As much as we don’t like to admit it, sometimes…
11 Unique DIY Christmas Ideas for Presents
Christmas decorations are already starting to creep their way into stores. Soon enough you’ll be writing your Christmas list and checking it twice! But if your budget is stretched to capacity, why not explore these DIY Christmas ideas?
If you have yet to start your Christmas shopping, DIY might be your answer. October can be a tricky time to buy Christmas presents. After all, the Christmas sales haven’t begun yet. At the sam time, you don’t want to wait too late to start your shopping!
Now is the time to come up with ideas for Christmas presents for everyone on your Christmas list. Sure, there are some Christmas gifts that can be purchased the night before, but gifts for the most important people in your life require thought and planning. That’s especially important if there is any element of DIY involved.
To help you to shortlist your DIY Christmas ideas for presents for your family and friends, we’ve curated the ultimate list! Keep reading to discover the most unique Christmas present ideas we could find. We hope you’ll find some inspiration!
1. DIY Multi Strand Scarf
By Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth
If you’ve got a fashionista on your Christmas list, try your hand at making them a unique multi strand scarf . You can can guarantee that they won’t be able to find it in a store!
The reason is that you will make it yourself from an old, oversized T-shirt. The DIY instructions are easy as pie and you won’t need any special equipment to get the job done – just a pair of scissors and a ruler.
2. Vintage Book Organiser
This DIY Christmas idea is as clever as it is practical. The basic idea is to find an antique hardcover book with a funky cover from a second-hand bookstore or garage sale. Once you’ve found the right one, remove the pages, and then add strips of elastic to create various sized compartments. The end result can be customised to suit the specific gadgets that need to be contained.
3. Chalkboard Coasters
These chalkboard coasters would have to be some of the simplest DIY Christmas gifts we’ve seen, but just keep in mind that you’ll need to allow several days for your project to dry before it’s ready to wrap. We’ll admit you may receive some raised eyebrows while your gift recipient tries to work out what on earth it is you’ve given them.
But once they realise that they can now personalise their coasters as many times as they like and that no one will ever again confuse the drink with someone else’s, they’ll be hooked on the idea. Soon they’ll be asking you to spill your DIY secrets. It’s up to you whether you fess up about just how easy the project was.
4. DIY Kitchen Kit
From Family Holiday
If you have a first homebuyer on your list of Christmas gift recipients, they will love that you took the time to put together this kitchen kit. They’ll have everything they need to stock their first kitchen, and it will all match, too.
5. Canvas Collage
For a DIY Christmas idea as a present with a twist, go hunting for the perfect set of photos. Once you’ve found them, print a photo collage on canvas. A canvas collage the perfect unique Christmas gift as it clearly involved careful thought and planning, yet unlike other DIY gifts, your gift recipient will receive professional quality artwork ready to hang on their wall.
The only tricky part is deciding which photos you’ll choose. Will you focus on one particular happy occasion; your favourite memories from a year; or a lifetime of memories?
6. Zippered Clutch Purse
If you can figure out how to work a sewing machine (just basic skills are required, we promise!) then you will be hooked on making these easy-sew zippered clutch purses. As the tutorial itself explains, these little purses are just so handy, especially if you make them large enough to hold a phone.
And with an almost unlimited selection of fabrics to choose from, you’ll be able to customise your projects so that everyone receive a unique and personalised gift, even though you simply followed the same instruction set multiple times.
7. Personalised Mugs
Isn’t it funny how the best ideas are often the simplest? It seems obvious to buy a plain mug and decorate it using a permanent marker, and not only is the process simple and inexpensive, but the end result is very effective.
It’s one of those DIY Christmas ideas that could easily turn out to be the recipient’s favourite gift, simply because it’s quirky, completely personalised, and very practical.
8. DIY Smartphone Case
From Brit+Co
Are you looking for a Christmas gift for someone who owns a smartphone? Just kidding: this is 2015 after all, so it would be strange if you were looking for a Christmas gift for someone who didn’t have a smartphone (small children excepted, of course). There are oodles of different smartphone case design ideas here, and they’re all simple to make and fun to experiment with.
9. Personalised Journal
Journalling is more popular than ever, with books like The Artist’s Way showing people how beneficial it can be to express their thoughts on paper. The same DIY techniques can also be used to create a gratitude journal. This is especially helpful for anyone who is into the law of attraction and reading motivational books.
10. Felt Slippers
By Zipper Teeth
I don’t know about you, but personally I’m partial to a nice pair of slippers. These handmade felt slippers look so comfy that I’m wishing I had a pair of them right now. By simply choosing slightly funkier colours than shown in the example (no offence, mottled grey) you will be able to market these comfy slippers to almost anyone on your list.
11. DIY Lip Balm
Can you really make DIY lip balms? According to Martha Stewart’s website, you can, and they’re relatively simple to make. You’ll need a few supplies before you can get started, but they should be easy to find. Plus, if you’ve got any number of teenage girls or young women on your Christmas list, the initial outlay will be quickly justified.
We hope you’ve found some inspiration for unique Christmas presents for everyone on your list. When you’ve got the whole family assembled under the Christmas tree first thing on Christmas morning, make sure you take the time to snap some photos of the family enjoying each other’s company, then have it professionally printed on canvas. It can be your own little Christmas present for yourself.
