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QUINCY, ILL. -- In search of a last minute gift? Take a detour from the mall and make your way to the local craft store. Because who doesn't love opening up a homemade gift on Christmas?

"If you can make it yourself and put the time into it, it really shows that you took the time to select what went into it and that you spent time thinking about the person why you were making it," Chris Taylor from Jo-Ann Fabrics and Craft Store said.

Don't think you have to be an experienced crafter to make your homemade gift. One easy idea anyone can create is a blanket, no stitching required.

"They call them no sew fleece blankets," Taylor, said. "You don't have to sew the edges so nothing is going to fray when you wash it."

All you have to do is figure out how big you want your blanket to be, cut off the four corners, slice some strips and then tie. If that's still to crafty try making a gift basket or gift stocking. Just fill it up with the person's favorite items.

"Once you put it together you kind of got a starter kit for someone who is really wants to get into the field or crafting or drawing or painting or whatever it might be," Taylor said. "It's nice because you put it together yourself so you put though into each of the items you selected."

But if these ideas don't strike your Christmas fancy, just ask you local craft store employee for help.

"We have some very knowledgeable team members that have their own little hobbies like crafting or decorating their homes, sewing, quilting and we're pretty good resources," Taylor said.

Whatever you decided to create, it's the heart that goes into the hand-crafted Christmas gift that counts.

"Every time that person puts that scarf on they're not going to think, 'Oh so and so picked this up for me at the store.' They're going to think 'Wow, they took the time to make it for me,'" Taylor said. "It's that continued reminder of where it came from."

For more do it yourself tips, click here.