However, do-it-yourself craft ideas are sweeping the internet, and while many agree it is worth it, some are struggling to find the time, especially young people.
Lori Kirsch, creator of The Vintage Jewel, said she believes in the value of homemade gifts.
"It's not your run-of-the-mill gift from the mall, and people really appreciate that," she said. "They would rather receive something from the heart rather than the wallet."
Kirsch makes colorful jewelry from vintage buttons, beads and other elements that she gets from Los Angeles, but also from thrift shops and antique stores.
"Every button, toy and bead provides many opportunities for a happy accident," she said. "I bring new life to childhood memories that once just sat in a jar or a drawer."
Kirsch has noticed that there isn't a lot of youth in the industry, she said.
"We have noticed for some reason that a lot of young people are not getting into the industry, perhaps because they are more into electronics or technology," Kirsch said. "It's sad because the younger generation is really missing out. There is a value in making something that you are proud of."
But Afra Hussain, a freshman biochemistry major, disagrees. She said she believes that young people are often interested in DIY, but they do not always have the time.
"Although I would love to make things more often, as a college student I don't have time for that ... The holidays are an exception," Hussain said.
This year, Hussain is making Mason jar snowmen for her friends by filling the jars with white chocolate pretzels. She decorates the jars by gluing a scarf and buttons on the outside, an idea she said she got from Pinterest.
"I think that there was a time where the younger generation was just buying clothes and gift cards for their friends, but now with things like Pinterest, I think that DIY is becoming more popular," Hussain said. "College students don't have a lot of money ... For us it's affordable and really special."
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Bonnie McLean, a part-time teacher and recycled craft enthusiast, said she believes in the value of making time for DIY projects.
McLean also sees a desire among the younger generations to create things, she said.
"I taught in a very poor area where you make something out of what you have; you don't have to buy something. If a child made something out of a toilet paper tube, I love that," McLean said. "I think as we are immersed in this technological age, we look back with nostalgia at simpler times."
Long before Pinterest, McLean was showing special needs kids at Longfellow Elementary ways of doing crafts beyond using paper and pencil, she said.
"When I got more into recycling, I got less into buying things and more into using things," she said.
It's just little, everyday things that you see in your house that you can repurpose, she said.
"It's unique. It's one person's thought. I think people sense the time and the love that goes into it," McLean said. "The fact that it's recycled appeals now; people are understanding and appreciating that more."
McLean gets most of her material from thrift shops or craft stores, she said. She firmly believes in homemade gifts.
"When you make something out of something, you have to transcend it, meaning that it no longer looks like it did originally or serves its original purpose," she said. "The process is organic. I just have to wait and see what inspires me."
Meagen Twyeffort is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
