(Archive December 2018) Shopping for Christmas? You Don’t Want to Miss This!

By Brittany Eldridge | Observer Contributor

With the holidays rapidly approaching, professors and students provided advice on how to create low-cost holiday gifts using skills they learned in their classes.

Leslie Cullen, a Graphic Design Professor, said that graphic designers can use their graphic design software and fine art skills to customize t-shirts, greeting cards, mugs, bags, blankets, calendars, and virtually anything. Students can design their own greeting cards and print them on cardstock at their homes or by using a printing website such as cafepress.com or personalizationmall.com. If the student has a family member with a favorite character or particular interest, then they can design a t-shirt based on that interest and print them through a printing website or local shop.

For those interested in digital gifts, Professor Cullen said that students can design their own CDs and videos. In addition, CDs can be kept in CD covers with sleeves customized specifically for the recipient. Students can use video software to design their own slideshows and preserve important memories captured in photos and videos.

Sophia Schlegelmilch, a student at MWCC, suggested that students make their own candy for the holidays. She makes saltine toffee (see recipe below) and gives the toffee to her relatives. She said to package the candy in wax-paper-lined holiday tins or in boxes from the dollar store.

Creative Writing students can use their poetry to create unique gifts. English professor Michelle Valois recommended that students use the poetry that they included in their class portfolios. She said that students in her Creative Writing courses create a portfolio that consists of 12 to 15 pages of original writing. Students can use Microsoft Word to create a small booklet or they can use a short poem to create a laminated bookmark.

Maureen Provost, an early childhood education professor, recommended that students design and distribute their own homemade coupon books. She added that coupon books are valuable because they include items that are free and from the heart. They can appeal to a variety of age groups and can involve activities that bring people together such as cooking together or going for a walk.