Sometimes you need more than just a card to let someone know how much you really appreciate what they do for you, but where do you find a personal gift that says more than just, “I picked this up at the store”? The answer is that you make the thank you gift. A DIY (do it yourself) thank you gift is great because it can reflect who you are and you can personalize it for the person you are giving it to. Another great feature is that you don’t have to spend a load of money to have a classy DIY gift that shows your level of appreciation. If you are looking for some great DIY thank you gift ideas then check these ones out.
Wine & Cheese Basket
A wine & cheese basket is a real fun do it your self gift that is great for anyone who likes assorted wines. This is a real simple do it yourself project that doesn’t require you to have a crafty bone in your body to make it look good. For this project you will need 1 or 2 bottles of wine (depending on price), 1 block of cheese (you can pick the kind), 1 box of crackers (Ritz type), summer sausage (optional), a medium size basket, shredded paper (white & colored from your shredder), a card, and a bow. To finish off the basket take the white & colored shredded paper and put it in the basket. Next take your bottles of wine, cheese, sausage, and 1 or 2 sleeves of crackers and place them it the basket as well. To finish tie the bow around the basket and sign the card. Voila, you have an amazing basket that looks professionally done. This basket can run you around $30 to $40 depending on how much you spend on the wine.
Cookie Tray
Cookies are a great thank you gift for everyone, especially people with kids. The great thing about this project is that you can totally suck at baking and still wind up with a great end result. There is a little trick I have when I use this gift and it is called Betty Crocker cookie mix in a bag. These great little packages require 1 egg and a couple sticks of butter for most packages. After mixing all you have to do is make sure the cookies don’t burn in the oven. Betty Crocker cookie mix comes in sugar (tastes like homemade), peanut butter, chocolate chip, double chocolate, oatmeal, and a few other types. All you need is one or two bags of mix and a medium to large size tray (which you can find at a dollar store) and you have yourself a tasty DIY gift that costs less than $10 and is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Memory Book
A picture is worth a thousand words and is a great way to express your gratitude. If you are saying thank you to someone who helped you out with something and you happen to have photos of then occasion then why not organize the photos in a nice way where that person can look at them over and over again? For this project you will need photos of the event, a small photo album, and some decorations for the front cover (you can get them in the scrap book section of your local craft store). All you need to do is arrange the pictures in the photo album and then decorate the front cover. For decorations you can find appropriate themed designs in the craft section of your local craft store and then use some glue to attach them. All in all you will spend around $15 and will have a great gift that can be cherished over and over again.
Handmade Scarf
A handmade scarf is a really fun gift that says thank you and can be used over and over again by the person who receives it. This is a very popular gift to give in my family. My mom uses it for teacher’s gifts and they always go crazy for them. If you cannot crochet or knit then you shouldn’t worry, because you can find a basic tutorial on the Internet or in a book at your local craft store. Since you are only making a long rectangle it is a pretty basic pattern. All you need for this project is 1 or 2 skeins of yarn and crochet hook or knitting needles. With a bit of practice you will have a sure fire gift that you can give over and over again to say “thank you.”
Hand Painted Craft
A lot of people are into crafts and love to get crafty gifts. For this project you will need to head to your local craft store and go to the ceramic section or wood crafts section. You can then pick out a little ceramic statue (or other item) or you can pick out a wood project to do. You will also need paints and a paint brush to complete this project. Good craft ideas are Americana projects like flags, Uncle Sam, etc. or you can pick wooden boxes or bowls. You can pretty much pick any project you think that the person it is for would like. After you finish the project then wrap it up and add a card and you are ready to give it.
When making your own thank you gifts remember that it is the thought that counts. They don’t have to be expensive to look nice. Just put your heart into the project and the gift will come out good and the person receiving it will know how much you appreciate them.
