Are you feeling extra crafty this holiday season? Homemade gifts are meaningful and show that you took the time to make something special for your loved ones and friends-best of all, they can be inexpensive. Crocheted items such as baby hats, scarves, and mittens are useful, homey gifts that people can enjoy for many holiday seasons to come.

A crochet baby hat is an especially thoughtful gift for your friends with newborn babies. The best thing about making your own hats is that you can personalize them however you want. Once you've made one hat, you can follow that same pattern to make a couple hats in different colors. After they're all crocheted, you can add special embellishments such as a flower or pompom.

Before you can begin making all of your cute homemade gifts, you need to learn to crochet. Learning how to crochet is easy, as long as you have the right materials and proper instructions. First, make sure you have a ball of yarn and not skeins of yarn; a ball will get tangled less easily and it will give you better tension. Next, you'll need the right size of hooks. Beginner crocheters tend to work either too tight or too loosely. If your work is too tight, use a larger hook; if it is too loose, choose a smaller hook. Once you begin a project with a certain hook, consistently use that hook for the entire project, or you may get different sizes of stitches. Practice making stitches with easy pattern guides, and once you feel confident you can begin making your gifts.

After making a few different items such as a scarf, a baby hat, or mittens, you'll feel more confident and you can move onto more complex projects.

Decorating your window boxes for the various holidays, are a great way to spice up your look year round. There are many different holiday ideas for window boxes to consider and some can be used for numerous holidays. The idea is to build around a focal point or theme for your window box. Don't be afraid to be bold, a window box is a great way to express your individuality and set the bar for your neighbors to keep pace:

Valentine's Day. Surprise you wife with a window box filled with red and white roses. Combine with heart shaped foil bursts, cupids or giant chocolate wrappers to add an additional element.

Easter. Start with a wicker basket filled with a variety of decorative eggs. Complete with an assortment of spring flowers, such as tulips, rose and irises, in any combination of colors like yellow, green, white, pink and purple.

Memorial Day. On this day of remembrance, center around a perma porcelain frame artwork or a laser etched memorial plaque, of a loved one lost serving our beloved country. Red poppies are considered the Memorial Day flower and would be a wonderful way to finish off your Memorial day window box.

Independence Day. Focus around a symbol of freedom, such as the Statue of Liberty, centered in your window box. Try to incorporate some flowers such as touch-me-nots and alliums, or even Jamaica capers. Some of the species of these flowers can give the illusion of fireworks, and that you are celebrating your independence right in your flower box. Other flower ideas could include a variety of red, white and blue geraniums or petunias.

Labor Day. This holiday marks the beginning of football season. What better way to decorate your window box that with your teams' mascot and colors. Try adding team memorabilia, matching flowers, or hanging color coordinated garland around the outside of the box for added décor.

Halloween. Try centering your windowbox around a haunted house combined with various flowers such as orange and black pansies. You may even decide you want to add some faux spider webs or speakers playing scary music, for added spook effect.

Veteran's Day. Getting away from using traditional red, white and blue colors, for this holiday try a Marines themed window box. Center on a US Marine logo license plate and complete by filling in your window box with sparaxis tricolor flowers. This is a beautiful flower where each bulb contains three colors, including one that is red, black and yellow. Try rotating different armed forces each year.

Thanksgiving. Create a harvest themed windowbox centered on a variety of fruits and vegetable, such as pumpkins, squash, and corn, spilling out of a cornucopia. Complete with steams of wheat, a variety of wild flowers and fall leaves.

Hanukah. A menorah would be a good centerpiece to base our theme around. This window box could be filled with winter iris flowers. Add some dreidels and silver coins as added décor idea.

Christmas. A Christmas tree or Santa Claus would be great focal points for this window box. Fill you box with holly or poinsettias. Little presents and/or lights would add a little flash. A few other ideas could include bells, reindeer, candy canes, stockings, and icicles.

New Years Day. Use one or two champagne bottles to set the tone for your window boxes. Complement with a combination of mixed flowers, such as lilies, hydrangeas and roses, in various shades of creme and whites. Also try to incorporate some silver ribbons for added flare.

Whichever holiday ideas you use to decorate your windowboxes remember to always keep it fresh and exciting, good luck!