At some point you've probably been shopping for a gift, and you've exclaimed, "I could make that!" And maybe at other times—maybe even just hours later—you're surrounded by scraps of your failed DIY attempt, and you wonder in frustration why you didn't just buy a ready-made version. Well, to satisfy both sides of that dilemma, here are ten gifts that would be fun to make yourself—but have a backup version available for sale… you know, just in case.
1. Buy : A coffee cozy to protect hands from hot beverages, from the Curiosity Shoppe, $18. Or make your own with your favorite yarn— if you need a pattern, check out KnittyVet's patterns on etsy.
2. Make : A simple, pretty rope bracelet. This one from sideoats & scribbles was made from the handles of a J. Crew bag! Or pick up a ready-made one from Urban Outfitters, $6.
3. Buy : A set of colored pencils in a neat paper tube. From the MOMA Store, $17. Or make your own by decorating a paper tube from a craft store, and add some pencils yourself.
4. Buy : A cupcake decorating kit from Sweet Estelle on etsy, $18.99. Think it would be more fun to assemble one yourself? Grab a pretty container and add your own cupcakery elements! Shop Sweet Lulu has liners, wrappers, and even paper suitcases to DIY.
5. Make : An herb garden starter kit for your favorite green-thumbed relative. Here's a tutorial from garden betty. Or order a pre-packaged kit from Branch Home, $28.
6. Buy : An all-purpose stationery kit from Assembly of Text, $22. Or visit your local craft store and collect a few pretty papers, envelopes, and tags in a simple box.
7. Make : A needle-felted throw pillow; Martha Stewart has a tutorial. Or pick up a cool squirrel silhouette accent pillow here, from Twiddle and Thread, $30.
8. Make : A pretty and practical reusable lunchbag. Here's a tutorial, courtesy of Martha Stewart's craft department. Or take the shortcut route and get one from Berry Bambino, $15.
9. Make : A convex sunburst mirror; find out how this one was made at Hi Sugarplum! Or pick one up a Glenna Jean mirror; available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, $150.
10. Buy : A lovely flower brooch from seventh studio, $14. Or try your hand at creating one with the help of jones design company's tutorial.
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$18 for a knit strip just long enough to wrap around a coffee cup? For that much they'd probably rather have a couple of pounds of good coffee.
So funny - I better start working on my contingency plans for the homemade vanilla, the scones, the toffee, the oatmeal toasting bread, etc...(!)
yes I definitely make my own coffee cup strip
! cute idea tho .
Ha, I have been in both the scenarios you sketched. I have concluded that the only way to get homemade gifts done is to make a BUNCH of them at once, preferably assembly-line style. But then you're giving the same thing to every person, which can be a problem in itself. What to do!
This is great!
I would love to receive a hand knitted cup cozy strip as a gift, but alas, I know no knitters. I do prefer handmade gifts, poems, drawings...
I was recently a wet blanket in a crafting blog having to explain to someone who had never touched polymer clay before how unlikely it was that she could make the elaborately designed cane work images decorating some crochet hook handles she admired on Etsy. The hooks averaged about $8 and each one contained dozens if not hundreds of flower designs which take much time and practice to master (if you ever do -- I never have) and which are much more cost effective when made in bulk and used for multiple projects, like the seller is doing. Though through, the Etsy price was a steal! (Unless the blogger is a prodigy, and there are a few out there, so who am I to say she's not?!)
For me to make a knitted ANYTHING would be a total disaster -- no patience for knitting, no talent for it, no interest in learning. But if that cozy were something I thought someone would absolutely adore, the price would be worth it to me.
Or how about spending $18 to buy a reusable insulated coffee cup?
Ditto what YoNella said. Think of all the disposable coffee cups you can save with just one reusable mug.
@YoNella: much better investment.
I think several of these are really great ideas. The coffee cozy is so darn cute it would be a cool gift whether really practical or not (and it might be).
Stationery supplies might be suitable for framing, LOL! I hope the P.O. gets through its problems satisfactorily, but at the same time am SO happy almost never have to do all the petty tasks of using the mail.
The latest issue of This Old House shows a sunburst mirror made of shims (which these look like) turned on their sides; I like this one a lot better. And since they're cedar, they'll smell good too.
Anyway, cool post, thanks!
I've made a sunburst mirror with teak scraps, there is a reason they cost so much! A million tiny cuts and a whole weekend of time (SO pretty though!)
I LOVE the title of this post. Someone who understands! I do love DIY gifts, but sometimes they just don't come together in time!
I love this post! Kudos!
WOW -- that's my starburst mirror! Thanks AT for the feature...I'm shocked and super flattered! And the mirror was super easy to make, and has held up beautifully, even outdoors!
Thanks for validating my need to buy instead of make - new sewing machine, ain't gonna happen. I was so sure I could learn it in one day. I agree about the reusueable mug though, 18 for a knit cozy? Wow! Honestly, if I'm going to scrap out on a handmade product, I figure my bought gift had better be something very special indeed. Handmade are so much more valueable than anything bought.
Does it seem that every single holiday (esp. Christmas) is full of articles and information that is all but impractical with said holiday just a few days away? Wouldn't it make sense to post these sort of articles a month or two beforehand?
I have a partically thight budget this year so I decided to make the gifts myself. I have a good eye for scrounging material and usually it's stuff other people regard as garbage like the broken umbrella I brought home yesterday to make a bicycleseat cover from the fabric. It has a fun print and it's waterproof - everything you'd want from a seat cover. I realize that not everyone can see the potential in trash but many still need ideas for chap nice gifts so I'm posting diy ideas for projects that are inexpensive and not too difficult to make on my blog. Today's post is how to make a pillow for your laptop with a hard top to allow ventilation. I already had fabric and thread so I just had to buy those little styrofoam pills (? same as you use in beanbags) as filling. The project cost me around $5 to make and there's a well illustrated tutorial on how to make one yourself: www.ploefff.wordpress.com
I love to do the handmade style things for people. They're mor budget minded - for me - and they are so much more meaningful.
I do have a few of the coffee insulators that I have made at home, and I love them. I also have a few that go around my regular ceramic mugs too so the coffee stays warmer longer and I don't burn myself on the cup. Win-win.
And I do plan on making my own starburst mirror with wood shims one of these days. Right now, I'm working on candlesticks and coasters from a tree that died in our backyard (The ultimate in up-cycling).