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Simple Handmade Gifts

Sujata Iyer
The best way to impress someone and to show them exactly how much you value them is to give them some simple handmade gifts that will hold a special place in their life. If you're short of ideas for them, then this is exactly where you need to be.
The greatest gift is a portion of thyself - Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are not many who can disagree with this quote. The best gift is indeed giving someone a part of yourself that shows them how much they mean to you. But since we're all generally happy with material gifts, a simple handmade gift will suffice (in most cases).
Why is a handmade gift so special? Well, first of all, it is always nice to see that someone cares enough for you to forgo the trip to a mall to pick up a cliché gift that will make you happy and actually make one for you. Secondly, it shows the thought that went behind getting you the gift.
No matter how much you 'personalize' a ready-made gift, there's always a better finish to it if you do it yourself. Thirdly, the level of creativity that can be achieved and executed in a handmade gift is much more than one bought at a store. That's exactly what we'd like to show you through the simple ideas that we have given here.

Plant Magnets

This is quite a creative and educational gift idea, especially if you want to give it to a child. What you have to do is, get a big block of magnet. Get a plastic, square-shaped container that is slightly bigger than the magnet block. Fill this container with soil and plant a few coriander or mint seeds in it.
You can use any other seeds too, just make sure that the plant is small. Use super glue to stick this container firmly on to the magnet block. Tie a pretty ribbon around the container and give it to the child. Ask him to water it regularly and place it on the refrigerator for a surprise. He'll be pleasantly surprised to see the tiny leaves shooting out.

Earring Rack

To make a simple jewelry rack, all you need is a big cardboard, felt fabric of the same size, a needle and thread, translucent net fabric, scissors, stapler and a fancy string. First, staple the felt onto the cardboard.
Cut the translucent net fabric into various squares or rectangles, as per the number that will fit on the felt. Sew these small pockets onto the felt by flipping it over or just staple them on three sides. The top remains open so that it can be the pocket. At its the top, punch in two holes and tie the string. This rack can be hung from a nail on a wall.

Dried Herbs

This is an idea for a decorative item. Buy dried fragrant herbs or if you have some herbs, allow them to dry in the sun. Find a beautiful glass bottle. After the herbs are completely dried, stuff the bottle with them.
Shake the bottle well and then add a fragrant essential oil to the herbs. If the herbs get too pressed down, add some more herbs and again some oil. You can also add a little paint for color. Once the bottle is filled, seal it tightly and shake it well. Tie a tiny note with a silver string around the mouth and gift it.

Hollow Book Box

Here's a really gift easy to make. All you need is a really thick book, a sharp X-acto knife or box cutter, glue, brush, pen, and ruler. First, get yourself a really thick, hardbound, old book. Use the brush to glue all the pages of the book (excluding the front cover) together from the side to the back cover.
Once all the pages have been glued, place a heavy weight on the book and let it remain there for an entire day. The next day, open the book and measure how wide you want the hollow to be. Use the pen and ruler to measure it.
Then, use the box cutter to cut the pages along the outline. What you'll be left with is a book with a gaping hole in the middle. Paint the entire book now and paste a nice picture on the front cover and gift it to the person.

Garden Stepping Stone

If the person you're gifting has a sprawling garden, give her or him some pretty handmade personalized stepping stones for the garden. Buy plain, flat, round stones. Now, use your imagination and come up with different designs to paint on the stones.
Oil paints will work best for this idea. If the person has a pet, you can use paw prints of the pet along with some personal messages for the person on the stones. Allow the paint to dry and then give it a coat of varnish for a shimmering appearance.

Paperweight

A paperweight is something that can be used by anyone. But how to be creative about making one? Well, look around you. There are so many everyday items that you can use to make one.
Try decoupage work. For this, you have to take an old paperweight and cover it with old newspaper. Cover it tightly and stick it firmly onto the old one. Then, using bright and vivid colors, paint the paperweight with beautiful designs.
Or you can also make a simple one by painting a smooth rock with an abstract design. You can also fill a small glass jar with water and attach a plastic card with a message on it. Then add a little glitter to the water, seal it tightly using super glue and voila, a snow globe paperweight is ready!
As the old adage goes, it is indeed the thought that matters more than the gift itself. That is why the thought behind giving a gift to someone is something that should be taken seriously. Not only so that you make the person feel special, but also because you yourself will feel much better when you see that something so simple has made someone so happy.