10 Simple and Meaningful DIY Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Loved Ones
The festive and merry season of Christmas is nigh upon us and it is time to jot down your wish-list and send it off to Santa. You have dug out almost all the props and ornaments from the storeroom, and the tree stands proudly in the corner ready to be glamorised. But all that aside, you’re also on the prowl for perfect gifts for your loved ones. You can’t make up your mind – sweaters and jewellery have been overdone, and let’s be honest, nobody wants those same-same boring gifts again.
If you are looking for unique ideas to surprise your friends and family this Christmas, try out some of the following DIY ideas.
1. Stove Top Potpourri
Smells takes you back in time and it’s amazing how a whiff of a familiar scent might bring such vivid memories to mind. The peppermint sticks remind me of long school days when I would be waiting for the bus to pick me up while I lazily chomped on a soft minty candy, and the warm scent of cinnamon triggers bittersweet memories of my grandma and makes me smile in reminiscence. This Christmas surprise your loved ones with their favourite scents. Make them a potpourri stove top jar. Depending upon their favourite scents, pick some dehydrated lemon and orange slices with cinnamon sticks, star anise and a couple of sprigs of of rosemary and pack them in to a clear mason jar.
For a hint of festivity, tie a pine cone and attach a personalised label on it. You can find a full tutorial at Lemon Grove Lane.
2. Hand Stamped Wooden Spoons
Hand stamped wooden spoons make a simple but sincere gift for a relative or friend who loves to cook. You need a set of wooden spoons, a metal stamp kit, and a bright ribbon. On each spoon, write down a meaningful word with a pencil. You can jot down the person’s name on one of the spoons as well. Next, stamp on each letter with the stamping kit. When the ink has dried, rub off the pencil’s mark with an eraser. Tie a pretty ribbon around the spoons, and your present is ready to spark off wide smiles. Who wouldn’t want to cook with amazingly customized spoons? Find the complete instructions at The Idea Room.
3. Accordion Photo Box
Here is a gorgeous DIY gift for grandparents who absolutely adore their grandchildren. It is the perfect present for a grandparent who lives far away and doesn’t get to see the grandkids often enough. If, for some reason, you can’t meet up with them this year, make them smile with this thoughtful present.
Take a plain wooden box with a fancy hook, a ribbon, some of your child’s best pictures and fold some paper in to an accordion to fit the box. Stick photos on each section of the accordion paper and place a small loop of ribbon on the top. Stick the according inside the wooden box and send it off to the grandparents. Check out the full tutorial at It’s Always Autumn.
4. DIY Color Blocked Wooden Vases
Spread Christmas cheer across the neighborhood by sending some colorful vases to your neighbours. I once went to a housewarming party where the hosts presented each of their guests with homemade wooden vases. They were fabulous and rather easy to make.
To make a wooden vase, you need a cylindrical glass vase (you can easily get it from Amazon), adhesive wood sheets, craft paint, and painter’s tape. Cut the wooden sheet according to the height and circumference of the glass vase and divide it into three sections. Paint each section in a different color, and to avoid color bleeding, protect the sections with painter’s tape. See complete instructions at Sarah Hearts.
5. Personalized Funny Coffee Mugs
Customized coffee mugs never get old. If you are clueless as what to give as a present to a loved one, a mug with a catchy and personalized phrase will never fail you. All you need is a plain dollar store mug and a Cricut machine. The machine is similar to a colored printer and it prints out letters and shapes on a thin sheet of self-adhesive plastic. The blade then cuts out the material. After printing out the desired phrase/shapes, you can transfer it to the coffee mug. It will make everyone’s morning coffee a lot more special. Read full tutorial at Happiness is Homemade.
6. DIY Hand-warmers
When your sister is walking to work on a snowy morning, she will put her freezing hands in her pockets to find a cozy hand-warmer you lovingly made for her. These are simple enough to make especially if you have scrap fabric hanging around. Cut some thick cotton fabric into rectangles double the size of your hand warmers. Sew around three sides leaving one end open. Scoop in enough rice grains to make a loose pouch. Then sew around the final edge carefully. The hand-warmers can be easily microwaved when you wish to heat them up. You can also add some dried lavender in with the rice to give it some scent.
Ideally use fabric that is Christmas themed or perhaps familiar and favourite characters to personalise your gift even more. Find more detailed instructions at Raeannkelly.
7. Man’s Apron
It’s not easy to shop for a guy especially if their interests might be limited to sports or tech. It is a uniquely tough challenge. This year, I have decided to up their cooking game with a DIY man’s apron especially as they all love to grill and barbecue.
Grab a plain denim apron from a local store and print out a funny phrase with a silhouette machine. Heat transfer the cutout onto the apron with an iron. If you are out of ideas, an apron might be able to make your dad’s barbecues a lot more special.
8. DIY Fabric Covered Tree Ornaments
Christmas ornaments are a totally personal preference – from woodland creatures to shimmery baubles. Yet everyone swoons over handmade personalised decorations. You can help your favourite aunt or buddy level up their Christmas tree with these simple but gorgeous decorations. Their Christmas tree will sparkle a lot more than usual.
Alice & Lois has a wonderful tutorial on how to make fabric covered tree ornaments. They were lucky to find plain, cardboard shaped ornaments but if you can’t find it, you can draw and cut them out yourself and tie a small ribbon on top to hang. Next you need is a few printed pieces of fabric, glue, and a sponge brush. Trace the shapes onto the fabric and cut them out, glue the pieces onto the cardboard with a sponge brush, and they are ready to jazz up the holidays!
9. DIY Snow Globes
What’s Christmas without snow globes? They are pretty to look at, trigger intense nostalgia and make children (and even some grown-ups) gaze in awe. This year charm your loved ones with sweet snow globes handcrafted with love.
The Sweet Occasion has an amazing tutorial on how to make perfect snow globes. You need clean glass jars with lids, distilled water, glycerin, plastic trees or animals, glitter, epoxy, and sandpaper. Run the sandpaper lightly inside the jar to roughen up the surface, stick the mini figurines to the lid with epoxy, add distilled water into the jar with a drop of glycerin and as much glitter as you’d like, close the lid tightly and turn it upside down. The snow globe is ready to charm.
10. Marbled Clay Dish
Do you know someone who would just love colorful jewelry dish? Make this marbled clay dish with utter love this Christmas. You will need white, black, and colored oven bake clay, an oven-safe bowl and gold liquid gilding. Braid all the clay together, turn it into a ball and flatten it with a rolling pin until it gives a marbled appearance. Place the circle into the bowl, and bake it for 15 minutes at 275°F. Once it has cooled down, paint the rim of the dish with golden paint. Read the full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
Yes, it is the thought that counts, but you can make the presents that extra bit more special when they are handcrafted with love and care. Make your loved one’s Christmas memorable and exciting with these simple but meaningful presents.
