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Can you believe it is almost Christmas? I know! Me either. There was a time when I had all of my shopping done by October. Not anymore! It is definitely time for me to start planning this year’s gifts for our family and friends.
I *love* gift giving. I really make an effort to give thoughtful gifts that I think my family and friends will enjoy. Every year I try to make a few homemade gifts, but it’s not always easy to find gifts that don’t necessarily look handmade, but are easy enough for people who are not professional crafters to make! This year I have a shop space so I will definitely be making things for my space as well. So I have turned to my favorite source for inspiration, Pinterest, and found some amazing, beautiful and fun ideas to make for family and friends this year! I chose these gifts with my girlfriends, mom, and daughters in mind- I hope you love them as much as I do!
12 DIY Gift Ideas You’re Going to LOVE!
Chalkboard Mug
I absolutely adore this mug! It is so sweet. This would be perfect for my daughter who loves to doodle! You can find the DIY tutorial here at Wit & Whistle.
Felt Coffee Sleeves
I love these! Kreative Kristy has some great ideas to use for inspiration. These are a super easy DIY and would be perfect with a gift card to your girlfriend’s favorite coffee shop!
Marble Tray
I recently made two of these trays to use for grazing platters and they were a huge conversation piece! I used 12×24″ and 6×24″ ceramic floor tiles. One looked like marble and the other had a pretty pattern to it. This tutorial at Almost Makes Perfect uses marble tile, which is beautiful! I am definitely going to make a few of these. These trays have so many uses!
You can kind of see the ones I made here – we might have a small “fancy snacking” habit with our firends. 😉
Handstitched Road Map
This map is handstitched- the example is of a road trip, but this would be such a thoughtful gift for a girlfriend who has moved away! By stitching the route from your home to hers she will definitely know you are thinking of her and miss her. Martha Stewart has the tutorial here.
Personalized Step Stool Hack
Our Home Made Easy has the tutorial to hack this IKEA stool- making this an easy DIY! If you have a petite friend, or a friend who has kitchen cabinets that go to her ceiling, this stool would be the perfect gift! Using a different font you could do her last name, or “Farmhouse Kitchen” or any type of stencil or transfer you like that would complement her decor.
Sugar Cube Scrubs
If you have a girlfriend who loves pretty things- or needs a little pampering- these sugar scrubs from Smart Schoolhouse are perfect and super easy to make! These would be so pretty to display in these apothecary jars. For a pampering gift you could add a bottle of wine and a copy of your new favorite book for a relaxing evening. 
Zen Garden
If you have a girlfriend with a stressful job or who spends a lot of time on the phone for her job, a DIY zen garden like this one from Dwell Beautiful will allow her to de-stress at work. I love the addition of succulents!
Flannel Blankets
If you know how to sew you can whip up these simple, but so awesome, flannel blankets! The color choices are endless, but I really love all of these patterns and trim. Girl.Inspired shows us how to make them at JoAnn.com.
Bread for Baking
This is not your standard “cookies in a jar” gift. In addition to a delicious recipe for quick bread, this packaging is fabulous! It is all about the presentation and these milk bottles and kraft paper labels are perfect. You can find the recipe for Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Quick Bread over at Sunset.
Sugar Scrub
Have you tried these sugar scrubs yet? OMGGGGGG. I am addicted to them. I first tried them in a restaurant bathroom in Florida earlier this year. They are nothing short of amazing. Amy over at The Idea Room shows us how to make this fantastic scrub– and she has recipes that are more seasonal, too, like peppermint, chocolate and pumpkin spice to name just a few! What is great about this recipe is you can multiply it to make as many gifts as you need for all of your girlfriends. If there are leftovers, yay!! You get some, too.
Chunky Blanket
If you don’t know how to sew, these chunky blankets are knitted using your arms! I made scarves like this last year and they were such a hit. Cozy blankets would be well-loved by everyone I can think of! Simply Maggie has a very easy-to-follow tutorial.
Painted Pots
These pots are super easy to make using terracotta pots and craft paints- I make them all the time for my store space! The best part is you can make several at once, use any type of plant and stamp whatever you’d like on them. I guess that is three “best things.” If you and your girlfriends have an inside joke or tribe motto that would be the perfect thing to stamp on these pots! Get the how-to over at The Beauty Dojo.
What do you think? Aren’t these gift ideas perfect? I love all of them and can’t wait to get started on this year’s DIY holiday gifts for my friends! I have been putting off making sugar scrubs because I still have the ones I purchased, but they look so easy that I think I will start with them!
If you would like more holiday ideas, be sure to take a look through our Gifts and Christmas boards on Pinterest! There are hundreds of ideas from other great bloggers.
Ready for more holiday inspiration? Check out our Holiday and Seasons section on the blog for more ideas!
I’d love to hear what your favorite DIY gifts are- both given and received- for more ideas. Please be sure to let us know in the comments.
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