Fast Friday Five | 5 DIY Holiday Gifts

You’ve got your list and you’ve checked it twice. You’ve done a marathon’s worth of laps around the mall and you’re done. Except, oops...! Don’t fret; we’ve gathered our 5 favourite DIY gift ideas that don’t require a fully stocked craft room or a super high CQ (Craft Quotient).

1. Scrub a Dub Dub. Who doesn’t want to indulge in a little at-home spa pampering? Give your friend a few minutes of ahh with a DIY sugar body scrub. Mix 1 cup of organic brown sugar (the granular  type works best) with half a cup of organic coconut oil (liquid form) or organic extra virgin olive oil and add 3 drops of an essential oil (peppermint, sandalwood and lavender are popular choices). Package it up in a decorative jar or tin and tie a wooden spoon to the top. Hey, why not make a double batch and put some under your own tree?

2. Num Nums in a Jar. The Mason jar is earning some time in the trend spotlight these days as a vessel for tasty single-serve hostess gifts. Match the jar-stuffed indulgence to their personality: Health-Nut -- layers of salad ingredients – start with dressing on the bottom then layer in your favourite crunchy salad veggies like shredded carrots & beets, sprouts, sliced peppers etc.; Sweet-Tooth -- stack creamy rice pudding, drizzle of maple syrup, dusting of cinnamon, Greek yogurt and toasted coconut and almonds; Outdoorsy -- Graham cracker crumbs on the bottom followed by fair trade chocolate chips and big puffy marshmallows.  A jar of s’mores is the best when you pop them in the oven until the marshmallows brown.  You can almost smell the camp fire.

3. Hot Water Bottle Cozy. Got some yarn lying around?  Grab those needles and start knitting. Go double the length of a hot water bottle and cast off. Then, fold it over the bottle and stitch it up the sides and over the shoulders to the neck. If you want to get fancy, add a cable knit down the front or customize it with a monogram. We guarantee your friend will have many warm thoughts about you the next time they’re recovering from a long day of skiing.

4. Sparkly Pine Cone Decorations. This DIY project uses up old house paint and requires only a bit of glittery sparkles and some foraged pine cones. Plus, it’s dead simple. Take the pine cones and (one at a time) put them in the old can of paint. Give it a gentle shake until the cone is covered, remove it letting the excess paint drip off (pointy side down) then hang to dry. A light dusting of glitter gives them an extra festive feel. Tie a ribbon on the end to make it an ornament or pile them in a vase for a seasonal centre piece. This face-saving DIY gift doubles as a super fun kids craft.

5. Your Culinary Genius. Say you’ve got the best spice rub for grilled tofu, the most bliss-inducing herbal tea concoction or the sassiest ginger quash – share the joy of deliciousness. Mix up a batch, pop it in a bottle or tin, label it and put a bow on top. You can also add a little tag with suggestions on how to use it or the actual recipe – you know, if you’re in a really giving mood. 

Whip up any of these and your friends will gush at how thoughtful and crafty you are. Your true CQ is safe with us. 

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Make the Fast Friday 5 list grow. What other DIY gifts have you created that rocked someone's world?