DIY: Handmade Christmas Gifts

Sometimes we just don't have the means to go out and purchase a gift, or we want to really give something that we have made with our hearts. Here are some DIY Christmas gifts that I have made in the past. I hope you will find inspiration!

A few years ago, I made water-less snowglobes for my son's teachers as a Christmas gift using a bristle brush tree, air-dry clay, gold paint, a toilet tube, some paper, a baby food jar and some fake snow (which is worse than working with glitter). I didn't document the process, but I found a super cute tutorial over on Hallmark's blog (of all places).

I made a tutorial several years ago with my mom on how to use an old book to make paper Christmas trees. It's one of my favourite decorations for the season, and I often take it with me when I go to holiday/winter markets.

I made this Christmas ornament for a friend for Christmas one year, and also put it on the blog as a last minute gift project. It's pretty simple and only requires paint, glue and glitter...as well as the ornament (of course).

These beautiful bowls from Camille Styles were created using air-dry clay, and was one of the gifts that I made for my DIY Christmas a few years ago. 

This three-dimensional winter scene was another paper project that was created using an old book, and was part of the 2012 Discover Paper Holiday Gift Guide (page 100). Like the paper tree, it is one of my favourite Christmas decorations that we own.

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Last Minute Gifts: Glitter Star DIY

I Used:

Papier Mâché Star

Martha Stewart Multi-Surface High Gloss Acrylic Craft Paint in Purple Yam

Martha Stewart Smoky Quartz Glitter

Martha Stewart Glue Writing Pen

I started off painting the papier mâché star with the purple craft paint. I painted both sides at the same time and then strung it onto a stick that I placed across two containers so that the star could dry evenly.

After it was dry, I made little glue dots with the glue writing pen -- this thing is truly amazing -- and then added the glitter. I did the glue and glitter in sections so that the glue wouldn't dry before I had made dots all over the entire star. This part is a little bit tedious, but I found it really easy with the glue pen. I let the one side dry and then made little polka dots on the other side as well.

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Last Minute Gift For Teachers: Wooden Ornament DIY

Sometimes the weeks before Christmas can be hectic, and before you know it you realise that you forgot to get a gift for your children's teachers. This year I decided to have the Little Boy decorate wooden shapes that we could make into Christmas tree ornaments for his teachers to hang on their trees as a reminder of how awesome my son is :)

We Used:

Wooden Shapes that can be found in any craft store

Buttons

Glitter

Other Fun Findings

Glue

Wire

Wire Cutters

Round Nose Pliers

I had my son paint and decorate the wooden shapes that we picked out at the craft store. Then I shaped the wire into a shape that would allow it to hang on the Christmas tree, and glued it in place -- you can use a glue gun...I have just misplaced mine -- and just like that you have a simple Christmas gift for your children's teachers.

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