So it’s time to get holiday gifts for your friends, family, and various minions. And the nerdier the better! You begin your benevolent plotting…and that’s when you remember that the mall is a terrifying place at this time of year, the roads are icy and nasty to drive on, and to top it off, you’re short on cash.

Never fear! There are other ways to show the nerdy love without having to wade through waves of humanity, risk your neck on the open road, or spend all your hard-earned moolah. Yes, I’m talking about crafting!

“But handmade gifts are so lame!” you say. “Nobody ever wants that crap!” To which I say, you’re probably thinking that way because of bad memories associated with the macaroni portraits and construction-paper-based oddities of our youth. But I encourage you to dream a little bigger. With resources like Pinterest and Ravelry and the scads of great crafting blogs out there, crafting is easier and more accessible (and less corny) than ever. Even novice crafters can find something that appeals to them and learn new skills to create a finished product they’re proud to give to someone.

One of my favorites for this purpose is crochet and knitting. There are patterns for anything you can think of, from Doctor Who scarves to plushies to cat-ear hats. And even if you’ve never knit a stitch in your life, there are plenty of step-by-step videos on YouTube for any technique you could wish to learn. Best of all, many patterns online are free, or a few bucks at most.

If crochet and knitting aren’t your thing, you could try your hand at some old-fashioned artwork. Make some fan art of your friend’s favorite character, or do a hand-lettered or calligraphy version of your brother’s favorite book quote. If you’ve got a steady hand and a good eye, there are tons of possibilities here!

If neither of those are hitting the right notes for you, there’s lots of options for constructable gifts. Build a dice tray for your favorite D&D player, make comic book magnets, or put together a hobbit hole terrarium!

And of course, there’s the ever-popular food gift! Bake some Star Wars sugar cookies, make a batch of lembas bread (my personal favorite), or put together a kit for making a nerdy cocktail (Sonic Screwdriver, anyone?).

These are just a few ideas to get your creative DIY juices flowing. But don’t stop here! Go forth and find what inspires you, or make something up from scratch. We’d love to hear about your ideas — share about your handiwork in the comments! Or if you’re not making handmade gifts this year, tell us about the best handmade and/or nerdy gift you’ve ever received.

Happy giving!

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