We all feel it this time of year – unless you started your holiday shopping in July, your bank account is working on overdrive over the month of December gathering the perfect gifts for your friends, family, and loved ones.
Give your budget a break by attempting some DIY gifts this holiday season! DIY gifts can be just as beautiful as something you would buy at the store, and they hold an extra sentiment since they are handcrafted with your love and care just for that special someone. Below are some of our favourite, out-of-the-box ideas for DIY Christmas and holiday presents this season!
Homemade Tea and Spirit Infusions
Homemade infusions are a great holiday gift idea, offering unique flavours not seen in stores and a personalized, handcrafted touch. What’s better, they are so easy to make at home – simply add the flavor element of your choice to a neutral spirit and allow it to soak in the alcohol in order to extract the flavour. Virtually any flavour you love and associate with the holidays can work in an infusion – from cranberries and chocolate to pumpkin and apple pie – which can be enjoyed on its own or in a unique, top-notch cocktail crafted right in your kitchen. You could create chai vodka, apple spice vodka, plum gin – the possibilities are endless!
Soaks and Scrubs
When you’re making handmade gifts, pick something where you can make variations with simple modifications to create a gift set or to give several different customized gifts to different people. That way, you only have to setup and cleanup once! People would be amazed at how many things you can make. For example, if you were making a soothing foot soak, the basis of what you’ll use are epsom salts and baking soda. Then, you can simply create unique versions by adding different essential oils, extracts, tea, or honey to the base ingredients. Consider a matcha mint green tea foot soak for a unique gift!
Homemade Gift Basket
If you are stuck on a gift idea for someone on your list, making a thoughtful holiday gift basket is an easy gift idea that is always a crowd pleaser – and it can be done on a relatively small budget! All you need is a basket, a festive bowl, or a small crate, and then you pile up your treats and trinkets. Roll up your sleeves in the kitchen, making some cookies, biscotti, fudge, seasoned popcorn and whatever else you think your loved ones would enjoy, and then arrange it nicely in a basket with some festive plastic wrap and a bow to finish, et voilà! Thoughtful, delicious and best of all, budget-friendly.
Leather Book Cords
Handmade gifts are the best and most appreciated, in my opinion. I was looking for gift ideas for a ladies holiday gift exchange. My budget was tight and with 12 gifts to make, I needed to get creative. My idea was to make leather cord bookmarks with beautifully-coloured beads hanging from the end. With just a few basic supplies and craft store coupons, I was able to stick to my budget and create something my family still uses 10 years later. With so many different beads to choose from and online tutorials, you’ll get to tailor the bookmarks to suit your style. The idea of working with your hands and creating something beautiful was exciting.
Handcrafted Festive Décor
If you are crafty, the possibilities for DIY holiday gifts are endless! One idea that is relatively easy to accomplish and will definitely wow your loved ones is a holiday wreath, or a holiday table centerpiece. Simply assemble your desired foliage using some wire, whether it’s pine, birch or evergreen, and add in some festive holiday embellishments from your local crafts store, like simple ball ornaments or plastic snowflakes – whatever you are drawn to. You could source natural foliage directly from the outdoors, though this will only last one season, or you could use artificial foliage so that your loved ones can display your gift each holiday season for years to come.
Melted Snowman: Hot Cocoa in a Jar
To assemble your melted snowman, first pour white chocolate mix into a mason jar. You can be as creative as you want in this step by adding chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, and more. Next, draw a snowman face on a marshmallow with food-safe markers. Place the drawn-on marshmallow and three blank marshmallows on top of the white chocolate mix. Then, draw the snowman buttons and the arms outside the mason jar with a sharpie. When you’re done assembling your melted snowman, place a new personalized label on the lid and tie your matching tag around the top. And that’s it! The beauty of this gift is that you can make several to give away this holiday season.
Plan Quality Time With Your Loved Ones
Many of us struggle with gifts for parents that already have everything! Or perhaps you struggle to find a gift that Grandma and Grandpa will like. You would be surprised at how much they would cherish and appreciate a fun day spent with you. Plan something special for them this holiday season as your gift. This could be something as simple as making them a special lunch or dinner or going out for a movie date.
With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can create beautiful DIY holiday gifts for everyone on your list. Whatever you gift your loved ones this holiday season, as long as it is from the heart, you can be sure they will love it, because it’s from you!
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