Creative Homemade Gifts That Inspire

I love receiving homemade gifts. It is wonderful to see my friends’ creativity, and I really appreciate a present that took time to make. I always have the best intentions of making gifts for my friends each year. I have had the homemade bourbon vanilla extract recipe pinned on my Pinterest page for three years. The poor recipe sits and waits every year while I run out of time to make gifts, and end up heading to the mall like everyone else.

This year is different! I have made not ONE homemade gift, but THREE homemade gifts!! All three are incredibly easy to make.

Let’s start with the mugs

I found the idea on Glued to My Crafts. I pretty much followed all of her steps; I just went for a more subtle look with my dots.

You will need:
– Ceramic mugs (I bought mine at the Dollar Tree)
– Stickers to create your design (you can find these at most craft stores)
– Latex gloves
– Rubbing alcohol and cotton balls
– Sharpie oil-based paint markers – It is important that you use oil-based markers. If you use regular Sharpie markers, it will wash off!

Put on the latex gloves and clean the mugs with the rubbing alcohol. You want to make sure there are no oils on the mugs, so the paint will stick better.

Once the alcohol is dry, apply the sticker(s). Make sure the edges are pressed down, so ink does not bleed underneath.

Prepare the paint pen according to the instructions on the pen, and then begin making your dots.

Once you are done with the dots, let the paint completely dry. Remove the sticker(s).

Then place in a cold oven, and set the oven for 350 degrees. Make sure you have adequate ventilation.

Leave the mugs in the oven for 30 minutes. Once finished, turn off the oven, and leave the mugs in the oven to cool.

Now for the lip gloss

This one is so easy too! The recipe is called “10 minute DIY Lip Balm” from Happiness is Homemade, and it really does only take 10 minutes! It will probably take you longer to order the supplies! I found almost everything I needed on Amazon.

Here is what you need:

3 tablespoons of beeswax pellets
2 tablespoons of shea butter
4 tablespoons of coconut oil (I got mine at Trader Joes, but you can find it at most supermarkets)
Flavor oil (1/2 dram) or essential oils (10-20 drops) (optional)
Mica cosmetic powders or old lipstick (optional)
Cosmetic pots or tubes*
Labels (optional)

*This recipe filled 25 of the 5 gram-size pots

Add the beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl or 4 cup measuring cup (this makes pouring into the pots easier). If you are adding color, you can add it in now.

Microwave everything in 30 second increments. Stir thoroughly after each 30 seconds. The beeswax can be stubborn, but you will find stirring will help them dissolve. Continue microwaving in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until everything is dissolved.

Next, add the flavor oil or essential oil and stir well. I chose cherry flavor (okay, I’ll be honest, my 6 year old chose cherry flavor), but the great thing about adding flavor is that it makes a great gift for little girls too! It smells just like Cherry ChapStick.

Fill the pots. I lined up all of mine ahead of time, and was ready to go! You will want to pour quickly, but carefully. As you can see, I dripped a couple of times. It is hard to keep a steady hand with kids running back and forth behind you!

Once they are cool, you can put the lids on. They are totally cute without labels, but I chose to make labels to tie the look together with my soap. I found a template on Avery’s website, but I purchased smaller label sheets (#5410), so I adapted the original label to suite my needs. You can access my version here.

Last, but not least, the Goats Milk and Honey Soap!

I found the recipe for this one on Happiness is Homemade as well.

I stole a bar of this for myself, and I have been using it in the shower. It is really lovely! Subtly scented and moisturizing!

Here is what you will need:

1 lb (half the block), Goat’s Milk Soap Base
Silicone Soap Mold*
3 tbsp Organic Raw Honey
Yellow and Red Soap Colorant (optional)**

*The soap molds I used measured 2.9 x 1.9 x 1 inch. This recipe will make 6, 3 oz bars.
** If you don’t use colorant, your soap will be white, with a touch of honey color.

Cut up 1 lb of soap base into cubes with a kitchen knife, and place in a 4 cup measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the soap base in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until the soap is melted.

Once the soap is completely melted, add in 3 drops of yellow colorant and 1 drop of red (this will give you the golden, honey color).

Next, add in the 3 tablespoons of honey. Stir well, and put back in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir well once more, and pour into your molds.

Let the soap cool completely. Once the soap is cool and firm, remove from the molds.

To make the labels, I took the bee image from the lip gloss label, created rectangle strips and added font to it as well. I wrapped it around the soap, and used a small glue dot to seal the ends together. You can find the labels here.

Ta-da!