BUYING gift tags for all your Christmas presents can cost you money that you can easily save by making your own.

That’s exactly what this week’s Beat the Crunch top tip winner Jenny Haynes from Southampton, pictured left, has been doing for the past 20 years.

During that time she has saved plenty of cash by making her own gift tags on Christmas and birthday gifts.

The 62-year-old from Shirley said: “My old celebration cards for Christmas and birthdays are all recycled into gift tags.

“Any suitable designs or Christmas scenes, like a snowman, Father Christmas or sprig of holly are cut out with crinkle-edged scissors.

“You simply then punch the corner with a hole and put gold thread through to tie it up. Over the years I have had lots of comments from people saying how much they like the personal touch.”

The grandmother-of-five also has a use for all the small circular bits of paper and card that she has collected over the years – wedding confetti.

She said: “If you save up all the hole punched bits of paper and card from gift tags you will have enough to make lovely colourful confetti for the next wedding you have to go to.”

It’s certainly cheaper than a small box of confetti that can set you back about £3.

Jenny, who worked for Town Quay Cruises during the 1960s and 1970s before raising her three sons, will receive a £20 cheque courtesy of the Daily Echo after being declared this week’s top tip winner.