Affordable and Easy DIY Gift Ideas

There’s something incredibly special about a homemade gift. When you get one, you can tell the love, time, and effort that went into creating it.

Bonus for the gift-giver? It’s fun to make things for other people and it typically costs less, too. These affordable DIY Christmas gifts work for any holiday and all year-round.

Crafts

There’s tons of inspiration for affordable DIY gifts at your local craft store. Choose your canvas, frame, or base material and pick up decorations to paint, thread, or hot glue. Some ideas:

• Paint a photo frame in your own design. Then add a photo of you and the recipient inside.
• Grab a glass jar and create a terrarium with some stones and sand
• Create handmade bracelets with some leather and beads
• Decorate the handles of wooden spoons with acrylic paint

You can also apply fabric (and a personal touch!) to a variety of objects, from books to wallets to earbud pouches. If you’re new to crafting, browse a craft shop to see what inspires you. Some help from an associate or a craft blog can get you started.

Poems

A poem costs nothing but time. It’s also directly from your heart and can mean a lot to the recipient.

Anyone can be a poet. That’s the great thing about poetry — there are no rules!

What makes a poem different from a note, story, or letter, though? Use these tips as your guide.

• Think of a theme. It could be a collection of things you love about the person, or what makes you think of them.
• Write freely. Let your thoughts pour out. You could free write, or even record your thoughts out loud.
• Look for patterns and organize. Poems don’t have to rhyme, but they usually have something called cadence. That’s a rhythm, flow, or pattern. From your free thoughts, you might find words that start with the same letter or that sound similar. Or, you might group your thoughts into sections that have their own themes.

The most important thing with poetry is that it’s heartfelt. You could always use an online rhyming dictionary to get some ideas, too.

Candles

Some store-bought candles retail for $100 or more! You can create your own luxurious version at home to add warmth to your loved one’s life.

One easy option is to roll sheets of honeycomb beeswax over a wick. You’ll want to use a hairdryer to slightly heat the beeswax and make it pliable enough to roll.

You can also use regular wax to make DIY candles. You can even pour the heated wax into an old candle container and choose your own fragrance and color to add some personal flair to your creation.

Food

Food gifts are a sustainable option for presents. They’re inexpensive and can even involve a fun activity. Here are some of our favorite ideas.

• Hot chocolate kit. Fill a mason jar with hot cocoa mix, some granulated sugar, and mini marshmallows.
• Chocolate chip oatmeal bread. Layer a glass bottle with flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and a dash of salt. Your recipient can mix this mixture with their at-home ingredients (butter, eggs, and buttermilk) to create a loaf of chocolate chip oatmeal bread. You can apply a similar DIY method for goodies like brownies and chocolate chip cookie mixes.
• Frosted cookies. Cookies are a tasty treat that can be personalized with your choice of decorations. Whip up sugar cookies, then frost and decorate them in your friend's favorite colors or designs.
• Custom wine. Some local wine shops let you customize your own blends and even personalize the labels. Or, snag some inexpensive bottles at the grocery store or make sangria at home. Create your own festive labels for the bottles.
• Party nuts: Roasted nuts are super easy to customize. You can caramelize them to make them sweet or toss them with salt, cayenne pepper, and olive oil for a savory option.

For any food creation, you can amp up the gift factor with thoughtful containers. Add a cute label or ribbon to a jar or paper box to turn a snack into something shelf-worthy.

Share the love when you DIY

DIY gifts are thoughtful, unique expressions of your affection. Get creative to give something memorable this holiday season and any time of year.

Be sure to check your Save mailer for coupons and deals on ingredients, craft supplies, and anything else you need for these cool DIY gifts.