Winter break can be a stressful time of the year — a packed house to come home to, extended family visiting for dinners and a schedule filled with plans with hometown friends. But it can also be an opportunity to show your loved ones just how much you care for them. As college students, spending hundreds of dollars on gifts can be overwhelming and unreasonable. Finding personalized gifts or even creating handmade gifts can be a fun way to de-stress this season. From collaging to candle making, your gifts could be nothing short of creative and crafty with the help of this list.

1. A photo album with captions

Albums and framed photos have been a classic gift for capturing and gifting beautiful memories. With the recent turn to vintage and retro forms of creative expression, it’s time to bring back physical collections of pictures. All that needs to be bought is an empty album, printed scans of pictures you would like to use and some decorative additions. Use sentimental pictures to tell a story of your relationships through captions including what each specific picture means to you.

2. Funky candles

Candles are a classic option for gift giving when unsure of what to gift someone. However, they can feel a little thoughtless and generic if bought straight from a commercial store. If you have some time and patience on your hands, opt for a homemade funky candle. For this creative gift, you can thrift interesting-looking glassware and buy a candle making kit from your local art supply store. Experiment with different smelling oils and mix them in with the wax to give your candle a more personalized scent. You could even add dry rose petals or crystals with the birthstone of the gift receiver to make the candle stand out even more.

3. Rolled-up notes in a collage Altoid box

Putting short notes in small containers has probably been an easy and low-maintenance gift we have all seen before. The issue with these is if the containers aren’t decorated well, the reality is that these gifts can be easily stuffed in a corner and forgotten. Collaging a fun container like an Altoid box or even a box for a deck of cards can elevate the gift. Within these notes can be barcodes for favorite songs, affirmations or things you love about the person.

4. Band posters

Room decorations are another safe bet to go with. As long as you’re sure of a favorite artist or band, posters can double as functional and show that you pay attention. Depending on how obscure the artist is and how big you’d like the print to be, prices might have a greater range. But don’t let this deter you from scouting possible options as this can be thoughtful while being less time-consuming than crafting a gift.

5. A deck of cards with pictures

Pasting pictures individually onto a deck of cards can be another way to creatively display your favorite moments with someone. All you would need is printed pictures, a deck of cards and colored paper if you would like to add captions. First, paste your picture onto the frontside of each card and then create a caption for the backside of each card. This can be something fun and new because the idea is similar to an album, but with its functional size it’s easier to potentially display or carry.

There are so many different ways to show your loved ones you’re thinking of them in this day and age. While giving gifts can feel superficial at times, it doesn’t have to be, if it’s taken as a rewarding opportunity for creative expression and an evaluation of relationships within your life. Give this list a try and challenge yourself to create or buy fun gifts.