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HomeDIY + Handmade

DIY + Handmade

girl in flowers
Birthdays

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]

yarn gift ideas
DIY + Handmade

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]

You cook, I'll clean
DIY + Handmade

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]

fresh seasonal fruit
DIY + Handmade

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 + Handmade

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 crafts
Birthdays

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]

finger paints
DIY + Handmade

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]

self-care kit
DIY + Handmade

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]

frozen bubbles
DIY + Handmade

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]

gift card packaging
DIY + Handmade

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]

pom poms
DIY + Handmade

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]

valentine's day gift ideas for the office
DIY + Handmade

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]

stationary set
DIY + Handmade

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]

handmade valentine's cards
DIY + Handmade

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]

DIY + Handmade

Woo Him with Japanese Valentine’s Day Traditions and Heartfelt Homemade Gifts

Rai C.

My husband and I will be celebrating our sixth Valentine’s Day together this year, so the traditional gestures of chocolates, flowers, and a card were beginning to feel a little trite and bland. Our love [read more]

silver key ring
DIY + Handmade

DIY Silver Anniversary Gifts That Sparkle and Shine Without a Big Spend

Rai C.

When I see couples hitting those big marital milestones, I can’t help by fawn over how strong their relationship must be to last through all those years. My aunt and uncle recently celebrated their 25th [read more]

gift bag
DIY + Handmade

How to Add a Personalized Surprise to a Wedding Gift Straight from the Registry

Rai C.

Scrolling through another politely-requested online gift registry, I see the usual suspects: a crockpot, a distinct china pattern set, a brightly-colored stand mixer. The difference, this time, was that it was a dear friend from [read more]

colorful art supplies
DIY + Handmade

Colorful Keepsakes: Make a Personalized Coloring Book from Your Favorite Photos

Jeni W

It was just days away from my best friend’s birthday and not only was I short on her favorite flamingo-printed tissue paper, but I didn’t even have a good idea for her present. After some [read more]

wood tea light holders
Christmas

Easy Projects to Transform Reclaimed Scrap Wood into Rustic DIY Christmas Gifts

Rai C.

Fall is my favorite time of year—the leaves change colors, the weather starts to cool, and there’s always a lovely autumn breeze. But every once in awhile, in my little Texas town surrounded by nothing [read more]

fabric bags used as gift wrap
Christmas

A Gift in Itself: Easy Eco-Friendly Christmas Wrapping Ideas

Jeni W

As a child, Christmas was full of magic. I loved the gifts, the food, being with family—and collecting leftover wrapping paper at the end of all the festivities. I always asked my family and friends [read more]

apple harvest decorations
DIY + Handmade

An Apple Bake Off Party with DIY Decor Inspirations for a Late Fall Harvest

Jeni W

The frosts of winter will soon blanket the trees around my hometown with a frozen sparkle, but, first, there’s a final harvest of my favorite handheld snack—the apple. Late fall always means a visit to [read more]

aloha home dec banner
DIY + Handmade

DIY Fall Paradise Party Ideas for Hosting an Out-of-Season Luau

Jeni W

Only the leaves blowing past my living room window gave evidence of the day’s chill—the weather in my house was a balmy 80 degrees, and not a cloud in sight. Crepe paper Hawaiian flower banners [read more]

DIY + Handmade

Personalized Wrapping Paper Helps Craft Thoughtful Gift Giving

Jeni W

I’ve never liked that old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”—everyone knows the cover is an extension of the book. It’s an introduction to the heart of the story, a way to begin [read more]

female potter artisan
DIY + Handmade

Online Artisan Community Connects on Elfster to Share Unique Pottery Gifts

Meghan L

By its very definition, generosity is an act of unselfish giving—and offering one’s own talent, time, and creativity to a new friend you’ve just met is a beautiful example of selflessness. Recently, a group of [read more]

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Misc.

13 Halloween Gifts to Celebrate Spooky Season

Boo-yah! Spooky szn is coming soon, so we’ve concocted a list of ghoulishly great gifts for the Halloween-obsessed. No tricks, just treats! Check out our Halloween Preview gift guide for our spook-tacular picks that will [read more]

Storage bins to keep Virgo organized
Birthdays

Practical Gifts To Spoil Even the Pickiest Virgo

The generosity of Virgo lasts all year, and now it’s time to spoil them back! Born from August 23 to September 22, these analytical earth signs are known for their precision, care and attention to [read more]

kick off the semester with a gift exchange featured image
Gift Exchanges

Kick Off the Semester with a Gift Exchange

Looking for the perfect way to break the ice and make lasting memories? Kick off the new semester with a gift exchange to connect with your friends, old and new, like roommates, sorority besties, members [read more]

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