Christmas is fast approaching, and with money seeming tighter than ever, I know a lot of my friends and family will be getting hand made gifts this year. But the great thing about hand made gifts, especially if made in bulk, is that the overall cost is a lot lower but the sentiment is much higher! Brownie points all round (brownies you can now afford with all the money you have saved!)

Now, I'm very stubborn when it comes to music; I tend to listen to the same old songs and rarely allow anything new onto my ipod. My friends, however, are really into their music and have extremely varied tastes. Therefore, this Christmas I will be asking my friends for mixed CDs. This type of gift is not only cheap, it can also be a thoughtful token of your friendship, especially if you've known each other for years.

So, if you decide to give some mixed CDs this Christmas, here are a few nice ways to personalise them...

This CD case was handmade by my friend Charlie, for his super gorgeous girlfriend Amy Hill. I love that he has given the CD it's own title, and the fact that it opens like a record sleeve is genius!

But Honestly...em blog

Or how about this little beut? The devil is in the detail here. Notice the songs are marked by triangles instead of numbers and it comes with it's own little string of bunting - adorable!

rock my wedding

Or make your own paper case with this handy step by step guide.