People might struggle with a budget, time, or ideas for Christmas gifts. However, there are several Christmas gift ideas that are cheap and quick. These gifts are homemade and you could do it yourself (DIY).
Why Homemade Gifts Are a Good Idea
Making DIY gifts for Christmas can be personal and more unique. They can also be cheaper than buying gifts from the store. According to Chad Dickerson, CEO of an Etsy Retail store, the number of sales on Cyber Monday for shops that sell homemade items increased by 61%. In fact, more than 15 million people visited that site.
In other words, making homemade gifts show thought while also saving money. There are some DIY gifts that could be made with under $5.00 such as printed candles or a nest necklace. “My father makes these cool spoon rings that are cute and fun to wear,” said Theresa Gruskos, a freshman Colonia High School Student.
Another freshman student at Colonia High, Destinee Yancey said that “DIY Christmas Gifts are more thoughtful than regular ten dollar gifts you can get at the store.”
Snowman Hot Chocolate Jars
Step by step directions on how to make a snowman hot chocolate jar.
In order to make a snowman hot chocolate kit a few items are needed. First, three small jars (baby food jars). Hot chocolate mix, a bag of marshmallows, and a bag of peppermints are also needed along with a sheet of black felt, paint and a paint brush (or a Sharpie marker), scissors, a bowl, ribbon, calk or white eyeliner, a ruler, and a hot glue gun
The first step to making your snowman jar is to take the three small jars. Fill the first jar with marshmallows, the second with hot chocolate powder, and the third with peppermints.
Next, take the black felt, the bowl, the scissors, and chalk/white eyeliner. Place the bowl on the black felt and trace it with the chalk or eyeliner. Cut out the circle and then place the lid from one of the jars in the center of the felt circle. Trace the lid and then cut that out. Take the jar filled with marshmallows and put the smallest circle in/on the lid. After that, take the bigger circle with the hole in the middle and put in on the jar.
After putting both felt circles on the jar, measure the length between them. Cut out a line of felt that size and hot glue the felt to the top of the jar by wrapping it around.
Then, take the paint colors (or Sharpie markers) that you plan on using to decorate the snowman. Draw the face on the marshmallow jar and the middle of the body on the jar containing the hot chocolate mix.
After that, hot glue the three jars together. Take ribbon and scissors (optional). Make a “fringe” design by cutting upward on the ribbon multiple times. Lastly, wrap your ribbon around the “neck” of the snowman and tie it on the side to create a scarf. There is also a video on how to make this on YouTube.
Christmas Ornaments
For this homemade gift there are two types; a picture ornament and a melting snowman ornament. For type 1, you will need one clear ornament, a picture of your loved one, art utensils of your choosing, and ribbon. For type 2, you will need one clear ornament, white glitter or vase filler, orange paper, 7-9 pepper balls, two small sticks, and one straw or pencil. For Frozen fans, paint is also needed.
Step one to making a picture ornament is to take the picture of your choosing. Then, roll it up so that it fits into the ornament. After putting the picture in the ornament, add any designs with glitter, paint, etc. Lastly, take the ribbon and wrap it around the top of the ornament; then tie the ribbon so that it could hang on the tree.
Pictures to the steps on how to make a Christmas ornament for a loved one.
The second type of ornament is a melting snowman ornament. The first step is to take the vase filler or white glitter and pour it into the ornament until it is about 1/3 of the way. After that, cut a carrot nose out of the orange paper. Take out 7-9 pepper balls for the snowman’s mouth and nose. Also take out the two small sticks and drop all of these items in the ornament. Don’t worry about where they’re placed. The last step is to take the straw/pencil and use that to move around the pepper balls, sticks, and carrot nose until you’re satisfied with their position. For those who are fans of the movie Frozen, you can choose to paint on the quote “Some people are worth melting for” by the little snowman Olaf. Let everything dry and then it’s ready to be wrapped and received. “The melting snowman is a cute and fun idea to make for someone,” said Gruskos.
Candy Sleigh Assortment
To make a sleigh of candy the following items are needed; 2 candy canes, 1 chocolate bar (Kit Kat size recommended), a hot glue gun, 10 smaller candies, ribbon, scissors (optional), and a bow (optional).
Step by step instructions on how to make a candy sleigh gift.
The first step to making a candy sleigh is to take the regular sized chocolate bar and flip it over. Then, use the hot glue gun to glue the two candy canes to the bottom of the candy bar. Make sure to hot glue the two candy canes near the edge of the chocolate bar.
Next, make sure to have ten smaller candies. There are two types of stacking. One way is For the first row of candy, use the hot glue gun and make small dots on the bottom of the candy to glue them to the sleigh. The first row should be made up of four candies starting from the side opposite the front of the sleigh. After gluing the first row to the sleigh, continue with the second row. This row will have three candies. The row should again start on the farthest side of the sleigh. There should be one candy left in the first row without a second candy on top of it. Continue doing this until reaching the top.
The second way to stack the candies is in a pyramid style. The first row has four, the second has three, third has two, and then one. Stack the candies so that it is centered.
After stacking, cut approximately 18 inches of ribbon. Start my putting the ribbon on the top of the sleigh and bringing it to the bottom layer. Press both your thumbs on each side of the ribbon in order to keep it in place as you slowly turn the sleigh over.
Tie the ribbon at the center of the bottom and then begin to tie the ribbon around the width of the sleigh. After reaching the top again, tie it in a bow. Take the ends of the each side of the ribbon and gently run the sharp edge of the scissors at a fast pace along the ribbon to create a spiral.
Lastly, place the bow on the very top of the sleigh.
Another option when making the sleigh is to glue a Santa shaped candy at the front of the sleigh. It could also be used to stack small gifts instead of candy such as jewelry boxes. There is also a video on how to make this candy sled on YouTube.
A Chalkboard Mug
In order to make the chalkboard mug, the first thing to have is a plain coffee mug. You will also need duct tape or painters tape, a paint brush, Pebeo Porcelain 150 Chalkboard Paint (you can get this from Dick Blick or Amazon), and chalk.
First of all, take the coffee mug and wrap duct tape around the top half of the mug.
Second, paint the chalkboard paint on the bottom half. The duct tape is there to help keep the painting clean and straight.
Picture of the instruction for a chalkboard mug.
Lastly, wait for the paint to dry and take off the duct tape. Use the chalk to write or draw any designs, words, patterns, etc.
Other Ideas
If these Christmas Gift ideas weren’t satisfying, there are also tons of other ideas online. Some jewelry ideas could be spoon rings, friendship bracelets, and penny necklaces. Ideas for a loved one could be a collection of handwritten letters for different occasions (such as “when you’re sad” or “when you need to know I love you”), 52 Reasons Why cards, or a jar full of memories. Felt key chains, homemade play dough, and a Christmas Hershey Tree are all options for a family member as well.
