Get in the Spirit With These DIY Holiday Gift Ideas

The best gifts are the ones from the heart and your own hands. Instead of fighting the shopping crowds or spending hours browsing online, wow your friends with unique handmade gifts that are made with love. Here are a few easy ideas the whole family can take part in.

Sweater transformations.

Wow your Atwell friends with professional looking creations, made from your old sweaters. To create no-knit Christmas stockings, simply trace a stocking shape on paper, then cut two from your sweater fabric and stitch together. Use scraps to add a hanging hook. Or, upcycle your sweater into a throw pillow and decorate with buttons, ribbon or other craft items.

Cookies in a jar.

Mason jar cookie mixes are gifts that keep on giving, with a shelf life of up to three months. Put a new spin on traditional oatmeal cookies with salted cashew oatmeal cookies in a jar. Show your holiday colors with double-dutch chocolate holiday cookies. Attach the recipe to the jar with twine or ribbon.

Face and body scrubs.

The java lovers on your gift list will love this unique twist on their favorite cup of Joe. Create a scrub of freshly ground coffee mixed with brown sugar, vanilla and coconut oil for a natural DIY exfoliant. Package it with a homemade lemon body scrub for a double dose of relaxing aromas. To make the lemon scrub, mix one-half cup each of Epsom salt, sugar and coconut oil. Add a tablespoon of honey and five drops of lemon essential oil.

Vintage potholders.

Who doesn’t remember weaving potholders on a kid-sized loom back in the day? Those colorful vintage kitchen staples are making a comeback. A quick Google search will uncover any number of sources for a kit that will keep the kiddos going over and under for hours of potholder production. Idea: couple one of your mason jar kits with a handmade potholder for an extra-special DIY gift.

Family cookbook.

Atwell kitchens are the place where cooking traditions are created, so why not share them in a handmade cookbook? Gather your family’s favorites into a notebook or three-ring binder, or print onto half-sheets, hole-punch the top corner and tie together with holiday ribbon.

Need more ideas? Try making a homemade holiday potpourri or put your empty wine bottles to use as hummingbird feeders. For the hikers in your crowd, whip up some homemade trail mix perfect for hitting the trails around Atwell. No matter what you choose, it just takes a little creativity to up your gift game the DIY way.

Want to create holiday memories in a new home? Contact a New Home Specialist at (951) 458-6155 today.