5 Fast DIY Holiday Gifts

'Tis the season for gift giving! I love creating handmade treats to give as hostess gifts, to hand out to coworkers, or to simply add an extra touch to a store-bought gift. To get you inspired for some DIY gift giving, I'm sharing five of my personal favourite ideas.

1. Festive Bottle Stoppers

Photo: DomestiKatedLife

I bought plain, unfinished bottle corks and coloured in the stopper with a silver metallic permanent marker, followed by a light brush of glue and matching silver glitter. Once they've dried, a drop of super glue is all you need to hold an ornament in place on top of the stopper. I think they'd look great tied to a bottle of wine for a last-minute hostess gift!

2. Cookie Mix Jars

Photo: DomestiKatedLife

Grab a package of chocolate chips from the grocery store; using the recipe on the back measure out all the dry ingredients, layering them one by one in a mason jar. Next, write the recipe out on a pretty piece of paper and stick it on top of the jar. Finally, adorn the front with a personalized message and some ribbon. How easy is that?

3. Monogrammed Mugs

Photo: DomestiKatedLife

I found some plain white oversized latte mugs for this project. You also need permanent markers and some fun treats to fill the mugs with. Draw a design on the mug with the marker. I practised free-hand on a piece of paper a couple of times before I started to draw on the mug or you could use a stencil. Once you're done, pop the mug in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes to set the ink. Then, fill the mug with seasonal sweets—I chose peppermint ribbon candy—and tie it up with a ribbon!

4. Mulling Spice Kits

Photo: DomestiKatedLife

This mulling spice kit is a super simple idea that would be great for hostess or teacher gifts—and it'll take you only about five minutes to put together. I purchased some stacking organizers and in each layer added in a different spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, anise, and allspice are common mulling spices you can use. Pick the ones you like best! After the containers were filled, I stacked them back up and tied some whole cinnamon sticks to the container with a festive red ribbon. Consider pairing these with a bottle of red wine, some spice-bags, and a little handwritten note with your favourite mulled-wine recipe!

5. Rhinestone Filled Ornaments

Photo: DomestiKatedLife

To make these, I purchased clear ornaments from my local craft store and filled them up with rhinestones in various colours, shapes, and sizes. Then, I added a bright pink silk ribbon to the top for hanging. You could also use glitter or strips of cut up paper in various colours—get creative! They would make great adornments for the top of Christmas presents.