7 Stunning Gifts For Friends You Can Make In Under An Hour

Are you feeling ambitious enough to make some DIY gifts for friends this year for the holidays?

As we march closer to the end of the year, most of us are beginning to think about the holiday season and specifically gift-giving. If you have a little bit of time and a little bit of money, read on for some stunningly inspiring ideas that are beginner-friendly and affordable. These ideas are more geared specifically as gifts for friends, but I’m sure you can adapt many of these to suit a wide variety of relationships.

The ideas in this post can generally be completed in the space of an hour or two and should not cost you more than $20. People love a handmade gift, and they can be perfect gifts for that person in your life who is notoriously hard to shop for. 

And I can’t speak for everyone, but I love receiving something unique that nobody else has. It’s thoughtful and makes me feel extra loved! During this rather strange and unusual year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, what better way to tell your friends you’re thinking of them than by creating a unique handmade gift, just for them?

Some Basic Materials To Get Started:

This materials list isn’t exhaustive, but rather things you might want to consider gathering up. Then you’ll just need to buy the specific items (i.e., mason jars) for the particular gift you’re creating!

• Hot glue gun.
• Mod podge (it’s my favorite secret crafting weapon).
• Craft Paints.
• Sharpies.

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And now, onto the projects that are sure to inspire!

Pamper Your Friend

Do you have a friend that loves the spa? You can easily make your own bath bombs and completely customize them for your unique friend!

Check out my earlier post on the subject. You can also cave a bit and make a kit. No judgments here!!

You can also expand this idea by creating a bath scrub (you can throw that in a decorative mason jar), or they’re sometimes called a sugar scrub. You can probably find just the perfect recipe for just about any type on Pinterest.

For The Friend Who Drinks…Water

I love this inventive idea from Creative Green Living, a beautifully etched glass water bottle!

You can also use glass etching on any sort of drinking glass, so this idea can work for a friend who likes to drink a glass of wine after a busy day. 

The most expensive part of this idea is getting a stencil, as I would recommend using one. However, you can reuse these stencils in a future project, just run them under running water and use a gloved hand to remove the etching cream and allow them to dry adhesive side up.

Mason Jar Mixes

I love the idea of using mason jars to put together a mix. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Toss the dry ingredients in a mason jar, add a colorful ribbon and include a recipe card so your loved ones can recreate your delicious snack on their own.

This idea also works for drink mixes, like hot chocolate and alcoholic varieties as well. A super creative idea that I saw was a soup mix in a jar. You can check out that fresh idea at Wholefully.com!

Marbled Jewelry Dishes

I love this idea from A Beautiful Mess, and oven-baked clay is pretty easy to find and buy. 

I had some oven bake clay leftover from a previous project, so I threw my bowl together in about 15 minutes of actual work, then I just needed to wait impatiently for the clay to dry before painting the edges in gold. You can use either source some gold liquid gilding or nail polish works nicely in a pinch. Then you can just seal it with a clear acrylic sealer for extra durability.

Candle In A Teacup

You can find numerous tutorials on making candles out there (Such as this one from Little House Living). You just need wax, wicks, a tin can (for melting the wax in), and a gorgeous teacup.

One trick I have for this one is to find your teacups at a second-hand store. You might even find some unique ones! You can even reuse old wax from an old candle, but keep in mind the scents when mixing.

Deck Of Cards Book

I found this incredibly cute idea on 52 Reasons I Love You. You just need a deck of cards, some blank labels for printing, and some book rings. You can adapt the sayings to suit whatever relationship you have with the person you’re gifting this to.

Teacup Garden

I saw something similar at work the other day, and I think it’s a fantastic idea. You’ll need a wide coffee mug, and you’ll essentially make an open terrarium in that mug. It’s a cute little gift for someone you know who loves plants. I would make sure to add some pebbles at the bottom of the cup for a bit of drainage as succulents don’t enjoy a ton of water, and it can help preserve the life of the garden.

Final Thoughts on Gifts for Friends

This year will be an entirely different holiday season due to the pandemic, but you can still create some pretty amazing DIY gifts for friends. These ideas work as well with smaller budgets, as I know a lot of you might be grappling with furloughs and layoffs or other unexpected expenses. Plus, crafting is known to decrease stress and anxiety and may even have a similar effect on your brain as meditation does. It’s a win-win for everyone, your friends get some cool and unique handmade gifts, and you get to let off some stress!

Have an idea that I didn’t cover here? Hit me up in the comments below and let me know. I’d love to hear some feedback!

I also hope you found this post inspiring. Please share it using a share button to the side, or pin it to Pinterest, spread the inspiration far and wide!

That is all for this week. Join me again next week for the second DIY gift-giving post in my four-post series, DIY gifts for the comic book lover in your life.