How tough is it to make your own Christmas presents?

We’re always looking for ways to make Christmas a little different than the year. Whether that’s because you want to find something that will leave a bigger impression, or you want something that’s going to save you cash, it’s irrelevant: making your own presents is a valid alternative to buying them.

They offer the ultimate chance to put a bit of yourself into a gift, you can even put a bit more in if you’re particularly bad with a saw. Despite all the good bits, however, there are definitely a few considerations before you go ahead and dive into the DIY present scene.

Why?

As we said before, the biggest perk of making your own gifts is that you have no person or store telling you what you can and can’t have. If you want a burgundy left-flip-flop stand, you can make one!  Your only limit is your imagination and lets be honest, we both know you have a big one of those so what are you waiting for? Also lets get to the obvious reason behind making your own gifts, the cost element also seems quite appealing, but we’ll come onto that a little later on in the article folks.

What skills do you need?

This is a hard question to answer without knowing what exactly you want to make.  You probably won’t be able to think up a thing if you don’t have skills to execute it, but if your imagination exceeds your physical talent then use your noggin’ and don’t try what you definitely can’t finish. However, simple skills such as baking and gift-wrapping are all that you need to bring to life, one of our ideas for gifts from the kitchen. Of course, if you can paint or stitch or knit, there is a whole new set of options for you to consider making. Craft enthusiasts can opt or anything from painting baubles to making DIY decorations for gift ideas that will be welcomed for their beauty and purpose. We have countless Christmas craft ideas to inspire you.

Financial benefits or a bottomless pit?

You may think that it’s cheaper to make your own gifts, but when doing so consider that you also have to pay for the materials you’re going to use. This is fine if you intend on making a cardboard toilet-roll robot, and who does not want that for Christmas? On the other hand, if you going to create a Damien Hirst style diamond skull, then it is always going to set you back a bit of wonga. Just not as much as if you bought one in the shops. One thing that almost every one can do without burning a hole in their pockets is to buy store-brought items in bulk and turn them into unique, personalized gifts for Christmas by making your own themed gift baskets.

Can you do it for the whole family?

That’s a silly question. Who asked that? Even something as simple as a toilet roll robot will take a lot of resources (and bowel movements), you simply aren’t going to have the time to hand-make gifts for your whole family if you wish to have time for other things such as breathing and drinking. But if there is a certain someone who is difficult to buy for, or appreciates your skill sets, you know you have to create something special for them. Some of the Dot Com Women visitors shared their ideas for hand-crafted gifts that serve as a great inspiration.

Is it really worth it?

Absolutely. Creating your own gifts for Christmas is a great way to add a really personal touch and make sure you get exactly what you want. The trick is, however, to mix them up with other good gifts that you buy from the shop. If you want to buy some gifts, or you’re looking for ideas, look at the great gift ideas from gettingpersonal.co.uk.

About the Author

David is a huge lover of Christmas and can’t wait to start Christmas shopping.