It's getting closer and closer to Christmas as the days go by, and everyone is driving themselves nuts trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone. I'm sure we all have those people in our lives who we have absolutely no idea what to get.
You know, you're close enough friends that you feel obligated to get them something, but not close enough that you know what they actually want? Or that guy/girl you just starting dating before the holiday season that now you totally regret because you have absolutely no idea what he/she wants?
Here's five super easy gifts that aren't so expensive that your bank account hates you, but have enough effort put into them that you won't get nasty looks when the receiver opens their gifts.
1. Brownie/Cooke/Hot Cocoa/Literally Any Baked Good in a Jar
These are super easy to make, all you have to do is collect all your ingredients and pour them into a jar in a semi-decorative way. You can make this even better by decorating the jar in your own special fashion. And, if we're being honest, have you ever seen someone disappointed to discover they've been given delicious treats and a free mason jar? It's Texas, so the answer should be no.
If you're still a little confused on how this works, Pinterest has several awesome ideas for these! Here is my favorite tutorial.
2. Customized Coffee Mugs
These are actually easier to make than they look. Speaking from personal experience, I'd suggest if you use Sharpies to decorate your mugs, and use a stencil and tape it down to draw on the mug. Otherwise, you might just end up with a smudged blob.
Besides sharpie, you can also dip the mugs in glitter or paint. No matter what route you go, these mugs are super cute and personalized. You can even combine it with the first idea and add hot cocoa mix inside.
Here are a few of the links I preferred.
3. DIY Bath Bombs
There's nothing quite like a long soak in the bath with a scented bath bomb. Most of the recipes you'll find for bath bombs are super easy! There are also stores like Lush that you could easily buy these items from. However, it'd add an awesome personalized touch to make them yourself.
Also consider making several bath bombs and tucking them into a basket with a couple of candies and maybe a candle or two for a relaxing soak in the bath getaway kit.
I've found several recipes that were super helpful, but the best I've found is from a YouTube channel called WhatsUpMoms. The DIY video is super, super helpful and walks you through the process step by step. The video is shown below:
4. DIY Candles
Candles are a cute and easy gift. Like shown in the picture above, you can decorate the jars for the time of the year, or to be specific for that person use a monogram or their favorite color. Or you can leave the candle jar blank.
Making the candle itself is super simple and actually fun. If you're not good at crafts, this one will make you feel successful, because you're just mixing ingredients. Then, when they compliment you and ask where you got it, you can say you made it to get that rewarding envious smile.
(Or lie, because otherwise, people will be wanting candles from you all year!)
There are several helpful links online on how to make DIY candles, but here is one to help you out.
5. Sugar Scrubs
Piggybacking off of bath bombs, sugar scrubs are a much-appreciated gift during the holidays. It's been a stressful few months, the cold has dried out your skin, and you're just ready for a relaxing bath.
Sugar scrubs are super calming and help you to unwind. They're also easy to put together. If you don't know what you want the scent to be, just go along with the season.
There are several great recipes to be found, and I know I would be lucky to receive any of them. Here is the link for the Gingerbread Sugar Scrub shown above.
TIPS:
With these gifts, there is a chance that allergies may interfere. Hopefully you're aware of these allergies prior to giving the gift, but just in case, include a label listing all of the ingredients you used.
