Birthdays are constsntly coming up for friends and family, which means more money to spend on gifts or trips for their special day. Most students can not afford luxury and forgo the gifts, however, there are plenty of ways to show that special person you care without breaking the bank.

Here are some crafty do-it-yourself ideas for some special heartwarming gifts for loved ones.

1) Do-it-yourself vases.

A simple and quick, but thoughtful gift is to create your own unique flower vase using mason jars or any type of antique cups and decorating them with a personalized message and fake flowers that will keep their blooms all year long.

Give a chocolate bouquet. Not the expensive, edible flower kind of arrangement, but a cheaper, more heartfelt idea.

Include all of their favorite chocolates or candies and glue them to the center of each flower in your vase. It is special way to show how you took the time to make something for that special someone that is both sentimental and delicious.

2) Creative photograph ideas.

Friends and family love photos, so what better way to show off those family photos than to craft with them?

There are printable PDF calendars available online for free, where photos can be included for each month. Placed in a frame, this makes a perfect gift for a working friend or family member to put in their office.

Another great photo idea is to create a collage of family photographs on a blank canvas into a heart shape and place it in a frame that matches a girls décor.

The end look is chic and any woman will love seeing all the great photos you took the time to find. Turn old family photos into antique masterpieces by using photo paper to transfer photos onto old, seldom-used household decor.

There are plenty of useful household items which can be utilized to give your photo a rustic or modern look could be plain white lampshades, unused frames or wood furniture, such as a coffee table or even simple wood planks will work.

Not only will your loved one cherish the thought that you put into the gift, she will be able to save it for years to come and even pass it on to future children or family members.

3) Be artsy.

You may feel a little bit too old to bust out the paint to a perfect birthday gift is one that comes from the heart. A great way to be creative is to use paints to customize things that the bithday person could use every day and cherish as a keepsake.

A quick affordable way to utilize your artist abilities are to create custom art on pillowcases, shirts or old furniture.

A simple idea for those not artistically-inclined is to find a white pillowcase and using fabric paint, draw a family tree on it.

Replace the branches with your family member’s names in cursive and it becomes a creative masterpiece that can be made quickly and cheaply.

If there are kids in the family, paint their hands and have them put their prints on something mom uses often,such as oven mitts or a tote bag.

A clever print idea to consider is to paint the feet of the people in your immediate family and have them step on a wooden step stool.

When it dries, you will have a custom family stepping stool that is worth more than any dollar amount.