Ah Christmas, the season of giving.

I’ve realised over the years that it has been getting harder to buy gifts for people because my social circle has expanded greatly, especially since becoming a Christian.

From cell group members to ministry partners and not to mention other pre-believing friends, I now have so many people I want to bless and that means two things.

1. I’m running out of gift ideas.
2. The hole in my pocket is getting bigger.

If you’re like me, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re on a budget, running out of gift ideas for your friends, or simply enjoy making gifts from scratch, here are 1o DIY ideas we’ve curated for you.

10 DIY CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

1. Hershey’s Christmas Tree

• Difficulty: 2/5
• Price range: $$$
• Time needed: 30 minutes or less

Let’s start the list with some yummies, shall we? This first idea’s an easy treat – all you’ve got to do is repackage the chocolates into a Christmas tree!

The main thing is to make precise measurements while folding the pockets so that the chocolates fit snugly and don’t fall out.

Just one packet of Hershey’s Kisses ($5.45 at FairPrice) can make up to three little Christmas trees (plus some spare chocolates you can pop into your mouth while making the gifts!).

2. Hot Cocoa Christmas Ornaments

• Difficulty level: 1/5
• Price range: $$$ 
• Time needed: 30 minutes or less

If this doesn’t scream cute, I don’t know what does.

All you need is some clear Christmas ball ornaments, a paper funnel, some powdered chocolate drink like MILO and maybe some candies like gummy bears, sprinkles and mini marshmallows.

This gift is especially great if you make it for a huge group of people (we see you, ministry leaders) because it gets cheaper the more you make.

Plus, the more people you make these tasty ornaments for, the more variety of candy options you can have while keeping the cost price per gift low. Bombs away!

3. Frozen Chocolate Marshmallows

This one works especially well if you’re inviting guests over to your house for Christmas and you want to prepare some festive desserts to share after a meal together.

It can even be a door gift for friends and family coming over to your place. It’s pretty straightforward too: melt some chocolates and pour it over a stick of marshmallows before freezing it. 

Then pop a few sticks into the fridge and you’ll have some delicious frozen chocolate marshmallows in no time!

4. 3D Christmas Tree Cards

• Difficulty level: 1/5
• Price range: $$$
• Time needed: 30 minutes or less

Looking for something a little more thoughtful like Christmas cards to write heartfelt thoughts on? The next few gifts in our list will help you to do just that. 

Remember those old-school paper fans we used to fold in school? Well, now you can turn them into Christmas trees on your card.

It can’t get any cuter, and the best part is that not even an origami dummy can mess this up!

5. Waterfall Photo Album

• Difficulty level: 3/5
• Price range: $$$
• Time needed: 1 hour or less

We’re coming off the Christmas theme a little for this one – because seriously, not every Christmas gift needs to be red, green and white in colour – but here’s a really interesting DIY craft you can make for your loved ones.

To make it extra thoughtful and personal, you can include photos of you and your friend and write a message at the back of each square. It is also possible to incorporate this waterfall photo album as part of a card!

6. Accordion Envelope Book

If the previous idea was too challenging, this one might be a better fit. You don’t even have to make the envelopes from scratch.

Simply purchase them online or in stores like Daiso, Popular or MUJI, then glue the lids on the back of each envelope and there you have it!

While the video suggests slotting handmade coupons in each envelope, feel free to switch it up with something you prefer – like an Advent calendar or little messages.

7. Personalised Tote Bags

• Difficulty level: 4/5
• Price range: $$$
• Time needed: At least a day

Looking for something a little more artistic? For those who really want to get crafty, the next few ideas are especially for you.

This tote bag idea is great if you’re making gifts for a small group size of about 10 people or less, like your cell group members. 

If you’re intimidated by the size of a tote bag, consider painting on smaller canvases like pouches.

Think painting is too much of a hassle? You can even choose to print out designs on “photo transfer” paper and iron it on to the bags instead.

Do note that the delivery of bags and the drying of paint might take some time so you’ll want to start on this ASAP to get the gifts out by Christmas!

8. Clay Trinket Tray

Polymer clay art has been all the rage in recent years so why not jump on this bandwagon to make something for your friends?

This trinket tray can be used to hold jewellery or loose household items like keys. 

Materials like clay and paint are readily available at stores like Spotlight and Art Friend. You can also use fallen flowers from your neighbourhood as imprint designs.

Do check if your clay is oven bake or air-dry as it will make a difference as to how the clay should be dried.

9. Pressed Flowers Candles

Got some leftover flowers from the previous DIY? No worries, you can use them to dress up candles as an awesome gift! 

Just remember to press the flowers before sticking. Depending on how complex your design is, it can literally take minutes to make!

This is perfect as a last-minute gift idea; candles are readily available at IKEA in varying sizes.

10. Origami Earrings

• Difficulty level: 5/5
• Price range: $$$
• Time needed: 30 minutes or less

We’ve saved the most challenging handmade gift for the last – this one is for all the DIY gurus out there.

The difficulty here lies not in the complexity of the craft, but the precision required in folding thin lines.

Think you have nimble fingers and a patient personality? Give this a try and let us know how it goes!

While store-bought gifts are great and handmade gifts are better, the best gift in life is still the gift of eternal life.

And the best part of such a gift: it is completely free of charge!

So don’t forget to include the bonus gift – whether through a heartfelt note or a heart-to-heart talk – of what Christmas means to you as you prepare presents for your loved ones.

Have a wonderful time of gift-giving this Christmas!