Kayleigh Paskiewicz
Editor
If you’re anything like me, 12:01 am on November 1st marks the start of the holiday season. Sure, Thanksgiving is good for eating twice your bodyweight in six hours, but can we just skip to the snow, hot cocoa and holiday movies that make December so loveable?
One of my favorite things about the holiday season is sharing presents with friends, especially handmade ones! Not only do DIY projects spread the Christmas cheer, you can add your own personal touches while saving a few bucks!
DIY also allows for customizable presents that will have more meaning to your friends than a t-shirt you buy at a store. Pinterest and Etsy are great websites to use to get ideas. I’m a huge fan of sweatshirts and t-shirts made for musicians that display the band logo, last name of the musician and generally the year they were born. On Etsy, they can range anywhere from $17-$30 and that isn’t including shipping that will make you tear your hair out.
A simple (and less expensive) option is to make one yourself! Craft stores and retailers like Target offer plain t-shirts and sweatshirts for $10-$15. Pick up a few packs of transfer paper from Joann’s and print out your design using Word and your printer at home. I highly suggest picking up multiple packs of transfer sheets because it takes a while to figure out how to get them to perfectly fit, print and transfer.
Mason Jars and DIY candles, cake mixes and snow globes are some of the cutest presents to give to friends, family and teachers. Most of these are fool proof so don’t try to make excuses that you can’t make any of these. Pinterest will supply you with thousands of websites that offer step-by-step instructions. The best part about making these is you can adjust the contents to certain people. Cake in a jar is great and tasty, but if there is a cousin with dietary restrictions, (and yes, there always is) you can alter the ingredients so that they can enjoy the tasty treat.
Make sure you get a jump start on making presents so you can get some practice and extra cash. Don’t get discouraged if your work doesn’t match the picture online. The process of making it shows the dedication to your work which will make the person receiving it much more grateful!
