It is the season of giving. And it feels wonderful to get a little something for friends, cousins, colleagues and siblings. The only problem is that our pockets are so much smaller than our hearts. But worry not, help is at hand. Team YOU has trawled the Net to come up with gifts that are easy to make and light on the pocket. You can customise each one for the recipient and - the best part - most of them are upcycled so they are certified green. Now there is nothing to stop you from playing Santa Claus - or at least one of his helpful elves.

Jewellery magnets

• Go through your jewellery box (or that of your sister, mother, girlfriend) and pick pair-less earrings, never-worn brooches and over-used pendants. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the hardware from the earrings and brooches. Then fix a superstrong magnet with a small bead of glue to the back of the jewellery bits. Let it dry overnight. Gift these magnets to people who will appreciate the pretty on their fridges.

Wildflower display

• Gather a handful of flowers (they don't have to be wild) and interesting leaves or wild grasses from a garden or park. Choose flowers that will look good pressed (nothing flouncy, just small and simple shapes), flowers of wild grasses look great too, if you can find any. If you can't find flowers, try a peepal leaf or a sprig of neem. Place them between the pages of a thick book. Use a weight, or more books, to keep the pages flat. Leave for one or two weeks in a dry, cool place. Once the flowers and leaves are completely dry, frame them between double panes of glass frames, trimming the stems to the right height. This is the perfect gift that keeps giving throughout the year.

Stenciled animal mugs

• Buy some cheap, white mugs. Print out animal shapes of your choice on card paper. Cut out the animal shapes with a craft knife, creating a stencil. Centre each stencil on a mug and tape it. Use a soft brush to fill in the outline with dishwasher safe paint and let it set for a few minutes. Carefully remove the stencil, clean up any edges with a damp cotton swab, and allow the paint to cure. And viola! you have a gift for the beverage-loving friend.

Sweater sleeve wine bottle

• It's no secret that sweaters come out of the closet only this time of the year. Warm, cosy and just the right kinda warmth the wine bottles might like. Upcycle old sweaters into sleeves or covers for wine bottles that you gift to the host or hostess. Here's how you make them: cut about 12 inches of the sweater sleeve. Turn it inside out. Using the bottle of wine as a guide, cut out a circle from the sweater. Put the wrong side of the circle and the end of the sleeve together and stitch them up. Turn the wine cosy inside out, add a bottle and a ribbon to tie the neck and your festive gift is ready.

Cutting board spice rack

• Crafting can get expensive, so it is always a good idea to re-purpose junk lying around your home. Transform an old wooden cutting board into a spice rack by screwing on a few wooden shelves to it. Make two holes on the board and thread a length of leather strap through it. It's ready to hang in a corner of the kitchen now, to stock up on everything from condiments to spices. This is the perfect gift for that friend who loves to cook!