Oh, it’s party season! I really enjoy holiday parties, but it’s always a challenge trying to come up with gift ideas for people you might not know well. So I’ve been hunting around blog-land for some fast, easy, and thoughtful gift ideas that are a great fit for us DIY-ers to give at Christmas time! Read on, and see if any of these look like your kind of present!
First – Tara at Suburble shows us how to make your own beeswax candles. Pretty pictures, and a BUNCH of great tips for the beginner.
If you are thinking of bringing a bottle of wine, there are a couple great DIY gifts to pair with it. (Although to be fair – doesn’t wine pair well with all gifts?) Petals to Picots shows us how to crochet beautiful beaded wine glass charms:
And over at Capital B, Sky shows us how to make easy Mason Jar Stemware, if you’re going for a more “Duck Dynasty” look. Haha.
While you’re at it – make a set of cork coasters! Lauren at The Thinking Closet shows us how.
You could go a step further and make your own gift-able beverage too – I love giving this Instant Chai Tea Mix when the weather is cold!
Or, for a more grown-up beverage gift – Marilyn at 4 You With Love shows us how to make your own Amaretto! Yummm!
I have to be honest, though, my favorite gift ideas at 4 You With Love come from Marilyn’s category dedicated to DIY spa recipes. I love this idea for making solid lotion bars – her recipe is inspired by Mounds Bars and she shaped them in cute little hearts – perfect for gifting!
Emily at The Benson Street also has a great exfoliator for you in her post about how to make this easy Lemon Sugar Scrub.
If food gifts are more your style, Angie from The Country Chic Cottage shows us how to make an easy painted candy dish on the Old Time Pottery Blog. I LOVE the sparkle and the opaque look together!
You can fill it with a friend’s favorite candy – or make up a simple candy recipe like my Star-Shaped Party Bark!
And speaking of food, if your friend is a foodie, why not glitter up a set of baking utensils, and add some cookies in a jar mix, like Kirsten did over at One Tough Mother?
You can also make up your own favorite bread recipe to share. I have a great way to present homemade breads as gifts to help keep it fresh while making it pretty!
Foodie friends would also love this gift set – Morena at Morena’s Corner shows us how to make whisk earrings and a whisk pendant!
Maybe you love to make jewelry… in which case, I have well over 100 posts on DIY jewelry (and counting! I love making jewelry!) here at Happy Hour Projects. My favorite quick project is probably this easy woven wrap bracelet – you can make it in about 10 minutes!
For great jewelry gifts, Bethany over at Pitter and Glink also has some tutorials to check out – including one to make these adorable chevron earrings.
I hope you found some great ideas to inspire you the next time you want to give handmade! What are your favorite go-to hostess gifts, or gifts for someone you may not know well?
Thanks for including my solid lotion bars and amaretto! You’re the best!
These are all wonderful suggestions and very doable. Thank you Adrianne! You and your guests are truly gifted at gifting!
This is a great round-up Adrianne! Thanks for including my paint-dipped utensils. :) I have 2 Christmas parties this weekend and this has given me a bunch of ideas for hostess gifts – perfect timing!