As far as we're concerned, there is absolutely nothing more meaningful than receiving a handmade gift - and nothing more joyful than being the creator of such a gift. Here are a couple of ideas that you might enjoy making and giving to family and friends this holiday season.

For fun, we'll start with a project that can be used for several purposes. It can be a compact disk holder, a VHS holder, a mini bookcase or even a DVD rack. And best of all it's easy and inexpensive to build.

You will need two pieces of 1-by-6 lumber each about 10 to 12 inches long (you choose the exact size and specie). Regardless of what size you end up with, it's pretty important for both pieces of wood to end up matching in length and width. You also will need two pieces of ½-inch dowel stock - each about 12 inches long - preferably the same specie as the 1-by-6s. Clamp the two pieces of 1-by-6 together and sand around all four edges until they match in size and shape. While they remain clamped together, drill a pair of ½-inch holes through both pieces at once.

The holes should be side by side about 1½ inches on center in from one of the narrow ends. The holes should be spaced so that they are about one-inch or so on center from each side. Exact placement of the holes can vary, but they must be in the exact same position on both 1-by-6s.

Once the holes are drilled, sand or ream them out about one-sixteenth of an inch or so to ensure that the dowels will slip through easily.

Slip the dowels through the holes and your project is complete except for stain and varnish or paint.

Here's an easy one. Round wooden shower curtain holders are getting hard to find, but work best for this gift-giving project. However, plastic ones work almost as well.

Gather up several and simply spray paint them in your favorite color. Take family photos and cut them in a circle about the diameter of the shower curtain loop. Finally, glue the photo to the loop. Shower curtain hook picture frames make inexpensive photo gifts.

Again, easy is the key word here. For this project you will need two pieces of wood or particle board cut into matching triangles. We used a piece of 1-by-14 clear pine.

We cut its length to exactly match its width and then made a perfect diagonal cut. We clamped the two pieces of wood together and sanded all three edges until both pieces were identical in size and shape. We marked the exact center of the two pieces (between the base and apex) and cut a ¾-inch wide notch from the bottom (base) to the center of one piece and a ¾-inch wide notch from the top to the center in the other piece.

With the notches cut and sanded, we were then able to interlock the two pieces into a pyramid-shaped stand with four sides. The final step involves cutting slots into the four sloping edges of the pyramid. We used a small handsaw to cut ½-inch deep slots a quarter of an inch apart along all four sloping edges.

A gingerbread man, a toy soldier, a snowman - all of these shapes and more can be trimmed out of plywood, particle board or dimensional scrap lumber in minutes with nothing more than a jig saw.

Use a cookie cutter to transfer the shape onto the material. Clamp it to your workbench and cut. Sanding the edges completes the job unless you enjoy carving. The figure can be hand-painted or simply finished by writing someones name on it.

Imagine the possibilities - and the fun you can have with a little scrap of wood, a few simple tools and a bunch of family photos.

Brothers James and Morris Carey are nationally accredited home remodelers who have written a column for the Associated Press for more than a decade. Readers can mail questions to: On the House, AP Newsfeatures, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, or e-mail careybro@onthehouse.com. Readers can also check their Web site at www.onthehouse.com.