Unless you’re reading this five minutes before gifts will be opened, I assure you, there is still time to make handmade gifts this Christmas.
I’m not talking about a handmade gift that is so involved that you have to shear the sheep in order to make your own yarn so you can knit something scratchy no one wants to wear.
No, no, no. Heaven forbid.
How about some sentimental gift ideas or semi-handmade gift ideas instead? Those are right up my alley and yours too, I’m sure.
Here are 10 handmade gifts you still have time to make this Christmas that will actually be used and enjoyed by their intended recipient. No sheep shearing required.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #1: HANDKERCHIEF ART
Do you have a collection of vintage handkerchiefs in your family? Perhaps they are shoved in the back of the linen closet and haven’t seen the light of day in decades?
Give those gorgeous handkerchiefs another moment to shine! If you pull them out and frame them in a pretty frame, someone in your family would love to display those handkerchiefs as art. Sentimental art is the best.
I framed my grandma’s handkerchiefs inside a more modern-looking frame. I thought that gave a nice juxtaposition of old and new, but there are so many framing choices to highlight your particular handkerchief collection.
This idea would also work with a collection of neckties. Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #2: WOOD BLOCK CORD KEEPER
Do you have a cord that constantly slides off your desk or table? If it happens to you, it happens to other people too. It’s so annoying but also fixable!
If you’re the slightest bit creative, you can customize a pre-cut wood block into a cord keeper. You can paint or stain a wood block a solid color. You can use a wood burner like I did to make a giant wood dice. You could also Mod Podge pictures of your kids or pets onto the wood block cord keeper. The options are endless.
Get the details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #3: RICE FILLED CORD KEEPER
If keeping cords in reach are a problem you’d like to solve for someone but sewing is more of your thing than woodworking, then how about making a cord keeper out of scrap fabric and dried rice?
I used a needle and thread to stitch these, but it would be even faster with an actual sewing machine. Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #4: EMBROIDERED SWEATSHIRT
Add a little pizazz to the sleeves of a plain sweatshirt or hoodie with embroidery thread to make a customized gift.
I stitched a heart shape, but you could stitch most anything including initials! Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #5: WOOD BEAD NAPKIN RINGS
If you need a gift for someone who loves to entertain, make wood bead napkin rings! I included wood acorns on these but that’s not necessary. Any combination of wood beads will work.
You could pair the gift with a set of new cloth napkins.
Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #6: WOOD BURNED DICE
You can make your own dice with precut wood blocks and a wood burning tool. This is as basic as it gets for wood burning, so it’s a great craft for a beginner.
You can play games with these, especially if you’re using the precut dice that are uniform. A bunch of them are also a lot of fun to display in a pretty bowl. You could also turn them into magnets by glueing a small magnet onto one side of them.
Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #7: WATERCOLOR STATIONARY
If you’re like me and have unbridled confidence after watching one YouTube video, then you too can paint a set of watercolor stationary to gift to a friend or loved one. The longest part of this craft is waiting for the paint to dry.
I love receiving happy mail in the form of a card from a friend. I’m sure you do too. Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #8: PAINTED HAT OR VISOR
Do you know what sticks exceptionally well to a hat or visor? Fabric paint. It really is permanent!
If you have a hat wearer in your family, how about painting them a custom hat?
Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #9: MAP ART
Have you lived somewhere special? Perhaps travelled to a place that holds special meaning?
You can make your own map art using leather, denim, or other fabric scraps. It’s really as easy as tracing the shape you want to cut out on the back of your fabric and cutting it out. It just looks like a million bucks when you’re done. No one needs to know how easy it really was.
Details here.
HANDMADE GIFT IDEA #10: OVER-THE-DOOR BASKETBALL HOOP
If you’ve had your eye on an over-the-door basketball hoop but don’t like how they look, I understand and I’ve got you covered.
Most of the over-the-door basketball hoops sold today will have a detachable backboard. You can use the old backboard as a template to make a new, wood backboard that you can paint or stain to match your decor or your kid’s favorite team. Reattach the hardware that came with the hoop and you’re ready to play.
Details here.
I hope these handmade gift ideas jumpstarted your creativity. I like to think of this type of blog post as a brainstorming session with friends. Maybe you won’t make exactly what you see here, but it will give you another idea and you’ll be off and crafting in no time.
The internet can be a wild and woolly place to navigate sometimes but being able to share crafty ideas with each other is one of the instances when the internet feels fun and fruitful.
Are you making any handmade gifts this holiday season? I’d love to know. You can always comment on this blog post, email us here, or reach out via Instagram or Facebook.
Happy Christmas!
Thanks for being here today! Here are some other blog posts you might enjoy.
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Christmas Mantel With Three Wreaths Not Wisemen
Living In Ireland: Christmas in Retail 2017
*header image credit to Matt Hoffman