Image from erika g on Flickr
It can be difficult shopping for our friends because there’s just so many things we can get them. Sometimes we wait until it’s too late to order anything online because it might not ship in time. Or we’ve run out of money, so do not have much to spend. Either way, our friends mean a lot to us and we cannot leave them out of our gift giving. These 7 Pinterest inspired handmade gift ideas are a perfect and creative way to show your best friends how much you love them this holiday season.
52 Reasons Why – This cute gift can be made with items you may already have in your possession, a deck of cards and either printed reasons or a sharpie to write them. Start out with a deck of cards and make sure you have 52 for your reasons and 1 extra to make the cover card. The cover card can say various things: 52 Reasons why you’re my best friend, 52 Reasons why I love you, etc. Next, you can make the choice to print out your reasons and glue them down to the cards, or you can us a sharpie to write your 52 reasons on the backs (the side without the numbers).
Crayon Art – Melted crayon art is becoming a widely popular gift. There are many ways this can be done. But first you will need: a plain canvas of any size, crayons (a 16×20 canvas uses between 60 and 70 crayons lined up length wise side to side), a hot glue gun, a hair dryer, and markers for optional decoration. Start by coming up with a design. The traditional way is to line up the crayons across the top (lengthwise) and melt the crayons down. Other ways is to make a shape, such as a heart, and then melt the crayons towards the outside. You can add names, a quote, and/or a picture to the canvas using markers and line crayons along the outside of the quote, melting them away from the words. This cute idea is bound to make your friend’s heart melt.
Open When cards – These cards are a wonderful way to show your friend that you love them and care about them. Specifically designed for the receiver to read the letters when a particular moment is happening (feeling sad, feeling happy, it’s their birthday, need some love, need some laughter, etc.), these beautiful cards are a way to spread your own sunshine and happiness to the person when they need it the most. They can be however long or short you want them, and you can draw pictures inside (if you’re able to), or you can stuff little things inside (like tissues if sad, or confetti if excited/happy, a picture of the two of you if needing love, etc.) The cards can last a while until she’s opened the last one. All you’ll need for this is some paper and envelopes and you’ve got yourself a special present!
Letter Picture Collage – A collage like this can help you both remember all the memories you’ve shared along the way. What you’ll need for this is a wooden letter of the size you choose (can be found at most craft stores and is usually the first initial of the receiver), paint (if wanted), mod podge (a sealer, glue, and finish all in one product that comes in various styles such as glossy, matte, glitter, glow-in-the-dark, etc.), and photos of you and your friend. If you want to paint the letter, then do that first and let it dry. Next, cut the photos so that they line up neatly with the letter of your choosing. Then, cover the wood in the mod podge. Place the pictures down how you want them. Coat the pictures in mod podge. If you’d like to, write a message on the back of the letter for your friend.
Sugary Sweetness in a Jar – If your friend really loves candy (and puns) then this gift is perfect for her. Get one (or a few) mason jars and fill it up with your friend’s favorite candy. Next write a cute note (ex. (gummy bears): you’re my BEARY best friend) and attach it to the jar. This easy-to-make present will have your friend in giggles and she’ll love you even more (if that’s even possible!).
Scrabble “Best Friend” Picture Frame – This present is a cute idea for the nerdiest friend you’ve got. Find some scrabble letters that spell out FRIEND and then B, S, and T, use the E in FRIEND to make the word BEST. Glue the letters down to a patterned background that’s fit to the size frame you’ll use. Then put the picture in the frame. If you use a plain/blank frame, you can decorate the outside using the pictures and the mod podge described above or with markers and your imagination.
Circular Photo Collage – Photos are perfect keepsake memories for you and your friend. To make this you’ll need clothespins, a cardboard circle (size of your choosing), and pictures of you and your friend. If you want to have a photo in the center, you’ll need to have four clothespins with the clamp part facing inside the circle to attach to the photo. To do this, glue one of the legs on the open side of the clothespin down to the cardboard with the opposite end in the middle of the circle. Then around the outside of the circle, glue down the other clothespins as described before, but with the clamp part facing the outside. Then put the photos on inside the clamps. You can choose to fill up all of the clamps with photos or leave some empty for new photos and memories to come.