GIFTS FOR HER

Homemade Body Scrub

Coffee remains a favourite ingredient in numerous DIY body scrubs. The fine granules prove to be gentle on the skin yet effective in exfoliating dead cells from the skin's surface. Plus, who can resist the tempting aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee?

What You’ll Need:

• 1/2 cup of ground coffee (fresh or dry used grounds) 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Clean jar with seal

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add to a clean jar and leave to cool until the coconut oil has set slightly. You can now give this gift a personalised touch by adding an ingredient label and perhaps the recipient's name to the jar.

(Tutorial via Taste Of Home)

Handmade Bath Bombs

Homemade bath bombs make a lovely gift for friends and family. Have fun trying out different colours, throw in some flowers from your garden, and mix things up with various shapes. Once you've got the main ingredients, adjusting this recipe to fit what you already have at home is a breeze.

What You’ll Need:

• 100g bicarbonate of soda
• 50g citric acid
• 25g cornflour 
• 25g Epsom salt (optional) 
• 2 tbsp oil (sunflower, olive or coconut will work)
• 1/4 tsp essential oil (e.g lavender, orange, chamomile) 
• A few drops of food colouring 
• Lavender, rose petals or orange peel (to decorate)

Start by putting the bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, cornflour and Epsom salt into a bowl. Whisk until fully combined. In another bowl, add the oil, essential oil and food colouring and stir well. Begin to slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking between each addition. Once all the ingredients are combined, add a few tiny drops of water. The mixture will begin to fizz so mix it in quickly. You’ll know the mixture is wet enough when you can press it together in your hand and it keeps its shape. If you’re adding decorations, pop them into the bottom of your chosen moulds before tightly packing the bath bomb mixture into the mould. Leave your bath bombs to dry for 2-4 hours. Then you can carefully remove them from the moulds and wrap them in parchment paper, finishing them off with a gift tag.

Top Tip: Don’t have a bath bomb mould? You can use ice cube trays or leftover yoghurt pots instead!

(Tutorial via BBC Good Food)

GIFTS FOR HIM

DIY Coupon Book 

Coupon books make wonderful budget-friendly presents for a wide range of celebrations, you can even theme your coupon book to make it even more personalised.

What You’ll Need:

• Scrap paper
• Ribbon
• Hole punch 
• Pens

To start, decide how many coupons you would like to create. For this DIY you can either create your own coupons or you can use an online template. Then use your hole punch to punch holes on one side of every coupon. Now it’s time to fill out your coupons! We’ve given you some ideas to get you started:

1. Adventure seekers: “Let’s go hiking” or “camping trip” for men who love the great outdoors. 
2. Culinary treats: “Favourite meal” or “breakfast in bed” for those who have a love for good food. 
3. Chore breaks: “Week off of bin duty” or “no hoovering for a week” for those who deserve a week off!

To finish your coupon book, simply thread some ribbon through the holes in your coupons and tie into a bow. Don’t forget to make a cover page for your coupon book too.

No Sew Fleece Blanket

Whether you're kicking off your festive gift preparations or simply seeking a craft idea, no-sew fleece blankets are a super easy project.

What You’ll Need: 

• 2 different fleece blankets (ensure they’re the same size) 
• Sharp scissors 
• Ruler

Start by laying your fleece blankets on a flat surface and cutting a 5x5 inch square out of each corner on the blankets. Then cut strips into all sides of the blanket that are 5” long and 1” apart. You can now lay the blankets on top of each other and start to tie the strips of the two layers together. Once all the strips have been tied together your blanket will be complete.

(Tutorial via It’s Always Autumn)

GIFTS FOR TEENAGE GIRLS

DIY Ring Holder

Let your creativity flow with this DIY project. Design a basic cone ring holder or take it up a notch by crafting a cactus or a tree for a more whimsical touch!

What You’ll Need:

• Air dry clay 
• Acrylic paint 
• Paintbrush

Take a small ball of clay and roll it between your palms to create your desired shape. Ensure that your shape has a flat base to stand on. Leave it to dry out completely. Once dry, you can paint your ring holder however you would like. You can use washi tape to create straight lines, or add glitter for extra pizzazz. Finally, leave the paint to dry overnight.

Top Tip: With any leftover air dry clay, why not make some trinket dishes for necklaces and bracelets?

(Tutorial via Gathered)

DIY Phone Case

Have some fun with this DIY project - it's a great gift idea for any teenage girl. Get creative and try out different techniques to make a one-of-a-kind phone case that you won't find anywhere else.

What You’ll Need: 

• Nail polish 
• Plain phone case
• Masking tape 
• Other decorations (e.g glitter, confetti or craft flowers)

Ensure that your phone case is thoroughly cleaned before starting. You can use masking tape to create straight lines, or you could use a paintbrush to flick the paint onto the phone case, creating a splatter effect. Then you can place any decorations that you’d like to use on top of a blob of nail polish and allow it to dry completely. Seal your design in place with a coat of clear nail polish and leave to dry overnight.

Top Tip: You could even try the water marbling technique. Here’s a great tutorial.

GIFTS FOR TEENAGE BOYS

Paracord Bracelet

Paracord bracelets are fantastic presents for outdoor-loving teenage boys. Whether they enjoy camping, hiking, or rock climbing, these bracelets are highly practical accessories. Unravelling the bracelet provides a handy cord for tying up gear, constructing shelters, and even fixing shoelaces.

What You’ll Need:

• Paracord (2 different colours) 
• 1 buckle 
• Scissors
• Lighter

Start by measuring their wrist and multiplying that number 6. For example, for a 7.5” wrist circumference, you will need 45 inches of each colour of paracord. We suggest also adding an extra 6 inches just in case. Next, fuse the two colours of paracord together at one end, using a lighter to slightly melt the cord and then pressing together firmly. Thread the connected paracord through one of the buckle loops and then thread the loose ends through the loop you’ve created. Pull the cord snug against the buckle. Thread the dangling free ends of the cord through the other buckle piece and measure out your bracelet. Using the wrist circumference, add another inch to allow for a comfortable fit. Now you can begin to weave the bracelet. We’ve found a really useful tutorial to make this step easier. Repeat the weaving process until you reach the other buckle. Trim any excess paracord and use your lighter to melt the ends, pressing them against the woven paracord to seal the cord together.

(Tutorial via REI)

Comic Book Magnets

If you're searching for the perfect gift for a teenage boy who loves comic books, look no further! Try your hand at crafting unique magnets using old comic books with this simple and creative DIY.

What You’ll Need: 

• Blank fridge magnets
• Old comic books
• Scissors 
• A pen

Start by flicking through your old comic books to find which images you’d like to use. Then simply place your blank magnet over the top and use a pen to trace around the image. Cut the image slightly smaller than what you have traced, to allow for a perfect fit. Then pop your cut out comic into the magnet and press the two sides together.

(Tutorial via Crafts By Amanda)