I'm a HUGE fan of the "bake it or make it" type of gift. First, the kids love to help, and anything that gets their little brains flowing on creative wavelengths is a GREAT thing. Second, homemade gifts are usually easy on the pocketbook—depending on start-up costs and the occasional re-do. Finally, I love the gooey vibes I get when we hand over a gift to someone who loves and appreciates all the good energy and love that went into making something especially for them.

However, as the holidays draw ever-nearer, my grandiose “make it” ideas tend to be disproportionate to the amount of time I have to create the project. I would LOVE to make a king-sized quilt, but find that I have only time to doodle on an old handkerchief.

That gooey vibe? Not quite the same after that. Well, unless my five-year old was the doodler.

This year, craft companies have extended themselves way beyond the color-it-yourself velvet poster. Several have created entire kits that take the time and planning out of the daunting design process, leaving the maker a little wiggle room to complete another project or two.

Some homemade gift ideas:

Quilting Kits appear to be a good answer for the amateur seamstress. Joann Fabrics offers several different options. Go with colors of the fall/winter season or get a jump on spring. The kits come with all the pre-cut materials and detailed assembly instructions needed to create a quilt. While nothing is failsafe, the kits are a terrific introduction to basic quilting.

One gift winner for us year after year is making candlesticks and soap bars. Both become useful gifts, and the creative process is really fun AND simple. Though both require moderate investment at the outset ($20 to $40), kids (and adults) can make literally dozens of beautiful gifts. Michaels Crafts has a wide array of kits and supplies for both crafts. Downside: As with any project, clean-up time is involved. How much clean-up time depends on how well you plan initially. On the plus side: Even the typical-video game or sports-only oriented kid enjoys getting involved with melted wax and soap.

In years past I was an avid bake-and-mail-it girl, which is easily the most delicious way to spend a weekend day. Little people love to help with this activity, mostly because it involves measuring, dumping, mixing, and potentially, chocolate chips. We like to bake several types of cookies, wrap them in a holiday container and send them to relatives far and wide (soon to be even wider). Allrecipes.com and Epicurious.com have some excellent holiday cookie recipes.

Time to get cracking (eggs), moms!