Do-it-yourself holiday gift ideas

Lots of Americans are worried about the economy and looking for ways to save money over the holidays.

But that doesn't mean you have to cancel Christmas.

A growing number of people are finding satisfaction -- and savings -- by handing out do-it-yourself gifts.

"People are tired of falling into the consumerist trap," said Tina Barseghian, editor in chief of Craft magazine. "There are so many new and innovative ways to make things."

The latest issue of the Sebastopol-based magazine, which is an offshoot of O'Reilly Media, focuses on holiday gifts and re-using materials.

Turn an old shrunken sweater into a scarf or potholder. Or transform leftover red wine into vinegar.

Re-use is a common theme in both Craft and Make, a sister magazine published by O'Reilly. A former issue of Make illustrated how to mount an old digital camera inside a model rocket and record its flight into the troposphere.

Similar ideas -- and carefully illustrated diagrams to show you exactly how to make them a reality -- are popping up across the Internet from Sonoma County to Africa.

To inspire your holiday season, here's a list of some of the best do-it-yourself resources on the Internet:

www.Makezine.com -- A great DIY resource for anyone comfortable with a solder gun and an ohmmeter -- or anyone who wants to be. Make magazine was the first of O'Reilly's DIY magazines and is largely devoted to the engineering mind. The site hosts projects, a DIY store, instructional videos for rental and plenty more.

www.Craftzine.com -- Make's sister publication, Craft, is devoted to arts and crafts. It features loads of re-invented projects, like macrame handbags designed for the millennial aesthetic. The site is full of video, diagrams, even instructions for vegan candy corn.

www.BorrowTools.org -- Don't have the right tool for your project? Then check out the Santa Rosa Tool Library. It lets Sonoma County residents borrow everything from a jackhammer to a glue gun. Check out its giant list of tools online. It's a terrific community resource.

www.Instructables.com -- A great collection of projects from across the DIY world. From its small San Francisco workspace, the crew behind this Web site will keep you informed on how to make honeycomb treats or a pinball coffee table.

www.ReadyMade.com -- Another San Francisco publication, this magazine was founded more than 10 years ago during the nascent resurgence of the DIY movement. The site holds a treasure trove of videos, blogs and resources for homemade projects.

www.VideoJug.com -- The Internet has spawned a slew of video-centric Web sites devoted to providing instructions on life's everyday challenges -- like how to give a non-threatening "bro hug" or have an office love affair on the sly. While the sites only vaguely overlay with the DIY theme, for people on a seriously tight budget, maybe learning how to deliver a passionate kiss is exactly what you can give your loved one this holiday season. Also check out www.expertvilliage.com, www.howcast.com and www.monkeysee.com.

www.AfriGadget.com -- An incredible site chronicling the innovation of Africans with often very limited resources and staggeringly different cultures. You can learn how to make a bottle opener with nothing more than a stick and a screw, or how to cover your home with USAID bags. While it might not inspire any gift ideas, it will sure draw your attention to the difference between leisure class DIY and having to make do with what you've got.

You can reach Staff Writer Nathan Halverson at 521-5494 or nathan.halverson@pressdemocrat.com.