Make your own holiday gift tins using a little imagination and time. With homemade treats tucked inside a unique tin or personalized creation, your gift is sure to be enjoyed by friends or family members.

While new (and sometimes expensive) tins are available in outlets and stores, consider shopping secondhand for your gift-giving needs. Many beautiful and almost-new tins are available in thrift stores and charity shops for only a few dollars, including holiday designs and collectible favorites.

Make your own container using creative concepts. Paint or stencil plain gift boxes with a simple design, like reindeer, snowflakes, or other holiday themes. For a tube-shaped container perfect for chocolate chip cookies, make a cardboard Christmas “drum”. Cover a small cardboard oatmeal container with a sheet of colored paper, then trim the top and bottom with wide strips of metallic gold — make sure the top strip overlaps the lid slightly. Use gold rick-rack and glue to create the intersecting strips along the sides.

For a simpler hand-made design, try making a painted tin bucket from an old coffee can. Remove the plastic outer covering from a metal coffee can, then cover with craft paint in the color of your choice. Stencil a holiday design on the outside before drilling two opposite holes near the top. Thread a decorative ribbon or cord through the holes, then knot the ends to create a “handle” for your pail.

Pad your tin or gift box carefully to protect your cookies until they’re ready to be eaten. Cover the bottom of any tins with a piece of wax paper cut to fit; add a ring of wax paper around the tin’s interior walls. Additional layers can be placed between stacks of your homemade goodies as well.

For tins or drums filled with cookies, try stacking the cookies inside a plastic bag, like a long sandwich or freezer bag. Trim off any sealing components, then gather the top and tie it off with a holiday ribbon before sliding your tube of cookies into its container.

Creating holiday gift tins is an easy way to share your time and creativity with those around you this holiday season. Whether it’s a simple cardboard drum filled with oatmeal cookies or a collectible tin filled with chocolate brownie bites, your gift will be appreciated by anyone on your holiday list.