Quick Handmade Gift Ideas (in 3 hours or less)

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Happy weekend, you guys! Yesterday (ok, technically it was 2 days ago) I wrote about 5 ways to give meaningful gift, and today I'm digging deeper into handmade gifts. Yes, they're my all time favorite gifts to give. I so appreciate it whenever someone takes the time to make me something, and I love giving things I've made specially for the people I love. But, there's an obvious but, isn't there? Handmade does tend to take up way more time than a trip to the mall, or shopping online (all though, yes, finding something specific can also be tricky and time-consuming). All I'm saying is that it can feel over-whelming. So, here are some ideas for handmade gifts that can be created in 3 hours or less. (I sorted them into categories, so I could squeeze more in).

1. Jewelry - unlike garment-sewing, jewelry making takes a lot less time and commitment. And, there are so many cute and easy, beginner-friendly projects out there. Also, it's one of those gifts that no women is ever really bummed about (I've never heard a girl say "Ah, man, these earrings I got are so lame"). You can check out all my past jewelry tutorials right here. And, I linked all the wonderful jewelry projects seen above right below the picture.

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2. Accessories - if the person doesn't wear a lot of jewelry, you could go for other accessories like bags, scarves, headpieces. You can browse my past projects in the DIY accessories section. You could make a cute clutch (like this or this), a pencil case, a business card holder (likes this or this), a (sun)glasses case, a pouch, a wallet, or something to hold tech in (like this iPad case). There are a lot of of great tutorials to choose from. Lately I've been searching Pinterest instead of Google for DIY tutorials.

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3. House ware. Who doesn't need a new personalized mug (I love this one and these), or tea towels, or pot holders, place mats, throw pillows, or pretty decor (like these cute trees, or these ornaments)? You can always customize a store bought items by adding a painted pattern, or writing, or screen print.

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4. Stationary. I think that snail mail is definitely going to make a comeback, so why not make a bunch of recycled or custom envelopes. Maybe add in some hand-painted pencils, and a notebook, or create custom stickers (tutorial coming next week) to go with the set. I'm definitely a sucker for pretty stationary.

I hope you got some ideas for quick and easy handmade gifts. I know I did :)

xo. Hanna