EASY GIFTS TO MAKE.

Byline: Kelly Degarmo Fort Worth Star-Telegram

With a little imagination and basic instructions, you, too, can be as crafty as one of Santa's elves this holiday season.

Embellished picture frames, embossed note cards, decorated wooden boxes and handmade birdhouses are just some of the gifts you can make for relatives, teachers and friends. They take just minutes and a few dollars to make.

The materials can be found at local craft stores.

Who knows? You might be so impressed with the results that you may want to make one for yourself, too.

Personalize an inexpensive picture frame with miniature trinkets to create a special gift. Vanessa Sykes, a student at Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center in Fort Worth, glued miniature apples and pencils onto a $3, prevarnished wooden frame, designed with a teacher in mind.

Acrylic and plastic frames also can be embellished with beads, fishing lures, buttons or other items. Be sure to use the proper glue for the kind of materials you select.

Create your own embossed note cards. Elementary student Elisa Sykes glued an embossed snowman onto a piece of colored paper to create a special note card.