Making your own gifts is a great way to share your talents with your family and friends. You can easily customize a homemade gift based on a person’s likes and interests. DIY gifts are often the best gifts to receive too! Here are 8 creative and inexpensive gift ideas you can make for any special occasion.
1. Personalized Tea Canister
Cover a plain tea tin with scrapbook paper to create a one-of-a-kind tea canister. You can even embellish it with photos, chalk board labels and stickers. Fill your custom canister with tea bags or loose leaf tea to create the perfect gift for someone who enjoys drinking tea. See our tips on how you can easily design your own tea canister!
2. Homemade Freezer Jam
Freezer jam is easy to make in 15 minutes or less! All you need is a quantity of berries, plums or other pulpy fruit. Freezer jam is a delicious topping for toast, muffins and homemade scones. Especially during berry season, you can easily whip up a batch of freezer jam to share with family and friends!
To make strawberry freezer jam, first you’ll need to wash, stem and puree 5 cups of whole strawberries. In another bowl, blend together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 5 tbsp. pectin. Add the pureed strawberries and stir the mixture for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl thoroughly. Pour the mixture into containers and let it set for 30 minutes before freezing. You can also find a more detailed recipe for homemade freezer jam here.
3. Washi Tape Photo Frame
Make a homemade photo frame to showcase a recent family photo. A homemade photo frame is a great gift idea to give to Grandma and Grandpa or “Nana” and “Papa” for a birthday or special occasion. I love using washi tape to design colorful home decor. You can easily decorate a photo frame by cutting out the frame using cardboard and covering it with strips of washi tape.
4. Homemade Mint Sugar Scrub
Mix up luxurious mint sugar scrub to give to someone who enjoys natural body products. Homemade sugar scrub is relaxing to use in the shower or for a home spa day. The sugar is naturally exfoliating and the mint is refreshing!
To make homemade mint sugar scrub, heat 1/3 cup coconut oil in the microwave for 15 to 25 seconds until softened. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, a few drops of mint essential oil (or 1 tsp. peppermint extract) and 2-3 drops of green food coloring (optional) and mix together. See our full sugar scrub tutorial here!
Use homemade sugar scrub in the shower as a relaxing body wash. Or rub on this mint sugar scrub to soothe and smooth rough patches on your feet, knees or elbows. The best thing about making homemade body products is that you know exactly which ingredients are in them!
5. DIY Felt Play Food
Make adorable felt food items for a child who loves to cook in their play kitchen! Sew together felt shapes filled with a bit of stuffing to create all sorts of felt veggies, fruits and baked goods. This cute felt food is so much better than the plastic alternative!
6. Custom Wood Wall Art
Design custom wood wall art using a scrap of wood and some fancy lettering. You can trace on the letters using a pencil before painting over them. You can find many fonts to use as inspiration. If you recycle wood or have wood scraps on hand, custom wood wall art is inexpensive to design. You can make it any size, color or style you can think up!
7. Box of Sugar Cookies
A box of cookies is a great gift idea for both kids and adults. All you need is a trusty sugar cookie recipe and a little bit of time. There’s something extra special about receiving a delicious box of baked goods. Plus you can make very cute and colorful cookies with a little practice.
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8. Tape Painting Art
Colorful tape painting art is easy to make using a blank canvas, colorful craft paint and a roll of painter’s tape. Create your own art by making a criss-cross design with strips of painter’s tape on a blank canvas. Press the edges of the tape down firmly. The blue painter’s tape works best for this project. Once the strips of tape are arranged on the canvas, fill in the spaces between the tape with colorful craft paint. You can use as many colors and layers of paint as you’d like. Allow the craft paint to fully dry. Finally, gently peel the painter’s tape off the canvas, revealing the white lines beneath the tape. If some of the paint leaked beneath the tape, you can touch up the white lines with a small paintbrush. This modern DIY art is a creative way to add color to any wall!
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What homemade gifts are you making this year? We’d love to hear your ideas!
Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!
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The tape painting art is so colorful! It would be fun to customize.
Great ideas for your whole family!