Birthday gifts for friends are sometimes an unexpected expense for a broke college student, especially during the springtime when birthdays are so common. As an avid crafter, I have experimented with a variety of DIY projects that make great birthday gifts. Here are five of my favorites—they’re cheap, foolproof, and require only a few materials!
1. Oreo Truffles
What You Need:
- 1 package Oreos
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
- 2 8-oz packages white or milk chocolate candy coating, melted
- sprinkles
These truffles are seriously better than anything you can get from Godiva. Crush up the Oreos in a large ziplock bag and combine with the cream cheese. Then, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and dip in the melted candy coating. Add some sprinkles for a festive touch. Once the candy coating has set, you can put the truffles in a mason jar and add some decorative ribbon. Viola! A tasty birthday surprise for any chocolate lover.
2. Earring Holder
What you need:
- acrylic paint in any color of your choice
- wooden embroidery hoop
- lace (sold by the yard for fairly cheap at fabric stores)
This gift is both cute and functional. Paint the outsides of the embroidery hoop. Then, secure a piece of the lace on the inside of the embroidery hoop and cut off the excess from the back of the hoop. You can use a piece of string or ribbon to hang the hoop on the wall. Perfect for dangly earrings!
3. Coffee Mugs
What you need:
- black Sharpie
- plain white coffee mug (check Walmart, Target, or the dollar store)
Super easy and super personal! Pick a quote from your friend’s favorite book or song and use the sharpie to write it on the mug. Then, bake the mug at 350 degrees for 30 minutes so that the ink can set. This gift goes cute with a small bag of gourmet ground coffee.
5. Glitter Chevron Canvas
What you need:
- acrylic paint in any color of your choice
- glitter in any color of your choice
- canvas of any size
- Mod Podge
- painters’ tape
This is my favorite canvas craft, and because you’re using painters’ tape it’s more difficult to make mistakes. First, use the painters’ tape to outline the chevron stripes. Then, add your solid acrylic coat and let dry. In the meantime, mix the glitter and Mod Podge. The mixture should be mostly glitter, with just enough Mod Podge added to make it stick. After you’ve removed the painters’ tape, you can add the glitter mixture to the canvas. Ta-da! A girly-glam wall hanging.
When you’re crafting, don’t be afraid to work with other materials you have and experiment. Things like ribbon, decorative paper, quotations, and fake flowers can be used to embellish almost any project. Make it your own!
A side note: Canvases and Mod Podge can be a little pricey. Your best bet for either is craft stores like A.C. Moore and Michael’s. These craft stores always offer coupons online that will get you 40% off one item. If you have to make a trip to the craft store, make sure you have a printed copy in handy to save a few extra dollars.