Custom Ink’s DIY Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Tis the season for coming up with that perfect gift. And sometimes, struggling to find that perfect gift. Well, we at Custom Ink love anything custom (family Christmas t-shirts, anyone?!), and we’re sure your loved ones will, too! To help you find something for your friends, family, or significant other, we’ve rounded up our favorite DIY holiday gifts for giving something truly one-of-a-kind.

DIY Coffee Sleeves

We love a hot cup of coffee—but not burning our hands on it! For the coffee lover in your life, make them a stylish and fun coffee sleeve this holiday season. Coffee sleeves are reusable (therefore environmentally friendly) and easy to keep in a bag or purse for whenever the caffeine craving strikes. We love this DIY tutorial for an adorable fox coffee sleeve—all you need is some felt, a sewing needle and thread, scissors, and a printed pattern. You can even turn it into all kinds of your favorite animals! This gift is great for office colleagues or teachers.

Custom Onesie

For the little ones on your list, we’ve got onesies you can customize to make sure they’re the most stylish at daycare. Our Rabbit Skins Infant Jersey One Piece comes in a ton of fun colors and is made of premium cotton fabric. These onesies are a particularly great choice for the babes in your life celebrating their first holiday season! Create your own “My First Christmas” or “My First Festival of Lights” design or check out some of our holiday templates to find the perfect one. Not only will they have something special to wear for family celebrations, but it will be a keepsake Mom & Dad can cherish.

Movie Night in a Box

A movie night in a box doesn’t just include great gifts, but a great experience as well! For the movie buff in your life, put together a box or basket with all the movie night essentials. Start with a DVD or Blu-Ray of their favorite hit (or a holiday favorite like Elf or Home Alone)! Add in a couple bags of popcorn, some candy, and soda. Include a pair of fuzzy socks or a cozy throw to cuddle up with during the film. Decorate the container with movie or film cutouts, and create a faux movie ticket to put on top for some added flair!

Homemade Pet Treats

Don’t forget Fido and Fluffy! It’s easy to DIY your pet-friendly gifts, too. Dogs and cats are sure to love these homemade biscuits and fishy treats. And it’s as simple as baking a batch of cookies. All you need is some flour, eggs, water, meat drippings, baking powder, and canned fish. Once you bake your treats, put them in a fun cookie tin so that when your DIY treats are gone, the owner can reuse it for other treats in the future.

Manicure Kit

For that someone on your list who loves to primp, give them the gift of a manicure whenever they want! Assemble a manicure kit in a glass or metallic container that would look nice in a bathroom. The items you’ll need include: a nail file, hand lotion, cotton pads, nail polish remover, a base coat, top coat, and a few exciting nail polishes! To help give them the ultimate spa experience, include some calming candles they can burn while they pamper.

Soups in a Jar

A warm bowl of soup on a cold day—mmm, we’re in! But how about gifting that comforting winter experience to someone so they can do it all season long? DIY soups in a jar are a thoughtful and easy way to show someone you care. To get started you’ll need large mason jars for as many soups as you plan to gift. Gather the dry ingredients for the soups, and layer them into the jars for a polished look. This is a great tutorial for six popular soups, and it even has some printable tags that you can print and tie to the top. This sure has us hankering for a hot bowl of chicken noodle!

DIY Jewelry Dish

A jewelry dish in the stores can be pricey, but you can make a beautiful one by yourself at home—and on a budget! This is a great gift for the women in your life, or the newly engaged (it IS engagement season after all). For a simple version, all you need is a small white bowl and a small figurine like an animal, some metallic paint, and glue. Paint the figurine in the giftee’s favorite color, let it dry, and glue it to the bowl. Voila! If you want to take your crafting skills up a notch, we love this DIY marbled clay jewelry dish. It looks like a million bucks but only takes some clay, some tools, and a little bit of love.

Homemade Simple Syrups

Simple syrups are the perfect thoughtful gift for the food & drinks buff. Not only is this a classy gift, but it can be used in so many great recipes. All you need is sugar, water, and some of your favorite flavorings like lavender, lemon, rosemary, or even chili peppers! We like this tutorial for all kinds of flavored syrups. Once you make your simple syrup, pour them into nice glass oil jars (or even a mason jar!) and finish them off with a label or a burlap bow. It’s easy to print a design onto a sticky label, or use permanent marker to draw on a design. Anyone would love to use this gift in baking recipes, coffee, and more!

Custom Reusable Shopping Tote

Custom totes are the new trendy handbag, if we do say so ourselves. So create something totally unique for the perfect DIY gift. Our Lightweight 100% Cotton Tote is perfect for grocery store trips or carrying gear to the gym or class. It comes in a bunch of fun colors and is the perfect “canvas” for any custom design or motto. Some sayings we love? “Keep Calm and Carry On,” or “Totes Awesome!”

Growth Ruler Board

Maybe you need a gift that the whole family will love? A DIY rustic growth chart is perfect for families with growing kids. Sure, they can mark the kids’ height on the wall, but a wood growth chart makes a beautiful statement piece in any room and is easy to take along if need be. You’ll need a wood board, sandpaper, a wood stain of your choice, some black or white paint, a ruler, and number stencils. Once you stain the board, measure out the different heights and use the stencil to paint on the number of feet or inches. For inspiration, check out this DIY tutorial.

DIY Candles

Candles are a great go-to gift, but your friends and family are sure to appreciate the gesture of homemade candles. And, it’s super easy! You’ll need some soy candle wax flakes, a fragrance, and wicks, which you can typically find at a craft store. Small mason jars can be used as the containers and give a rustic feel. It’s as simple as melting, scenting, and pouring! Once the candles are set, add your favorite label or a festive bow. This tutorial is perfect for getting you started.

Food Crawl

Maybe your loved one is more into food than material gifts? Then hit the town for a food crawl! Create a custom gift and day with your bestie or boo by organizing a food trek. Pick a theme like tacos or cupcakes, and pick 3-5 of your favorite spots or new places you’ve been dying to try. Print out a map of your town and draw stars or put stickers on the locations where you’ll go. If you want some extra creativity points, design rating cards so you can rate your favorite bites as you go. At the end of the day, pick your winner! This is the perfect gift idea that won’t break the bank, and will have you looking like the most thoughtful and foodie-forward gift giver around.