Christmas Gift Giving x's 3

Christmas Gift Giving: Thoughtful and Budget Friendly Ideas

Today I am sharing Christmas gift giving ideas that are easy, ecofriendly DIY Christmas gift ideas perfect for this holiday season! 

Think Christmas gift giving is a tough task, especially if you are on a tight budget? Well, then you are in the right place. 

I have been sharing ideas, taking items typically slated for the trash and giving them make-overs as gifts this past year, and I do not plan to stop any time soon.

Imagine a Christmas gift giving game: who can make the best DIY gift? 

Now, I know for some of you, this isn't practical. Between kiddos, teenagers, and busy schedules, DIY might not be on the table. But in my family, we’re all adults—well, most of us pretend to be anyway! Instead of buying gifts, we’ve found joy in creating handmade treasures for each other.

We really do not need anything, unless perhaps someone in our family is giving me a construction team to do with I want here at our home, then I am ready, willing, and hopeful. For me, I do not need any more objects sitting around collecting dust. 

Over the years, we've traded traditional gift-giving for simpler traditions like sharing a meal, enjoying heartfelt conversations, and sometimes, coloring together at the dining room table while reminiscing about past Christmases. 

My favorite? 

When we exchange DIY gifts. There’s something magical about receiving a handmade gift that says, I care enough to create this just for you.

Now, that makes my heart go pitter patter. 

Do you get all the feels I do when you receive a handmade gift?

With that in mind, today I am sharing a few more ideas to get you in the Christmas gift giving and wrapping spirit. Hopefully we get to keep a few things from the landfill while we are at it too. I am sure Santa will put you at the top of his Nice List if you do.

If you are anything like me then you receive a lot of packages throughout the year delivered to your home.

How about those little brown envelope packages with the big smile on them? Just last week, I had a small delivery. Trust me, it wasn't anything exciting, just a cartridge for our leaky kitchen faucet. Fun, fun...

As I was contemplating if I should throw the brown envelope away, inspiration struck, and my husband groaned... not another thing you plan on keeping?

I just smiled and threw it in my stash pile to take downstairs.

DIY No. 1: DIY Gift Bag

When you need a quick gift bag, and no time to run to the store, here is an idea. Creating these DIY gift bags and keeping them in your stash will save you time and money. No more unnecessary trips to the store, and no more spending money on gift bags. Can I get a Woo-Hoo!

Materials:

1. 1 brown paper envelope
2. Twine
3. Stamp of your choice, mine is a bird stamp of course!
4. Black Ink Pad
5. 3 mini ornaments 
6. Paint brush

Instructions:

• Remove any labels from the exterior of the envelope as best as you can. I had a few stubborn pieces I could not lift so I left them since they will tear the envelope if you are too aggressive.  
• Turn the brown envelope inside out so the smile is on the inside, and the clean, crinkled brown packaging is on the outside.
• Smooth out the wrinkles as best as you can.
• Apply black ink to the stamp of your choice, I chose birds of course
• Press onto the brown envelope ensuring you have completely pressed the entire stamp into the paper
• Remove stamp, apply the same image to the other side of the envelope or create a new look, clean the stamp once finished
• Fold the top of the envelope down, and push the paint brush through the brown paper to create a hole on all sides (I just work with what is close, teehee)
• Thread the twine through the holes, add three mini ornaments to the twine, and tie in back to keep your gift safe and enclosed
• Add a twine bow to the front
• Viola, you have created a unique DIY gift bag while saving another item from the landfill, give yourself a pat on the back!

I become giddy like a school girl when I think of new uses for items I am saving from the trash and landfill, do you?

If you answered yes, then know, you are my people. 

Alternatives to stamps & Ornaments:

• If you were blessed with a painters hand, then you could paint a holiday scene on the front of your gift bag.
• No stamps? Do you have Christmas rub-on-transfers? Add them to the front of the gift bag. This is where you can get the kiddos involved and let them design and decorate gift bags along side of you.
• Christmas stickers would be another wonderful addition to a DIY gift bag, again letting kiddos get involved with this project as well.
• Add a sprig of greenery and a twine bow if you do not have mini ornaments.
• Clip greenery from your yard if you do not have sprigs of greenery you can use.
• Before you throw away an old artificial tree, know you have endless possibilities for greenery by simply cutting it from the tree. I did this last year, and had so many small pieces I used in my crafts. 

If you read about our popcorn tin craft, then you know I helped my mom clean out her garage a few weeks ago. 

I also brought home a light fixture my sister left behind. She picks things up like I do with the intent of using them, and then years go by, and they end up in my hot little hands. Yeah for me!

I decided to take the light fixtures apart, let's see how they end up.

I will preface with I have never taken a light fixture a part, it was trial and error on my end, but it ended up being pretty easy once I knew how all of the parts fit together and also came a part. 

DIY No. 2: Lamp Upcycle 

Materials:

1. Old thrifted metal hanging light fixture
2. Wavery ivory chalk paint
3. Chip brush
4. Antique gold rub-n-buff
5. Gold velvet ribbon
6. Bottle brush tree
7. Tin snips
8. Bleach wipes

Instructions:  

• Unscrew top of light fixture, I twisted the ring with several turns and it disconnected the decorative piece from the ring where it hung from the ceiling
• Cut wiring away with tin snips, remove any additional screws or wires from fixture
• Clean light fixture, I used bleach wipes to remove years of dust and grime
• Apply ivory or paint of your choice to metal base, allow to dry
• Apply antique gold rub n buff to raised details in metal, it is my go to for most projects
• Tie velvet ribbon around top of base
• Place a bottle brush tree inside the top where the light fixture threaded together

Don't Forget to Pin for Later!

Now you have a beautiful metal Christmas tree base. I kind of fell in love with this upcycle. I plan to keep it out all through winter. 

Then we will see what it's next life looks like around here. I already have my thinking cap on to figure out what it can become next. 

You can find light fixtures like this at the thrift store, and sometimes they are already taken a part for you. 

Side Note: Those frosted glass globes (that came with the lights) may be my demise, I am having a difficult time figuring out what to do with them. I'm taking ideas if you have any. ❤  

Are you getting ideas today? I sure hope so, but wait! We have one more idea for you.  

I have been seeing so many embossed high-end ornaments this year, and of course, the high price tags that come along with them. So, what do we say? Why buy when we can DIY! 

DIY No. 3: High-end Ornament Dupe

Materials:

1. Crayola clay, I chose this to give a more economical option for my readers

2. Baroque Style Silicone Molds

3. Corn starch 
4. Titebond Glue 
5. Plain glass ornaments, I have had these for about 20 years, it's their time!
6. Black chalk paint
7. Antique gold rub-n-buff
8. Chip brush 
9. Extra paint brush with long handle 

Instructions:

• Dust the silicone mold with cornstarch to prevent sticking
• Press clay into mold, remove, apply Titebond glue to back of clay while it is still wet, remove any extra clay that is not part of the mold, and then place onto glass bauble
• Allow glue to slightly set up before the next step
• Remove ornament top, slide ornament over end of paint brush to paint ornament. Begin stippling black chalk paint onto glass ornament, and over baroque clay decorative piece, be sure to get into all of the nooks and crannies
• Allow to fully dry
• Stipple antique gold rub n buff onto ornament and over the decorative piece, be sure to get into all of the detailed areas to bring out the embellishments in the clay.
• Feed velvet ribbon of your choice through the ornament, and hang on tree.

I even made gold and white ornaments for our tree

Okay... I wasn't sure if this idea would work since I was working with Crayola clay. It is a heavier clay than the air dry foam clay I have recently been working with.  

Ideally, if you can spring for a more expensive clay, I would probably try the air dry foam clay since it is lightweight once it dries. It also does an excellent job of bending around any piece you are applying decorative trim to without glue. 

I am sure you can imagine my Christmas gift giving history is long, and filled with many upcycled treasures. I just really enjoy creating unique, one of a kind gifts for my friends and family. 

What do you think of these Christmas gift ideas? Whether it’s upcycled gift bags, transformed light fixtures, or high-end ornament dupes, I hope these projects inspire you to get creative this holiday season.

For me, handmade gifts hold a special place in my heart. Over the years, I’ve turned everything from orange crates to wallpaper samples into unique treasures. What’s your favorite handmade gift you’ve received or given? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments! 

Ciao,

Cara