Do you need a quick, easy homemade gift for a special someone? Try these ideas that need only a few dollars and a little time to complete. They make great gifts for teachers, grandparents and friends.
Dressing Up A Picture Frame
Pick up an acrylic or glass frame at the dollar store and use rub-ons from the scrapbooking area at your local craft store to personalize the frame. You canadd Christmas rub-ons (which are a little like decals, but require a bit of pressure from an included craft stick), hobby rub-ons or letters to spell out someone’s name. You do have to be careful not to rip the rub-on as you’re working, but even then, you can carefully line up the pieces and continue the process. You can find a wide variety of rub-ons that would work for this project. For example, you could use music notes to create a gift for a music teacher.
Another way to dress up a frame is to attach a clay piece that you’ve created. Use Sculpey, or another oven-hardening clay, and decide what to make. You can use molds made especially for the clay or simply create your own decoration. Roses are fun to make with thin short pieces layered together and people and animals are easy to make. Make your figures flat on the back to attach to the frame with a glue dot.
You can transform even the plainest of acrylic frames with glass beads from the craft store. Use a clear glue like Glossy Accents and spread glue on the outside 1/4″ or so of the frame. then sprinkle with glitter or glass beads. Let dry and shake off the excess beads or glitter. Add an accent such as felt, clay or metal and you’ve created a one-of-a-kind useful gift for anyone on your list, including a co-worker or friend.
If you don’t think a picture frame is the way to go, these crafts can also be turned into other gifts.
Easy Homemade Ornaments
Use Santa or Snowman rub-ons to create an ornament with a plain glass ball ornament. Remove the hanger and then fill the inside with little strips of irridescent cellophane. Replace the hanger and add a ribbon bow for an ornament exchange. Add the year in rub-on numbers for a keepsake.
A ribbon attached to one of the clay figures (pierce the clay with a toothpick prior to baking) makes a great ornament.
Quick and Fun Magnets
Use the flat-backed clay figures or letters to make magnets. Use hot glue to attach strong magnets to a puppy figure your child creates to give to his aunt who loves dogs.
You can also use a miniature frame, put in a photo and add rub-ons to the glass. Attach a strong magnet with hot glue.
Inexpensive and Pretty Candles
Take some candles in glass containers and use the glass beads and clear glue to decorate the bottom edge of the candle holder for the new homeowner on your list.
You can also decorate the outside of four clear glass votives with rub-on letters and spell out NOEL.
Making Quick Christmas Gifts Can Be Easy and Fun
With a few supplies like frames, candles, clay, rub-ons and beads, you can spend an evening creating unique but inexpensive and easy but beautiful gifts. You can be proud to give anyone on your list these one-of-a-kind items.
