It's getting late in December and your budget is low - what can you give that is personal and would be welcome? Here are some great ideas. Handmade gifts are more precious and carry so much meaning because you put your time and love into them.
And after what you look at below, find many more ideas from past years - Visit the entire category of DIY gifts by clicking HERE.
Rosemary and Grapefruit Candles! Hmmm, these look beautiful and FANCY - is it easy to make them? I think all you need is some paraffin, a double boiler, a few essential oils, spring and a pencil -- and some pretty containers. The possibilities are infinite for those, and could be found if not around the house, at a thrift store. Find the HOW -TO is here from Sugar and Cloth.
I have recommended these that you buy on my Top Gifts of the Year - and these are ones you can make. Bedside (or armchair, or couch) organizers are great - for Grown ups, they are essential for remotes, cell phones, cords, your journal, magazines, crosswords or iPad, and for kids, they can hold the kids toys or the book you are reading before bed, a soppy cup etc. Just need something firm enough to slide between the mattresses or cushions to keep it in place. See the details of how to make it HERE:
This is really simple to make, and will be so welcome by all as chapped lip season descends! The recipe for Pumpkin Spice Sugar Lip Bomb is from ClubCrafted.com. Another way to spin this gift is to give all the ingredients in a box, including labels (write one ones if you are not set up to print any), and containers, with the attractively laid out instructions printed, and give it as a crafts project to a girlfriend or especially teens and tweens!
For the wine lover, the naturalist, the tiny house dweller or dreamer, these are quite nice and a really great way to recycle precious cork, which is a dwindling resource and should NOT be thrown away. These can act as Vases, but can also be made into different sizes for different functions, like being a pen holder, a place to stash reading glasses, etc... Instructions found at DESIGN IMPROVISED.
Sometimes it's about presentation. Get your artful side on by using bows, labels, sharpies and ribbons to adorn jars, boxes and any other kind of container for what you bake. Or give them the ingredients and recipe in them. Both are a big win! You can put soup fixings in them, or cookie, brownie, fudge or hot chocolate ingredients... Here's an example of the makings of Peppermint Brownies! Instructions on iheartnaptime.com.
Believe it or not, these great looking mugs with classy, colorful marbleized accents are just regular white mugs swirled in nail polish. Give a mug stuffed with teas and accessories, or a coffee gift card, or give a set of 2 or 4 in all the same colors -or different ones. Instructions at HouseofHipsters.
Who wouldn't brighten when they open this? They use acrylic paint so I assume that sticks when washing - at least by hand. And it's great to use bamboo, which is nice and smooth, over other more porous wood utensils. Tie with raffia around a dishtowel or two and voila! Great for hostess gifts, bridal showers, etc... Love 'em. Instructions found at LYDIOUTLOUD.com
Now this is simple, but it is pretty and a great idea that would delight the recipient - and not last long I'm sure! Make a clementine wreathe -and while they have tied each with peppermint stick string, I would embellish this by wrapping fake pine greens around it or attaching a poinsettia or even gold or silver jingle bells... OMIYAGIblogs has the how to.
Fun to do with the kids, or to make atypical with non-holiday figurines (like a dinosaur, transformer, or superhero) or settings inside, these ball jar snow globes or Dioramas are easy to make.
Or you can go all holiday with sophisticated elements and get your Martha Stewart on. Find the tutorial at MakeandDoCrew.
Just in time for New Years eve, the big game, or an open house.... Dip Mix bulbs! Suggested mixes found at SpinkleSomeFun. Apparently you can find the bulbs at Hobby Lobby - but if you can't get there or they don't have it, this is a great idea in any kind of containers. Maybe regular plastic balls like ornaments?
A Twist on this: Look up recipes for BBQ spice rubs and put those in wooden or clear spice boxes or small bottles with corks. You can also put cookie toppings in them, like red and green sugar or chocolate jimmies and give with cookie mix in a Ball Jar. Anything goes.
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