DIY Gift Ideas : Make It Personal

In addition to making your own holiday greeting cards why not push the envelope, save some money and go even greener with some do-it-yourself gifts this year. Look around at what you’ve got while perusing the aisles for some more ingredients and make this season one of its original intent, giving from the heart.

Coconut Lemon Lip Balm

This formula goes a long way, especially for those in the teenager range that struggle with hormone raged chapped lips. You will need virgin coconut oil, sunflower oil, bee or carnauba wax and essential oil of lemon. These can all be found in a good health food store or even Whole Foods. Depending on how much you want to make, use about 1 to 3 tablespoons of all the ingredients (except the lemon oil) in a small pot. Boil water in a larger pot and place the small pot in the water (do not let the water into the small pot). Stir the ingredients until melted. Pour into a glass container, add 20-30 drops of lemon oil (you can also use lavender, jasmine or peppermint). Stir and pour into miniature metal or glass containers (found in container or craft stores) and let cool for about 8 hours until it turns into lip balm wax. Cover, label and gift.

Crock n Glass Design

Old glass or crockery ceramic (or anything similar) is great for designing a tabletop, window or mirror mosaic. Find the best non-toxic glue at your local craft shop or the like and then search for just the right base. This can be an old wooden end table, a box frame window or old mirror found in a thrift shop or even the trash. Carefully lay out a design with your ceramic and/or glass pieces and then proceed to glue in place. Be careful, when you are done you may want to keep it for yourself.

Scrabble Coasters

If you have an old Scrabble game missing pieces or feel like using an intact one, you can make some clever Scrabble coasters. Simply, assemble and glue three or four word messages across, down and/or diagonally on a piece of cardboard, cork, wood or any other base. Make about 6 to 8, package in a small box that perfectly fits their shape and you have a great DIY gift.

Terrarium Creations

Terrariums are highly unique gifts inasmuch that they offer a peak at nature in a ‘biosphere’ setting. Search for any glass jar, globe, canister, spice bottle or tiny corked glass tube or orb that can be attached as a necklace. Fill with activated charcoal, sand, gravel and dirt. Make sure to plant terrarium friendly plants that should be able to thrive in humid, low light environments and do not let them touch the sides. That’s it. Keep lightly watered with a spray bottle.

These DIY holiday gifts will display great thought and unique results that just may trump so many of those store-bought, landfill, dust collectors people tend to receive with a forced smile.