Not Sure What To Get Your Family This Christmas?

You’re not the only one. 

With millions of products and gifts to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right gift that your loved ones will love and actually use, rather than collect dust in the back of their closet. 

But who says you have to buy a gift? Of course you can, but you don’t need to spend half of your savings to make your friends and family happy on Christmas.  

Some say that the best gifts are from the heart; that’s a big advantage for handy workers like us. We’re good with our hands, creating useful things and solving problems. These are the essential skills to create an amazing gift that can be personalized for the person we want to give it to.

Instead of having to research for yourself, we’re giving you 9 amazing DIY Christmas gift ideas you can steal or use as inspiration to customize for your loved ones. These gifts aren’t overly expensive and can be made in less than a day. Since some of these require you to use power tools, please be careful and make sure to follow directions carefully.

Workbench

This is more or less a gift for a handyman, but it can be made customized for someone you know that works at home. A couple of instructions can show you how to make your own workbench with just fifteen 8’ 2x4s and a single sheet of ½” plywood in a single day. It can be built simply as a small bench to place and organize your tools and equipment, or it can be expanded into a nifty work center that also has a pegboard, working lights, and the works!

Foldable Rock Wall

Unfortunately, most of the world is still facing the effects of COVID which means we might not be able to travel or see extended family this holiday season. It also means young children are probably super bored and driving you up the wall. Give them a gift that turns that around: a foldable rock wall! It’s the perfect DIY gift that can be built in just one day. It will keep your kids active in the backyard for hours while giving the adults some peace and quiet.  

Homework Space

Whether you have kids that need a space to do their homework or someone in the family needs their own small space at home to do some work, then building a homework space can be a simple gift. As long as there’s an empty corner in the bedroom, office space or even the living room, anyone could appreciate this clean and personalized DIY space all to themselves. Given the right tools, it only takes a couple of hours to put the entire workspace together.

Two-In-One Coffee & Dining Table

When you have a big family or host multiple get-togethers throughout the year, it can be a challenge to find enough space to place dinner plates or decorate for the occasion. With a 2-in-1 table set, you can convert this into a coffee table or a make-shift dining table. If you want to get really creative, use it as a desk. A thoughtful hand-crafted gift for the whole family!

Adjustable Sit & Stand Desk

Know someone in your family that’s working from home? Don’t let them sit down for too long; it’s not good for their health. Giving them an adjustable sit & stand desk might just be the perfect gift for them. It can be adjusted for the user to stand or sit, which can help improve their posture as well as their productivity. 

Hammock Stand

This might not be a gift that someone can use for the next couple months but when the weather finally gets warmer, a homemade hammock stand can be a great edition to someone’s backyard that loves to lounge in the sun. DIY hammock stands are usually foldable which also makes them easy to transport and pack up. Whoever has one can bring it on their next trip to the beach or somewhere warm. 

Pet Toys

Pets are family too, aren’t they? Toys for dogs and cats tend to be pretty expensive. Plus if your pets tend to be higher on the energy spectrum or difficult to keep happy, you might be spending just a little extra for a couple of moments of peace. 

If you have dogs and some decent sewing skills, you can repurpose old denims and other fabric to make a customized chew toy. Don’t forget to put in something squeaky!

Don’t forget about the cats

they like to play, too. Make a DIY scratching board using simple materials like a cardboard box and Elmer’s glue. The sound of cat treats rattling inside a folded paper towel tube is enough to keep your cat entertained. 

Dog House

There’s no such thing as showing your dog too much love, and they will definitely love their simple, yet high quality DIY dog house. It’s a gift that’ll keep them outside safely while protecting them from the elements. A simple dog house design may take more effort than some of the other gifts on the list, but it can be accomplished within a day. We wouldn’t be handymen if we didn’t enjoy putting in the elbow grease!

Raised Dog Bed

Another gift for the old pupper. They can’t always be climbing and sleeping on our furniture but we don’t want them on the cold floor either. Larger breeds also get joint issues as they age; a raised dog bed can be the perfect gift for them. It’s not super expensive to build a good quality bed, but it does take certain materials, tools and skill to put one together. It shouldn’t take anymore than an afternoon to half a day, if done right.

These are just a couple of ideas that you can run with, but don’t let us stop you from being creative and making something that your loved ones can appreciate as they use it. Spending money on things isn’t the only way to show your love during the holidays; just make sure whatever you give to your loved ones is built with love (and high-quality materials.)