75 Crafty Christmas Gift Ideas
Save money and creatively tackle your gift list this year with our ideas for one-of-a-kind gifts you can create for him, her, the kids and even the family pet.
Monogram Their Mittens
Knit accessories are always a popular handmade holiday gift — but what if you can't knit or crochet? Then these personalized mittens are right up your alley — just stitch baker's twine initials onto readymade mittens, a scarf or hat for a personalized gift to keep them toasty warm all winter long.
Get the How-To: Handmade Gift: Easy, No-Knit Monogrammed Mittens
Craft a Tech-Savvy Tassel
Never be without a charging cord again with this totally on-trend accessory that easily clips onto your briefcase, purse or keyring. Popular with fashionistas, these handy accessories are pricey in specialty shops but you'll be surprised how easy they are to DIY.
Get the How-To: Craft a Leather Tassel That (Surprise!) Can Charge Your Phone
Make This Rustic Bread Board
Have a baker, chef or hostess on your gift list? Surprise them with this handy bread board that looks just like an expensive antique. Reclaimed lumber and basic woodworking skills are all you need.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Rustic Bread Board
Delight Jet-Setters
Help them chart their globe-trotting adventures or highlight their family's ancestry with this easy-to-craft wall map.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Magnetic Wall Map
Craft a Handy Firewood Carrier
Whether the folks on your list prefer to curl up in front of a roaring indoor fire or snuggle next to an outdoor fire pit, our DIY firewood carrier will make toting the kindling much easier.
Get the How-To: Make Your Own Firewood Carrier
Immortalize Their Pup's Epic Cuteness
Our instructions make it easy to turn a pic of their furkid into a Victorian-style silhouette they'll treasure forever.
Get the How-To: DIY Dog Silhouette Wall Art
Make This Classic Board Game
Encourage the kids on your gift list to step away from tech devices and reconnect with friends and family. A classic, like this rustic-inspired tic-tac-toe board, is fun for all ages, and is easy for the gifter to create using cut wood slices and a live-edge board from the craft store.
Get the How-To: Handmade Gift Idea: Make a Classic Tic-Tac-Toe Board
Green Up Their Thumbs
Having fresh herbs at hand will take their culinary skills to the next level while adding a beautiful pop of live greenery to the kitchen. Follow our steps, below, to create a rustic countertop garden by giving terra cotta pots a charming, timeworn patina.
Get the How-To: Make New Pots Look Old for a Cottage-Style Countertop Herb Garden
Wow Wine Lovers
Upcylcle an old wooden pallet into this storage-rich wine rack that'll keep their favorite vintages within easy reach. Handy built-in storage for wineglasses turns this rack into a space-saving bar.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Wine Rack From a Wood Pallet
Make a Breakfast-in-Bed Tray
Inexpensively upcycle a bland tray and a bit of leftover fabric into a waterproof and food-safe server that'll encourage them to enjoy breakfast in bed any day.
Get the How-To: Easily Craft a Designer-Worthy Breakfast-in-Bed Tray
Whip Up Tasty Dog Treats
Our pets enjoy special treats around the holidays just as much as we do. Get tails wagging by whipping up a batch of these sweet and crunchy biscuits. Package them in cellophane bags or tins and hand out to all the furry friends on your list.
Get the Recipe: Rainbow-Frosted Dog Biscuits Recipe
Or, Stitch Up a Cozy Dog Bed
Basic sewing skills and our tips, below, will help you stitch up a farmhouse-inspired (and super cozy!) bed for your best friend. Best of all: The cover is completely removable so it's a snap to keep clean.
Get the How-To: Pet Projects: Make a DIY Dog Bed
Or, Even a Collapsible Pup Tent
Designed to easily fold away, this portable shade structure is a thoughtful gift for pet parents who take their furkid along on outdoor adventures. Check out our video and instructions, below, to learn how to craft one for your favorite canine.
Get the How-To: Perfectly Portable Pup Tent for Easy Summer Shade
Honor Their Culinary History
Preserve a treasured family recipe card (and grandmother's handwriting) from future decades of kitchen mishaps by framing it. Just a few easy steps to turn their go-to family recipe into kitchen decor they'll treasure.
Get the How-To: How to Frame a Favorite Family Recipe
Practice Your Cursive
Calligraphy (or, in this case, faux calligraphy) is an easy way to add an artistic touch to all sorts of handmade gifts, gift wrap and cards. Or, when popped into a pretty frame, the free-flowing script makes a sweet gift all by itself.
Get the How-To: Write Like a Lettering Pro With This Faux Calligraphy Hack
Invite Them to Enjoy a Soak
In just a few steps, you can easily upcycle an old luggage rack (that you probably never use, anyway) into a handy folding table that's just the right height to keep spa essentials or a glass of wine handy while they soak in the tub.
Get the How-To: Cheap Meets Chic: Craft a Tub-Side Table for Your Bathroom
And, Whip Up Lavender Bath Fizzies
Give the gift of a luxurious home spa day with these homemade lavender bath fizzies. Package the sweet-scented bath bombs in a vintage glass jar with a custom tag for a pretty presentation sure to make the gift even more special.
Get the How-To: Homemade Gift Idea: Lavender Bath Fizzies
Treat Them to a Trendy Tray
Cement tile is taking the design world by storm but the global-inspired pattern's trendy look comes with a hefty price tag. Get the look for much, much less with a stenciled tray that's perfect for containing remotes and magazines.
Get the How-To: Stencil Your Way to a Stunning Cement Tile Tray
Construct a Cookbook or Tablet Stand
Everyone could use an extra hand in the kitchen, especially when they're whipping up a new recipe. Beginner woodworking skills and our step-by-step instructions, below, will help you turn lumber into a thoughtful gift for your favorite home chef.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Modern Tablet or Cookbook Stand
Create a Trendy Rhinestone Headband
Fashion-forward friends will appreciate this stylish accessory that looks like a pricey vintage brooch — but is actually made from materials you can pick up at your local craft or fabric store.
Get the How-To: How to Make A Trendy Rhinestone Headband
Or, Upcycle Closet Castoffs
Cover bangle bracelets in old flannel shirts or pj bottoms to create a cozy cuff they'll want to wear all winter long. Tip: Gather other closet castoffs, like old leather belts, wool sweaters or denim to create even more fashion-forward bracelets.
Get the How-To: How to Craft Trendy Flannel Cuff Bracelets
Assemble a Custom Cutting Board
Foodies will appreciate this handcrafted wood cutting board. This project requires basic woodworking skills and materials to create a chef-worthy gift that's perfect both for food prep or for serving up charcuterie or cheese.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Wood Cutting Board
Personalize Your Pup's Bed
Give your four-footed family member a cozy place for cat (or dog!) naps by turning an old shipping pallet into a snug pet bed. You can even make it mobile by adding furniture casters and totally personalized by stenciling on your pet's name.
Get the How-To: Make a Mobile Dog Bed From Shipping Pallets
Don't Forget Your Feline Friend
If your kitty goes gonzo for catnip (half of all cats do), treat them with a small, handmade toy to hold their stash. Scientists agree that smelling, rather than eating, catnip garners the biggest response but they still aren't sure what neurological reaction catnip triggers for sensitive cats. It's thought that it stimulates receptors in their brains that makes them feel initially energetic, playful and happy, then mellow and relaxed.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Christmas Catnip Toy
And, Create a Cozy Hideaway
Turn a T-shirt, bamboo hoops, foam and a plastic bin into a purr-fect, snug spot for cat naps. Watch our quick video or follow along with the tutorial, below.
Get the How-To: T-Shirt Turned Cozy Cat Hideout
Personalize a Doormat
Turn an inexpensive coir doormat into a personalized greeting for a friend's front door. An old cardboard box, utility knife, spray paint and a little creativity will make a $10 doormat look like a pricey catalog find.
Get the How-To: DIY Monogrammed Doormat
Or, Construct a Blooming Address Plaque
Using just one 1x10 board and basic woodworking tools, construct a custom house number plaque to brighten up their front porch.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Wall-Hanging Planter Box With House Numbers
Delight Your Favorite Foodie
Upcycle pretty tins into a magnetic kitchen garden that will ensure fresh herbs are always handy. Pot your own with our step-by-step instructions, below.
Get the How-To: Make a Magnetic Herb Garden for the Fridge
Give Them a Spring Head-Start
Dormant tubers, bulbs or root starts make a thoughtful small gift for coworkers or friends. Our tips, below, include free printable labels and planting instructions to help them green up their thumbs and get a head-start on spring planting.
Get the How-To: DIY Plantable Party Favors
Make Personalized Magnets
Jazz up their fridge by turning vintage steel license plates into cool, typography-inspired magnets. Sturdy tin snips, a magnet, adhesive and our instructions, below, are all you need.
Get the How-To: How to Make Magnets From Old License Plates
Craft a Custom Tray
Give an old wooden tray a trendy new lease on life by covering it with upholstery fabric, then add a high-end finishing touch with a decorative pattern created with nail-head trim.
Get the How-To: How to Craft a Trendy Fabric-Covered Tray
Make the Container Part of the Gift
This vintage copper bundt pan is proof that practical can be pretty. Too pretty, in fact, to hide away in a box. Filled with spices, tea towels, wooden spoons and other kitchen essentials, this collection will put a smile on any foodie's face.
See More Photos: 15 Vintage Holiday Gift Ideas
Cozy Up Their Cocoa or Coffee
Delight the Hostess With the Mostest
Whip up an inexpensive wood conditioner and sealant to turn a hardwood board into a foodsafe surface they can use to make entertaining easy. Learn how to turn hardware-store staples into a pro-grade charcuterie board, below.
Get the How-To: Create Your Own Party-Perfect Charcuterie + Cheese Board
Track Their Little One's Growth
Add self-adhesive vinyl numbers to plywood to create a larger-than-life growth chart to help them track their kiddo's height.
Get the How-To: Make a Tailor's Tape Growth Chart
Or, Give Pets a Boost
Basic woodworking skills and just 1 sheet of plywood are all you need to make this elevated dog feeding station that features a pull-down front that conceals handy hidden storage for your best friend's favorite snacks and kibble. Note: Some vets caution that giant breeds or dogs prone to bloat shouldn't eat from a raised feeder. If in doubt, please first check with your vet.
Get the How-To: DIY Elevated Dog Feeding Station With Built-In Storage
Easily Assemble a Tabletop Fire Pit
Help everyone on your gift list cozy up to the fire this winter with this portable fire pit you can put together in less than 15 minutes. They're so easy to create that you'll probably want to make one for yourself, too.
Get the How-To: Make a Tabletop Fireplace for Your Party in 15 Minutes
And, a Homemade S'mores Kit
Surprise an outdoorsy friend with everything (except the fire!) necessary for ooey-gooey s'mores. Hand-make the cookies, marshmallows and chocolate squares so they're especially tasty, then package the goodies "hobo-style" for a gift that's ready to travel.
Get the How-To: Homemade S'mores Kit
Give Kids an Indoor Playhouse
Get crafty to turn a basic white tablecloth into an indoor playhouse your little one will love. Our easy-to-follow instructions and video, below, show you how to cut out windows and a door, then deck out the house with colorful linens to customize the look.
Get the How-To: How to Make a No-Sew Tablecloth Playhouse
Or, a DIY Play Kitchen
Basic woodworking tools and a readymade window topper are all you need to easily turn a plain wooden bookshelf into a kid-sized kitchen for your little chef. Get cooking to make your own with our instructions, below.
Get the How-To: Easy Kids' Play Kitchen
Outfit Your Little Heroes
Tell your little hero that you think they're super by stitching up the perfect gift. Personalized with their initial or name, this action-ready cape guarantees hours of imaginative playtime. Our tutorial, below, will help you stitch one up for every super kid on your gift list.
Get the How-To: Kids' Superhero Cape
Or, Turn a Tub Into Playful Storage
Give an old square galvanized tub new life as a handy place to stash kids' toys. This easy project creates fun and colorful storage for building blocks or other toys and includes a built-in play surface on top.
Get the How-To: Turn a Galvanized Tub Into Playful Mobile Toy Storage
Craft Custom Smart Phone or Tablet Covers
A new tablet or smart phone tops most people's most-wanted-gift list this year. If springing for a pricey tech gift isn't in your budget, get crafty to surprise them with a custom-made felt cover to protect their new gadget. Download our free patterns and learn how to sew one up with our step-by-step instructions, below.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Felt Cover for a Smart Phone or Tablet
Upcycle Old Sweaters Into Stockings
Don't toss that old shrunken or holey sweater. Instead, repurpose it as a custom stocking for someone special on your gift list, then stuff their stocking with a few small wrapped surprises. This project requires no sewing machine or knitting needles and can easily be completed in an afternoon.
Get the How-To: How to Make No-Knit Christmas Sweater Stockings
Or, Turn Them Into Cozy Decor
Wool sweaters are great — until you toss them in the washer and accidentally shrink them down to doll size. But, don't throw them out. Exposing wool to hot water, soap and a little agitation (all things that happen in the wash) not only causes the wool fibers to shrink, it also felts them, creating a super soft, nubby texture and preventing the knitted threads from fraying when cut. Put your doll-sized mishaps to good use crafting one of-a-kind handmade gifts, like Alicia of Thrifty and Chic who used hers to turn plain glass vases into trendy handmade gifts.
Whip Up an Easy-to-Sew Tote Bag
Even novice sewers will be able to tackle this straightforward project. Customize the fabrics to suit the gift recipient's style and give the tote alone as the gift or fill with a few small surprises to really make their holiday.
Get the How-To: Make an Easy-to-Sew Lined Tote Bag
Or, Stitch Up a Custom Pet Collar
If you're handy with a sewing machine, you can whip up pet collars to comfortably fit all the furry friends on your gift list. Get sewing with our tips, below.
Get the How-To: Eco-Friendly Hemp Dog Collar
Treat Backyard Friends
Bird watchers and naturalists on your list will love this thoughtful handmade gift that allows them to get a closer peek at winter's colorful birds. Bonus: This easy project is a great one to make with even the littlest crafters.
Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: Bird Seed Christmas Ornaments
Or, Your Favorite Feline
When planning your holiday gift list, don't forget your favorite kitty. Turn basic craft materials into a Christmas-themed spinner wand that will encourage hours of playtime.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Christmas Cat Spinner Wand
Kids' Craft: Ruffled Rose Headband
With just a little help from a crafty adult, kids can turn a plain elastic headband into a sweet hair accessory, perfect for girls big or small. Inexpensive materials and easy steps ensure girls can make enough of these to hand out to all their friends.
Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: Ruffled Rose Headband
Or, Make a Grown-Up Version
With just a little creativity, you can turn a scrap piece of leather into a fashion-forward pin or hair clip that makes a sweet handmade gift you can give any time of year.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Leather Flower Pin or Clip
Easily Craft a Pretty Trinket Box
Turn inexpensive fence-post caps, from the hardware store, into a pretty jewelry or gift box. By itself, the box makes a thoughtful birthday, Mother's Day or holiday gift. Fill it with sweet treats or a small trinket for a handmade gift they won't soon forget.
Get the How-To: Easy-to-Craft Handmade Jewelry Box
Or, Make a Monogrammed Leather Valet
Does the man on your gift list need somewhere to stash his stuff? Easily turn an old frame and upcycled leather into a personalized tray to stylishly hold his keys, watch, cash — everything he needs to grab before heading out the door.
Get the How-To: Make a Monogrammed Men's Leather Valet
Make a Monogrammed Serving Tray
Surprise your favorite hostess-with-the-mostest with a chic serving tray you've hand-painted with a trendy trellis pattern and the recipient's monogram.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Monogrammed Tray
Or, Upcycle a Trendy Tray
Form meets function in this trendy tray made from an old frame, a pair of handles, colorful paint and wrapping paper. See more crafty transformations from our friends at HGTV Magazine, below.
See More Photos: Decorating on a Budget: Thrifty Finds Transformed
Craft a Nod to Nature
Woodland-inspired accessories are all the rage. Create this trendy (and downright cute!) necklace with a branch from the backyard and a few inexpensive materials.
Get the How-To: Natural Branch Necklace
Make It Easy for Them to Stash Their Stuff
Anyone with kids will tell you that they could always use more toy storage — especially if its stylish enough to blend in with the "adult" furniture. Well, they'd be thrilled to receive this spacious chest with an upholstered top so it can also be used as a bench or coffee table. Put your woodworking skills and our instructions to work to make one as a surprise for the parents on your gift list.
Get the How-To: Make a Herringbone Wood Toy Box Storage Ottoman
Or, Make Toy Storage Mobile
Make it easier for parents of small kids to corral their clutter with these cute, personalized toy boxes. Furniture casters make it easy to move their favorite toys from room to room while the crate's lid-less design makes playtime clean up a snap.
Get the How-To: Mobile Wooden Crate Toy Storage
Craft Colorful Stocking Stuffers
Turn kids' broken crayons into the ultimate stocking stuffer for budding artists. Get our tips for making the colorful disks without trashing your pan, below.
Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: How to Make Recycled Crayons
Spread Holiday Cheer With a Wine Elf
Create a Cute Canister
Got a baker on your gift list? They'll love receiving a vintage-style glass canister complete with a DIY chalkboard label that'll make storing kitchen necessities a snap. Learn how to add the painted label with our step-by-step instructions, below.
Get the How-To: Chalkboard Kitchen Canisters
Playfully Preserve Their Memories
Just 1 of 6 easy-to-craft handmade gift ideas from our friends at HGTV Magazine, these clever photos printed onto fabric, then embellished with yarn, beads or glitter are sure to brighten up anyone's walls.
Get the How-To: 6 Easy DIY Gifts
Or, Capture Their Silhouette
A framed silhouette is a classic keepsake and makes a thoughtful Christmas, birthday or Mother's Day gift. A digital camera, computer and printer make this centuries-old craft a snap.
Get the How-To: How to Make a Framed Child's Silhouette
Upcycle an Old Cutlery Box
Old cutlery boxes are easy to find at estate sales or in antique or thrift shops — usually at bottom-dollar prices. With just a little elbow grease, you can turn one of these bargain boxes into a massive jewelry box that any fashionista on your list will be thrilled to receive.
Get the How-To: Upcycle an Old Cutlery Box Into a New Jewelry Box
Or, Repurpose an Orphaned Drawer
The pros at HGTV Magazine got crafty with a thrifted typset drawer to create this handy hanging jewelry organizer — a gift that any jewelry fanatic on your list would love.
Get the How-To: How-to: Hanging Jewelry Storage
Create Custom Coasters or Trivets
A computer and scanner are all you need to turn their favorite collectible (like stamps) into a printable design you can use to turn inexpensive hardware store tiles into useful decorative accessories.
Get the How-To: How-to: Vintage Stamp Coasters
Recycle an Old Sweater
Give past-their-prime sweaters new purpose as a cozy, oversized scarf. Stitch the ends together to create a trendy, infinity-style look or leave them loose for an oversized wrap.
Get the How-To: Recycled Sweater Scarf
Or, Turn a Bottle Cap Into a Necklace
Create a one-of-a-kind necklace for your favorite tween. This is a great craft project for an older child to complete on their own or with a little help from a cool and crafty adult.
Get the How-To: Personalized Bottle Cap Necklace
Keep Their Gadgets Cozy
A great project for young crafters or those with basic sewing skills, felt and a few beads are all you need to craft a stylish cozy to protect their favorite high-tech devices.
Get the How-To: Toaster Pastry iPod Cozy
Repurpose Leftover Wallpaper
Hosts and design fans on your gift list will appreciate an oversized serving tray lined with trendy wallpaper in their favorite color or pattern.
Get the How-To: How-to: Wallpaper-Lined Trays
Kids' Adventure-Ready Backpack
Kids are natural explorers. Outfit their outdoor adventures with a sturdy backpack filled with a handmade nature press, bug jars, sifter and more. Learn how to sew the backpack and make its crafty contents, below.
Get the How-To: Kids' Adventure-Ready Backpack
Kids' Craft: Make an Outdoorsy Frame for Dad
Collected twigs, an inexpensive frame and a favorite camping photo are all you need to thank Dad for amazing outdoor adventures.
Get the How-To: Help Kids Make a Rustic Frame for Dad
Assemble a Seed-Starting Kit
The green thumbs on your list will appreciate this handy caddy filled with potting soil, pots, an assortment of seeds and other necessities for getting a head start on spring planting.
Get the How-To: Seed-Starting Kit
Craft a Coffee Bag Gift Tote
Turn empty coffee sacks into a trendy, rustic tote that can not only hold a wrapped gift but is part of the gift itself. These sturdy burlap totes can be created in a variety of sizes and are great for carrying books and groceries or for use as an everyday purse.
Get the How-To: Coffee Sack Gift Tote
Create Canvas Photo Art
Turn treasured photos into ready-to-hang artwork by printing the images onto canvas photo paper then stretching the fabric over a wooden frame.
Get the How-To: Custom Canvas Photo Art
