Last-Minute Gift Ideas - Easy DIY Gifts for Christmas and Birthdays

Do you have all the gifts you need for Christmas or a birthday or other occasions? If there is no time to run out and buy one or shop online, you might already have supplies at home to make one of these last-minute gift ideas!

Handmade gifts are often much more appreciated anyway than store-bought gifts. Since we are all staying home more during this pandemic, why not try something new and make a few gifts yourself? These are super easy – I promise.

Last-Minute Gift Ideas – Easy DIY Gifts They’ll Love

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Also check out this gift guide I just posted:

Best Quarantine Gifts that will make staying home a lot more fun!

These Last-Minute Gift ideas

will only take a few minutes
don’t require a lot of materials
don’t require much skill or talent
some are so easy that kids can make them

DIY LEGO Soap Dispenser

This is a no-brainer gift for kids. We want them to wash their hand all the time, especially right now, and this soap dispenser with LEGOs makes it fun for them!

All you need to make this is a mason jar with a lid, and a pump. I usually repurpose the pumps that come with hand soap or similar products, but you can find them on Amazon as well.

Follow the link to my easy tutorial to make this LEGO soap dispenser of how to get the pump into the top of the mason jar lid. Then just add soap and LEGOs!

If you want to make it even more simple for yourself, then buy these clear soap dispensers that come with pumps and pretty stickers.

The disadvantage is that since the opening is smaller, you’ll only be able to add very small LEGO pieces into the soap dispenser.

DIY Container Magnets

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Upcycle a can into a pretty pen holder for the fridge! Or you could make this for your desk or kitchen counter. I made a pen holder by upcycling a tomato paste can:

All you need for this gift is a small can and magnet strips that have strong adhesive on one side.

DIY Ice Cream Kit

This is pretty self-explanatory, right? Recycle a box and fill it with yummy goodies like waffle cones and toppings — the recipient just has to add ice cream!

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Here are those cute little mason jars for the sprinkles, etc.

DIY Shadow Box Bank

Is someone you know saving up for something expensive? Do you know someone you’d like to gift money, but you want to find a clever way to do it? Then this is the perfect gift!

Just find a picture of that desired item and put it inside the shadow box with the first deposit. Voila — instant gift.

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If you don’t have a shadow box, I guess you could also just frame a dollar note and write something like “Open in case of emergency” or something similarly clever on the glass.

DIY Dreamcatcher With an Embroidery Hoop

If you have an embroidery hoop and some fabric or a doily, you can make a DIY dreamcatcher!

And here is another last-minute DIY gift you can personalize for the person who receives it:

Embroidery Hoop Wall Decor

DIY Bowl Out of Air-Drying Clay

Press a doily or something else with a patters into air-drying clay to make a pretty bowl!

This is such an easy DIY gift that your kids can make their own bowls. Let the clay dry for one day, and then you can paint the bowl. Click on the source for my full tutorial.

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DIY Ornaments or Gift Tags Out of Cornstarch Clay

Don’t want to run to the craft store for air drying clay?

Then make your own out of 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 cup baking soda, and 3/4 cup water. Bake at 175. It’s supposed to be better than salt dough.

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I remember making dough with salt and flour and water as a kid and making ornament with it for my parents. It was a lot of fun, and I might just do this this weekend with my son.

Soda Bottle Painting

What a genius idea, similar to this ingenious celery stalk rose! Repurpose a soda bottle to make this easy artwork on inexpensive canvases.

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Don’t have a canvas? I guess you could also make this on paper and then frame it later for a pretty handmade gift.

Enjoy making one or more of these last-minute DIY gift ideas — obviously they would make great gifts all year for all kinds of occasion, not just Christmas or Hanukkah.

If you have a little more time, you might want to make your DIY candles as gifts – or for yourself! Most commercial candles are made with toxic wax, so I have been making my own soy wax candles for years.

Here is my very detailed tutorial to make easy container candles. It usually takes me about an hour to make 10 candles.

Container Candle Making for Beginners

If you want many more gift ideas, you’d like these gift guide posts!

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