hand making gifts - got some ideas, need better ones....

Post Reply New Topic

I have 3 birthdays coming up (1 friend, 2 family - all females) which I need to make a present for. 2 out of 3 of these people usually hand make gifts for me and I'm aiming to hand make gifts for all 3. Money's really tight too which is another reason for hand made gifts. Time is also tight as I'm a student.

I would usually do some metal work - jewellery or small sculpture but I'm a real perfectionist with it so if I don't have heaps of time there's no point trying. I can also draw, hand sew, machine sew (nothing complicated) do some basic wood work, some basic painting, lino prints, screen printing (but that might take too much time to set up). So I've been thinking of hand sewing felt wallets, lino or screen printing t-shirts, painting on small canvasses (the type you buy with canvas stretched over a board), painting or printing coasters... and that's about it really.

I'm looking for maybe more ideas? Things that are fairly simple to make but look nice and would be nice to receive as a gift. Would it be disappointing to get a set of hand-painted coasters? I know its personal because of the painted part but maybe also a bit boring?

Can anyone help with ideas and suggestions?

Probably depend on how much time you stuck into the "hand-painted coasters".

You say time is tight, I would of said a wooden bracelet or necklace. But you say you go overboard. Maybe come up with a simple symbol type one, that is fast to replicate for the bracelet for each section & a string binding in the middle.

Or a simple symbol necklace, That like has the moon on the outside & something on the inside. or a circle with something that can spin on the inside.

Just don't go overboard with detail. Just think minimalist.

Necklace Click here

Bracelet Click here