Everyone says that the best Christmas gifts come from the heart. I think they’re wrong. I think that the best Christmas gifts come from your bare hands. That’s right, I’m talking about DIY gifts.
In the age of mass production, gift cards, and Amazon wishlists, it’s easy to get swept up in the impersonal.
Those kinds of gifts can be OK, but they’re so detached from the giver and receiver, that there’s not really anything special about them. That’s why I think that DIY gifts are the best. Even if you’re not really creative, these 5 DIY gift thought starters are easy, fun, and they’ll be way more meaningful than a Dunkin Donuts bag of coffee (full disclosure, I love Dunkin’s coffee).
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Personalized Calendar - This might be my favorite DIY gift. You can choose to go full-DIY mode and make the calendar from scratch with glue and construction paper, or you can use a photo printing service like Wallgreens to make your very own personalized calendar. You can use whatever pictures you want, include your family and friends’ birthdays, and even choose your holidays. If you want to go above and beyond, you can get some of your older photos digitized from Legacybox and have a wonderful throwback surprise!
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Root Beer Reindeer - I’ll admit that this gift is a little cheesy, but I still love it. All you need is a six pack of root beer (or Citradellic IPA if you’re gifting it to me), and you make the bottles look like little reindeer! Glue on googly eyes, some horns, and a mouth, and you’ve got a crew of funny looking brews!
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Coupon Book - Coupon books have been an invaluable go-to for custom DIY gifts for forever. Perfect for younger kids who don’t have any cash, they’re a way to gift something that you can’t buy: time. Choose what kinds of coupons you want to make, and put an entire book together! You can include vouchers for chores like laundry, dishes, or mowing the lawn, or you can do future events like golf games, movie tickets, or dinners! Mix and match for the most impact!
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Charity Donation - What kind of gift do you get for the person who has everything? That’s easy. Don’t get them anything. Instead, make a charity donation in their name and help someone or something in need instead. It’s a great way to divert some of the money that you’d otherwise spend on a gift that’ll end up in the trash in a couple of weeks. There’s no shortage of needy organizations that would love your donation, plus, most of them will send back personalized thank-you cards. How thoughtful!
- Cookie Tins - If you have young kids, this is probably the best gift ever. The reason? It’s a two-fer! You get to spend an entire day with your youngins making some delicious baked goods, then you can pack them up and give some tasty treats to friends and family! Everybody wins! If you’re not a great cook, there are some other options you can do like homemade chips, cheese variety, or fudge. Who doesn’t love a yummies in their belly?
See? There are 5 DIY gift ideas that you can do this Christmas to give your presents an extra bit of personalization. They’re not ultra time-intensive, and they’re totally affordable. Now go get started!
