Easy DIY holiday gifts to help raise your bank balance (and your blood pressure)
If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a long list of people you’re supposed to buy nice holiday presents for, and a bad habit of spending your money on silly things like food, rent and tuition. At this point in our lives, we’re old enough to recognize that we want to shower those we love with expensive gifts, but young enough to not yet have the means to do so. So, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been conveniently ignoring your holiday shopping list, hoping that it will either (a) magically buy itself or (b) magically disappear.
Do not fret, broke and uncreative one. The Internet has many ideas for presents you can make with only a few dollars, a few hours, and the patience of a saint. The most important thing to remember when attempting these home-made holiday gifts is to keep your expectations low. You will cuss, you will break things, you will end up more stressed than if you had just bought all of these presents and spent next semester working off the debt. Your version will not look like the version on the computer screen, because the majority of us do not have the hands of Michelangelo.
But, you will have saved money – and it will be so, so worth it.
DIY Decorated Mugs
You’ll Need:
– Oil based paint Sharpie(s)
– Dollar store plain white porcelain mug(s)
– Oven
Using the Sharpie(s), decorate the mug(s) in whatever pattern you like/think the receiver of your gift will like. When you’re done, put the mug(s) on a baking sheet in the oven, preheated to 350 F, for 30 to 45 minutes – and that’s it! These mugs will be safe for hand washing, but warn whoever you’re giving the mug(s) to that the designs probably won’t last through a round of dishwashing. Bonus points for making a whole tea set!
Note: If you use a regular permanent marker to decorate on porcelain, it will wash off instantaneously. Spend the extra dollar on an oil-based paint Sharpies. You can get them at Wyndham Art Supplies downtown, and as a bonus, they last longer than the average permanent marker.
DIY Holiday Ornaments
You’ll Need:
– 1 c. flour
– 1/2 c. salt
– 1/2 c. water
– Rolling pin (or a heavy text book)
– Toothpick (or a pen)
– Dollar store cookie cutters (or a large amount of talent with a knife)
– Paint, glitter, and other fun things (all available at the dollar store)
– Ribbon or string
– Oven
Mix together salt, flour, and water until dough is formed. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Roll out the dough, or flatten it with a heavy textbook, until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use the cookie cutters, or your knife talents, to cut desired shapes out of the dough. Use a toothpick or pen to make a hole at the top of the shape. Place on to a cookie sheet and bake in the oven, preheated to 250 F, for two hours. Remove ornaments from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Decorate with paint or glitter or whatever else. When the ornaments are decorated and have dried completely, thread a piece of ribbon or string through the hole at the top.
DIY Snow Globes
You’ll Need:
– Mason jar(s)
– Little plastic animals, trees, or whatever else you’d like to put in your snow globe
– White and silver glitter
– Hot glue gun and glue sticks (also available at the dollar store)
– Water
Using the hot glue gun, glue the animals or trees or whatever you chose to the lid of the Mason jar. It also helps to glue the parts of lid together at this stage. Fill the jar with glitter and water and screw on the lid. You can also seal the lid with hot glue at this point, if you like – and that’s it!
These gifts are great because you can easily tailor them to the person you’re gifting them too, rather than giving a generic gift basket or card. You can also find almost all of the supplies for these gifts at the dollar store, which keeps these gifts budget friendly. The only thing you’ll be losing in large quantities is your sanity, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s more important to keep your heart or your wallet happy.