DIY Holiday Gifts

Sarah Kebea
Staff Writer

Late for a holiday party and need a gift?  Don’t fret!  Below are some easy holiday gifts that can be completed before you can sing a Christmas carol.  

For the coffee lover in your life, a DIY no-knit coffee holder is a must.  Grab a couple of Starbuck’s coffee wrappers (brown cardboard) and an old sweater.  Go thrift shopping for a bargain sweater for this easy project!  

1. First, use one Starbuck’s wrapper to trace on the sweater.  

     2. Next, cut around the lines, not directly on them, so you will be able to fold them over later. 

     3. If you do not want to sew it (keep in mind that if you sew the fabric, the coffee holder will be washable), just wrap the fabric around the wrapper and hot glue the fabric on and glue the two ends together.   

     4. Once finished, wrap the fabric around the mug and pin it closed to the desirable tightness. 

Next, sew the two ends together with a cute button (this is where you get to personalize the coffee holder) and give it to the coffee lover in your life. 

You can use mason jars to assemble ingredients for a hot cocoa mix, brownie mix, or any sweet treat.  How easy is that?

1. For a hot cocoa mix, fill a favor bag/clear small bag with the hot cocoa mix (to keep things neat) fill enough to cover 1/3 of the jar (this can vary depending on how many extra “toppings” you wish to put in the jar). 

     2. After you place the bag of hot cocoa in the jar, this is where you can customize the jar with whatever you want.  A couple options for this part is filling the jar with marshmallows, chopped up candy canes, chocolate chips, etc.  The toppings do not need to be wrapped, but if you wish to have the jar as neat as it can be, the toppings can be wrapped as well as the cocoa.  
 

     3. After you are done with the “toppings”, put a tag around the lid of the mason jar with the recipe (how to prepare the mix).  

     4. After the tag is on, decorate the mason jar with whatever you wish to use, for example, wrapping paper and ribbons.  Or, buy a pre-decorated mason jar from a retailer, such as Walmart. 

Who wouldn’t want an ornament made especially for them?  All you need is a trip to the craft store. 

All you need to make a DIY ornament is a glass ornament (you can find these at most department or craft stores) and a decal.  

1. Put any decal on the glass ornament whether it’s a team logo, a monogram, whatever you want.  Top the cap off with a bow or another decorative piece, and you’re done! 

     2. If you have more time on your hands, you can fill the ornament with poly beads, bath salts, anything you think would look good inside the ornament (this will make the decal pop more).  Only fill the inside 1/3 of the way, to avoid overpowering the ornament.   

     3. If you have even more time on your hands, go to Pinterest.com to see if you can find more details to add to your ornament, including coloring the inside or decorating with glitter.