DIY New Year Gifts

Preparation for the New Year holidays usually includes not only the selection of home decorations and the preparation of a suitable menu, but also the search for original presents for loved ones. Of course, creative products are easiest to buy in modern stores. But you can also make good souvenirs and gifts for the New Year with your own hands. We considered the most interesting ideas for creating crafts for adults and children who are still in school or just went to kindergarten. Detailed workshops will tell you how to make unusual gifts easily and simply using available materials. You just have to choose the right ideas and start making amazing presents. Also do not forget about beautiful gift wrapping. You can find out how to pack different gifts in literally 5-10 minutes in our step-by-step instructions.

Interesting: what is customary to give for Christmas and New Year in different countries

You can draw ideas for inspiration and find out what is unusual and interesting in different countries using the following clue:

• Spain.

Candies are considered classic Christmas gifts for children in Spain. For adults, you can give a dried pork leg along with a special cutting knife and a beautiful stand. The Spaniards will not refuse such New Year's gifts: a certificate for professional make-up, visits to the SPA salon, flight together on a plane.

• France.

The book remains the best gift for the French. But also French women will not refuse a stylish cape or an original hat, but any Frenchman will enjoy a good gadget.

• Italy.

For Italians, the best Christmas gifts are airplane tickets, vouchers, branded clothing, gadgets. Forbidden presentations include cosmetics and underwear.

• Germany.

For practical Germans, the best gifts will be household appliances, for fans of relaxation and culture - books or CDs with world-class classic cinema, as well as sets of sweets. The universal option is the flower of poinsetia.

• Denmark.

Danish people mostly give each other cute little things for Christmas and New Year: pendants, jewelry, home decor.

Gift ideas and ideas

Our short master classes will help you quickly and easily make homemade gifts from improvised materials for the New Year and Christmas:

• Beads and bracelet from magazines (newspapers, designer paper).

Old magazines are cut into strips 2 cm wide and 4-5 cm long.Each strip is folded into a scroll (a small hole should be left inside). The edge is fixed with glue. The dried up scrolls are put on a thread. Depending on the number of scrolls, you can make both beads and a multi-tiered bracelet.

• Bright photo frames.

The frame blank and its back are cut from cardboard. The cardboard frame is painted with gouache, decorated with glue with sparkles (rhinestones, sequins). It is in addition varnished.

• Pendants on the Christmas tree and for home.

From branches, threads and beads, you can make small Christmas tree crafts. From cones and glue with sparkles will turn out excellent pendants for home decoration.

• Sled of sweets.

A pair of chocolate bars are glued together with a glue gun. Christmas candy hooks are glued to the sides. Purchased sweets and bars are glued on top. Additionally, you can decorate the craft with bows or ribbons.

Warm mittens

It is quite difficult to knit warm mittens on your own, so a simpler solution for making an unusual gift for mom or girlfriend will be knitting mitts. You can make them using the next step-by-step master class in the table. Please note that knitting is carried out using knitting needles.

Handmade candles

For the manufacture of original candles, you can use different silicone molds. The work of creating unique products is quite simple: in a water bath you need to melt paraffin or white candles grated.Next, the wick is immersed in the silicone form (you can use it from a finished candle or buy it separately), pour it with paraffin. After 3-4 hours, you can remove the candle from the mold. Candle decoupage technology is also very interesting. The work is carried out in stages according to the following scheme:

• The napkin selected for decoupage is divided into 2 (or 3) white leaves and one colored.
• From a colored sheet of napkin, details are cut that will be used for decoration.
• A white (preferably as thick as possible) candle is wrapped with fabric on the side with which work will not be carried out at the moment. A piece of napkin is applied to the left part, previously it can be wetted pointwise so that it does not move. The figure is blown with a hairdryer (due to the tissue behind, there will be no burning sensation on the arm). Blowing continues until paraffin is visible.
• The work is carried out for the remaining parts of the candle without decoupage.

Warm and comfortable plaid and other yarn products

DIY gifts made by yourself can be not only practical, but also give your owner special coziness and comfort. These presentations include knitwear. For example, using large yarn, you can knit a warm plaid. In this case, knitting itself will be carried out without the use of knitting needles or a hook - you need to knit such a plaid with your hands. To work, you need yarn with a thickness of 26-29 microns. For a children's plaid, about 10 skeins will be required, for an adult - 20-25. Knitting is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Hands typing a chain of 15-30 air loops.
2. From the second to the 7th row, the usual gum is knitted (it only fits by hand) with alternating front and back loops. With each new row, the wrong and front loops do not move and are located one above the other.
3. The main part (for example, another 10-15 rows) is knitted with facial loops. Knitting ends with 6 more rows of elastic.

Using this technology of hand knitting, you can make decorative pillowcases, snud or a regular scarf.

New Year's souvenir

You can make New Year's souvenirs for delivery to your friends, girlfriend or boyfriend from various materials at hand. Below we examined the most interesting workshops on making simple crafts:

• Christmas tree made of yarn.

A cone is made of cardboard. Green threads (regular or knitting) are soaked in PVA. The cone is wrapped with cling film, then wound tightly with thread. After drying, the Christmas tree is removed from the frame and decorated.

• Christmas tree toys from old lamps.

On old lamps you can draw a snowman, Santa Claus or Snow Maiden, Christmas tree. In the work you need to use a primer and acrylic paints.

• Christmas balls.

For the manufacture of souvenirs, plastic blanks for balls, consisting of two parts, will be required. Parts are disconnected, painted inside or filled with sparkles, tinsel. Then stick together.

Also you can sew cool pendants made of felt. To do this, you need to draw a cool and simple drawing, cut it into parts of different colors and transfer it to felt. Further, by stitching the details with the seams “forward needle”, “back needle” and a back seam, you can make bright toys. They can be filled with holofiber or synthetic winterizer. They can also be supplemented with tape or cord for hanging.

Photo gifts

Making gifts from photos requires the involvement of specialists, since it is simply impossible to make such non-standard gifts yourself. But the gifts you receive will always be appropriate: you can give them to parents, grandparents, friends or your soul mate. The most original options include:

• the calendar;

The calendar, each month of which is decorated with a new photograph, will help the donor always remember the support and love of his family and friends.

• phone case;

A good present for a friend. For the manufacture of such a cover, it is better to use funny and funny photos.

• tableware;

Mugs and even plates with cute photos of family or friends will look cool and cozy in any kitchen.

• decorative pillows;

Ideal for congratulations on the New Year holidays of his half. On pillows you can print joint photos.

• photo book.

Unlike a photo album, it is not filled with photos, but consists of pages with photos. The best can be considered photobooks from various collages. Such a gift can be given to parents and grandparents.

Sweets

Sweet gifts are ideal for presenting in honor of the New Year holidays to colleagues, relatives and relatives. And if not every person can make caramel on their own, then baking beautiful gingerbread cookies is as easy as shelling pears. The following recipe is recommended as a basis:

1. Mix 3 tbsp. honey and 2 tablespoons Sahara. Add to them 2 tsp. grated ginger, cinnamon and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to the pan and put on a small fire. When the mixture becomes liquid (do not bring to a boil!), Add 1 tsp. soda and 70 g butter, mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
2. Add 1.5 cups flour and 1 chicken egg to the mixture that has cooled to room temperature. Knead the dough until smooth and leave it for 15 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough and make figures using cookie cutters. Bake in the oven (on parchment) at a temperature of 180 degrees for about 10-13 minutes.

At the end of baking, gingerbread cookies can be decorated with icing, purchased pencils with food gels. The drawing should be applied to the completely cooled gingerbread cookies. Finished products after drying the gel must be packed in cellophane. It is better to give them in beautiful wicker baskets, you can hand them along with chocolates and candies.

According to a similar scheme, you can bake the "details" of the gingerbread house, and then assemble them into a three-dimensional figure, gluing together caramel or protein glaze.

Paintings in the style of string art

Fashionable paintings of carnations and threads are made without much difficulty. At the same time, you can present an original gift to both your girlfriend and your beloved parents. For work, a sheet of plywood, chipboard or a piece of board is usually used. Beginning needlewomen are encouraged to try working with a small and simple silhouette. Gradually increasing skill, you can move on to multi-color images and pictures with complex shapes. You can make an original and simple picture using the string art technique using the following master class:

1. Print the silhouette of an object, attach the paper to a sheet of plywood with masking tape.
2. Along the perimeter of the silhouette, drive small cloves into the board through the paper. Carefully remove the paper itself.
3. Fix the thread on one of the studs (so that the knot is barely visible) and proceed to pull the thread between the studs located on opposite sides.
4. Carefully tie the new thread (when used ends) to the old one and continue weaving. At the end of the work, fix the thread on the carnation and put it under the bottom of the picture.

Handmade postcards

First you need to make the basis of the future postcards. For this purpose, solid plain cardboard is suitable. A blank 15x20 cm in size should be cut from it. Then the card is folded in half. The outer part can be decorated with:

• Stickers and stickers (this option is perfect for congratulating a child or youth).
• Rhinestones (optionally with a marker you can make a congratulatory inscription).
• Scrapbooking kits (New Year's kits can be bought at any stationery store).
• Sequins, cuts from felt or foamiran and ribbons (they can be glued to silicone transparent glue from a tube).
• Clippings from old postcards and ribbons (you can use fabric ribbons or paper, which is recommended to be corrugated beforehand, bending from side to side to get an “accordion” or wrapping with scissors).

Handmade fragrant soap

Making aromatic soap does not require special skills and allows you to make a very cool and useful gift. You can give handmade soap to your beloved man, friend and colleague. For the simplicity of creating such a souvenir, it is recommended to initially purchase a textured silicone shape (for example, in the form of a snowflake, Christmas tree). Soap is made according to the following scheme:

1. The base (purchased or grated baby soap) is melted in a water bath. It is most convenient to work with a base of 100 g.
2. 1/3 teaspoon of fatty oil is added to the melted base. You can use coconut, wheat, almond oil.
3. Fragrance (3-5 drops) and dye (1 drop of liquid) are added to the prepared mixture. Everything is thoroughly mixed.
4. The mixture is poured into a silicone mold. After solidification (it can take from 12 hours to a day), the finished soap can be removed from the mold.

Aromatic bath bombs

A gift in the form of homemade aromatic bombs will surely appeal to every girl. Moreover, such products can be done by everyone. Below we talked about what ingredients such “cosmetics” are prepared step by step:

• In a glass container, mix 300 g of soda and 150 g of citric acid. It is better to sift the soda first.
• Add 10 ml of aromatic and 5 ml of ordinary (olive, almond or even sunflower refined) oil. Mix the ingredients quickly and thoroughly.
• Divide the prepared mixture into 2-3 parts. Leave one white, add dyes to the rest.
• Spray water into each container 1-2 times with spray water (but do this only before using different types of mixture). Fill the molds with multi-colored layers. Leave to dry for 3-5 hours in a dry room. Then transfer to a plastic bag.

In prepared mixtures, you can add not only dye, but also different sparkles.

Gifts from your baby

It is nice to surprise grandparents, aunts and uncles you and your baby can by making unusual New Year's gifts together. For example, you can make salted dough blanks and leave fingerprints on the legs and arms of a child.Then you only need to carefully trim the excess pieces of dough, bake it and paint it under snowmen, Christmas tree or Santa Claus. By a similar pattern, you can make funny postcards. On them, the child can leave their prints in different colors, which with a simple drawing of the muzzle, gluing the decor will turn into funny deer, bullfinches or Christmas trees. On the plastic Christmas balls (blanks), the baby can also leave their prints, and parents can decorate them with sparkles or draw funny faces if they wish. Children's prints can be a beautiful decoration for tacks, Christmas t-shirts.

How to pack a gift

Before giving a gift to the giver, it is necessary to take care of the beautiful packaging that can complement the present. The following master classes will help you choose simple and original packaging materials, as well as easily pack a gift with your own hands.

• Multilayer paper packaging (suitable for souvenirs, small gifts).

3-4 sheets of thin paper are stacked on top of each other with offset angles (the corners should not coincide). A gift is laid out in the center of the paper sheets. The corners of the paper rise up, the package itself is collected "bundle". The knot is tied with a ribbon, jute thread, can be decorated with a fabric bow or glued with stars from shiny paper, foil.

• Fabric packaging.

From a piece of fabric, you can sew a small bag in 10-15 minutes. You can also make a knot from it, according to the above master class. With a piece of cloth, you can simply wrap a rectangular, square box and carefully wrap with ribbons. For packaging, it is recommended to use textiles with New Year's motives: images of Christmas trees, balls or snowflakes.

Conclusion

With the help of our master classes, you can easily pick up the most interesting and creative gifts for your family and friends.For example, parents, grandparents can knit warm yarn products or prepare simple crafts with their children. A friend or girlfriend will definitely like an original New Year's souvenir, a candle or handmade soap. For lovers of sweets, you yourself can prepare a combined gift, which includes sweet food: gingerbread cookies, sweets, candies. Step-by-step instructions are easy to repeat at home. At the same time, the materials used are accessible to everyone and it will be easy and simple to work with them. In addition, take care of the beautiful packaging of the presentations: both paper and textile cuts can be used as wrapping materials.