33 DIY Gifts That'll Make People Say "You MADE That?!"
It's the thought that counts, but you may as well make it cute too.
1. Make a homesick loved one a corkboard shaped like their home state.
2. Decorate slippers for someone who could use an extra forty winks.
Get the tutorial here.
3. A notebook tote is a perfect gift for any bookworm.
Find the instructions here.
4. Put together an easy DIY spa kit for the one who deserves a break.
Find out how here.
5. Or a bunch of custom bath bombs.
Get the tutorial here.
6. Even if they prefer to sleep in a cardboard box, your furry friend could use a cute bed.
Find the tutorial here.
7. And for the cat-obsessed human, these adorable flats.
Find out more here.
8. For the person with a gazillion little trinkets, make a set of gold leaf bowls.
Find the tutorial here.
9. Whip up a quick grown-up hot chocolate kit.
I've made these before and they take no time at all; you can swap out the airplane bottle for rum or Kahlúa or whatever tickles your fancy.
10. And for a kid (or a kid at heart), give a jar of just the Lucky Charms marshmallows.
Directions (or what have you) here.
11. Make a custom room spray for a sweet-smelling pal.
Get the directions here.
12. For the one who's perpetually late, make a (fairly forgiving) clock.
It's really not as hard as it seems! Clockworks are really cheap and easy to figure out. Get the tutorial here.
13. Or if you don't want to go to the trouble of making a clock, decorate one (or three) with washi tape.
Find the idea here.
14. Make a gift card way less boring by presenting it in a stitched envelope.
Find the tutorial here.
15. If they're a traveler or a photographer (or just want to be), transform some of their most memorable pictures into patches.
Find out how here.
16. Or keychains!
Using that old (and smelly) childhood favorite, shrink plastic.
17. Knit these too-cute-to-be-real miniature ornaments if you're up for a (small) challenge.
Get the patterns here; I've made versions of these before and presented them to the recipient atop a beer bottle, which always goes over real well.
18. Or if pizza is more their speed, make a few of these cheesy ornaments.
Get the tutorial here.
19. Make a custom laptop skin for anybody tech-obsessed.
AKA everybody. Find the tutorial here (it also includes directions for phone and tablet skins).
20. Personalize a pet bandana.
Full marks if you can actually wrestle a cat into one. Get the instructions here.
21. For the person who's always losing stuff, these leather pouches will keep tiny treasures organized.
Get the tutorial here.
22. Make a personalized planter.
Get the tutorial here.
23. Crochet an oversized cushion in no time flat.
Find out how here.
24. Or knit a massive blanket.
Get the pattern here.
(Also, if you're concerned about the price of jumbo-sized yarn — which can run really expensive! — check out Super Tuff Puff from Knit Picks. I really like how it knits up, even if the color selection is a little limited and it won't be as dramatic as what's pictured here. Plus, it's the cheapest 100% natural fiber yarn I've found at that scale.)
25. Or if you're more into crochet, make this chunky basket.
Find the pattern here.
26. Make a gingerbread scrub that smells good enough to eat.
Find out how here.
27. Get meta on their tree with these adorable tree-shaped ornaments.
Get the instructions here.
28. Turn empty wine bottles into elegant candle holders.
And then get to work emptying even more wine bottles. Get the instructions here.
29. Chase the chapping away with homemade lip balm.
Find out how here.
30. For the indecisive person, knit this easy headband-slash-cowl.
It's available as a free pattern on Ravelry; you'll need an account, but if you've ever so much as touched yarn, you should probably have one anyway.
31. Turn (copies of) their favorite photos into ornaments.
Get the instructions here.
32. Or turn them into coasters.
Find the directions here.
33. Use a deck of cards to let them know how much you care.
Find out more here.