Homemade for Family & Friends
Wonderful memories – a pocket photo album for Grandpa
What do grandparents like best of all? Right: proudly showing off the grandchildren. To make sure they have enough 'material' to show, a pocket photo album is just right. It's personal, looks great and fits perfectly in any wallet. That way the collected photos can be taken anywhere.
You will need:
solid-colored construction paper
patterned construction paper
a scissors
a pencil
a ruler
four small photos
optional: stickers, stamps, glitter pens, etc. for decorating
Here's how:
Grab the solid-colored construction paper and use a pencil and ruler to draw a rectangle that is 18cm long and 5 cm high. Then divide the rectangle into six boxes that are 3 cm wide and 5 cm high.
Now you need to score the front side. For that, take the scissors and use them to score the dividing lines between the individual boxes. That way you can fold the rectangle more easily later.
Then cut out the rectangle and set it aside. Now it's the patterned construction paper's turn. On it, draw two boxes that are 3 cm wide and 5 cm high and cut them out. They will later become the 'book covers' for your photo album.
Now fold the solid-colored construction paper rectangle like an accordion and glue a patterned construction paper rectangle to each of the left and right ends.
Now it's time for the photos. Glue them onto the four remaining blank rectangles of the accordion, let everything dry, and your lovely pocket photo album is ready.
Tip:If you want, you can also decorate the 'book covers' with stamps, beads, markers, or sayings.
Chocolate surprise – compliment pralines for Grandma
Have you always wanted to tell your grandma everything you love about her? Then this chocolate gift is the perfect solution. It's quick to make, very personal and simply delicious.
You will need:
a pen
construction paper in different colors
some glue
a pack of chocolate bars
Here's how:
Cut rectangles from the construction paper large enough to wrap the bars.
Before you start wrapping, think of compliments or things you especially appreciate about the other person. Write them in your best handwriting on the cut pieces of construction paper.
Now wrap. Wrap all the chocolate bars with the labeled pieces of construction paper and glue them closed on the back. Make sure your little messages are clearly visible on the front of the chocolate bars.
Done! Now you can give the nicely wrapped bars as gifts.
If you're still in the mood to craft, make a box from the remaining construction paper to store the labeled bars.
Above the clouds – DIY keychain for Mom & Dad
Sewing is fun – especially when it results in self-designed gifts for Mom and Dad. The beautiful cloud-shaped keychains are quickly made with a bit of skill and look really cool on the keyring. And your parents will always have a little piece of you with them when they're out and about.
You will need:
a few leather scraps
some felt
a keyring
Vliesofix
some stuffing
a spool of thread
a scissors
a few pins
a hand-sewing needle
some clips
a pencil
the iron
the sewing machine
Here's how:
Iron a piece of Vliesofix (approx. 9 x 15 cm) onto the left side of the leather and peel off the paper. Now iron the piece of felt on as well.
Now draw the shape of a cloud on the felt side with the pencil and cut it out. The cloud will look most even if you print a template beforehand.
Now you need to iron Vliesofix onto the felt side of the prepared leather-felt piece again and cut a strip about 1.3 cm wide.
Then iron the strip onto the leather again and stitch narrowly along both edges with the sewing machine.
Carefully trim the excess seam allowance with the scissors and form it into a loop.
For the back of the cloud, use the remaining leather-felt. Clip it together, fill in some stuffing, insert the loop and stitch narrowly around the edges to secure.
Finally, carefully trim the seam allowance all around and attach the keyring. Done!
Tip: Naturally it doesn't have to be a cloud. Any other shape is also possible, e.g. a heart, a flower or a star.
Time to Lather Up – Colorful DIY Soap for Your Siblings
Handwashing is in. And not just once a day, but preferably more often. Homemade soap is therefore the perfect gift. It looks cool, smells wonderful, and is easy to make. Turn your home into a real soap-making workshop.
You'll need:
transparent soap base
soap dye
a silicone soap mold
a container for melting the soap (e.g. a bowl)
a knife
a cutting board
Here's how:
Cut the transparent soap into small pieces with the knife on the cutting board. Then put them into the container and slowly melt them in a water bath or in the microwave.
Now it gets colorful. Choose your favorite color and add some of it to the soap mixture. Stir vigorously until the color is well distributed.
Then select the silicone mold and carefully pour the hot liquid soap mixture into it. After that, let the soaps cool, preferably overnight.
Carefully remove the finished soaps from the mold the next day. Your homemade soap is ready!
Tip: To make your soap smell as good as it looks, simply mix in a little fragrance oil and dried flower petals.
A very personal surprise – DIY explosion box for best friends
Your friends will be amazed. With a homemade explosion box you’re sure to get some "ahs" and "ohs." Every box becomes as individual as the creator and is an excellent way to present small gifts in a very special way. But it doesn’t have to hold anything — an elaborately designed box can already be a gift on its own. Give it a try!
Here's what you need:
two different-sized square boxes that fit inside each other
sturdy cardstock in various colors or patterns
decorative materials like glitter, fabric scraps, stickers & whatever else you can think of
photos of you and your friends
a large scissors
Here's how:
Take the scissors and cut the larger box at the corners so it opens up and looks like a plus sign. Very important: do not cut off the bottom.
Place the unfolded box on the cardstock and trace the plus shape. Cut it out and glue it precisely onto the inside of the unfolded box.
Now it's time to decorate, and there are no limits to what you can do. Glue a nice photo onto one of the four inner sides, write a small message on another, and cover the next with all kinds of stickers or colorful scraps of cardstock.
When you're happy with your box, take the smaller box, put a small gift inside (e.g. chocolate, lip gloss or their favorite tea), close the box and place it in the middle of the unfolded box.
Now fold up all four sides of the large box around the small box and put the lid on. Your very own personalized explosion box is ready!
Tip: Fold a small envelope out of some cardstock, write a nice message on a small paper card and slip it inside. You can then attach the envelope to the inside of the box. That gives an extra surprise.
A gift for bookworms – DIY bookmark
The perfect surprise for friends who always have their noses in books: a homemade bookmark. It's super practical and can be customized in many ways.
What you need:
colored cardstock
a ruler
a scissors
a pencil
a laminator with laminating sheets
a hole punch
some ribbon
decorations like glitter, stickers, colored pens, etc.
Here's how:
Use the ruler and pencil to draw a long rectangle on the cardstock and cut it out with the scissors. Be careful — the strip shouldn't be too narrow so you'll still have plenty of space to decorate.
Now get creative: write sayings on the cut-out rectangle, stick stickers on it, sprinkle it with glitter, and do whatever else you feel like.
Then you can laminate the rectangle. It's best to have your parents help you with this, because the device can get hot. After laminating, cut off the excess laminating film around the bookmark.
Now take the hole punch and make a hole in the middle of one end. Then thread a piece of ribbon through, tie it in a knot, and your personal bookmark is finished.
Tip: If you want it to be even more personal, you can also decorate the bookmark with cut-outs from favorite photos. Just wait to laminate until the glue has dried.
