Tis’ the season for shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Almost everywhere you turn there is a sale to lure you in, I get it! I totally do. But how amazing is it when someone actually makes a gift for you too? It’s that little added touch of thoughtfulness that really makes you smile. It’s also a great way to get gifts for everyone on your list without breaking the bank. Here are some great ideas that you can do for this year’s gift-giving.
1.Dessert in a jar. You can just about do any cupcake, cocoa, or brownie in this gift idea. Get some mason jars, ribbon, and baking ingredients needed (bonus: add in different toppings) and separate the ingredients into the jars into pretty little layers. Attach a tag with a homemade recipe from Pinterest and voila, dessert for everyone!
2. Body Scrub in a jar. Grab yourself a bag of sugar, a skin-loving body oil such as olive, sweet almond, or coconut, and a third ingredient such as lemon juice, coconut flakes, peppermint essential oil, etc and get creative. Mix all the ingredients in a large batch in a sterilized glass bowl (you can use rubbing alcohol) and distribute into cute jars you can even find at the dollar store. Get Photoshop crazy and create personalized labels like “ Diane’s Lemon Sugar Scrub” or “Chrissy’s Coconut Scrub”.
3. Personalized Drink Coasters. For this you will need modge podge, and polyurethane spray or some form of sealer. Go to the dollar store and get cheap coasters or pick up tiles from Home Depot. If you go with tiles also grab some one-sided felt circles to pad the bottom and prevent scratches. For the top design, you can use a interesting map, old photos, or scrap-booking paper with unique patterns cut it to size. Use modge podge to attach the sized paper to the tile, press down and allow to dry. Once dried, seal the top with polyurethane or a paint-able sealer to protect the design.
4. Watercolor Mugs. For this you will need some basic white mugs, a bowl that can get destroyed, and some nail polish colors you want to work with. Fill the bowl with warm water, drop some nail polish in there and if you want, swirl it around a bit. Dip the mug into the water and wipe away any excess that gets on the bottom or inside the mug. You can even go with multiple colors if you like, just make sure to allow the mug to completely dry for a few hours before packaging up or using.
5. Mini Terrarium Kits. This project will require mason jars, some gravel, chipped charcoal, some potting dirt, and some small succulent plants you can get at any garden shop. Layer a sterilized jar with gravel to allow for drainage, layer a bit of broken up charcoal to absorb scents and keep soil clean. Top with some slightly damp potting soil and nestle those little succulents into the dirt. Fill around the plants with additional potting soil. Mist the plants with a bit of water to start the cycle and cover with the lid.
6. Flavor Infused Alcohol. For the drink connoisseur in your life, bring them a little mint infused bourbon to spice up their holiday. Crush some mint (about 7 sprigs) into a full bottles-worth of bourbon. Allow to sit for one to two weeks to infuse the flavor. Once done, pour the alcohol (only) back into a pretty bottle and gift. You can also do this with fruit such as bananas, apples or cherries!
What DIY gifts have you been gifted or given to friends? Which are the best? Which are the worst? Share in the comments below!
Great ideas! I’ve been wanting to try the terraranium kits I’ve seen!
My daughter made the coasters for family last year. She used photos for grandma, and cool designs cut from beer six-pack carriers for the others. They are so cool, I use mine every day!