Gift Guide – Last Minute DIY Gifts

We are down to the wire for needed December 25th gifts, everyone. If you haven’t already ordered it online and had it shipped yesterday, it’s off to the store for you.

You have probably all been to stores the weekend before Christmas; it is not pretty. There are a bunch of well-intentioned guys wandering around aimlessly trying to figure out what the hell to buy for people, frantic people trying to get last minute finishing touches, or perhaps super pissed off bitches there to buy an iron because theirs decided to fucking break in the middle of a homemade gift-making project so they had to go to Target even though all their stuff had been long since bought. For instance. Ahem. On these last-minute trips, we often find ourselves buying things that we don’t love or don’t have any particular use or meaning because we are exhausted and over it. But wait! Perhaps, since you have to go to the store anyway, how about hitting Michael’s and grabbing some crafty stuff to make quick, easy, homemade gifts that will give the illusion you put much more time, effort, and planning into your gift? Let’s do this.

DIY Christmas Craft Ideas – DIY Gifts to Make for Christmas – Country Living.

I am not a cross-stitcher, but this tutorial looks super easy to follow, and there is nothing fancy about the script. Just trace the words you want with a craft pencil and stitch over them. You can customize these in so many ways, it could work for any number of people on your list.

DIY Leather-wrapped Vases and Votive Holders – Home – Creature Comforts – daily inspiration, style, diy projects + freebies.

I have seen so many of these wrapped vase tutorials online, but wrapping them in leather is a new and quite adorable take. The twine wrapped ones won’t really cut it for many people’s tastes, but using leather and suede classes it up a bit. All this takes is a Dollar Store glass, vase, or votive holder, a glue gun, scissors, and the leather or suede of your choice. So easy, so fast.

You Are Your Words – AHD.

You may have seen this site, but if not, head over there now and check it out. You upload a picture and choose the words you want, then the site creates the photo using the text. Perfect for pretty much anyone on your list. You can use a couple’s favorite song, a friend’s favorite book, or just use the word fuck over and over again to create any photo. Who wouldn’t love that?

Christiney’s Crafts: Family Birthday Chart.

I am pretty bad at remembering birthdays. There are so many freaking people in my immediate family that my “birthdays remembered” part of the brain is full and I have been known to double check Facebook to remember my husband’s. Pathetic, I know, but whatever, it happened. Happens. Every year. This handy dandy little chart could save me a whole bunch of headache. “Why not just write them on the calendar like a normal person?” you may be asking yourself. Since someone else just made me aware that the calendar hanging on the wall in my office a foot from my head was still on May, calendars are useless to me. I need this chart. Many moms or grandmas would LOVE this chart.

Tampon/Pad Holder

There is no tutorial for this one, but it is pretty self explanatory. Get a makeup sized zipper bag and a fabric marker. If you don’t feel comfortable with your freehand writing, find a font you like, type out the words and print them in the size you need, then use transfer/carbon paper to trace the words onto the pouch. Cover tracing with your fabric marker. Awesome tampon cozy complete. I have also seen them with the words “Oh, Bloody Hell” which I love. I am making these for my sisters and best friend.

Create a shape with nails then paint the heads. | Pinterest Most Wanted.

Super easy-squeezy art for anyone. Pick a shape, print it out onto paper, tape the paper to the board, hammer the nails in, rip the paper out. You can use many different paint, but I like to use nail polish. It is quick, you don’t have to use a bunch of different paintbrushes for multiple colors, and it dries quickly.

Lost Sock Board

I can’t find the tutorial for this one either, but again, pretty easy and self explanatory Edited: Thanks to Jen at de Jong Dream House for providing the tutorial! . Get a wood board, paint “Seeking Sole Mate” on it, then glue the tiny clothespins found at craft stores to the bottom. While I would need a wall sized board to hold all my unmatched socks (seriously, how the fuck does that happen?!?!), I believe most people don’t hoard single socks that haven’t had a mate in years. This is the perfect way to keep them sorted from load to load, plus, it’s pretty adorable.

{frantz} featherings: For the Burlap lover….

I am making this for my mom (who hopefully won’t have time to read this post before Christmas. If she does, surprise! Merry Christmas, Mommy! Your current cork board is ugly! I love you bigger!). I found some unframed cork boards at Hobby Lobby (I know, I know, I broke my boycott, but I have been to 6 different craft stores looking for this stuff and they are the only ones who have them!), and I got the burlap at Joann’s for $3.99 a yard. They also have a really cool damask printed burlap for $9.99 a yard. If you download the Joann’s app or sign-up for emails, they send great coupons and don’t give you any hassle about using more than one per transaction, unlike some other stores *cough* Michael’s *cough*. The woman at this blog got her burlap from a vintage booth at a flea market, which, while fancy, just wasn’t in the offing before the holidays for me.

So there you have it, folks. Some easy, quick, and much more thoughtful than random stocking stuffers from the perfectly culled impulse racks that all stores currently have displayed. I have fallen prey to those too many times to count and have vowed to knock it off and do gifts like the above instead. Happy crafting!