DIY: Ten Last-Minute Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Everyone has been there.  Your neighbor's best friend's wife's second cousin's dog groomer got you a nice scarf and gloves, and you definitely left them off your gifting list for the holidays.  No need to fret, here's some simple and quick homemade gift ideas for gifts you can whip up in no-time.  For next year, make one of each of these before the holidays so you have them ready to go for backup gifts!

1. Snowball Soap: Grate a bar of white soap (I used Dove White) with a cheese grater.  Wet your hands and make the grated  soap into a "snowball." Add decorative label and cellophane packaging (see left).

2. Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Layer the following in a 32 oz. mason jar.  For every 1/3 cup mix, add 1 cup boiling water.  Serves 12.

• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

3. Jar Cookies: Similar to the hot chocolate above.  Layer the following in a large mason jar. Make tags for baking instructions (add 1/2 cup slightly melted butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and one egg).  Make it look pretty with decorative labels and festive tags.

• 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooking oats
• 3/4 cup MMs candies
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

4. Peppermint Bark

• 1 bag white chocolate chips
• 1 bag milk chocolate chips
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• crushed peppermint candy

In a bowl, microwave milk chocolate chips in 30-second increments until completely melted.  In another bowl, melt white chocolate chips.  Mix crushed peppermint and peppermint extract into melted white chocolate. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour both milk and white chocolate in a striped pattern over the paper.  Use a spoon to create marble designs.  Sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint candy and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Break into medium-sized pieces and serve or package for gifting.

5. Custom Mug:  Customize any ceramic mug by painting it with ceramic paint!  Most paints (such as the one I got from JoAnn Fabrics) will require you to bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or so in order to set the paint.  I painted a mustache along the brim of my mug, so when you drink out of it, you have a mustache! Pair this with the above Peppermint Hot Chocolate mix for a great gift set!

6. Crochet a Scarf:  It might take a little practice, but it's a great way to put a lot of thought (and manual labor) into a relatively cheap gift. There are lots and lots of videos on YouTube (including this one) that can teach you how, if you don't know already.  Or just ask me, and I'll be happy to show you!  Check out this one that I made for my beautiful mom this holiday season.

7. Task Coupons: Great for mom, dad, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, brother, sister, or anyone else near and dear.  Make up a booklet of "coupons" that won't cost you anything except manual labor and/or time.  Examples: One date night to your favorite restaurant.  One free laundry pass.  One afternoon at the park.  One free foot (hand, back, shoulder, etc.) massage.  One free trip to the grocery store.  Have fun with it, and be creative.  Put thought into these and customize each coupon to the individual(s) receiving them.

8. Handy Coasters: This one is a fun and cute project for the kiddies to help with! Check them out here.

9. Fleece Blanket: JoAnn Fabrics sells an assortment of fleece that is perfect for making blankets.  You will need about two yards per layer to make a full-size blanket (four yards total).  You can color coordinate, or pick two totally opposite fabric patterns.  Lay the fabrics evenly on a clean floor, one on top of the other with the nicer-looking sides facing outwards.  Cut the exterior into strips about one inch wide and eight inches deep.  Tie the two fabrics together using these strips.  I find overhand knots work a lot better for these blankets, as opposed to square knots.

10. The Gift Basket:  Pick a theme and run with it.  I made a "Movie" theme basket that had a movie, bag of popcorn, a theater gift card, and glass Coca Cola bottles all inside a popcorn bucket and wrapped with cellophane.  You could also create other themes like wine, baking, travel, scrapbooking, makeup, or sports.

DIY: Fabric Curls

Transform your stubbornly straight hair to fun curls overnight! Here's a unique way to curl your hair without abusing your luscious strands or your pocket book.  Here's what you'll need:

Water

Styling product

Fabric strips about 8-inches long

The night before, dampen your hair with water and apply styling product.  

(Pictured here: Paul Mitchell's Fast Form)

Starting with your bottom layers, separate your hair into small sections. Curl each section up around each strip of fabric, as shown below.

When you reach the scalp, tie the ends of the fabric in a knot to hold the hair in place.  Repeat throughout your hair.  I used about 30 strips of fabric, but I have thick hair.  You can use less if your hair is thinner.

Once you have tied all your knots, it's time to sleep!  

When you wake up in the morning, spray your knots with a light-hold hair spray and remove the fabric strips.  Wear your curls down or pin them up with accessories.

Enjoy!

Katie

Life: Things I Would Tell Younger Katie

I'm still very young, but I've learned quite a bit in my 22+ years on this earth. Here's some advice I'd give my younger self based on what I know now. I imagine that 20 years from now, I'll look back on being 22 and have different advice. But, for now, maybe I can inspire some of the young females in my life (and maybe, too, those that aren't) with things I've learned so far.

1. Surround yourself with people that encourage you. Negative/Toxic personalities are common, discouraging, and will rub off on you if you spend too much time around them. Don't ever think you can change a toxic person; you can't change people who don't want to change themselves.
2. Being intelligent does not mean getting straight A's in school. 
3. When meeting someone new and he or she seems to be acting like a goon, show compassion first.
4. Make other people happy, but not at your own expense. Life is like a pitcher of lemonade and a lot of empty glasses. You have to keep your pitcher full if you're going to fill everyone else's empty glass.
5. Nothing positive is accomplished by being jealous.  Encourage the women in your life, be compassionate and understanding, and tell them how pretty you think they are as often as possible.
6. You already have confidence, class, intelligence, and more friends than you can count.  Realize it already.  You are better than you think you are.
7. Spending money on things that make you or someone happy is never, ever a waste. You can't take your money with you when you die.
8. Stick with something long enough to become good at it. I know you're a big fan of changes, but it's OK to be familiar with something too.
9. Whether it takes you 10 minutes or 10 years to get over something tragic, life does, in fact, go on. So, you might as well get over it sooner rather than later.
10. I think Drake said it best, "everybody dies, but not everybody lives." Try new things, expand your comfort zone as often as possible, and Carpe Diem, no matter what your parents say (No offense, parents). It is important that you do things that make you feel free, fulfilled, without regret, and truly happy.  Don't waste your time wondering "what if."

 Katie