DIY + Handmade Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Good Cheer

What to Put in a Beach-Themed Gift Basket or Bag for Her

This beach season, you’re probably looking to add something more to your bag than suntan lotion and the newest teen vampire novel-although you totally want both of those too. You want to rock the sun [read more]

DIY Summer Wedding Favors Guests Can Take Home

Bay E

From outdoor receptions under the sun to an ice cream cart for guests and bouquets filled with peonies and lavender, summer weddings fill the air with a refreshing warmth and relaxation. As I daydream about [read more]

DIY Thoughtful Gifts for Your Best Friend to Celebrate Friendship

Justina H

My apartment looks calm and neat at first glance, but I’ve got a deep, dark secret that’s just waiting to burst free. Lurking deep beneath a table in the dining room, hidden behind a curtain, [read more]

Celebrating National Sugar Cookie Day With Recipes That Kids Can Make

Bay E

Comedian Gary Gulman said it best when he said, “Every cookie is a sugar cookie. A cookie without sugar is a cracker.” Sugar cookies have a reputation for being a bit basic in the baking [read more]

Fun Things for an Only Child to Do Outside This Summer

Justina H

I’ll be the first to admit that when I was a kid, my favorite part of summer vacation was holing up in the den, shades drawn, so I could watch cartoons all day while eating [read more]

The Best Traditional Kwanzaa Gifts to Make and Give

Brian B

Kwanzaa has always been one of the world’s most exciting holidays, especially in North America. It is a burst of light and color, of sun and laughter, emerging brightly into the coldest and darkest days [read more]

DIY Father’s Day Gifts from Daughter: Easy Last Minute Homemade Gift Basket Ideas

Bay E

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person — he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano When I think of my father, there are poignant and particular things that come to [read more]

Creative Hostess Gift Ideas: Easy DIYs Offering Gratitude at Summer Dinner Parties

Bay E

“I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer—its dust and lowering skies.” – Toni Morrison As the sensations of summer loom on the horizon—the blooming of roses, strawberries [read more]

Last Minute DIY Mother’s Day Gifts: Elegant Breakfast in Bed Ideas for Mom

Bay E

The smell of coffee, morning sun streaming in through the window, the tang of freshly squeezed orange juice—there’s nothing quite as special as a thoughtfully prepared breakfast in bed to fill a soul up with [read more]

DIY Mother’s Day Flower Arrangements Picked Fresh to Surprise Mom with a Classic

Bay E

“A mother is one who fills your heart in the first place.” Amy Tan Flowers are so naturally and intrinsically linked to Mother’s Day gifts. When I was a kid, I can recall using every [read more]

Wondrously Woodsy Birthday Party Favor Gift Bag Ideas for Nature Obsessed Kids

Justina H

My sister and I never loved the hot weather that comes with summer, so making tree forts in the cool shade of the forest was always our first project over long school vacations. But once [read more]

Talented Fingers, Generous Hearts: Everyday Knitters Gift Yarn, Ideas, and Inspiration

Meghan L

As a teenager looking for a creative outlet before the dawn of the internet, I learned how to knit. Sitting by my stepmother’s side, trading needles back and forth as she guided my clumsy hands, [read more]

Eco-Friendly DIY Earth Day Gifts for a Clean and Green Kitchen This Spring

Bay E

For the last few years, my fiancé Nick and I have taken a creative approach to celebrating Earth Day. One year, while living in San Francisco, we crafted a kitchen composter out of a coffee [read more]

The Gifting Garden: Offering Spring’s Bounty as Homemade Gifts and DIY Edible Crafts

Bay E

“Is the spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?” “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…” —Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden In the four years [read more]

Thank You Note Etiquette: DIY Marbled Handmade Cards to Express Your Gratitude

Mandi S

The art of the thank you note. Always appreciated but so frequently forgotten. Saying a sincere thanks can absolutely make someone’s day, so why do the ones I send often feel so obligatory, especially around [read more]

DIY Minecraft Party Ideas for an Interactive Gamer Boy’s Birthday Without Screens

Mandi S

The surprise of creating a pickaxe, or mining your first ore. Figuring out how to light your first fire. Discovering the meat explosion that comes from a pig. Realizing how to swim—and learning never to [read more]

Crafty Homemade Gifts That Toddlers Can Make to Playfully Inspire the Joy of Giving

Mandi S

My little cousins, 2 and 4, are preschool crafting fiends. They come home with pages upon pages of pasted art, funky scribbles, and other staples of the toddlers’ craft repertoire. When I enter their kitchen, [read more]

Goodbye Winter Blues: 5 Mood Boosting DIY Projects for a Weekend of Self-Care

Mandi S

Last weekend, I had all of Saturday and Sunday to myself. My partner was traveling and I was, unusually, caught up with work for the week. I should have been thrilled with two largely empty [read more]

Snow Day Winter Crafts and Games: “Cool” Boredom Busters That Warm up Imaginations

Mandi S

Puffy snow-quality coat? Check. Mittens clipped to coat? Check. But wait—where’s her hat??? Getting my niece ready to play in the snow takes a full 20 minutes of hunting down winter accessories and struggling into [read more]

Creative Packaging Ideas to Add Pizzazz and Personalization to Gift Cards for Teens

Mandi S

As a young adult not far from her teen years, I remember exactly how it feels to be gifted free stuff. Free meals, books, and hobby-related items always made for a fantastic day in my [read more]

Easy Snow Day Sports Crafts for Preschoolers to Make Fun Winter Memories with Kids

Rai C.

For years I’ve been babysitting my best friend’s kids, Daniel and Nathan, and I feel so lucky to watch their personalities emerge. Now that they’re 4 and 6, we’ve become a big part of each [read more]

Simple and Sweet DIY Coworker Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for the Office

Brian B

There are few questions more fraught in the workplace than, “So, do you have Valentine’s Day plans?” It can lead to some awkward moments. The answer could be, “No, for I have yet to find [read more]

National Send a Card to a Friend Day: Letter Writing Inspirations and Ideas

Brian B

“Oh, my stars! It’s a letter from dear Willeford! He’s writing from far off America!” You’ve probably watched a scene just like this one on some BBC period drama, with sumptuous clothes and weirdly bad [read more]

A Kids’ Valentine’s Day Craft Party to DIY Handmade Treats, Cards—and Fun

Rai C.

Around this time of year, my friend Sophie and I find ourselves reminiscing about the good ol’ days of elementary school, when we would make construction paper valentines for each of our friends. Though we [read more]