.

Glue nose below eyes, overlapping mouth. Let dry.

Glue tip of heart onto one end of hat brim. Glue circle onto tip of heart. Glue scarf below nose. Let dry.

Using bullet end of marker, dot buttons down front of snowman. Glue ends of cord onto the back of the snowman.

-- "Crafting Fun Stuff with a Crowd of Kids" (Sterling, $12.95)