With the Christmas season quickly approaching and little time to buy gifts, many Eastern students turn to their crafting abilities to create gifts on a budget.

Jennette Grau, a junior music major, said she is making scarves for her friends this Christmas.

“I buy nice yarn that I think they would like,” she said. “Last year, I made friendship necklaces based off their favorite colors.”

Grau said the easiest way to go about making necklaces is to go to craft stores and check out their sales and then find beads that match.

“Another good thing to do is go to local craft shows or flee markets to find unique beads and chains that can be reused,” she said.

Grau prefers to make her gifts rather than buy them because of the sentimental value of a homemade gift.

“I do little things like this because a homemade gift has more meaning to it,” she said. “I would rather make a necklace or bracelet and put a little flair in it that makes the person happy than buy a necklace that 100 other people would have.”

Jessica Shockley, a sophomore undecided major, said she is making gifts for her floor in Ford Hall.

“I make magazine paper bracelets,” she said. “You cut out the magazine paper, make them into a triangle, glue it and roll it.”

Jacqueline Simonpietri, a junior biology major, has been helping with the Sigma Alpha Iota International Fraternity craft sale in the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

She said many people have purchased items from the craft sale as Christmas gifts for friends and family members.

“We usually make everything we sell,” she said.

The only exception is donated pottery items from Art Smart in the Charleston Square.

Simonpietri said the group has many knitters who have donated their knitted works to the sale.

“If you know how to knit, you can make something for anybody,” she said.

Simonpietri said she has already figured out most of her Christmas presents for this year, including a necklace she made for her sister.

“I’m making the necklace (for her) out of beads my brother gave me,” she said. “I’m sort of re-gifting to her.”

Some of the items they are selling at the craft sale include bowls made out of molded music records that Simonpietri made.

She said she was motivated to make them for the sale after a friend made one for her.

“I try to only do it with records I think no one will ever listen to again,” she said.

Robyn Dexter can be reached at 581-2812 or redexter@eiu.edu.