Crafty Computer Made Gifts

When you're on a tight budget, consider giving crafty computer made gifts as presents for special occasions. Printable paper crafts are easy to make and are customizable to suit the personality of the recipient.

Tips for Crafty Computer Made Gifts

When crafting with your computer, it's helpful to remember the following tips:

• For best results, always use the "high" quality setting on your printer.
• Textured cardstock, available from the scrapbooking supply section of your local craft store, is a simple way to give a printable paper craft a more elegant look.
• If your project includes text, proofread your work! Typos are embarrassing under any circumstances, but they are especially bothersome when you're making a gift for a friend or family member.
• If you're using expensive specialty paper to print your project, such as photo paper or t-shirt transfer paper, test the design on regular printer paper first to make sure you have the graphics in the correct spot.

When you're finished with your gift, don't forget to include a special handmade greeting card. Use printable greeting cards to print designs from your home computer.

Gifts for Adults

Ideas for printable paper craft gifts for adults include:

• Photo recipe cards make a great gift for newlyweds, college students moving into their first apartments, or friends who are interested in brushing up on their cooking skills. Pair the cards with a collection of fancy spices, some new potholders, or a pretty cookie jar to make the gift extra special.
• Customized photo calendars are unique and practical crafty computer made gifts. You can make a yearly one-page calendar, a monthly calendar, or a weekly day planner. If the gift is for someone who tends to be a bit forgetful, jot down birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates for them.
• A journal jar is inexpensive and easy to make. Writing prompts help encourage creativity while preventing writer's block. Present this gift with a pretty pen and a stylish blank journal.
• Gift certificates and coupons are a simple craft that's sure to please anyone. Be creative with your gift! Offer the recipient one free car wash, your expert house-cleaning services, a dozen freshly baked cookies, or babysitting services so she can run errands without her children.
• Customized candy wrappers are a great way to treat someone with a sweet tooth to a special gift.
• A Minecrafts paper chess set is going to take quite a bit of time to cut and fold, but the ending result certainly makes for a highly unusual gift.

Gifts for Children

If you're looking for crafty computer made gifts for the children in your life, here are a few ideas to consider:

• A customized memory game is a fun homemade gift for a preschooler. Don't forget to laminate the cards for extra durability, however.
• Make a personalized coloring book by printing out free coloring pages featuring items of interest to the recipient and placing them inside a decorated 3-ring binder. Present the gift with a fresh box of crayons!
• Encourage creativity by giving a young crafter a personal scrapbooking kit. Print out selected papers, frames, and embellishments, and then place the items in a decorated shoebox with scissors, a glue stick, some alphabet stickers, and an acid-free journaling pen.
• Photo playing cards are a good gift, but you may want to make a set for yourself too!
• The printable books used by elementary school teachers in their classrooms also make great small gifts for the kids in your life.
• If you remember paper dolls from your own childhood, treat a special little girl to some dolls of her own. LoveToKnow Crafts has free downloads for a Printable Paper Doll and Clothes.