For broke college kids, it’s often a struggle to afford Christmas gifts for your friends and family. Try and get crafty instead! DIY gifts are more personal, in addition to being cheaper. If you’re struggling with what to make, check out these ideas!
1. Photo Album
Photo Albums are a perfect way to hand a loved one a collection of cherished memories. You can buy a photo album and simply print photos to put inside. Or, if you want to make the entire photo album from scratch, you can take sheets of paper and paste the photos onto the pages and write cute, little captions underneath. After you decorate the pages of your choosing, hole-punch the pages and tie them together with ribbon or string. For a more durable cover, use a three ring binder or three-hole-punch cardboard.
2. Cookies
Everyone loves cookies! Get creative with cute cookie cutters and colorful icing and make Christmas characters of your choosing.
3. A Knit Scarf/Blanket
If you know how to knit or crochet, make a loved one a scarf or blanket. Everyone can use something to stay extra warm in the chilly weather!
4. Homemade Jewelry
For one of the special ladies in your life, be it your best friend or your mom, jewelry is a great go-to. For an easy DIY, you can buy a beading kit and make a beaded necklace or bracelet or even earrings.
5. A personalized Mug
Make someone a personalized mug! You can go to a local pottery shop and paint a mug with glaze, or you can even make the mug yourself if you’re that skilled. An alternative is buying a simple, white mug and drawing your own design on it with permanent, food-safe paint or paint markers. Depending on the paint/markers, you may have to let it dry and then bake the mug in the oven.
6. A Painting/Drawing
7. Picture Matching Game
For a younger sibling or relative, make them a picture matching game. You simply need a collection of photos, with an identical copy of each. They can compete against friends, turning each photo over on its back, and then flipping two over at a time, trying to find matches. The person with the most matches wins!
8. Snow Globe
A snow globe is a festive gift that anyone can appreciate. They can be made with a jar, figurines of your choosing, glitter, water, and superglue. Start by gluing the figurines to the inside of the jar lid however you want them to stand. Fill the jar with water and glitter, and screw on the lid when you’re done, shake it up, and watch the snowflakes fall!
9. Compliment Jar
A compliment jar is the perfect way to brighten up a friend or loved one’s day. Take little slips of paper and write compliments on each one and stuff them into a jar. Decorate the jar with ribbon or any way you like. He or she can take out a slip a day for a nice confidence boost!
10. Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub
This one is a little more intensive. For this you’ll need two cups of white sugar, 1/4 cup of almond oil (or coconut oil), a few drops of Peppermint Essential Oil, and some red or pink food coloring. You combine the first three ingredients and then divide the scrub into two bowls. Use the food coloring to make one of the bowls a pink or red color (so your end product looks like peppermint!). Place a funnel into a jar and then alternate layers of white and pink/red scrub to make your peppermint concoction. For more specific directions, click here!
Â