This is a collaborative post: Who doesn’t love a handmade gift? The personal touch and the time, effort and thought that goes into a DIY gift far outweighs the value of any store-bought gift, no matter how expensive.
After all, giving someone a thoughtful gift isn’t always about spending money. There are plenty of gifts you can create yourself at home, affordably, that will do the trick.
Unfortunately, not all of us are masters of arts and crafts. Sometimes we need a little help. The best way to make an appealing gift is to have a clear idea of what it’s going to look like in your mind – Pinterest helps with planning! Having the right tools to create it can also make all the difference.
Need a few ideas? Here’s a list of the best creative DIY gift ideas you can make for your loved ones:
1. DIY Photo Collage
A photo collage is a lovely thoughtful gift for a relative, especially if you haven’t been able to visit in person over 2020.
The best part? They are so cheap and easy to make! Using a birthday photo collage maker you just have to choose your favourite photos and it will do all the hard work for you. You can then send it by email, print it off yourself or get it professionally printed and even framed.
2. Fabric Covered Notebooks
Apart from the pleasing aesthetics, a fabric-covered book can be an lovely thoughtful gift for a book lover or writer.
The best thing about this DIY gift is that you can use any kind of fabric – such as colourful fabric from clothes you don’t wear anymore to the bits and pieces left behind from other projects.
Use a hardcover book as a base; a plain notebook works really well. Fabrics are easier to wrap and glue around hardcover books. You can decorate it with buttons and zips, depending on how crafty you’re feeling.
3. Home-Made Soap
Making home-made soap is not reinventing the wheel but it’s still one of the best DIY gifts out there.
The best part about making your own soap is you can choose the color, shape, and fragrance. You can also use different food colourings to create a splash of colour in a bar of plain white soap.
Soaps infused with peppermint or lavender essential oils are bound to be a hit!
4. Sugar Scrub
If soap-making isn’t your thing but you would like to give someone a special skincare product, go for a home-made sugar scrub.
A lemon sugar scrub is especially healthy for the skin. Don’t forget to put them in a nice jar or a glass box; after all, presentation is everything.
You can decorate it with glitter, stones or just colorful paper cut-outs with a special message written on it.
5. Mason Jar Snowglobes
Mason jar snow globes are a great gift for the festive holiday season. Plus, it works for all ages.
The variation of ideas for the snowball is endless. You can make them from Christmas decorations, children’s toys, or items from nature such as pine cones.
Before you decide to give this as a gift, make sure you use mason jars that are hard to break if they’re knocked over.
6. Biscuit Jar
If you love baking, this one’s for you. Shaped and decorated cookies and brownies look especially good in glass jars.
While a jar filled with a bunch of the same cookies looks great, it looks even better when you mix and match with various homemade goodies.
7. Painted Plant-Pots
Adding a splash of green is a good look in any household, especially if it comes in the shape of a cute cactus-like plant that can be kept anywhere.
You can choose to make the pot yourself (if you’re into heavy-duty crafting, plant holders made from cement can look very retro) or you can paint a store-bought pot.
Either way, a personalized plant pot can be a great DIY gift for anyone.
Happy crafting!