It doesn't matter what type of shopper you are, whether you plan or wait until the last minute; both ways will cost you.

If you're like me, you'll underestimate how much you spend, go overboard, and strain to have funds leftover. Don't wipe out your wallet; get crafty instead. There's a line between going the cheap route and the affordable route. Do-it-yourself gifts entail a lot of thought, time, and effort, making something out of nothing. Here are a few ideas of what you can make your loved ones!

1. Record bowls

It's all about the heating and molding! Make sure you have windows open and a lot of ventilation--the smell of burnt vinyl isn't the best.

2. Milk Carton Wallet

Yay for recycling!

3. A blanket in under an hour

The main tool? Your arm. And thick yarn.

3. Heating Pads/Hand Warmers

Get started here. Anyone can benefit from some portable heat! They're much safer than electrical heating blankets; if you fall asleep with a rice pack, you won't get burned.

4. Infinity Scarf

Here is another trick to knitting without using needles. This infinity scarf will apparently only take you 30 minutes! Worth a try, right?

5. Bath Bombs

Bring Lush into your kitchen with this simple eHow recipe. It calls for cream of tartar in place of citric acid! Find the ingredients in any baking aisle.

For molding, you can use cupcake liners, ice cube trays, or even the plastic containers from twenty-five cent toy machines.

6. Soap

Making soap requires quite a few materials that could potentially be pricey, but when you consider how many people's gifts it would cover, its sort of worth it--especially if you check online for deals on ingredients.

This recipe, however, was the easiest and quickest (10 minutes!) I could find.

7. Lip Balm

You read it right; this recipe only takes five minutes! All you need is coconut oil, peppermint oil (which can be swapped for another oil/scent such as lavender, for example), and beeswax.

8. Marbled Votives

Here is another craft that uses materials that you most likely already have: nail polish. Click here for instructions.

9. Marbled Clay Ring Dish

Polymer clay is your new best friend, and gold trimming goes a long way. Click here for more.

10. (No-sewing) trivet

This craft has the least steps: dye and glue.

Details here.

11. Make-up bag

You might want to make this gift to keep yourself. I know I do.

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Another money-saver tip is reusing materials you'd normally throw away. For some, you might want to repurpose jars and containers instead of purchasing.

Remember to take your time—rushing will show in the end. You want to be proud of it, not feeling sheepish when it's your turn to exchange gifts. The secret is to have fun with the process and to add a lot of love.