Crafts for mom: Make a personal, and inexpensive, Mother's Day present

With prices on the rise, gift-giving might seem too expensive for many Americans. But mom deserves a little something this Mother's Day, despite the economic standings. With a little creativity and some craft supplies, you can create economical, personalized gifts for that special lady in your life.

Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza, Emmy-nominated lifestyle hosts of the popular shows Creative Juice and Witch Crafts on the HGTV and DIY networks, have recently teamed up with Plaid Enterprises, Inc., a leading craft manufacturer. Together, they offer these creative and fun craft ideas which can be made from recycled materials around the house.

* Monogrammed box. Take an old wooden cigar box, use acrylic paints and Mod Podge, an all-in-one glue and sealer, which can be found at www.plaidonline.com/news, to create a personalized holder for precious keepsakes.

* Make your own cards. Instead of buying cards for your loved ones, use recycled materials to make your own. You can use Mod Podge to attach fabric or paper cut-outs to card stock for a personalized greeting.

* Decoupage picture frames. A nice photograph in a homemade frame always makes for a heartfelt gift. Using colorful scraps of paper or gift wrap and acrylic paint, turn a generic, thrift-store frame into a personalized gift that brings up good memories.

* Vintage postcard mini lamp. Find a small, old lamp with a paper shade. Create a template from its original shade and, using decorative paper, cut out your template. Apply the cutout to the original lampshade. After it has dried, fasten your postcards or paper images to the shade in overlapping fashion.

* Denim wine bag. Use the leg from an old pair of jeans to make a wine bag. Embellish it with FolkArt Fabric paint for a personal touch. Pop in a bottle of wine to complete the gift.