Last week we suggested 8 DIY Holiday Gifts to Start Now and we're back with part deux! The best gifts are those that come from the heart and we definitely consider time and effort a product of the heart.
We've been eyeing up the DIY Sailor's Knot Doorstop & Paperweight for ourselves, but since it is the season of giving — we think this would make a fantastic gift for our friends and family!
Home decor gifts can be somewhat tricky, but if you keep it simple and stylish — these DIY gifts will be greatly appreciated:
• DIY Sailor's Knot Doorstop & Paperweight
• DIY Yarn and Twig Dandelions
• Book Page Wreaths: DIY Decor
• DIY Universal Knife Block
• Purl Soho Felt Birds: DIY Ornament Kits
• DIY Decorated Drinking Glasses
• Crazy For Coasters: Drink Responsibly
• Food Gift: Ethnic Spices and Recipe Ideas
What DIY gifts do you make for friends and family?
Which Wall Color Gives the Best Sleep?
Ana Creates a Community at Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
Soda Recipe: Homemade Ginger Ale
Recipe: Spring Fruit and Nut Tabouli
i actually used the sailor's knot to make christmas ornaments, in red, gold, and white silk cord.... i have them posted on this site
http://www.encuentra24.com/panama-es/anuncios-casificados-muebles-hogar-y-jardin-general/adornos-de-navidad-hechos-a-mano/871717
OOoooh!
I need a doorstop like that for my Nautical themed den!
I make things from polymer clay for my team at work (the other reference librarians I work with). (Some of these things could be made from papercrafts or jewelry techniques, too.)
I made covered stick pens once. (Decorative polymer clay covering the barrel of Papermate Flexigrip pens -- remove the ink refill before baking. This kind of pen can be refilled by screwing off the tip, unlike most stick pens. You could use decoupage techniques to do something similar.)
Note pads: I made hinged polymer clay covers and backs for brightly colored post-it pads (which can be refilled), another year. Make a stiff decorative cover and back a tiny bit bigger than the post-its, and hinge with matching fabric or colorful ribbon attached with glue to both sides, with enough slack to wrap around the post-its. Peel the protective backing form the post-its and adhere to the cover's inside-back. (These were a hit!)
Since now all my team at work are women, I can give holiday (or not) pins, earrings, or necklaces. (Last year I made butterfly pins.)
Other options I have considered are handmade keepsake holiday ornaments, zipper pulls for parkas, key fobs, pill boxes, etc.
One of the best home-made gifts I have *received* was a small selection of candied and spiced nuts that someone made. I got maybe two heaping tablespoons of three varieties in little cellophane bags -- just a taste of each, but they were delicious! (Of course, that's cooking, not crafting...)