Get the Cheap Win with Homemade Gifts

Gifting is a deceptively complex process. On the one hand, many people think the value and effect of a gift has everything to do with how expensive it is. Some people put a lot of store into the designer label or brand. Still others place importance on how complex the planning behind it was.

All of this makes gift-giving more complicated and difficult than it needs to be. Homemade gifts don’t have to be the purview of little kids, and they don’t have to be panicked afterthoughts when you realise you don’t have two cents to rub together and no time to rub them anyway. Handmade gifts bring a personal touch, of course – but with a little extra effort that gift you make at home can become the most amazing gift ever given. Here are some ideas.

Let Receipts Tell a Tale

For an anniversary of any vintage or, really, any other occasion where you have to come up with a gift for a special someone, consider this great idea for romantic homemade gifts: Start collecting receipts from special days. This could be one specific day (a first date? a holiday you took together? your wedding?) or a collection of special moments throughout the year.

Photograph or scan all the receipts, and arrange them in a collage or other presentation, then have the final composite picture printed as a piece of canvas or metal wall art. The emotional power of a day captured through the most common and un-magical things in the world? Genius, if you think about it.

Re-Using Tech

Here’s a great DIY gift idea for anyone who has an old iPad or other tablet lying around: Turn it into a wall kiosk! All you need is

• An old picture frame large enough to fit the tablet
• Velcro tape

Fit the tablet into the frame with the Velcro strips so it’s nice and secure, and hang the tablet anywhere in the house that it would be useful. For example:

• In the kitchen, so they can scroll through the news or listen to music in the morning while making breakfast and cleaning up
• In the bathroom, so they can scan things or listen to music or play games
• In the entrance, to greet them when they come home with instant access to anything they want.

Homemade Etched Glasses

This one is also pretty simple: Buy some etching solution at Bunnings or a craft store. Mark off a pattern or design (or name!) on a wine or drinking glass using simple masking tape, and brush the etching solution on, wait a few minutes, and wash the glass. Even the cheapest glassware suddenly becomes a personalised glass that will make the recipient think of you every time they celebrate something!

These simple, affordable gift ideas are powerful and won’t feel cheap even though they cost almost nothing. And if any of your homemade ideas include a photograph or two, click here and we can help you turn them into amazing wall art gifts that will stun – but never break the bank.