Massive Gift Idea Post (complete with tutorials and links!)

[swansong19.livejournal.com]

A week or two ago I asked if there would be any interest in a post with all of the Christmas gift ideas I'd gathered because I was starting really early, and the answer was a resounding yes...so here you go.



Ok, so, a little bit of background. I’m a 19 year old college student who has very little time to craft but a lot of craft ambition. I also choose to craft for a lot of people, so I have a lot of work to do (and tend towards the crafts that can be made in bulk, or that involve lesser amounts of work but still turn out good products). I do a little bit of everything: knitting and crocheting (but I tend towards the simpler projects of both), paper crafts, jewelry, soap making and beauty making, candle making, etc. I don’t quilt and I don’t sew very well (not even hand sewing). Being a young college student, I also have no friends with babies and none that are getting married in the near future- so there are none of those types of crafts either. My biggest gifts this year are going to be record/CD bowls filled with little crafted trinkets, so there are an abundance of smaller things.

With that said, this a massive post- right around 100 links, and I plan on adding as much as I can in later times. All separated by general categories as best I could with as little overlap as possible, and I tended towards posts that were also tutorials with pictures. Drawn from here, Craftster, Knitty Sew Mama Sew, and numerous other blogs. A + means that I’ve made it before and liked it.


Advent Calendars

3d joke tree calendar

Yoyo Advent Calendar

Matchbox advent calendars and ideas on what to fill it with

Quilted Advent Calendars
Other ideas: simple chain, scavenger hunt (clue one day leads you to clue the next day…last clue leads you to a Christmas present. Supersuper cute idea.)


Christmas Cards

+ Holly Wreath Prick ‘N Stitch

+ Christmas Tree Prick ‘N Stitch

+ Iris Folding Tutorial

+ More iris fold ideas, tips, and patterns

+ Button Card Shown as a Valentine’s day card, but it’s super cute with green buttons as a Christmas tree or as an ornament or something.

Shaving Cream Cards

Matchbook cards

+ Paper Weaving Tutorial Super cute using green paper and covered up with a tree shape, or similar Christmas ideas

Sliceform pop-up tree tutorial
Other good ideas for cards: Stamped cards (potato stamps, apple stamps, or eraser stamps carved with exacto knives give them a cute homey look)


Christmas Ornaments

+ Kusudama - use heavy paper or some kind of sealer

+ Snowman lightbulb ornament - these can also be Santas, reindeer, angels, or penguins.

Painted Jars based off the style of ornaments above

+ How to make a button wire letter

Harry Potter Snitch ornament

+ Paper orb ornaments

Glittered Lightbulb Ornament

Gumdrop Ornaments

Cardboard tube snowflakes

+ Cinnamon Ornaments

Beaded letters

More paper ornaments

Button wreath ornament

+ Melted Snowman Ornament

+ Quilled Snowflake Ornament

Paper Heart Ornaments

Beaded Snowflake Ornament

Tin can stars


Crochet

+ Octopus

Crochet Pi

Crochet Snowman


Knitting

Venezia Beaded Wire Napkin Rings

Woodins Stuffed Toys

Stuffed Penguin Toy

Stuffed Nautilus

Norberta the Stuffed Dragon

Knitted Calla Lilies

Lion Wash Cloth

Bath Puff

Washcloths with messages

Mini mitten ornaments

Knitter’s ornament


Hostess gifts/home ideas

Woven button coaster

Hot Chocolate in a Jar and in a cone

+ Frosted Glasses

Skittles Vodka

Ice Candles


Jewelry

+ Melted bead star earrings

+ Chainmail bracelet made out of washers Super easy and look a lot harder to make than they are.

Button Bracelet


Bowls

+ + + Record Bowls My favorite thing ever. The best received present I’ve ever given was the year where I made these filled with handmade soaps, journals, bath salts, mix CDs, playdough, slinkies, etc and gave them to all my friends.

+ CD bowls

Doily Bowl


Easy stocking stuffers/miscellaneous small gifts

+ Decorated thumb tacks I’ve also made these with gold thumbtacks sanded down a bit and painted white, because I can’t find the white ones where I live

+ Origami Folded CD cases These are really impressive made out of heavy cardstock. I’ve also cut out triangles of Christmas themed paper and

How to make your own coloring books

+ Make your own notebooks The more varied papers you can make this with, the better- they’ve been huge hits for me!

+ Candybar Snowmen

Goldfish in a Bag soap

Pretzel Sticks

Oreo Balls

Stuffed Felt Snail

Maze Book Tutorial

+ Lucky Wishing Stars These are super impressive made in metallic colors as a wreath or hanging off of a gift tag

Organza flowers

Cross Stitched Tetris ornaments

Bath tea

Loofah melt and pour

Magazine Envelopes These are really cute as part of a stationery set- I like including heavyweight cardstock with pictures from the same magazine decoupaged in the corners as letterwriting paper.
Other good ideas: keychains or keyrings, melt and pour soap, flower pens


Wrapping Ideas

Gift Card boxes

+ Magazine Gift Bows


Helpful idea threads

Wild Wrapping Jobs and again and again

Inexpensive bulk gifts and again and again and again and again

Ideas for flat, mailable things to put in cards

Christmas ornament ideas

I *think* these should all be working now, let me know if not. (And I hope this is ok to post here...it's a gift idea post, not an asking for gift help post?)