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If your Christmas list is starting to be a handful, it's time to consider making your own gifts. Here are several easy-to-make crafts that make wonderful home-made Christmas gifts.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 8:
Making Paper Gifts
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Create a customized journal. It's easy to change an inexpensive notebook into a personalized gift just for the receiver.
- Purchase an old-fashioned, black and white composition book (usually smaller than a regular notebook and with the pages sewn in).
- Cover the book with aluminum foil, gift wrap or fabric being sure to wrap it around the edges. Use spray adhesive to secure it to the inside of the cover. You can even use duct tape which comes in many colors and patterns to cover the book.
- Add stickers, photos, magazine cutouts, and handwritten words (inside jokes, names of recipient's children) reflecting the recipient's interests.
- Write a short note on the first page about how much the recipient means to you.
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Make a set of cards or stationery with envelopes. If you're into paper or card making, create a set of cards or stationery using an image you've painted/stitched/drawn/printed, etc. You can either repeat the same image on each card or change them up. You can even make your own envelopes to go with the set of cards if you're really ambitious. Place it all into a small box and affix a ribbon that can be tied shut to keep it all neatly together.Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 8:
Making Jewelry Gifts
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Make a necklace. Jewelry is always a welcome gift but you don't have to pay a lot for it if you make your own.
- Buy an inexpensive cotton cord from the craft store along with some multi-colored beads.
- Make paper beads out of gift wrap or their favorite magazines. Just ask their permission first! They are also available in any craft store for a small amount.
- Cut 48 inches (121.9 cm) of the cord and start threading some beads into it. Rub some glue around the sewing tip to make it stiff. You will have a nice long bead necklace for the teenagers and friends on your list.
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Make a bracelet from plastic bottles.
- Get a water bottle and cut around it to make a bangle.
- Glue thick ribbon on the inside.
- Glue a map to the outside of the bangle, get some Mod Podge[1] and put 3 to 5 layers over it every 20 minutes, letting it dry between layers.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 8:
Preparing Stitched Gifts
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Make a case for an electronic device. If your recipient has what seems like a few warehouses of small electronics or even just a few, try sewing a case for them. For example, an iPod or iPhone case. See How to Make an iPod cover for details. This method can also be used on many other small electronics.
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Make rice socks. Use an old clean sock, perhaps one of those whose companion was lost in the blackhole of the washing machine or, if you sew, make a sewn version from an old t-shirt or scrap fabric. Great for all sorts of purposes from toys to back support cushions.
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Make other accessories. If you are good at sewing, quick and inexpensive gifts can be made when you focus on the accessories. Try making belts, neck ties, hair accessories or shoe bows.
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Make stuffed toys. For children and the young-at-heart, hand-made toys will be treasured for years to come. Choose cute fabrics, from vintage to eye-popping colors, dependent on the age and likes of the gift recipient.Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 8:
Clothing Gifts
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Knit a warm fuzzy scarf. It will be a lasting memory and really useful if your gift recipient(s) live somewhere cold. If you don't know how to knit, there are many websites, books, and magazines that can teach you. Or you could go to your local yarn store. Many offer lessons for free or at a nominal cost. If you already know how to knit or crochet, consider the many other possible gifts you could make such as sweaters, blankets, shawls and socks.
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Personalize a shirt. This is a gift that most fathers enjoy. Write things such as "#1 Dad" on a T-shirt or sweatshirt with squeezable fabric paint. Use his favorite colors and designs or use T-shirt transfers.
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Make a coat for a pet. If your recipient owns pets like a dog or cat or even livestock, you might be able to help out with such a gift.Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 8:
Turning Photos Into Gifts
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Decorate a picture frame. Buy an inexpensive picture frame and personalize it for the recipient.
- Use dimensional fabric paint to create your own unique designs.
- Gather together or buy plastic Barbie® doll accessories, beads, jigsaw puzzle pieces, and other knick-knacks that symbolize the interests of the recipient. For example, for a sports enthusiast, you could use plastic Barbie doll tennis shoes, plastic toy baseballs and/or popcorn from a doll house set. Find a jigsaw puzzle with pictures of footballs or soccer on it and use those pieces or get some sports-themed scrapbooking or card-making accessories from the craft store.
- Use hot glue and/or glue dots to glue the items on the frame. You can leave it as is or use some spray paint to color the whole thing, items and all in silver, gold or another color.
- Put a special poem or message in the frame and you've got a show-stopping gift without an extravagant price tag.
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Take a picture of the gift receiver. Stick it in the center of a piece of cardboard using a glue gun or a glue stick. Collect picture of things the receiver likes. Make a collage of the pictures around the person's picture. This inexpensive gift is very nice for people of all ages.
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Try personal photos. They can be sweet to give, and reminds them of you!Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 8:
Making Food Gifts
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Make gourmet candy apples. Buy a bag of apples, preferably Red Delicious or Granny Smith apples, as they work best for this project. You'll also need semi-sweet chocolate, wooden sticks or skewers, cellophane wrap, and the toppings of your choice (peanuts, coconut, cookies, etc.).
- Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on the stove.
- Skewer the apples and dip into melted chocolate.
- Roll into a topping and allow to dry.
- Wrap in cellophane. You can use colored cellophane or add a pretty bow. These are a delicious treat for your friends and family.
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Bake breads or cookies and package them in a tin or basket. Add a decorative ribbon to dress it up. If you can splurge a bit more you can include a bread knife, wooden cutting board or bread cookbook with the bread gift. For the more experienced cook you can try truffles, candies, etc. For an easy fix, buy tubes of cookie dough.
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Make jam or preserves. Many people like homemade jam because it tastes fresher than the store bought kind, and not so many people make jam anymore. You can also make chutneys[2] , salsa[3] or other foods and if you're feeling ambitious, can the food. This can make your food gifts last a year or more. Given along with some muffins, homemade bread, biscuits or other pastries it will be a welcome gift.
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Give hot chocolate mixes with a mug. Just find the ingredients you like, mix together, seal in a bag or container and give with a big mug for drinking. This is a great gift for families as you can give each person an individual mug. This is also a great just in case gift to keep at the house for a last minute hostess gift or that person you accidentally forgot. Easy to transport, it's great for giving at the office or school.
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Mix flavored oil or vinegar. Combine vinegars or oils with rosemary, garlic or other herbs or spices, and pour into a decorative bottle and cork. There are many methods for doing this available online. There are also options available for marinating cheeses.
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Make chocolate dipped spoons. Go to your local dollar store or discount supermarket and stock up on plastic spoons (buying some red/ green spoons and decorating them with curled ribbons would add a festive flare).
- Melt chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for one minute (if you have a fixed setting, do it for 30 seconds).
- Stir, and continue melting in 10-second increments at 50% power until smooth.
- Dip spoons until generously covered with chocolate.
- Lay them on waxed paper lined cookie sheet to cool down. If you want to get fancy, roll in crushed peppermint candies or drizzle them with melted white chocolate or sprinkles.
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Give chocolate coated pretzels. Dip one end of a big pretzel stick in melted chocolate. Roll in either mini M&Ms, colored sprinkles, chopped nuts, or crushed candy cane. Allow to harden by placing the un-dipped end down in a drinking glass. Wrap in cellophane.Advertisement
Method 7
Method 7 of 8:
Upgrading Bought Items to Personalize Them
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Give fancy soap. Buy a glycerin soap block, found in most craft stores, divided into small cubes or make your own.
- Tie ribbon around the block to make a loop, turning at ninety degree angles to create each additional loop.
- Carefully run one scissor blade on the back of the ribbon until you have completely curled it.
- Repeat with the other side. They will look like gourmet soap and cost a fraction of the price.
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Make a peppermint candle. Buy a large plain white unscented pillar candle and peppermint candies (round or stick). Unwrap the candies. Using a hot glue gun or glue dots (found at craft stores), glue candies all around the sides of the candle. It will look like candles sold for $15 and more in catalogs and fancy stores.
- You can even make your own scented candles
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Re-gift. Never be afraid to re-gift old gifts you've never used or opened. This can save you a lot of time and money, and you'll be getting rid of an unwanted item and up-cycling; just be sure to do it in the spirit of giving the item to someone you know will appreciate it. There is a lot of nonsense about re-gifting being unthoughtful––it is probably one of the more thoughtful approaches to giving precisely because you have to focus on whether or not it's an appropriate gift for the particular recipient.Advertisement
Method 8
Method 8 of 8:
Giving Gift Baskets
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Assemble a winter warm-up basket. Your basket can include marshmallows and hot chocolate. You can purchase hand-crafted marshmallows in gourmet stores like Williams Sonoma for $15-$18 or simply include make your own gourmet marshmallows.[4] . Purchase instant hot chocolate in sample sizes or in fancy tins or make your own. Then assemble your basket.
- Buy a cheap basket at the dollar store or craft store.
- Line it with a decorative kitchen towel or shredded tissue paper.
- Fill it with hot chocolate, homemade marshmallows and, if you like, an inexpensive mug or a favorite movie.
- Wrap the basket in shrink wrap and use a hair dryer to blow-dry the shrink wrap on the basket to stay in place.
- If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, make a summer cool-down basket. Include beach gear, a towel, sunscreen, face mist, a reusable water bottle, flip flops and a sun hat.
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Make a themed gift basket for newlyweds, college students, or new home owners you can create a gift basket with several inexpensive items from discount stores. Theme the basket for the kitchen, bath, or dorm room. Avoid a color scheme unless you know what they want.
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Send them to the movies. Buy a bucket of movie popcorn, include a box of candy and a gift card for a movie rental center or a cinema. Makes a great last-minute gift.
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Throw them a tea party. Shop thrift stores, antique stores, pottery outlets, yard sales or your own cabinet for cute tea cups and saucers. Add several gourmet tea bags, individually packaged tea bags and tasty biscuits from the dollar store. Wrap with cellophane and top with a holiday bow. (Hint: add a drop of rubber cement or piece of tape to attach the saucer to the cup to prevent from slipping or breaking.) This is a great way to get rid of old china.
- You can also do that for the coffee lover and include a gift card for gourmet coffee beans at a local or online store.
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Community Q&A
Search
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QuestionHow do you make chocolate-covered spoons?
Community AnswerTake a spoon, dip it in melted chocolate, then wait for the chocolate to harden. To speed up this process, put them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. -
QuestionWhat can I do if I don't know what my friend likes and she is having a birthday, but I don't have much money?
Community AnswerMake a homemade gift from the heart and he/she might like it or you make a card for them. Feel free to ask her what she'd like for her birthday, too - nothing wrong with that. -
QuestionWhat if I need a last minute gift and only have household items?
Community AnswerMaybe you could dig out a picture of you and the receiver, find a pretty piece of card and decorate it, and stick the picture on. Or glue a magnet onto a toy or trinket, even an old piece of jewelry, to make a fun magnet.
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Tips
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Think ahead all year. Take photos at family events, make everyone pose for it. Later in the year give everyone the photo as a Christmas present.Thanks
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If you have a nice photo of a friend you can give pictures as gifts. Go digging through old photo albums, scan and re-print an old photo of you and your best friend when you were kids and find a more recent picture. Use a hinged frame and put both pictures in it.Thanks
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Try using help after school with a friend or someone you can trust. Be sure to tell the person who you are giving the gift/present to.Thanks
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Warnings
- Do the math! If it will cost you $20 to get the supplies to make the present you may be better off buying a small gift. Try to make gifts utilizing items you already have or doing a craft you are already good at. This may not be the time to embark on a new craft hobby if you're not crafty. There are still inexpensive gifts you can give but embellish the wrapping or give it in a basket to make it seem more homemade.Thanks
- If you are making chocolates and you put nuts in, make sure you know they are not allergic to nuts.Thanks
- If you're planning to re-gift, consider the following: Never re-gift to the person who gave it to you! Don't re-gift if the item is opened, used, or was customized for you.Thanks
- Make sure that these projects fit the personality/style of the recipient.Thanks
- If making a t-shirt make sure it is the correct size.Thanks
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References
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