Handmade Arts and Crafts Gift Ideas

Handmade gifts can become the most cherished treasures. Even if you’re not an experienced crafter or a talented artist, you can create gifts that are designed specifically for your family and special friends. Arts and crafts gifts such as decorative accessories for the home and whimsical accents for the garden can also be less expensive to make than similar items found in a retail store. Customize your own handmade gifts for the special people in your life.

Faux Stained-Glass Window Decor

If creating real stained glass projects is outside your comfort zone, create faux stained-glass window decor with translucent paint that shimmers like the real thing. You can transform a plain piece of glass into a decorative sun catcher with a few steps. Place a sheet of glass on top of an image or design, and then trace the outlines with a marker. Cover the outlines with flexible leading strips you can find adjacent to the stained glass paint in the craft store. The leading strips are self-adhesive and resemble the leading in real stained glass. Once you have your outline, simply fill in the glass sections between the strips with stained glass paint.

Decorative Stepping Stones

Personalize decorative stepping stones as a Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or grandparent gifts. Making a stepping stone with a child’s hand prints or footprints permanently imprinted into the stone is a gift that a parent or grandparent will cherish. You can purchase stepping stone kits in crafts stores that consist of a mold mortar and a few decorative tiles or stones. You can also get creative and make your own mold by recycling a milk jug or a pizza box. Concrete topping mix works beautifully for stepping stones if you prefer a smooth surface. Make sure to coat the mold in a release agent–vegetable oil or petroleum jelly will do–before pouring in the mixed concrete. Let the concrete set up for about 15 minutes before making imprints or adding embellishments.

Decorative Beaded Glassware

Enhance plain, dollar store glassware with wire and beads to create candle holders, vases and decorative plates. These handmade gift items can look like designer originals; coordinate colors with the recipient’s home decor. Make wire spirals with 18-gauge craft wire or soldering wire and glue them to the outside of the glass. To make a spiral, cut a section of wire and roll one end toward the opposite end while keeping the side edges flush. Make double spirals by rolling each end toward the center. Glue the wire to the glass with viscous jeweler’s or craft glue; make sure that it dries clear. Use the same glue to embellish the spirals and the glass with flat backed cabochons or mosaic tiles.