By Rania Dawud

For me, making gifts for loved one is an art. Whether it is for a birthday, graduation or any other joyous occasion, I very much prefer to DIY my own gifts. I can be extremely indecisive when shopping, so I opt to make the gift myself whenever I can. 

It is an old habit that began with granting each of my friends a personalized birthday present with doodles all over it when we were still in primary school; today, my nice gesture has advanced to a full-on craft session whenever a particular occasion is near. 

I understand that not all of us might be artistically-inclined, but that doesn’t have to be an issue here. 

I honestly believe that homemade gifts are an incredibly sweet gesture regardless of artistic ability, as it shows the person that you put thought and effort into their gift as opposed to buying someone the first piece of pretty jewellery or décor that you come across. 

So here are some great ideas for DIY gifts you can give to someone you love: 

Embroidery

Luckily, the basic stitches for embroidery are simple to learn with various tutorials found online. With cloth, embroidery floss and a needle, you could draw out a simple symbol or phrase relevant to your loved one and stitch it. After that, leave it in the hoop or put it into a frame, and that way you have made your own décor to be hung. 

Knitted scarf

This might be a trickier gift to make but knitting someone you love a simple scarf or socks might as well be a love language of its own. If you know how to knit, you’re in luck, but if not, I’m sure your loved one would greatly appreciate the effort you’ve gone through on their behalf just to give them a scarf they can brave the winter in. 

A collage

One of my favourite gifts to give, and it is an especially easy one to make. This can be done either digitally or on paper, whereby you gather photographs and scraps from personal photos, old magazines and catalogues, and assemble them into a collage representing the person you’re gifting it to. Bonus points if you’re able to put together a whole scrapbook. 

A kit

A sweet gift idea is to put together a kit relating to the person you’re giving it to. It could be made out of artifacts, tools and items related to a hobby or interest of theirs. Or it could be a relaxation kit with fuzzy socks, soap and a scented candle. If they like to read, it could include bookmarks, stationary and a novel. If they like to work out, it could feature a reusable water bottle, mini shower essentials and a headband, etc. 

A letter 

I refuse to acknowledge that handwritten letters are a dead medium and that’s why I take advantage of any opportunity to write them. Write a heartfelt letter to your loved one describing how you feel about them and tell them how grateful you are to have them in your life. You could put dried flowers in the envelope for a special touch as well.  

Printed T-shirt/Mug

This is the simplest gift idea on this list, even though it’s not necessarily DIY. With a beloved photo of the two of you, you could send a plain t-shirt or mug to a printing station and have the image printed for you. That way, you turn a beloved memory into something tangible to be carried around with them. 

Happy crafting!