10 DIY Christmas Gifts

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Christmas gift shopping - you can love it and despise it at the same time! Sometimes you can go in some many shops and search endless websites and still find it difficult to find gifts. Then it gets to the point where its a week till Christmas and youre still searching. Ive learnt that it is always best to have some simple, DIY gifts to turn to - that can be put together in the last week. 

Personally, I have found that my family members show a preference of home made gifts over some of the others. I know that parents and grandparents especially will treasure home made gifts. But that doesnt mean you cant give them to friends as well.

I decided to put together a blog post sharing some of my favourite DIYs Ive seen this year - and Im practically doing them all. Most of the ideas only require a quick pop to the shop and the things arent difficult to find. But there are some that may involve ordering offline.

This post is going to be link galore!

1. Make a calendar

Simply gather together a bunch of pictures and you can either make one yourself on Microsoft publisher/word (templates here and here), order one from online (vistaprint, snapfish) or use a programme like Hallmark Card Studio (which I use get so much use out of). There are so many similar websites, too many to list. 

Ive done this before in the past and my parents thought it was a great idea. Personally what I like to do, on the month of someones birthday, find a really funny or embarrassing photo and set it for that month.

From Intimate Weddings

2. Coasters

You could make them as personal as you want. There are so many DIY coasters you could make! I decided to share my two favourites - 

• Scrabble tiles - I saw this on pinterest a while ago (here) and thought it would make a great gift for those who love the game, crosswords or reading - this suits my grandma perfectly. Its really easy to find scrabble tiles online, especially ebay.

• Photo tiles (here) - Like the calendar, its another great way to share photos of special moments.

From Nimble Note

3. Homemade Chocolate Treats 
These are super easy to make and you can mix and match toppings, fillings and chocolate - I have a blog post of this here.

4. Key ring

This is a great little gift that kids can make, Ive listed a few of my favourite ideas -

• Felt ones - There are some great ideas on this pinterest board

• Shrinkles - These are an amazing invention and you can buy them from most craft stores. They  have a whole range of different styles (here) 

• Scratch art - Id say these are the easiest of the 3 and again can be bought at most craft stores, such as hobbycraft. 

5. Simple framed art

If you are sat there thinking Im no good at painting, I wont be able to do this one, think again because this is so easy to do. I chose to do this tree for a gift last year. Simply print out an old style book page like this one, trace or free hand a tree with its branches bare, then paint over the pencil drawing, let it dry and frame it.

6. Cookies in a jar

Who doesnt love cookies? This a brilliant gift idea for anyone! As there is so much food around at Christmas, it means the person receiving it can store it away for a later date! It is super quick and easy to make, as you dont need to bake them, and the recipe can still be made to suit the person. These two recipes sound delicious!     

From Intimate Weddings

7. Homemade fudge

This is a delicious treat, that can be made as a big batch to be given as a gift to lots of people. There are so many flavours to choose from, you could make ordinary fudge or Christmas themed. This is a great easy recipe, and there are also links to a candy cane fudge and maple and walnut fudge! 

8. Gift in a cup
Theres quite a lot you could do with this. You could buy a really cute cup from a shop or you personalise one with sharpies or online. My mum and I ordered my brothers personalised mugs from gettingpersonal.

Now time to fill! You could place; candy canes, chocolates (homemade), hot chocolate (this is so cute), hot chocolate stir in spoons (here) etc

From Nimble Note

9. Heart Candy Canes
I have a blog post here on this delicious treat that would make a great little gift.

10. Gift in a bauble

You could fill it with a cute little gift, some home made, some that arent. I shared ideas of what you could fill the bauble with a few days ago here. 

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12 Days Of Christmas Christmas Bucket List

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Its somehow only 12 days till Christmas! I thought itd be a great idea to list 12 things to do in the days leading up to Christmas, sort of like an activities mini advent calendar. Since schools will be breaking up from Christmas within the next week, you could have some of these ideas in mind to keep kids (and the whole family) occupied and not glued to the TV. Knowing me I will do a a few one day and nothing the next. But, Im going to aim to do everything!

Id love to see if some of you guys do anything from the list, or anything else youve got planned in the run up to Christmas.

From A Feathered Nest

1. Make felt tree decorations. 
I found some really cute ones on pinterest that I definitely want to make. (links - bird, puddings )

2. Go see a pantomime. 
I used to love going to see a different one every year in primary school, but have never been to one since. They are a great little treat to enjoy on a December evenings and always make you feel festive.

3. Donate to your local food bank.
I think at this time of year, especially, we forget about those who are less fortunate. By simply taking a bag of tins, biscuits, pasta etc, you could give someone the chance to enjoy a Christmas dinner who may not be able to otherwise.

4. Make a special gift for someone. 
Home-made gifts are always a lovely thing to receive. They are great for giving to parents and grandparents! Here are some ideas - Gift In A Bauble, Chocolate Candy Cane Hearts

5. Take a festive family photo. 
So many memories are created at Christmas and having a photo to look at a remind you of the great times is something special to treasure. Why not start a scrapbook, you could gather together past Christmas photos, and carry it on every year. You could include all other holidays aswell!

6. Attend a carol service.
Sometimes we get too caught up in the bustle around Christmas, getting stressed and forgetting what Christmas is about. Not only does a carol service bring the community together, it makes you think about why we are celebrating. Also I love the sound from a carol service, its so relaxing!

7. Wrap up warm and take a wintry walk.
Walks in winter are so lovely. Wearing your hats, scarves and gloves and your nose getting cold and red. Theres frost and possibly snow. Then when you get back home, the comforting warmth as you walk through the door. We love going for a walk on Christmas eve.

8. Make paper snowflakes.
These are so easy to make and so cute. With so many different patterns to make, you could be at it for hours whilst watching a film and drinking hot chocolate.

9. Make salt dough ornaments.
This is a another thing I remember doing in primary school. I think I still have the ornament I made.  

From Call Me Cupcakes

10. Bake Christmas cookies.
The smell of baking is like 10x better during winter! I cant wait to get back in the kitchen and bake some more delicious treats. Here are some recipes I want to give a go - Gingerbread, Candy Cane Chocolate and Pistachio & Cranberry

11. Drink a hot chocolate.
What are the holidays without enjoying at least one hot chocolate? Go all out - cream, marshmallows and a candy cane.

12. Watch a Christmas film.
Nothing beats a good Christmas film. Some of my favourites are The Grinch, Elf and The Polar Express. What are yours?

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