No need to spend tons of money on gifts your friends and family won’t even use. Take a more personal approach this holiday season and make your gifts!
With a few supplies, you can put together some nice and useful gifts that won’t break the bank. If you have a big family like myself, you’ll appreciate these budget-friendly ideas:
Turn an empty metal mint tin into a portable watercolor palette for the aspiring artist to easily take on the road with them. Include a sturdy notebook and some paint brushes to make it into the perfect gift set.
Using a piece of reclaimed wood, make this charming, rustic frame that can hold personalized artwork or a picture of you and your bestie. The frame can be easily customized to fit the photograph or artwork. To achieve a distressed, shabby-chic look, try painting the frame white with thin brush strokes.
Visit your local salvage shop or hardware store to make these crafty coasters. Choose any print of wrapping paper you want and decoupage it onto plain tiles. You can customize these for your friends and family and give them a set of their own. Not only are they easy to make, they’re super cheap, too!
We all have those hand soap lovers in our life. You know, the ones that can’t get enough of Bath and Body Works. Save some bucks and make your own using a few simple ingredients — Castile soap, essential oils, water and a foaming soap pump. That’s it! Select different essential oils to create a variety of scents.
Candles are a great gift option, but they can certainly be pricey. It turns out, they’re not that hard to make, and you can buy wax flakes in bulk — making them very inexpensive. Essential oils work great for natural, smell-good candles. Combine small pieces of colored crayons with the wax flakes to achieve this cool, ombre effect.
Don’t forget about your furry friend! Give their collar an added dose of style with a monogrammed leather tag. These would make great stocking stuffers for your family members and friends with pets.
Family and friends love handmade gifts, especially if the gift makes their life a lot more easier. With basic sewing skills, make these easy, chic toy storage bags. They’re not just for toys, either. Use them as storage containers for the mudroom or living room to hold hats, scarves, blankets or other accessories.
Durable and cute, this wooden tote is just what the garden lover in your life needs. Simply build the box, paint it their favorite color and attach some rope handles. Toting flowers and plants from the farmer’s market will no longer be a problem.
The colder weather can be harsh on the skin. Mix together a batch of exfoliating, homemade body scrub to give to your loved ones. They’ll love having silky smooth skin during those frigid winter months.
The holidays can be stressful. Let mom decompress and enjoy a relaxing bath with a homemade spa kit complete with lavender oatmeal tub tea and bath bombs. Present the kit in Mason jars or a gift box tied with twine.
Essential Oil Disinfecting Spray
Cleaning products often use harsh chemicals, and they don’t smell all that great, either. Try making a natural disinfecting spray instead using essential oils. Put together a gift basket of natural products such as the pumpkin scrub, bath bombs and foaming hand soap to give to friends and family.
Build a custom bike rack for the adventure seeker and outdoor lover on your list. They’ll love the fact that you took the time to make a gift that shows your appreciation for their hobby.
Chris Tsambis/Abstract Pictures
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