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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Western chapter.

Excited to give your friends and family gifts for Christmas, but low on cash? You can save yourself a lot of money by making these cute DIY presents:  

1. Macaroons

This is an extremely classy and delicious gift… and you will probably have an amazing time making them! Find a recipe of how to make macaroons on the internet, then find a cute box from Michaels or another craft store to put them in. You can make them all one flavour or mix it up to make it look bright and colourful!

 

2. Rose Gold Candle Holders

 

Having anything rose gold makes everything look clean and put together. All you need to design this candle holder is to buy a clear candle holder, ¼” copper tape and birch wood slices. All of these materials can be found from stores such as Dollarama or Michaels for under $5. You can design any kind of candle holder you think your friends would like and alter the designs as you wish!  

 

3. Polaroid Photo Frame

This present can be great for your family, friends, and boyfriend/girlfriend! Simply go through your phone or your Facebook pictures to choose the pictures you would like to be in the photo frame. Then, you can either print them out yourself on photo paper and cut them out in the shape of a polaroid or go to an online polaroid printing site such as Polabora to get them printed for you — it’ll cost you around $13 for 24 prints. After you get your pictures the size you want them to be, you can write down quotes or comments underneath the picture with a permanent marker. Then, get a photo frame from a crafting store or Dollarama. After that, you can layout your polaroid pictures inside the frame the way you would like!

 

4. Coffee and Tea Mug

This is a great gift for anyone who loves to drink tea or coffee. You can design this mug in anyway you want, but I think gold glitter is a beautiful way to cheer any girls up the cold winter weather! Simply get a plain white cup from a store, then get a black permanent marker to write any words you want the cup to have. Then swipe Mod Podge all of the bottom of the mug, and dip it in gold glitter, once it dries, you can seal it with a clear top of nail polish to make sure the glitter doesn’t have fallout. You can make a set of these mugs with different words on them and put them in a nice box for a great gift. Or, if you just want to make one, you can stuff the mugs with coffee and/or tea, and tie a big bow around the mug for a nice finishing touch!

 

5. Mason Jar desserts and drinks

Do you have friends who absolutely love snacking on desserts throughout the day? Well this is the best present to give them. You can pretty much make any kind of mason jar dessert… just be creative! My personal favorites are mason jar s’mores, cupcakes and hot chocolate. Simply buy a pack of mason jars at Dollarama or a craft store, and go to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients you would need to make that dessert! These mason jar desserts and drinks are so easy for anyone to bring with them on the go and eat it as a quick snack — think about carrying a cupcake in your purse not have to worry about it getting squished!

 

6. Bath Bombs and Body Scrub

Do you have a friend who loves pampering themselves? This bath bombs and sugar scrub combination would be perfect for them! It’s also fine if you just want to make either or — I’m sure they would love it. There are many different bath bomb and sugar scrub tutorials online, so choose your favorite one and get DIY-ing!

 

7. Typography Art Decor  

I know a lot of people who love putting this type of art decor on their coffee tables, bedside tables or like to hang them up on their walls. This is a simple project to DIY. If you are good at art or handwriting, you can just use marker to draw up the design and put it in a frame of your choice. However, if you’re like me — and terrible at any type of hand drawn art —you can create your image on Photoshop or even Microsoft word, and print it off to put into the frame.

 

8. Gemstone Necklace

A gemstone necklace is the perfect gift for jewelry lovers. There are so many different shapes and sizes of gemstones you can find at Michaels. Be creative and design the necklace with different types of accessories and chains! This is an easy project that you should be able to DIY in less than 30 minutes.

 

9. DIY Pillow

Do you have a friend who loves to lounge around and sleep all day? Or simply loves cute decorative pillows? There are so many cute pillow designs that you see when you go to Urban Outfitters, but they charge over $30! However, you can DIY your own pillow for under $10. All you need is stuffing and a cute fabric you like. Then start glueing, sewing and stuffing!

 

10. Journals

If you have a friend who loves organizing his/her life by writing everything down, or just loves cute journals, then this is the perfect gift for them. You can choose any kind of notebook you want at a store, then go to a craft store and choose the cardstock or patterned paper you like. Cut down the paper to the size of the notebook, and glue the paper on!

 

 

I am an aspiring CPA and Entrepreneur who has a passion for writing, traveling, and being creative on many different levels. I am a past member of the Canadian National Fencing Team, and I love playing sports and being active. I also have a passion for volunteering with different organizations and events; I have been involved in over 30+ organizations in the past year. 
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