DIY Gifts

by emily moody
Giving someone a gift doesn’t require stretching beyond your means. If you are pinching more pennies than usual these days, you may want to try handcrafting a gift straight from the heart. I always hear people say that they just are not creative. Everyone has the ability to be crafty, sometimes it just takes a little practice. Here are some ideas for making this holiday season a craftacular one!
sea salt scrub
A perfectly pretty packaged scrub is a wonderful gift for friends that like to pamper themselves. The supplies needed make a large batch and you can package it in recycled glass food jars. (Start saving your salsa, pasta sauce and marshmallow creme jars- they work great!)
supplies:
∙ Epsom salts (available at most drug stores)
∙ Sea salt
∙ Almond oil or olive oil
∙ Pure essential oil of your choice (Grassroots in 5 Points has a great selection to choose from)
∙ Glass food jars
∙ Spray paint (get the cheap stuff, nothing fancy needed for this project)
∙ Ribbon or string
∙ Optional: fresh rosemary (or another herb of your choice), zest from a lemon or orange, rose petals

To make your scrub, simply mix 2 cups epsom salt and 1 cup of sea salt in a bowl with 1 to 11/2 cups of oil. Begin adding your essential oil a few drops at a time. This is the pure oil so remember, a little will go a long way.

Some really nice combinations are:
∙ Lavender essential oil with fresh rosemary
∙ Lemongrass essential oil with fresh lemon and orange zest
∙ Vanilla essential oil with rose petals
Continue stirring until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Separate into individual containers. Packaging is as important to the gift itself; it’s nice to just add that extra special touch to the gift. Spray paint the lid of your container. Make a cute tag with instructions for use and tie it on with ribbon.

recycled bottle vase
A lovely recycled bottle vase is another a great idea for wowing your friends, plus it can be done in about 30 minutes.
supplies:
∙ Empty glass beer, water or wine bottle (or a few if you want to do a set)
∙ Approximately 1-2 yards of fabric (try mixing and matching colors and prints)
∙ Scissors
∙ Hot glue gun (If you don’t own one of these, you should. Most dollar stores sell them now and it’s well worth a buck!)
∙ Hot glue

First prepare the fabric by cutting or tearing strips approximately an inch wide. Start at the base of the bottle and glue one of the ends of the fabric strip so that it is flush with the base. Once the glue has dried (with hot glue it won’t take more than a minute) begin twisting the fabric so it becomes more like rope. Once your fabric is twisted, begin wrapping the twisted fabric around the bottle. Add a drop of glue every inch or two to keep it in place. Then just keep gluing and adding more twisted strips until your bottle is covered.

Tie a simple tag around the neck of your bottle, fill it with a gorgeous single stem and this classy gift is ready for giving. Deliver it to your cube neighbor to decorate her workspace or give it as a thank to your favorite hostess at a holiday gathering.

metallic collage frame
So you say you aren’t crafty? Well, try out your talents with this impressive hodge podge frame! All you need is a frame (new or used), random bits and pieces, and some spraypaint and you’ll have a fancy art piece to give to someone special.

supplies:
∙ Wooden frame (Pick up one at a craft or dollar store for $1 or under or better yet, recycle an old one!)
∙ Spray paint (I chose metallic silver, but there are all kinds of great spray paints available)
∙ Random bits and pieces (I used buttons, bits of old chain, broken jewelry, beads, silk flowers, etc.)
∙ Tacky glue (Try Alene’s Tacky glue or E6000- both work really well)
Remove the backing off the frame and simply gluing on all the pieces, in an order of your choosing. Try layering objects to give the frame even more dimension. Once the glue is dry, spraypaint your frame in a well ventilated area. Make sure you cover all the objects well. You may need to do a second coat. Once the paint is dry, put a favorite photo or even a celebrity picture from a magazine into the frame. Wrap this beauty up, give it to a friend, and wait for the smiles.

Hopefully this is gives you a head start in your search for the perfect gifts. Crafting is all about personal style, so be creative and do not be scared to add your own flavor to it. Make it yours. Merry crafting and happy holidays!