HUDSON, Ohio, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The holidays are only weeks away but if you're not having trouble finding a parking space at the mall, it may be because more people are staying home to make their gifts and deck their halls this year.

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According to a recent study by the National Retail Federation, 16.7 % of U.S. consumers plan to make more gifts this year. This number includes people who have not made gifts in the past. Other, less formal, studies show that, among crafters, roughly 60% will make gifts this year.

None of this data surprises Susan Atchison, manager of trend development for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. "Interest in homemade holiday gifts and do-it-yourself decor has been growing over the past few years," she says. "Many people considered it as an economical option to traditional gifts and then found that they not only enjoyed the creative process but that the gifts that resulted were more meaningful than anything they could have purchased. This sense of fulfillment leads them to make more gifts the next year."

To guide people who want to create Christmas this year, the inspiration specialists at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores have a few tips:

• Make it fashionable. When crafting decor items, consider the home's overall style and color palette. Incorporate jewels, velvets and bright trims if the home has either a very contemporary or a very old world feel; use softer, more natural materials for a country or cottage style house.

• Make it personal. Scrapbooks remain a favorite gift but there are many other uses for scrapbook paper. Cover a frame with the perfect paper to correspond with a photo of a special occasion. Cover treat boxes filled with the special cookies you make each year.

• Make it lasting. A knitted or no-sew fleece blanket can be used year-round and is sure to be a reminder of the person who gave it.

• Make it memorable. Consider involving the entire family. Help children make gifts for family members and friends. It's quality time you will remember and talk about for years to come.

• Make it your own. Log onto Joann.com for more inspiration to get you started, or stop by your local store to find the materials you need to make the gifts that mean the most. Then take the ideas and make them your own. Jo-Ann customers can find even more inspiration by attending in-store demos and taking classes. See Joann.com for schedules.

This year, make the gifts that mean the most.

About Jo-Ann Stores, Inc.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores (NYSE: JAS - News) the nation's largest fabric and craft retailer with locations in 48 states, was founded in 1943 as a single retail store. Today, over 750 Jo-Ann stores across the country provide consumers with creative inspiration. For additional information, visit www.Joann.com.

The NRF 2009 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 8,431 consumers and was conducted for NRF by BIGresearch September 30 - October 7, 2009. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

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