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DIY Christmas Gifts

DIY Christmas Gift Guide for Everyone on Your List

Your guide to getting crafty and gifting an incredible and thoughtful homemade gift.

It’s not too late to get a little crafty and whip up some pretty awesome DIY gifts this Christmas.

We get it, sometimes finances are tight and trying to buy a gift for every. single. family. member. gets a little tough on the budget. Because we love you, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite DIY gift ideas from our favorite bloggers and broken them down by category. Here’s hoping this Christmas season is filled with fun and creativity (many of these DIY’s are perfect to get the kiddos involved!). 

For “non-DIY” gift ideas, be sure to check out our Holiday Gift Guide and our Products We Love page.

So grab a cup of coffee (or my go-to healthy gingerbread latte), a pen and some paper and let’s compile that gift list!

Gifts for Babies, Toddlers and Little Kids

 

DIY Bow and Arrow – For your outdoorsy child who loves adventure, this DIY bow and arrow is perfect. And the great news is, you can make it yourself for just a few dollars spent at the hardware store! (Shhh…my older 3 just might be getting these this year, even the girl…afterall, she IS a hunter now!) 

Get the full instructions and tutorial at Skip to My Lou.

DIY Bow & Arrow
Super Hero Banks

Mason Jar Bank (for kids) – This is a cute superhero rendition, but I’m thinking I may paint some jars for my kiddos then stencil each of their initials on them…and while I’m at it, I may do another one for their cotton ball jars (it’s how we motivate them to be other’s focused!).

Get the full instructions and tutorial on Fireflies and Mudpies.

 

 

Homemade (holiday scented) Playdough – Have a toddler you need to get a gift for? What little kiddo doesn’t love playing with playdough? Especially playdough scented with peppermint, eggnog, gingerbread and Christmas tree scents!

Get the recipe and tutorial over at The Pistachio Project

Natural Christmas Playdough
Puppy Binkie

DIY Puppy Binkie – How adorable are these little puppy binkies? Perfect for any baby or toddler, and guaranteed to be among their favorite stuffies! Even better yet, you can use one of your kiddos old blankies that are starting to get a little tattered, upcycling it into something that will be loved for years.

Get the full instructions and tutorial (as well as pattern) over at Oh, The Things We’ll Make.

 

Gingerbread Man Bath Bombs – These little “men” are sure to make bath-time more fun for your kiddos, not to mention they’re filled with healthy, beneficial ingredients for their skin. I don’t know about you, but having my kids come out of the bath smelling like a gingerbread cookie is fine with me!

Get the recipe and instructions over at The Pistachio Project.

Gingerbread Bath Bombs
Candy Jar Surprise

A Candy Jar with a Surprise – When you have a gazillion nieces and nephews, getting something for each of them just isn’t a reality. But many of our nieces and nephews still think $1 may as well be $100! What’s more, if you hide that dollar bill inside a jar of candy (homemade or an organic alternative!), your modest gift is sure to be a big hit!

Check out the photo from Kreative Kristie on Pinterest.

Gifts for Tween/Teen Girls and Ladies

DIY Flavored Lip Balm – What girl doesn’t love lip balm? Sadly, many of the popular lip balms on the market have questionable ingredients, but these DIY lip balms fit the bill nicely. With flavors like Juicy Citrus, Chocolate Mint, Cooling Mint, Orange Cocoa and Vanilla Cream you’re sure to find a flavor for all the girls on your list!

For a step by step tutorial head on over to Reformstead!

DIY Lip Balm
Photo Coasters

 

DIY Picture Coasters – Capture some of your favorite photos and transfer them onto decorative coasters. These are sure to make any grandma smile!

For the full tutorial visit Oh, The Things We’ll Make.

DIY Lavender Pillow Spray – A fantastic gift for anyone, this lavender pillow spray will help you doze off into La-La-Land with ease. Spray a little on your pillow before going to bed and reap all the healthy benefits of Lavender Essential Oil. Make a double batch and give a bottle to a loved one.

Find the recipe here.

Essential Oils - Lavender Pillow Spray
Coffee & Cacao Brown Sugar Scrub

Coffee & Cacao Brown Sugar Scrub – I mixed up a batch of this scrub last week to give as a gift and had to sample a little bit…OH MY STARS! It smells just like a peppermint mocha while scrubbing on your skin! I promptly whipped up a second batch to keep myself! (If using on your face, be sure you grind your coffee super fine or it may be a tad abrasive!)

Get the recipe over at The Rising Spoon.

Hand Scrub – This recipe is more like an exfoliating soap scrub as if lathers up nicely from the Castile soap. The sugar is less abrasive than other scrubs and the oil leaves your skin perfectly moisturized post shower. Swap out the essential oils with peppermint, cinnamon or vanilla and this scrub would make a fantastic gift to help soothe dry winter hands.

Find the recipe here.

Essential Oils - Guys and Gals Hand Scrub Recipe
DIY Gift Bag

DIY Snowflake Gift Bag – These little gift bags are so darn cute and a snap to make. You don’t have to limit them to a snowflake either. You could monogram the bags and give them as tiny totes…better yet, fill them with some yummy homemade cookies or candies. These would be perfect for your kids teachers, coaches or youth leaders, too.

Find the tutorial at Oh The Things We’ll Make.

DIY Painted “Fall” Mason Jar Vases – These beautifully painted mason jar vases will brighten up any fall decor. But don’t limit this idea to just fall…paint them red, green or other festive color and stencil out the word “JOY” for a fun Christmas gift. Or how about stenciling a last name? The options are virtually endless!

Get the tutorial over at Home Talk.

Fall Mason Jars
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Adorable Pencil Holder – I mean really, if we didn’t have a toddler running amok in the house, our school pencils would be housed in this adorable chalk jar! Have a teacher or two on your holiday gift list? These jars are sure to make any teacher grin!

Pin this image for later from Country Living and Day 2 Day SuperMom.

Gifts for Tween/Teen Boys and Men

Skateboard Sling – We have a neighbor who is an ex-pro skateboarder and instructor…needless to say my oldest boy has taken quite a liking to him (and the half-pipe in his garage!). Though the boy doesn’t have a skateboard of his own yet, once he gets one this DIY skateboard sling will be a certain gift.

Get the full tutorial over at Kojo Designs.

Skateboard Sling
floor pillow

DIY Floor Pillow/Chair – Perfect for your little (or big) gamer! These giant floor pillows will make them smile and think of you, each time they sit down! Not to mention, you can’t beat the name of this blog…

Find the tutorial over at Reasons to Skip the Housework (grin!).

Candy Bars & Cash – Another cute and affordable way to make a modest gift a home run. Find out what your recipients favorite candy bars are and wrap them up with a little cash and a cute tag.  (By the way, this post on Simply J Studio also has some pretty cute birthday party ideas for younger kiddos with an artistic flare!)

Check it out over at Simply J Studio.

Candy & Cash
Football Cups

Football Cups – How cute manly are these cups? Decorate 4-8 mason jars with a little craft tape, wrap them up real cute (whoops) nice and gift these to your man to use with his buddies on game day! Men like “manly” things, not “cute” things…I’m still learning! 

To make these jars, and get ideas for other game day party favors, head over to Flamingo Toes.

Letter Blocks for Dad – These rustic looking blocks would make a perfect gift for dad to put on his desk at work! Albeit geared toward the craft savvy person, if you can follow instructions and implore a little patience, the end result is certainly worth the effort.

Find the tutorial over at Stories By Me.

Dad Letter Blocks
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Showing 8 comments
  • Avatar
    ShootingStarsMag
    Reply

    I’ve made photo coasters and hand scrubs before. I do really love DIY gifts. They just show extra thought and care when you receive them.

    -Lauren

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      That’s great Lauren! Those coasters looked like a fun gift! I agree, the care and love are the best parts of the gift sometimes!

  • Avatar
    Elaina
    Reply

    What a great round-up! Any Katniss fan would love the bow & arrow gift for sure. I’m thinking about adding those bath bombs to my DIY list this year. 🙂

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Haha…agreed! Thanks Elaina, I hope you like the bath bombs!

  • Avatar
    Kristen Lindsay
    Reply

    My son would love one of those mason jar banks in his room! He has just started wanting to “collect” money that he gets. Thanks for the idea!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      I agree! Our kiddos are at that stage too, I’m planning to make these (but monogrammed with the first letter of their name), just hoping I can do them justice! 😉

  • Avatar
    Tracy
    Reply

    What fun ideas, Kelsey! I love this post.
    I may have to look into making the bow and arrow for my son. I think he’d love that. 🙂
    Thanks for sharing my projects too!

    • Kelsey Steffen
      Kelsey Steffen
      Reply

      Of course Tracy! Thanks for sharing with us! You have some awesome DIYs! The Hubs and I are going to tackle the DIY Bow and Arrows, too! Fingers crossed!

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