3 Easy DIY Gifts to Make This Christmas

Christmas time is a time of love, family, fun, and traditions. Many people give gifts to celebrate (traditionally these symbolize the gifts the wise men gave Jesus). I like to give gifts from the heart–ones I’ve spent time on, or that I know will be truly cherished. I wouldn’t consider myself a big “crafter”, but I do enjoy making things with love for others. Below are three of my favorite DIY gifts to give:

1) Photo calendar

This is a great gift that’s easily personalized and perfect to enjoy the entire year. It’s my go-to gift for both grandparents and greats. Walgreens can get it to you in a day and Shutterfly within a week, and both offer coupon codes for great discounts. You can spend as much time as you want personalizing these calendars with layout options, and multiple pictures per spread. I spent the time to download pictures and add birthdays and anniversaries for all of our family.

2) Crochet headband

If you know beginning level crochet, this is easy to whip up. If you don’t, it’s a great hobby, and perhaps the gift of classes might be fun to explore? Each skein of yarn is about $3.50 and will make two headbands. I can typically do about one headband per TV episode. 

I created this pattern using three simple stitches. This makes a nice, thick headband perfect for Iowa winters. 

Yarn: medium 4

Hook: J 6mm

– Chain 55, skip 1
– single crochet 54, slip stitch to make infinity 

  • When I weave the ends in, I complete the chain portion. Doing it this way helps me to not twist my work with the foundation chain.
  • Try it on to make sure it’s not too tight. If it is, add in multiples of 2.

– chain 2
– skip 1, puff stitch entire row, slip stitch, flip work

(Repeat for 10 rows total)

– single crochet 50
– weave in ends

DIY gifts homemade ideas
All ages love this headband! From babies, (it’s the perfect size for a scarf) to teenagers and adults

3) Sugar scrub

I have very dry skin, and it only gets worse in the cold winters. I recently went to a local Aveda salon to try a scrub and see how it helps my skin. It’s never felt so smooth and soft. The girl that did my application shared with me that the recipe she uses is very easy to whip up and makes great gifts. She recommended doing the application about once a week.

I’ve been so happy with a scrub that I am making batches for myself. Most supplies you probably already have, so just take an hour to make a big batch, put it in mason jars, put a cute little ribbon and label on, and you’re all set! This is a great gift for girlfriends, colleagues, neighbors, and mamas. 

[yumprint-recipe id=’13’]

DIY gifts homemade ideas
Lavender Sugar Scrub Label: feel free to use this image. Just print and attach to your mason jar lids.
What are your favorite DIY gifts? 

 

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Mandy
Mandy welcomed her Rainbow Baby, Brooke Lynn, October 2016 and has been enjoying all that motherhood has to offer since. A North Liberty native, Mandy has spent almost her entire life in the Corridor. She took a brief hiatus and lived in Chicago for 5 years where she met her fun-loving husband, Tom. For work, Mandy is building a Corporate Innovation program to give Iowa businesses the tools they need to digest and implement new concepts. She recently named her passion for helping others by founding Huddle Line, a side hustle consulting company that works with local businesses to create unique game plans to achieve their goals. Mandy loves to spend time with loved ones, play and watch sports, hours of euchre, crochet, and bonfires. 2 things that will always win Mandy over? Cupcakes & corny jokes

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