Add / Build / Make Custom Shortcode for Plugin

I have seen tons of useful plugins in here, but I always end up dissappointed because none of them have a shortcode and have to be added to a theme file like index.php or sidebar.php.

I am looking for a plugin that will display recent posts from a specific category and I have been able to locate a few like Smooth Slider. The problem is I have a static home page and need shortcodes to add plugins to it. I tried plugins for adding PHP code to pages/posts and had no luck either.

I was wondering if there is a way to manually make a shortcode for a plugin that I want (ie. Smooth Slider) and make it work so I can put it on my static home page. The code for Smooth Slider is a basic function; therefore, I’m assuming it should be made simple with a few steps?