As Christmas is fast approaching, the stress and anxiety caused by Christmas gift shopping can be overwhelming. Especially as a student, money can be a real issue if one has to find a present for each family member, best friend, significant other and sometimes even the family pet. The commercial aspect of the modern Christmas is also something to be aware of, as many of us tend to go a bit overboard with our shopping — many stores, at least in Helsinki, start their holiday sales already before Christmas, which only adds fuel to fire. The best way to avoid contributing to this commercial wildfire would be to give an immaterial gift, but the next best thing is to make the gifts yourself (there is also a special joy in wrapping up gifts and seeing the receiver open them, am I right?) We listed some of the best ideas for DIY gifts that require little to no money and are both useful and original.
Body Butter
Making your own cosmetics is not only fun, but also ecological and ethical! Of course, tracing the footprint of every single product can be challenging if not impossible, but it is still better than buying cosmetics from a store. Choosing what to put in your cosmetics, in this case body butter, allows you to create the perfect mix for your own or the gift receiver’s skin. The ingredients you need for making your own body butter can be found in most natural food stores or online stores. Check out the recipe in our past article here.
Oats Pillow
Ever heard of an oats pillow aka one of the best inventions of mankind? An oats pillow is a natural way to relieve muscle tension, especially in the shoulder/neck area, which makes it a perfect gift for, well, anyone. This DIY gift is super-easy to make, although it does require a sewing machine. Here you can play around with funky fabrics to suit the particular taste of whoever you are giving the gift to — fabric stores, such as Eurokangas in Finland, sell fabric pieces for a truly affordable price and in all kinds of colors and prints, so feel free to go wild! The instructions for making the pillow are really simple and you can find them in here.
Recipe Book
If you consider yourself as a self-professed domestic goddess, the MasterChef of your own life, why not share the wisdom? Collect all your best ideas and recipes into your own recipe book! Pick out a cute notebook (or a plain one which you can decorate yourself) which you can then fill out with pictures of your masterpieces and your most delicious recipes and cooking tips. This gift is easy to personalize according to the taste buds of each person receiving the gift: go for example a vegan, BBQ or traditional themed cookbook depending on the receiver’s preferences.
Calendar
This gift has already gained a lot of popularity, as many photo stores offer the possibility to make a calendar with your own pictures. Opt for the easy solution and fill out an online form where you can add the pictures yourself, or go the extra mile and buy a blank calendar which you can decorate with your own art. The best thing with a DIY calendar is that you can add in the special dates you share with whoever you are giving the gift to — a good way to ensure that your boyfriend/girlfriend won’t forget your anniversary.
DIY Cookie Jar
This gift is perfect for someone who loves to bake or just has a sweet-tooth. Find a big glass jar, fill out with the dry ingredients needed for example cookies or cupcakes, add them in layer by layer, write the instructions on the side of the jar and ta-dah! A visually pleasing and delicious gift all ready to go.
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