written by: Christina Pichler, 12.11.2020
Christmas is just around the corner and you still need some more presents? But giving away a book, voucher or a pair of socks is far too impersonal for you? No problem, we got you covered! We have 10 do-it-yourself gift ideas for you that are not only super easy, but also really cool!
This gift idea is aimed at all the people who have a sweet tooth! What you need: some basic chocolate, ingredients of your choice (nuts, berries, coconut flakes, chili, caramel…), aluminum foil, baking paper, a bow for decorations as well as a pot and a bowl for a water bath This is how it works: We choose to go the easy way with this DIY and skip the step to make chocolate from scratch, but if you want to do that here you will find a guide to make chocolate on your own! We start by melting our chocolate slowly over a water bath. While the chocolate is melting, use the time to make a mold from aluminum foil. This serves as a template for the form of your chocolate bar! When the chocolate is fully melted, pour it into the mold. Then take your ingredients, gently sprinkle them over the warm chocolate and let the whole thing cool down! Done – you made your own chocolate! Of course, you can make as many variations as you like and take individual preferences of your loved ones into consideration! When the chocolate has completely cooled down, you can cut it into pieces and decorate it with a nice label or a Christmas parcel cord!
You could also say this present is a full spa experience for your home – because
this gift really spoils all your senses and gives you a lot of relaxation in addition to soft skin. This DIY is also great for a small budget, because you need very few
ingredients to create a personal gift made with love.
What you need: ground coffee, brown sugar, coconut oil and a beautiful container.
This is how it works: Mix the coffee, brown sugar and coconut oil until you have a nice consistency and pour the mixture in a container of your choice (to save even more money, use something that you already have at home! For example, used containers of tomato sauce or pickled fruit – just wash it out well, remove the label and reuse it!) If you paint a nice label and tie a bow around the lid with a beautiful Christmas ribbon, the gift is perfect!
Plantmums (-and dads) take note! Plant terrariums are not only easy to care for
but are also really quick to put together! By the way, they are the perfect decoration for every student dorm room and are therefore a gift that will bring a lot of joy to your study buddies – even long after Christmas! What you need: A glass container, pebble stones, soil, plants of your choice (Tip: succulents are the easiest to care for) and some moss This is how it works: Start putting the pebble stones in your glass, they act as a drainage layer and help prevent waterlogging. This is important to make sure that your plants don’t get wet feet! Then the soil follows, make sure that the plants, you put into your florarium have enough soil available for their roots! Now you can have some fun and put your plants together as you like it and plant them!
Succulents are the easiest to care for and are hence also a suitable gift for people
who do not have a green thumb! As a last step you put the moss around the
plants and your little florarium is ready to be given away!
Cooking jam can be done by anyone, but with a homemade chutney you can not
only prove your cooking skills, but also lead your loved ones into a whole new
world of taste! In India, chutneys are usually served to spicy curries to give the
dishes an extra flavorful component. They consist primarily of fruits and vegetables that achieve the desired flavor by adding herbs, spices, chili, salt,
ginger, vinegar and lemon juice. We have a recipe for an incredible delicious
apple chutney for you, it’s slightly spicy and fits perfectly with light meat, cheese or a simple slice of bread!
What you need: 1kg of apples, diced; 200g onion, finely chopped; 200g brown
sugar; 25g ginger, finely chopped; Chili, as much as you like; 1 tsp salt; 400ml
white wine vinegar; 3 tsp lemon juice; 100g gelling sugar 2:1, cinnamon, cloves
This is how it works: Bring the vinegar to a boil in a saucepan and dissolve the
brown sugar in it. Then add the diced apples and all other ingredients except the
gelling sugar and let it simmer on medium heat! The apple pieces should not be
completely mushy. It takes about 40 minutes to boil, don’t forget to continuously stir to avoid burning! Once most of the liquid is boiled, add gelling sugar, bring it to a boil once more and fill the mixture into jars while it is still hot. Turn the filled glasses upside down while they cool down to create a vacuum. This makes the chutney durable for a long time!
Making scented candles yourself is very easy and most of the utensils you need for this DIY you will probably have at home already! They are also extremely suitable for an individual gift, because you can customize the fragrance to your liking! Your mom likes the scent of roses, but your sister prefers lavender, no problem! Use different essential oils and you already have an original gift for both of them!
What you need: wax residues, candle wick, some kind of container for the new
candle, essential oils, fresh ingredients (lavender/ rose petals/ eucalyptus), wooden sticks, clatters and a cooking pot and a bowl for a water bath
This is how it works: Melt the wax residues carefully over your water bath! To create the scent, simply add a few drops of your chosen essential oils and, depending on your taste, a few fresh rose petals or something else. As the wax melts, you can prepare your candle shape: put the wooden sticks over your glass, then sink the candle wick into the glass and fix it with the help of a tip (look at the picture for guidance). Once the wax has completely dissolved, you can pour it into your container, make sure to choose a heat-resistant shape! When the wax is fully cooled down again, your candle is finished and ready to be given away! Add a nice packaging or self-painted Christmas card and voila, your gift is ready!
Macrame are timeless, so if you want to give someone a present who prefers to stay away from traditional Christmas kitsch, this DIY is definitely the right option for you!
Wall hangings, flower lights, garlands or keychains. Once you understood the basics of the Macrame technique you can let your creativity run wild. And the best thing: all you need is macrame/ cotton yarn and scissors!
Whether you are a beginner or already experienced, here you will find a macrame basic course, instructions on macrame wall hanging and ideas for Christmas decoration! This knotting technique is more time-consuming than some of our other tips, but it’s definitely worth it!
The Christmas season should be a very quiet and very calming time, but we all
know how stressful Advent can often be. Many students are also faced with a lot
of exams and deadlines in December, so mindfulness and rest are often neglected. To work against this, you can gift mindfulness to-go this year.
What you need: solid paper, scissors, candlelight, tea bag, mini chocolate,
meditation guide
This is how it works: Cut out the scaffold for your explosion box, fold it and stick
the tea bag, chocolate, meditation instructions and a quick explanation on the
inside of the box – put a lid on top and it is ready! Here you will find the template for the box!
“Do not speak to me before the first coffee.” We all know a person who is almost
constantly sipping on a coffee and hardly works without consuming endless cups
of the black gold. And what does one need to drink coffee? Exactly, the perfect
cup! Instead of a normal, boring cup, we recommend designing a cup yourself – it is super simple, beautiful and the gifted person will be happy about it every
morning!
What you need: a cup, ceramic pen, oven
This is how it works: Paint a nice motive with the ceramic pen, write a motivational saying or an insider joke on the cup and put it in the oven to fix the color (you can find exact instructions on your ceramic pen!)
You have a favorite photo that you really want to print out and give away? But a
picture frame is too boring for you? Then try to make your own photo cube! Whether for your best friend, your boyfriend or mom and dad, this gift is probably one of the most personal!
What you need: pictures, cubes, scissors, glue
Here you will find a detailed guide for your own photo cube!
You want to give away something that is not only beautiful to look at but also really useful? How about a face mask for mouth and nose this year, for example? You could almost say the mouth-nose protection is the IT – Piece of the year 2020 and there is a great likelihood that it will accompany us for a few more months. A gift that is not only useful, but really necessary. Here you will find some inspirations and patterns to sew your own masks!
We hope you could gather some inspiration from our DIY tips and wish you a merry christmas!
Christmas in Austria: Typical Christmas traditions