DIY Gifts to Make in a Day
Are you a procrastinator when it comes to finding gifts for loved ones? Don’t worry, I am too! Fortunately, I have plenty of quick and easy DIY gifts to make in a day if you’re scrambling for gifts for teachers, moms or girlfriends.
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The Perfect Last-Minute DIY Gifts
We’ve all been there before. You have just a few days before a friend’s birthday or Mother’s Day, but you want a gift that shows how much you care. You want something that looks put together and not thrown together.
I’ve collected some of my favorite handmade gifts below that you can make in just a matter of minutes or hours.
An Amazon Prime membership comes in handy for some of the supplies, but you can also find many materials at your local craft store.
Lavender Sugar Scrub (Free Printable Tags)
Learn how to make a DIY sugar scrub with this easy recipe using lavender essential oils and dried lavender buds.
This lavender sugar scrub is great for stress relief and exfoliates and moisturizes dry skin at the same time! The best part is…it takes less than 10 minutes to make! Plus, get FREE printable labels and tags.
Peppermint Sugar Scrub (Free Labels)
You can also use a similar recipe for this peppermint sugar scrub. This combo makes a great DIY Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. It’s also a perfect gift for teachers around the holidays.
Handmade Earrings with Cricut
Learning how to make earrings with Cricut doesn’t take long, and these leather earrings make a great gift for any occasion!
You can find all types of lovely leather (real or faux) to customize your earrings in various shapes. Add foil iron-on vinyl for extra bling like the mandala motif above.
Pounded Flower Art
Who knew pounding flowers with a hammer could create such beautiful results? This DIY flower pounding art is simple enough for kids to make (with adult supervision), and you’ll have loads of fun in the process.
Lavender and Rice Heating Pad
Learn how to make a lavender heating pad with rice that smells good, feels good and looks good, too! This lavender-scented microwavable heating pad is easy enough as a beginner sewing project, and you can choose a no-sew version as well.
DIY Potpourri with Dried Flowers
Learn how to make homemade potpourri to give as gifts or preserve special memories. Get tips on drying flowers for this craft and making your DIY potpourri last longer.
DIY Tea Towels with Image Transfers
Make these beautiful handmade tea towels with any design you like! These farmhouse towels make the perfect DIY gifts for a hostess or housewarming present. It’s easy to make these in minutes with my simple technique.
Decoupage Wooden Spoons
Make beautiful decoupage wooden spoons using Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, and bamboo kitchen utensils. This makes a great DIY gift in a matter of minutes! Use these decorative spoons as a hostess gift, birthday gift, housewarming gift, or Mother’s Day gift.
DIY Farmhouse Flour Sack Towels
Make DIY flour sack dish towels for French country or farmhouse style decor. These striped kitchen towels make a great home decor accent, and you can give them away as gifts for birthdays and holidays!
Lavender Room Spray
The soothing scent of lavender is always a good idea for a gift. This diy room spray recipe requires only a few ingredients and can be used on pillows, linens, or sachets.
Magnetic Picture Frame Project
Learn how to repurpose old picture frames with decoupage and paint to create a magnetic recipe card holder. This would be a fun way to present someone with a baked gift and corresponding recipe cards.
Painted Tote Bag with Stencils
Upgrade a plain canvas tote bag with just a little paint and a stencil. Check out these tote bag painting ideas and learn what technique and paints to use. A tote would make the perfect personalized gift for someone.
DIY Farmhouse Sign
Make beautiful DIY farmhouse signs to give as gifts for friends or family. All you’ll need is a piece of wood and a few simple materials! This tutorial includes options to use a Cricut or Cameo machine or hand-painted lettering directly onto the wood. The best part about this sign construction is you can make the sign reversible to use it for multiple holidays!
Easy Decoupage Wood Sign
Learn how to make DIY wood signs the easy way with this quick beginner project. This is such an easy decoupage project, even the kids can help!
DIY T-Shirt with Love Design for Cricut /Cameo
If you’re looking for Cricut Valentine’s Day shirt ideas, here’s a free heart SVG you can pick up. Get tips on making a DIY t-shirt with heat-transfer vinyl using a cute buffalo plaid pattern.
Clay Trinket Trays
Air-dry clay is very beginner-friendly, and you can whip up these jewelry trinket trays in no time. While it may take more than a day for the clay to dry, the active time is only a few hours.
Fingerprint Flower Pots
This ladybug fingerprint flower pot makes such a sentimental gift! I chose to decorate it with ladybugs, but you could choose another insect like butterflies or bees.
DIY Pressed Flower Art Using a Microwave
Remember pressing flowers as a kid? With this easy technique, you can make pressed flower art in a matter of minutes (not months) and create unique artwork that’s sentimental, too. This would make a great keepsake for someone special if you use flowers that have special meaning.
DIY Pressed Flower Wall Art
Make your own pressed flower wall art to display as home decor using a completely different technique. This easy one-hour project is budget-friendly and completely customizable. Choose any color and any style of herb or flower to coordinate with your decor.
Easy Pressed Flower Bookmarks
For a sweet and easy handmade gift, grab some acrylic bookmark blanks to make these pressed flower bookmarks. It’s a simple way to create a unique gift for book lovers.
Pressed Flower Lanterns
Recycle Oui yogurt jars to make adorable pressed flower lanterns. These mini candleholders went mini-viral in this Instagram reel that shows the process.
Fill the candleholders with LED votives or tea lights to create a calming ambience.
DIY Macrame Plant Hanger
Give the gift of a retro boho-chic macrame plant hanger to the plant-lover in your life. It’s the perfect accessory for a hanging basket.
DIY Birdhouse Woodworking Project
Get free plans to make this simple DIY bird house with scrap wood. The birds will love it, and it looks adorable in a garden, too!
Elegant DIY Cake Stand
This simple DIY cake stand is easy to make and looks beautiful as a pedestal or cupcake display. It’s the perfect gift for someone who loves to entertain at home.
DIY Engraved Cutting Board
With a laser engraving machine, you can make personalized charcuterie boards for any occasion. Once you have the xTool M1 machine, you can whip up a custom laser cut cutting board in about an hour.
Custom Foiled Stationery
You can also make custom stationery with the xTool M1 Ultra. Print any design you like, and add gold or silver foil around the edges. The machine can even draw a message with pens!
DIY Etched Glass Gift
Learn how to etch glass using a
Fabric Charger Plates
Give plain charger plates an upgrade with your favorite fabric. Find out how to make these DIY charger plates for the perfect giftable decor item. It’s easier than you think, and you can buy plain charger plates at the dollar store!
Easy Mosaic Flower Pots
These mosaic flower pots are the perfect addition to a container garden. Get tips for making your own with thrifted or broken plates. Anyone with a love for gardening would enjoy this gift.
Painted Terracotta Pots
These painted terracotta pots add charm and elegance to any patio. Get tips on how to paint terracotta pots to give as gifts to teachers, family, and friends.
Fabric Covered Flower Pots
Learn how to make your own fabric flower pots using Mod Podge. This is a great way to use up old fabric scraps and beautify your patio garden.
Decoupage Flower Pots with Napkins
Learn how to make beautiful decoupage flower pots with paint, napkins, and Mod Podge Outdoor. This is a great way to upgrade plain terracotta pots to create a stunning container garden on a covered porch or patio.
Crochet or Knitting Subscription
If you’re short on time, you can always pick up a Hooks & Needles crochet or knitting box. This craftsy kit comes with everything needed to start a yarn craft at any skill level. Use the code Crissy20 to get 20% off the first box here. Cancel any time.
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Drop me a comment to let me know which of these homemade gifts you plan to try! Happy gifting!
Such great ideas, Crissy. I always love a sentimental homemade gift.
I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Thanks so much, Jen! I hope you enjoy Mother’s Day with your family. Sometimes I get so swept up in preparing for the holiday I forget it’s supposed to be for us, too. Ha!
All of these are so creative! I think the wooden spoons are my favorite!
Thanks so much, Michelle! I appreciate you stopping by, and I’m glad you like the spoons!