DIY Gifts for All!

Usually by this time of the year I have done almost all of my Christmas shopping; for the exception of my husband who never knows what he wants for Christmas or birthdays! For the last two years since I became a stay at home mom, I decided to buy gifts for  only the kids and for the adults: DIY gifts. It does take some planning and prepping ahead, but it saves money and shopping headaches; I love the Holidays but I’m not too fond of the crazy shoppers! This year with the process of selling our house and building a new one, I’ll admit I’m behind on all my Christmas projects, but November is just a few days away and we can still get it done! Today I’m sharing with you a few ideas I found, they make great gifts for almost anybody, unfortunately I wouldn’t get too excited, you might still have to buy that Frozen doll or the latest version of Call of Duty!

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The Teacher

You can not forget the teacher! Teaching is (or should be) a profession of love, you do it because you love it, not because of the vacation time and most definitely not because of the money!  I remember receiving gifts from my students during Christmas, and it didn’t matter whether it was a stationary set or a Starbucks gift card, they made me feel appreciated and it lighted my Holiday Season even more. You don’t have to go all fancy, it really isn’t about the money, it’s about the detail. Here are some ideas only a teacher would love:

Personalized Clipboard! Tutorial

No Instructions, but all you need is: cardstock, crayons and a frame! Available on Etsy.

The traditional apple! Add some cinnamon sticks and a Christmas Tag to complete the Holiday look! Tutorial

Felt Apple Coasters will go great with that Pallet once the apple is gone! Tutorial

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The Picky Recipient

Clothes and jewelry are out of the question, and so is everything else you can think of. The solution? the house! Now lets keep something clear here, house gifts have to be tasteful and it has to be something that matches with their décor, even if it’s not your personal taste. Just because it’s for the “house” it doesn’t mean we put less thought into it, all the opposite, make sure it’s well done. These are simple ideas that if done properly will put a smile on the most pickiest recipient!

A rustic touch. The biggest thing with this DIY is to make sure your glue isn’t as messy as it is in this picture. Tutorial

A delicate touch. Use linen towels to create this beautiful and simple gift. Tutorial

Classic elegance. Use simple tea light votive and glue rhinestone ribbon around the edges. For the glass “plate” use a picture frame glass and glue the matching ribbon around the edges. No tutorial.

Anyone

No need to give yourself a headache, usually the gifts people like the most are the simplest ones. Personalized gifts tend to be a huge success as long as you don’t go overboard. As much as you want your teen to think of how much his family loves him, a family picture bookmark might not be his idea of “cool”, a picture of him playing his favorite sport in the other hand will be a hit!

Personalized bookmark. Tutorial

With your choice of buttons and ribbon, this can be either kid or adult friendly! Tutorial

Beautiful gift for anyone with a desk for less than you think! Tutorial

Monogram key chains!  You can always cover up $1 key chains! Tutorial

Picture key chains. Use wood tags or metal key chains, keep cost to minimum. Tutorial

Family Friendly

Thinking of a gift for the family rather than individual gifts? Games are always a nice touch regardless of the age.

Great idea for a travel loving bunch! Tutorial

Classy! Have any trees outback that need trimming?! Tutorial

Patio fun for all! Make the pieces a little smaller and use less wood. Tutorial

Kid Friendly

Here are some ideas for the mom and the kids on the go! Play with them and store them all in one place! The perfect gift for both mom and child!

Got Lego’s on “your” Santa’s List?! Add the to go factor to your gift! Tutorial

Great ideas for cars, dinosaurs and dolls! My advice, find an old briefcase and repurpose! Tutorial

For the artist! No instructions, but all it needs it’s a DVD case and your creativity. Decorate with cardstock paper or fabric, and create a pocket for the crayons or pencils.

And for the toddler some felt puzzle fun! They sell this in Etsy, but with a little creativity, felt and Velcro; I’m sure your toddler will stay busy for a while!

 That’s it! Cool inexpensive DIY gifts for everybody in your Christmas list!