Gifts & Holidays: Expert Guides and Resources

Pumpkin-carving kits are convenient, but if you don't have one, then use household tools. Carving Halloween pumpkins with tools you have at home is budget-smart. It's just as fun, and you'll get the same great results. ©Joshua Resnick / Adobe StockIf you don't have something on the list of equipment below, then borrow it.

Whether you want to change items that you already own or desperately need some budget-conscious ways to begin defining your holiday style, you can start by repurposing, reusing, recycling, and restyling what you already have. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com / Olaf Seier 2012 Give your things a new purpose Repurposing means to use an item that’s normally used for one thing (like a throw or painter’s drop cloth made of cotton canvas) and change it into something else for another function, like turning it into pillows or a slipcover.

Tablescapes are arrangements of items gathered in a grouping on top of a table. They're sometimes called tabletop arrangements. Typically, you can use anything as a prop for a great mini-arrangement — for example: Accent pillows, throw blankets Baskets, books, candles Fabrics and other linens, ribbons Flowers and foliage Fresh fruit or quality faux fruit Mirrors, photo frames Trays, vases, or bowls A tablescape can include a centerpiece, or it can simply contain an arrangement of your favorite items.

Making flat, tailored ribbon bows is quick and easy. A tailored ribbon bow lends a clean, modern edge to gift wrapping; and because it's flat, this bow is ideal for gifts that will be shipped or stacked.Assemble your materials: spools of double-faced ribbon, sharp scissors, stapler, and tape or a hot glue gun.

Folding and cutting out paper snowflakes is a fun and creative holiday craft that anyone can enjoy. Most of the time, people cut up their folded papers pretty randomly, so they end up with random snowflakes. But with a few tools and a few tips, you can design a snowflake that is uniquely yours: Consider the cutting options you have besides plain old scissors.

Wrapping presents in gift bags and tissue paper is quick, versatile, and economical. The bags are reusable or recyclable and are perfect for wrapping oddly shaped gifts of all sizes. Gift-bag designs range from plain to over-the-top gorgeous, and tissue paper comes in a rainbow of colors.Gather up a gift bag, tissue paper in a coordinating color(s), gift tag, and (optional) embellishments.

One of the easiest, most common, and most enjoyable of holiday crafts is cutting snowflakes out of paper. Folding your paper to create a standard eight-pointed paper snowflake is pretty easy, as long as you can keep track of which corner will be the center of the snowflake. Just follow these steps.Starting with a standard 8-1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper, fold two adjacent edges together and make a crease.

Carving a pumpkin is a fun and inexpensive Halloween tradition. For your jack-o’-lantern, carve a Halloween image that's funny, scary, or pretty into pumpkins that are green, white, pale orange, or even red-orange. Take your design template with you when buying pumpkins to ensure you buy one with the right size and shape.

Make your own floral bows (florist bows) to save money and to add a custom look to Christmas wreaths, garlands, and gifts. Tying floral bows isn’t difficult; if you can make loops, you can make beautiful bows. For a bow that holds its shape, use a sturdy fabric ribbon or a wire-edged fabric ribbon.Make a small loop of ribbon and hold it with your thumb and forefinger.