The hardest part of holiday shopping is finding the perfect gift for your friends or family. The best and most thoughtful gifts are known to be the ones we make ourselves. While it is also an inexpensive way to make presents, do-it-yourself (DIY) gifts are the ones that are most remembered.

Here is a list of DIY gifts that are good for giving an individual or even a small present for a whole group of friends.

OLD FASHION KNITTING OR CROCHETING

A classic gift, it is the perfect way to make a present for both veterans and beginners. There are tons of videos online that can help people new to knitting or crocheting be able to make a simple hat or scarf as a gift for a loved one. They are nice and easy to customize with accessories such as buttons or pins. Whoever is receiving the present will also appreciate the fact that it will keep them warm during the winter months.

SNOW GLOBE

A perfect gift to let creativity shine. What you need for sure is an airtight cookie jar and some plastic toys to fill in the diorama scene inside. The theme of the globe is open to interpretation depending on if you want to stick with the classic holiday cheer or customize it to something the receiver is fond of. Other parts of the globe can be switched and altered such as using snowball cookies, styrofoam balls or stuffing as snowy hills. Painting the outside with white dots aids in creating a falling snow effect perfect for a snow globe. If you really want to go all the way there are a bunch of tutorials online that can help you make authentic globes with water and falling flakes.

GINGERBREAD DECORATIONS

Delicious and customizable, gingerbread decorations work wonderfully as a gift. You can go traditional or get creative and make them themed on the receiver's likes or interests. Does your friend like Game of Thrones? Why not make the iconic emblems from the show as a gift? There are many great recipes online for cooking up gingerbread decorations, such as kidspot.com.au. Just don't forget to poke a hole through them so they can be easily hung.

SHARPIE MUGS

Fun and cheap DIY gifts all you need is a mug and an oil based sharpie to get started. You can draw whatever design you want, which makes it great for those with an artistic incli­nation. It is recommend to practise drawing your intended design or make a template to make drawing easier. For more details check out popsugar.com for the full procedure of creating a sharpie mug.

DIY HAND WARMERS

This little present is perfect for keeping your loved ones' hands warm. All you need is some microwaveable cloth to make a sack and fill it with some rice to have an easy to use hand warmer. Use the link, raeannkelly.com, to get creating this cozy gift.

THE CAFFEINE TREE

For those friends and family members who can't function properly without their morning tea or coffee. This present is essentially a crafty tree made from a foam cone, a round cardboard 'trunk' and hot-glued tea bags. In the case of coffee lovers, you could always buy a giant tin of a good blend and pour some into small plas- tic baggies you can buy from a dollar store or Micheals. For the whole process on how to make one check out thirstyfortea.com

BOOKMARKS

Make one for those book lovers in your life. Bookmarks are simple to make and can be produced with an assortment of materials. From laminated paper to gluing a button onto a paper clip, bookmarks are your "go to" items as a small present for the readers in your life.

MONEY BALLOONS

For those friends or family you never know what to buy for. Instead of racking your brains trying to figure out what to get them, try sticking some money in a blown up balloon. Add some confetti inside and you are set to giving one lucky person a popping surprise for the holidays.

MEMORY CARD GAME

Brain stimulating fun. Not only does this count as a great single player game, but you can also enjoy playing with your friend or family member in a game of memory. Bonus, the cards are simple and affordable to publish and can be anything you wish them to be. To read a more detailed way to produce these cards visit countryliving.com