Six Handmade & Homespun Ideas for Holiday Gift-Giving
Give a gift this holiday season that will become a cherished keepsake to the recipient. Even if you are not crafty, you can create and give something special using a few basic supplies and utilitarian items. Visit a store or site to find the crafting goods needed to pull-off these simple but sentimental projects.
Six handmade and homespun ideas for holiday gift-giving are:
Custom embroidery. Consider embroidering something like a towel, pillowcase, or tee shirt that you have already purchased or that you have on-hand. Pick up a large-eye needle and some quality embroidery floss and stitch a simple heart, monogram, or motif on a gift to give to someone else. A popular style to try is redwork embroidery—a simple outline of an animal, holiday symbol, or flower. This option will make any item—from a pot holder to a pair of socks—a unique and meaningful gift.
Hand-crafted beauty items. Make your own homemade beauty products to give as gifts to family and friends, and save a ton of money! It is so easy to make soaps, lotions, and even perfume using natural ingredients, and in many instances, things you find in your own kitchen cupboard. For instance, use fractionated coconut to make essential oil roll-ons which cost pennies to produce.
Felted, useful gifts. Consider making felted soaps and dryer balls this season to share with those that you care about. Start saving wool sweaters that you find when thrifting or organizing, or order wool roving from an online vendor to begin making your own felted creations.
Personalized photograph. Get kids in on the crafting by making distinctive photo frames decorated with twigs and pinecones, or other treasure found by your children. Supervise and use a hot glue gun, and frame a fun picture of those making the gift.
Kids' creations. It is easy to highlight kids' artwork via a calendar or a framed collage using one of the online graphics tools or merchant sites. Simply scan the artwork and create a jpeg file for the most versatility.
Homemade paper and cards. High-quality paper and cards make an excellent and inexpensive gift for a lot of people. Make your own handmade paper to pair with a nice pen for someone who will appreciate the luxury of writing on this thick, textured paper. Start saving catalogs, newspapers, tissue, and wrapping to shred and 'slur' for making your own.
Use these tips to give a gift that will mean something special to the recipient, whether you choose these simple crafting ideas or your own niche. Try these ideas for inspiration to making the holiday a sentimental time, and focus on family and friends, hearth and home.