The twinkling lights, smell of peppermint, and mistletoe in the doorway can only mean one thing: it’s the holidays; and with the holidays can come a rather hefty price tag. Try your hand at these DIY gifts to add that special personal touch to your friends.

Baked Treats

If you’re looking for an easy and inexpensive alternative to purchasing a large number of individual gifts, why not bake them something gooey and delicious? There are plenty of festive treats such as candy cane bark, snowman cupcakes, and gingerbread cookies. These can be made in large quantities for a rather small fee. Just bake up some goods, place on a festive plate or tin, and share!

Homemade Air Freshener

Who doesn’t like their space to smell nice and fresh? Grab a glass jar, some fun fabric, ribbon, baking soda, and scented oil. Fill the jar with baking soda and add in some of the scented oil. Remember, a small amount of the oil will go a long way. Do not go overboard! Mix the two together within the jar. Take the fabric and cut out a circle large enough to cover the top of the jar. Grab some ribbon to attach the fabric around the jar to seal it. For a rather small price, you now have a great smelling air freshener to share with your family and friends during the holidays.

Oil Picture

Instead of going out and getting a picture frame for your photo gift, why not mix it up a bit with this unique photo display. All you need is a quart sized Mason jar with a lid, a 4×6 black and white photo, vegetable oil, and glue. Take the photo and add a few dabs of glue to the back of it and adhere it to the back of the inside of the Mason jar. Let the glue dry for a few moments. Next, fill the jar with vegetable oil, seal the lid, and you’re done! This is a neat twist to the stereotypical picture frame idea and adds a vintage feel to any photograph.

Homemade Body Scrub

All you need is some raw sugar, vegetable oil, and a scent of your choice. The best part about this gift is that each of these “ingredients” comes in rather large portions, making it a great gift to give numerous individuals. Take a clean glass jar and fill it a little over halfway with the raw sugar. Top off the jar with vegetable oil and mix the two together.  In order to make the mixture smell divine, essential oils work well and offer a variety of different scents. These can be found at craft stores, beauty suppliers, and health food stores. Add in a few drops and mix. Close up the jars and tie a festive bow around them and voila! You now have a budget friendly and awesome smelling body scrub to give out!

Energy in a Jar

With finals, the holidays and the New Year quickly approaching it is easy for individuals to feel drained and in need of a pick-me-up. Fill a jar with items such as Clif Bars, different flavors of hot chocolate or tea, a few candies, or anything else you can think of to help one finish off their day strong. It is the perfect gift for someone who is constantly on the move. Finish the jar off with a colorful ribbon and note to tie the whole thing together in one neat package.