It’s that time of the year. Write a list. Check it twice. Buy presents. Hopefully save enough money to pay rent and the cable bill.

So, what happens if your bank account dries up before you’ve made it to the bottom of your holiday list? You can go M.I.A. until January, you can max out your credit cards or you can make homemade presents that will wow everyone without putting a dent in your savings. Here are three crafty, do-it-yourself ideas to make cute and inexpensive presents from scratch.

CHEAP GIFT IDEA #1: HOMEMADE JAM

What you need:

Small glass jars

Fabric scraps (plaids, solids or holiday themed)

Ribbon

What you do:

If you are like me and you like to cook, making a batch of homemade marmalade, jam or chutney can be a very inexpensive way to have gifts ready for grandma, your boyfriend’s mom or anyone with a sweet tooth and a loaf of bread.

All you need to do is personalize the jar a little bit, so it doesn’t look like you hit Publix on the way home. Try to make a flavor of marmalade or chutney that’s not readily available at grocery stores like Raspberry Amaretto Jam or Savory Tomato Marmalade (see recipes below). While you cook your yummy concoction, heat the jars in the oven at 250F. Once the jam is ready pour it in the jars while still hot, close lids and place on kitchen counter upside down for 5 minutes.

When you hear the jars “pop” you can turn them over – they are sealed and ready to be decorated. Cut a square piece of fabric, place it over the lid and tie a pretty golden ribbon around the jar neck and… voila’! Your Williams-Sonoma tasting gift on a Wal-Mart budget is ready.

Recipes:

Raspberry Amaretto Jam:

- Combine 5 cups of fresh raspberries, 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of Amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur) and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

- Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until thick (about a half hour), stirring frequently.

- Remove from heat; stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of almond extract.

Savory Tomato Marmalade (from Cookinglight.com):

Ingredients:

3 cups vertically sliced onion

3 tablespoons sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 (7-ounce) jars oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup red wine

1 cup water

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add first 4 ingredients; cook 8 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar and wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup water and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in rosemary and salt.

CHEAP GIFT IDEA #2: LAYERED SOUP IN A JAR

What you need:

1 quart jar, wide mouthed

A few bags of dried beans of different colors (yellow split pea, green split pea, white navy beans, red kidney beans, black beans)

Dry onion flakes

Fabric scraps

Ribbon

What you do:

Let’s say you don’t have time to cook, or you aren’t confident in your stove-top abilities. This is the gift for you! Old aunts, moms and soup aficionados will love this little present which, on top of tasting good, adds a quaint homemade look on display in the kitchen. (My mom still has a jar from two years ago that she says is “too pretty to cook.”)

Take a large mouthed 1 quart jar and slowly pour about ¾ cups of each bean variety into it: Start with the yellow split pea, then do a green split pea layer, then a white bean layer and so on, until the jar is full. Make sure that every layer is packed tightly before starting a new one. Top off with dry onion flakes. Close the lid and decorate with a piece of fabric and a ribbon.

It also a good idea to tie a little piece of paper onto the lid with the handwritten recipe for how to make the soup, just in case they decide to actually cook the contents of your jar.

Recipe:

Rainbow Bean Soup:

- Place mix in a large pot and add 10 cups of water.

- Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat and let soak for 1 hour.

- Return pot to heat, stir in 4 diced carrots, 4 diced celery stalks and 2 pounds of smoked cubed ham. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, until beans are tender.

- Serve immediately.

CHEAP GIFT IDEA #3: OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES IN A JAR

What you need:

1 quart jar, wide mouthed

Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, chocolate chips, quick or old-fashioned oats, chopped nuts (optional)

Fabric scraps

Ribbon

Small card

What you do:

There is virtually nothing as comforting, cozy and simply delicious as fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Sending cookies through the mail can be risky. They might arrive stale, in crumbs or get eaten by some over worked postal worker and never make it to their final destination. Cookies in a jar are an easy way to send a friend a sweet treat that is virtually guaranteed to put a smile on their face.

First, mix 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add the mixture to your jar, then add the following ingredients in layers, packing each one down in between: 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup chocolate chips, 1 ½ cups oats and ½ cup chopped nuts. Screw the lid back on, decorate with your fabric and tie on the small card with the recipe (written below) to turn your jar into warm, gooey cookies.

Recipe:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (taken from www.verybestbaking.com)

- Beat ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter, 1 large egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until blended.

- Add cookie mix and stir well, breaking up any clumps.

- Drop batter in rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheets and bake at 375°F in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks.

- Enjoy!