DIY Christmas: The Broke Student's Guide to Gift-Giving

The holidays are here, and Christmas is only a week away! If you’re scrambling to find meaningful, useful gifts that won’t eat into your savings (cheap college textbook buyers we’re talking to you), consider creating them yourself. Here’s a list of foolproof DIY Christmas gift options for everyone on your list; from the brew lover, to your mom.

For The Busy Bee

Whether it’s work meetings or keeping track of fantasy football, this dry erase is perfect for someone who’s always on the go, forgetting things, and maybe just a bit disorganized. It’s customizable, thoughtful, and useful .

You’ll Need:

Frame set (if you’d like a smaller version, use your scrapbook paper to divide frames up into 2 days)
Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Permanent markers or stickers (for the letters)

You can find the directions here!

For The Coffee Drinker

This is one of the cheapest options on the list – and it’s ALL over Pinterest. All you need is a ceramic mug from the dollar store and a set of ceramic paint pens from any craft store. Create your design, doodle or poem with the pens, and bake the mug in the oven for 30 minutes at 175 degrees – it’s permanent and ready to survive the dishwasher!

Feel free to get creative – this will work on any ceramic dish, so if your mom has been hinting at a serving plate or your sister could use a ceramic travel mug, make one personalized for them!

Note: I have actually made this gift several times, and while many Pinterest pages say you can use permanent marker – it’s not true! I went through this process with permanent marker only to discover my design had washed off after a simple hand wash. Ceramic paints are the way to go!

You’ll need:

Ceramic Mug
Ceramic paint pens
An oven
Small level of creativity and a stable hand!

Instructions can be found here.

For the Brew Lover

Finding an appropriate DIY gift for a boyfriend or brother proved to be a little more challenging (after all, I can’t make a PS3…) but this gift should please any brew, wine or whiskey lover.

These are perfect to make custom drinking glasses, candle holders, vases, shot glasses and more. Make it even more sentimental, and choose a brew or wine from a specific memory or event – as significant as a picture, but a tangible reminder!

You’ll need:

Glass cutter
Olive or veggie oil
Bottles (make sure to have a practice bottle ready)
Sand paper
Slightly boiling water

You can find the directions here.

For The Recent Grad / New Apartment Owner

Coasters are one of those things that are hardly a necessity, but are nice to have and people often forget to buy. Forget the flimsy foam coasters from restaurants and make a set of your own! You can make a scrabble piece more personal by adding a message, names and more.

You’ll need:

Scrabble pieces (check out thrift stores and raid old closets before buying an entirely new set)
Flat cork board to craft with
Glue
Sealant

Directions can be found here!

For Everyone Else on Your List

Food and drink kits. Maybe it sounds too easy, but there isn’t a single person on your list who’s going to be disappointed by a homemade cookie or drink kit. I’ve lucked out when it comes to foodie gifts, because my mom always has a cupboard full of her homemade jams, butters, pickles and spreads ready to go. Dress them up in personalized boxes or mason jars and you have a delicious, thoughtful gift for anyone on your list.