Gifts from the Heart, Made by Your PC

Some folks pull out the knitting needles, some the decoupage glue. Folks like me head to their PC to create one-of-a-kind, tug-at-the-heartstrings creations. The end product, whether it's your basic coffee mug or your digital "oil painting," is inexpensive, easy to do, and looks great.

Here are a few of my favorites. I'd love to hear about your homemade PC gifts and share them with others.

Photofiddle

The reaction to the gifts I create on this site is jaw-dropping. You submit a photo to Photofiddle, and then choose a medium (oil, pastel, charcoal, pencil), genre (expressionism, pop art, abstract), or a certain look (caricature, comic book panel, stained glass). That's all there is to it. Then specify whether you want the end product printed as a poster, stretched on canvas, or nicely framed. I've done the oil paintings, the Warhol look, and watercolors, and they've all looked fabulous. A framed 24x24-inch stretched canvas costs about $100, but prices start as low as $29.

Zazzle

Those of us who've used Snapfish and Kodak Photo Gallery to create mugs, t-shirts, and calendars may be looking for a fresher look this holiday. You might want to head to Zazzle where many aspiring artists are posting their artwork for you to incorporate into your own gifts. The holiday ideas can all be turned into mugs, apparel, and even postage stamps.

The Story CD

I use Microsoft's Photo Story 3 for Windows XP (it's available for free and requires that you're using Windows MediaPlayer 10 or higher) to make quick little treasures for the family. Grab a bunch of photos, some music, and a microphone. Organize the photos across a timeline and specify the transitional effects from one photo to the next. You can also add zoom effects (don't overdo it) and enter titles or captions for each photo. Add a narration, travelogue, or memoir by speaking into the microphone, or just add some wonderful bit of background music (any MP3/WMA/WAV file will do). The program takes the sound and photos and combines them to create a stunning looking photo story. Burn it on to a CD or DVD and you've got an heirloom.

Scrapbookers

Scrapbook.com could be the center of the scrapbooking universe. Get and share ideas, buy supplies, take classes, you name it. The tip section is particularly useful and well categorized.

If you want a keepsake that you can share only in the virtual world, look at Smilebox. You choose a design, add words, photos, and music, and then hit the share button.

Hardcover High Quality Coffee Table Books

I've written about Blurb before, but their cookbook template combined with your family recipes and photos is a sure winner. Or get ambitious and publish those family stories that have been floating around for years. What a coffee table read that'd make! The quality is as good as a hardcover in the bookstore.

For Mac users, just use iPhoto. I've received lovely photo books made with iPhoto. These look great as well, and are very reasonably priced at $30 for a large double-sided book.

Procrastinators Take Note

Lots of these "make it online sites" have firm deadlines for holiday delivery. If you can't make the date, a nice DIY alternative is Epson's StoryTeller PhotoBook. The kit contains everything: software, printer paper, and binding materials to make a book. Only $20.