Today I wanted to share with you a few small gifts that would be perfect homemade additions to a Christmas gift. The days until Christmas are just whizzing by, so much so that I haven’t really found much time to be creative. With any gift I give, I like adding something that I made myself. I think this gives each gift a little extra touch and shows that you really care. The two I wanted to share with you are very simple and quite quick to make (also pretty low-cost!) and would be quick last minute projects if you are running out of time. Both projects are pretty easy to figure out, but I put together some basic instructions to help out.
Tissue Holder
The first homemade gift I want to share is a tissue holder. I saw an image of this on Pinterest a few years ago with no instructions. So I set out to make my own and ended up being quite pleased with the finished project. I filled it with a few tissues and put it in my purse, where it still is! I like how it is reusable, and that you just fill it up when you are empty. Having a tissue around when you need it is often a struggle, and this little holder definitely helps.
What you’ll need:
• Felt
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Needles/pins
• Thread or embroidery floss
• (optional) Pinking shears
• (optional) Buttons
Directions:
1. Cut a piece of felt to approximately 6.5 inches long and 5.5 inches wide. using a ruler. I used a fabric cutting tool, but scissors also work (you would probably need to use a Sharpie or something to mark the measurements before cutting though).
2. This is optional, but I then use pinking shears to cut slightly around all four edges of your piece of felt. If you choose to do this, be careful to only cut a small amount off. While the felt is not quite like other fabrics where it could fray, I think the edges add a bit more style.
3. With the fabric laid flat and the long way up, fold each end towards the middle. Secure down with a needle or pin.
4. Thread another needle and tie a knot at the end. Start on one end and sew a basic stitch all the way down the side before knotting the thread. I like to start and end inside the felt, that way you don’t see the knots. Do the same on the other side of the holder.
5. Now you can be done, or if you want to add a bit more style, cut felt shapes or add buttons and sew onto the felt. Once finished, fold a few tissues and add to the holder!
Here are some photos of the final product:
(front)
(back)
I think this gift would be cute paired with other purse items like a compact mirror, lip balm, a keychain, coin purse/pencil case, etc. If you really want to go with the tissue theme though, you could get a tearjerker movie and some popcorn/candy.
Personalized Tea Bags
What I liked about this gift is that it can be done is so many ways. I drink at least one cup of tea everyday, and with all the flavors out there there is always a new kind to try. With these personalized tea bags you can choose your favorite inspirational quotes, jokes, motivational messages, movie quotes, or simply add your special images. The first set I made was for my mom where I chose a collection of Disney movies (it acted as a countdown to our trip to Disney World) and printed an image from each movie on one side and a quote from the movie on the other. The gift is such an easy way brighten someone’s day when they sit down with their cup of customized tea!
What you’ll need:
• Tea bags (any flavor!)
• Paper/cardstock
• String/embroidery
• Needle
• (optional) Stapler
Directions:
1. For me, the first step would be to choose a theme. For the images shown, I went with the Disney film Mulan (one of my favorites!) which I made for a friend as part of her Christmas present this year.
2. With a theme or idea chosen, it is now up to you how you want to make your tags. I designed mine in Adobe Illustrator and printed them on cardstock, but you can also hand write/draw them out, print images and glue them on, etc.
3. Cut your tags out. A good size would be 1 inch x 1 inch.
4. Take a piece of string or embroidery floss (I would go ahead and cut enough string for all of your bags so the pieces are even) and tie a knot on one side. Then thread a needle and poke it through the top of your tag.
* In the Mulan images shown, a string/tag was already attached to the tea bag, so I ended up repurposing and using the string that was already there.
5. Now you can either use the needle to attach the string/tag to the tea bag and tie a knot, or you can go easy and staple it to the bag.
6. Attach all of your tags to the tea bags and complete by putting in a container or bag to keep the tea fresh!
Here are some photos of the final product:
(front)
(back)
I would pair the tea bags with items like a mug, a notebook/coloring book, pens/colored pencils, a bookmark, or a coffee/bookstore gift card which would make a cute gift focusing on relaxation.
So I think you’ll see that these are pretty easy little homemade gifts! Both are so easy to customize for almost any person, whether it is the images/quotes you use on the tea bags or buttons you add onto the tissue holder. Something homemade can really make a gift go from good to great. I hope these ideas help, especially if you are still trying to think of something before Christmas comes next week (I can’t believe it is already almost here!).
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