10 Easy, Cheap DIY Gifts To Make Under 15 Minutes

Homemade gifts are some of the best gifts that friends and family will love. Why? Because it shows that you put in the effort and it comes from the heart. Whenever I get handmade gifts, I get really happy and I love it. 

These are perfect for friends or family and being generic, they can suit anyone, especially if you're stuck on what to get for someone. Furthermore, there are great ideas for Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day and of course, birthdays. 

So, if you have time at home and you want to try DIY, I recommend giving these gifts a go. Here are good ideas for homemade gifts you can do. 

10 cheap and easy homemade gifts to make under 15 mins:

1. An inspirational jar

For a positive present that'll cheer up anyone, an inspirational jar would be perfect for friends or family. It's very popular and I've even seen friends receive one from school buddies. Not only is it fun to make and easy, but it'll make the receiver very happy. 

An inspirational jar, or a positivity jar, is a jar filled with happy, positive and motivational quotes, often 31 so one can be read a day for a month.

What you need for an inspirational jar:

• A jar (glass or plastic). This can be recycled from a food jar.
• Lots of coloured paper
• Pens
• A ribbon
• Scissors

How to make an inspirational jar:

1. Cut the coloured pieces of paper into small pieces. An A4 paper divided into 8 works well
2. Write inspirational quotes on all the pieces of paper. Also, you can decorate them nicely if you want.
3. Fold the pieces of paper at least two or three times and put them in the jar. Make roughly 31 quotes or as many as you want.
4. Finally, close the jar, tying a ribbon around it to make it look pretty. 
5. Additionally, you can make an 'Inspirational Jar' label with a tag by threading it through the ribbon before you tie it. For a homemade tag, you can poke a hole through a piece of paper with a pen or scissors and thread the ribbon through that hole. 

Also, you can make 31 quotes or less or more as you please. They can be daily happiness or weekly for longer cheerfulness for example so I recommend writing it on the label such as 'Inspirational Quotes: Take once a day'. 

Best inspirational quotes:

• Nothing's impossible. The word itself says 'I'm possible'.
• Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.
• You are the artist of your own life. Don't hand the paintbrush to anyone else. 
• Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
• Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among stars.
• A flower does not think about competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.
• People will throw stones at you. Don't throw them back. Collect them all and build an empire.
• The best view comes after the hardest climb.
• If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.

2. A decoration jar

Similarly, a decoration jar is an easy and fun gift idea to make. This is perfect if you're an artsy person or you're giving it to someone who's artsy. It will make their desk look more beautiful and brighter. Also, it's perfect for a mother's day gift as it'll cheer her up. But it's great for any occasion though I think older people will enjoy it more than kids as it's for decoration. 

What you can put in a jar as a gift:

• Tissue paper, cellophane or shredded coloured paper
• Beads
• Pretty stones, shells or crystals
• Flowers
• Glitter or confetti
• Pompoms
• Cut out shapes like stars

How do you decorate old jars?

After cleaning the jar, simply fill it with various objects (such as pretty crystals) and art things (like tissue paper, glitter or beads) and tie a ribbon around it. To make it nice and organised, layer it with alternating materials and colours. 

For example, you can have a layer of blue tissue paper, then white beads, then green tissue paper and glitter, and then white beads. Moreover, a simple, aesthetic idea can be putting a layer of sand or glitter at the bottom and then flowers and twigs on top.

You can decorate a glass jar with stickers or paint. The best paint to use on glass jars is acrylic enamel paint as it works well on multiple surfaces, including glass.

3. A bookmark

An ideal present for people who love reading or you want to encourage to read is a bookmark. Alternatively, it can be great for students as it can help them keep track of pages in their textbook. It'll suit Christmas and birthdays mostly and it'll be nice for kids.

What kind of paper is used for bookmarks?

Cardstock or card is used for bookmarks as it is thick. However, you can also use ordinary paper at home and you can laminate it, or stick multiple together for a thicker feel. 

How to make your own bookmark:

1. Firstly, cut a piece of paper or card into a small rectangle, roughly 2 x 6 cm.
2. Decorate the base of it with paint, watercolour, patterned tape, coloured paper or pencil as you desire.
3. Next, you can draw a picture or write something on top or leave it simple and blank. For instance, you could write a name, inspirational quote or a quote from a favourite book. 
4. To make it more sophisticated, hole-punch a hole near the top in the centre. Thread a ribbon through and tie it, leaving the ribbon to hang around 4 cm. Or, you can tie a tassel or multiple coloured ribbons to make it prettier.

4. Memory scrapbook

One of the best and most fun gifts to make is a memory scrapbook. Most importantly, it's the sweetest gift that shows a lot of thought and heart. Moreover, I think it's best to give it as a birthday gift to friends or someone you're close to. I got a memory scrapbook for my birthday from my sister and it's my favourite present, one of my most treasured items that I can look back on when I'm sad.

While it might take longer, it's an enjoyable, nostalgic experience. You can make it longer with a large scrapbook or you can make it quickly under 15 minutes with a cute, mini scrapbook that's around 10 pages. Here's how to make a memory book that's perfect for BFFs. 

What goes into a memory scrapbook? Significantly, great memories from photos go into a memory scrapbook that are decorated with accounts of the events. Memory scrapbooks are useful as they can help people remember the past and make them happy and inspired as they reflect on good times. 

What you need to make a memory scrapbook:

• A mini scrapbook or notebook
• Lots of your photos 
• Sticky tape, glue
• Stickers
• Pens

How to make a memory scrapbook:

1. Stick the photos in the scrapbook with sticky tape or glue. I think sticky tape looks better for a scrapbook aesthetic.
2. Leave lots of space around the photo to decorate with stickers and drawings. You can even put stickers on the photos or draw on them for a cute, collage look.
3. Lastly, write in it with funny memories, quotes and dates. Don't forget to make a beautiful title page.

5. Pencil holder 

If you have many jars, you can also make a pencil holder. Clearly, it's a useful DIY gift that's great for all ages, especially students or adults. It'll work for Christmas, mother's day, father's day or for someone you're not as close with. The benefits of having a pencil holder include having an organised, satisfying desk where you can separate different pens and you won't lose them.

What can you use as a pencil holder? You can use jars, plastic cups, tin cans or other containers as a pencil holder. 

What you need to make a pencil holder:

• Jars, plastic cups or other containers
• Paint, coloured tape, stickers, paper, glue or markers
• Sticky tape
• A ribbon

How to make a pencil holder:

1. Paint the jar or cup how you like, glue coloured paper on it or use coloured tape.
2. Next, feel free to decorate it with stickers or glue on paper so you can easily write on it, such as labelling it 'Pens'. You can add a ribbon around it for a pretty touch.
3. Additionally, you can combine two or more jars or cups together by wrapping sticky tape around them and tying a ribbon around the tape to make it look neat. I think more jars is a nice idea so they can sort out pens from pencils or separate things how they like.

6. A magnet

Magnets are perfect for any occasion - Christmas, mother's day or father's day. It's nice for family members and particularly adults. My brother even made a magnet for my dad for father's day and it makes the fridge look good. 

Significantly, it can be cheap as you can buy stick-on magnets at arts and crafts stores. 

What you need to make a fridge magnet:

• Stick-on magnet (or a normal magnet and art glue)
• Cardboard, card or thick paper
• Pens or other things to decorate
• Scissors

How to make a homemade fridge magnet:

1. Cut your card into the shape you want, such as a heart or star.
2. Decorate it with a photo, pens, markers, coloured paper or other creative materials.
3. Stick the stick-on magnet on the back of the magnet (or glue the magnet on with art glue). Then, you are finished and you can put it on the fridge.

You can make a magnet out of a picture by printing out a small photo, gluing it onto cardboard or a thick piece of card, and sticking a stick-on magnet on the back, or gluing the magnet on with art glue if needed.

7. A coaster

A coaster is a good gift for any occasion, such as Christmas or birthdays, because people actually use coasters. I think it'll suit older people and family most.

Surprisingly, I found that they're quite useful - my sister uses one all the time and I needed one as I was writing this for my iced drink. 

What are coaster materials? There are various coaster materials.

The material that makes the best coaster is probably cork coasters as they absorb liquid and don't scratch surfaces. Sandstone and ceramic are also good for absorbing water but may be more fragile. Wooden and bamboo ones look classic but may crack with too much moisture over time. Glass and marble look elegant but are delicate. 

What can be used as a coaster?

Materials for coasters that you can find at home include felt, clay, leather, clothes fabric or more. If you have a tile, you can also use that. 

If you have clay, mould it into a thin square or circle. Alternatively, you can use a tile. Paint it, let it dry, and then you have a gorgeous DIY coaster. 

How to make an easy, cheap coaster:

1. For a felt or fabric coaster, cut your felt or fabric into a square, circle or simple shape that is a bit bigger than your normal cup.
2. Decorate it with more felt, paint, permanent marker, coloured tape or a simple embroidery sewing.
3. To make it durable, make it thick by gluing multiple layers together or gluing it onto cardboard or card. Make sure to glue felt or fabric on the bottom as well so it'll be smooth on surfaces. 

You can make your coaster waterproof with a clear acrylic gloss spray. 

8. Glitter mugs

A cheap, useful and good gift is a mug but a better gift is a glitter mug as it looks much better and is homemade. I think it can really brighten up the kitchen with its fancy aesthetic and make them happy. Moreover, it's great for any occasion like Christmas (you can do Christmas themed colours), birthdays or mother's day and adults would love it most. 

What you need to make glitter mugs:

• A mug
• Glitter
• Art glue and a paintbrush

How to make glitter mugs:

1. Lay your workspace with newspaper so glitter doesn't make a mess. 
2. Paint roughly the bottom third of your mug with art glue. 
3. Dip the mug into the glitter or put the glitter on (maybe wearing disposable gloves).
4. Let it dry and you're done.

9. Personalised notebook

A good, useful gift for anyone on any occasion, even Christmas, is a personalised notebook. While I think it may be more suited for teenagers, students and younger family members, an adult would love it as well since it looks nice.

How to make a personalised notebook:

1. Find a plain notebook and plan how you want to decorate it.
2. You can paint on it, glue coloured paper on it, use glitter, photos, stickers, markers or patterned tape. But I think keeping it simple and aesthetic is best. 
3. For a personalised look, write their name on it in marker or with patterned tape. Or, you can write a funny or inspirational quote, or add doodles of things they like such as cherries. 

10. A hair clip

If you're looking for a gift for a young girl, a hair clip or hair tie is a great idea as it's useful and practical. It'll be great for birthdays or Christmas.

It's super quick and easy - you can make it in under 10 minutes. My younger cousin enjoys making lots of scrunchies and headbands and gave me some as a gift which I love as it looks beautiful. 

What you need to make a hair clip:

• A plain hair clip
• Art glue or hot glue
• Decorations such as a fake flower, gems, felt flowers, feathers, pearls, beads and ribbons tied in a bow

How to make a homemade hair clip:

Use art glue to stick your desired decorations (such as fake flowers or pearls) onto a clip. Let it dry and now you have a beautiful hair clip that young girls will love!