10 DIY Christmas Gift Ideas on a student budget
As a kid, there is not one bad thing to be said about Christmas. Presents, food, and not things to be done in return. Now call me Scrooge, but as you reach the adult world, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year. And one could say the transition period is your student years.
Suddenly, you’re having to worry about a secret santa present for that flatmate whose only personality trait you’re aware of is how loud he ‘DJs’ his DnB at 2am. Or for your new best friend, who you love and cherish and can think of ten different things you would gift them, but alas, the student budget puts a damper on these plans. Whatever it is, at Accommodation for
Students, we can hopefully give you a couple solutions. Here are ten DIY Christmas gift ideas that are easy, affordable, and can work for family, friends, significant others, and everything in between.
Flavoured salts
To make smokey chilli salts, mix coarse sea salt, chilli flakes and paprika in a food processor. There are many variations of this easy but useful recipe, such as seaweed salt and citrus-rosemary salt.
Cocktail kit
A classic that 99% of students would love to receive, this is a go-to for the aforementioned type of uni friend whom you barely know. Grab a jar, and for any cocktail, you’ll need a mini bottle of its base alcohol. Then, for a Moscow Mule, for instance, you would add a mini can of ginger beer and a lime. Finish it with a pretty ribbon and homemade tag, and you’re good to go!
Bookmark
For the bookworms in your life (and for the cheapest present ever, cause we know you’re looking for that), a DIY bookmark is wholesome and always needed. Pretty self-explanatory, you can paint/draw/write anything on it.
Drinking game cards
This is the one for that friend who hosts all the flat parties. All you need is cardboard and some markers, or alternatively, you could become a graphic designer for the day and make them on your computer to print out. There are lots of models online to copy, or if you know the person/their friends quite well, you can make a personalised one. This can include targeted ‘Never have I ever’, and ‘Most likely to’, for example.
Embroidered clothes/items
You can embroider pretty much anything, including a pillow case, t-shirt, socks, or tea towel . This is an especially good one for your significant other, to make sure they remember you every time they get dressed ;).
Coffee body scrub
Simply combine coffee, olive oil/coconut oil, and sugar to make this antidote to the dreaded December dry skin. It feels fancy and smells great, and takes barely any time/effort to actually make.
Annotated book
The most personal one on this list, romantic some would say. It can be your favourite book, or theirs, or simply one that you know will mean something to them.
Clay coasters
Again quite self-explanatory, you can make them a variety of shapes and use coloured clay, or paint them yourself for a more intricate design. And pretty much everyone needs coasters at some point.
Granola
For the granola girls in your life, here’s your way to take the term literally. Grab a pan and add the following: oats, nuts/seeds of choice, coconut oil, a natural sweetener, salt and spice, and dried fruit, and bake for a little under half an hour. Pack it in a jar or paper bag and decorate. Your giftee won’t have breakfast for the following week without thinking of you.
Handwritten recipe
Finally, carrying on the kitchen theme, a handwritten recipe is the loveliest addition to any kitchen. Most people have a certain something they are known for making, so you could use yours or theirs. A funny way to do it is if the person is a not-so-great cook, make one for their famous 60p chicken pesto. We are students, after all. There are various ways to actually make this gift, one being on a piece of card with watercolour, another being to write it on a white plate.
