11 DIY Holiday Gift Ideas

Spending the time to craft unique DIY holiday gifts can be more considerate than warring with holiday crowds to spend money. With plenty of online resources, you can spend your time wisely as the holidays approach by planning out homemade holiday gifts that capture the spirit of time spent with loved ones.

DIY gifts are unique and can be customized. Over time, a handmade gift often becomes a precious memento. Think of hand-crafted tree ornaments that are pulled out of their boxes year after year, a hand-made bird feeder that lures birds to a garden every season decorated with family touches, or framed and matted art or photos that can hang to celebrate a moment year-round. Whatever gift you give, add a personal touch with a customized message.

Turn your day job into a gift: use your handyman skills, your green thumb, or your experience with children to offer your friends and family services that save them money. You can create an attractive gift certificate by using a template on your computer. Showing off your skills for free can also be a great way to find leads for new work.

Are you a musician, an artist, or a writer? If you like to create songs, art, or stories, you can make a gift tailored to your gift recipient. Whether an intimate show, a dedicated piece of art, or a lesson in the arts, sharing your talents can pass along the gift of creativity and serve as thoughtful DIY personalized gifts. Take your greatest talent and offer it up as a gift: poems, paintings, songs, and crafts all offer a chance for a personal touch of creativity.

Donating a gift to a charity on behalf of your recipient can help promote social causes that you share with your friends and family. Or, if you know a charity that they already support, consider giving some of your time to volunteer and call them out as your inspiration. When you give to a charity, you can be sure that your time and money goes towards a good cause.

Do you have a picture from a road trip you took, or a coaster from a pub where you had a fabulous time, or maybe a matchbook or menu from a restaurant where you had a special dinner? Cut out pictures or words from magazines that remind you of your friendship, pull out those old paper souvenirs from trips spent together, and use stock paper that tells the story of your adventures together. Bring them all together to tell the story of your times together, ready to share.

Take some time to think about your friends and family and their upcoming schedule. Are they moving soon? Do they have kids but never have the time for a night out? Are they going on a vacation and need someone to look after their pets? Find a gift that uses your time to make their time more special.

Use the most fragrant parts of your garden to offer a homemade scent. Dry your herbs and flowers when they are in their peak season and dry them out. Once dried, find some old spray jars and diffuse the scents with a mixture of water, essential oils, and alcohol to create a handmade spray that smells as delicious as it looks in a powder room.

Print out a favorite photo of you and your friend or family member and put it in a stylish or themed frame. New or gently-used frames are usually in abundance at yard sales or a thrift store, and mattes can be made at any craft store for reasonable prices.

Sometimes people would rather get away rather receive a material gift. Is there something your friend or family member would like to do but wouldn’t consider doing alone? Is there a new trail they’d like to hike? A movie they’d like to see? Do they like to go fishing? Decide on a place where you can take your friend for the day. Make sure you drive and pay for the gas, movie ticket, or fishing bait!

Are you a culinary genius? One fun DIY gift idea is a homemade meal or dessert. You can make a surprise food delivery or invite your friend or family member over for dinner. Or, just make them their favorite cake and decorate it especially for them.

If you don’t have the time to make a gift, you can still save money by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales, which often have new and gently-used items that make great gifts, especially with personalized touches. Putting some time into making a used item shine can transform it from a cast-off to an on-trend item, perfect for vintage and retro lovers.

Sources:

https://hative.com/diy-personalized-gifts-to-your-loved-ones/

https://www.makeitgrateful.com/celebrate/hanukkah/10-diy-personalized-gifts-holidays/

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-christmas-gifts-251480

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/40-diy-holiday-gifts-for_b_6288420