Christmas gifts are hard to come by. Endless searching for what to get your friend who has everything is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then, after searching forever, you find a priceless vintage piece that costs $100. As much as I love my friends, my budget can’t handle buying them all a LEGO set or an American Eagle sweater. My solution to this is to get crafty and make something, truly with love.
These are some of my favorite ideas I’ve compiled for gifts you can easily make at home or put together with a low budget.
Custom clay magnets
A perfect idea for someone who loves a trinket that’s personalized. Grab some air-dry clay (or the kind you bake, if you’re extra willing), paint, and magnets. Some good ideas of things to make are your friend’s favorite things. Favorite flower, food, item from a TV show, or anything that regards one of their special interests. Either way, they will love the thought and time put into this present.
Button-covered photo frames
A custom present with a touch of Muscatine. Find a frame at Dollar Tree or Goodwill. The best buttons can be bought by the scoop at the infamous button factory downtown. If you’re going for a specific vibe or aesthetic, you can find the buttons at Walmart as well. Use hot glue, E60000, or any adherent of your choice, and make the frame perfect for that friend. If you want to go the extra mile, print out a photo of you two and stick it inside the frame.
Wrapped wire headphones
For that friend who loves to listen to music but with a nostalgic touch, wrapping wired headphones in string or yarn can add a hint of beauty to each song.
A beaded plant with a painted pot
Know someone who loves plants but can’t keep them alive? Opt for something timeless (and lifeless, thank god) for that friend. Beads can easily be strung together to replicate the vines of a plant. Depending on the plant you want to make, you’ll have more or fewer strings of beads. Secure the beads to the bottom of a plant pot with, again, whatever adherent you’d like. If you want to take this project a step further, decorate the outside of the pot with some paint as well.
Stamped Christmas cards
If you don’t have the time to make everyone their own unique present, you can still bring life to each of their gifts. Carve a design in an eraser to create a fun card decoration. Paint the eraser, and stamp the design onto a couple of cards. You can change the writing inside each card, but the front will have a decoration made right in your hands.
Painted rocks
Muscatine rocks! And so does Christmas. Find some rocks and decorate them with regular paint or paint pens for a more detailed look. These rocks can be anywhere in your friend’s house. You could decorate one with toilet paper for the bathroom, or decorate one with fun colors for their room.
Altoid tin collage
Repurpose an old Altoid tin to make a cute collage for a friend. Use paint or decorative paper for the outside. As for the inside, you can decorate it with small trinkets like rings and cool coins. If you want to add something new, you can get some Chapstick, a gift card to fit inside, or cool stickers to fit inside.
Christmas doesn’t have to be all about buying the biggest and shiniest present; the true spirit comes from the heart and the memories you make. Hopefully you enjoyed these gift ideas and try one out!
