Budget handmade Christmas gifts
By Debbie Fletcher
Christmas is just around the corner and many of us are already mentally preparing for present shopping. It can seem impossible to get all of your family and friends the perfect Christmas gift without blowing your budget. Rather than flashing the cash, why not save some money by giving DIY a go? Here are six inexpensive DIY Christmas gifts, perfect for loved ones.
#1 | Sweet-treat mason jars
Sweets in mason jar – Pic taken from pexels.com
Fill a mason jar with your loved one’s favourite treats for an inexpensive Christmas gift with a sweet twist. Recycle old jars once the contents are all used up by washing them out and relabeling with a Christmas message before filling with a selection of sweet or savoury treats. Tie some red twine or a bow around the top to give it a festive feel. If you’re not sure what to put in your jar, Simple As That have six different options to give you some ideas as well as some free customisable labels.
#2 | Personalised t-shirts and glasses
Personalised glasses – Pic taken from pexels.com
Decal papers can turn a simple and plain Christmas gift into something completely personal without the unnecessary cost of a printing company. Do you have friends who have recently graduated, married or moved house? Pick up a pair of plain champagne flutes, some clear water-slide decal paper and simply stick the date of the event onto this. A specialist craft supplier, such as Homecrafts, will stock a range of decal paper to print out and feature on fabric or glasses. You can personalise t-shirts to feature any design too – scanning and printing a child’s drawing onto a t-shirt using heat transfer paper is the perfect Christmas gift for younger members of the family. Alternatives include premade t-shirt designs like the ones you find on chummytees.com.
#3 | Christmas Potpourri
Potpourri – Pic taken from pexels.com
Share the scent of Christmas this year with The Crafting Chicks’ stovetop potpourri recipe. Who doesn’t love the familiar fragrance of cranberries, orange and warming cinnamon throughout their home? Give the gift a rustic feel by placing the ingredients in a clear mason jar and attaching a handmade label using some twine. Why not go one step further and use the decal paper mentioned above on the jars themselves to personalise them further?
#4 | Solid perfume
Solid perfume – Pic taken from pexels.com
Solid perfumes are surprisingly easy to make and even easier to personalise. Start by taking two perfume compacts and place a liner in each to hold the perfume in place. Mix one and a half teaspoons of jojoba oil with 25 drops of your chosen essential oils in a glass. The essential oil is the personalised element of the gift, so pick a scent that represents the gift receiver, or stay festive with a touch of rose or cranberry for a Christmas fragrance.
Set aside this mixture and melt three quarters of a teaspoon of grated beeswax on a low heat in a glass bowl over a double boiler pan for five seconds or until melted. Take off the heat once melted and stir in the oil mixture before reheating for ten seconds. Finally, pour the mixture into the compacts and leave them to harden.
#5 | Floral bath salts
Bath salts – Pic taken from pexels.com
Not many people can say no to a relaxing bath, so why not give them an excuse to indulge with some homemade bath salts? Any fresh flowers can be used to create this gorgeous gift, but we recommend rose or lavender as they give off strong yet relaxing aromas.
Sandwich the petals of two flowers between two paper towels and place in the microwave for 30 – 40 seconds to dry before breaking them up in a food processor. Mix two cups of Epsom salts with one cup of bicarbonate of soda and add the dried petals. Add ten drops of floral essential oils to match your chosen flower and mix everything together before adding to an air-tight container. As with all of these DIY ideas, feel free to decorate the containers with paint or decals to give it some personality.
#6 | Personalised DIY LEGO Puzzles
LEGO – Pic taken from pexels.com
Most young children love simple Lego sets, so this DIY personalised LEGO puzzle is not only an inexpensive twist on a classic gift, but it will keep them entertained too. All you need is a few LEGO Duplos, double-sided tape, a craft knife and some photos of the gift receiver. Make a few different versions of the blocks so the children have fun making their own crazy combinations.
Get crafty and create some truly special and inexpensive DIY Christmas gifts this year with these easy to follow tutorials.
