TIS THE SEASON: DIY Christmas Gift Idea!

This year I decided that instead of spending tons of money on gifts that all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends already probably have, that I'm going to make a beautiful DIY Christmas Gift. I've come to realize, as many of you have also probably realized, that Christmas has becomed so commericalized and materialistic. When I'm making my list and checking it twice, I keep trying to purchase gifts for the people on my list that have meaning, gifts that they will use and every year it gets harder and harder.

I saw this great idea on Pinterest and thought, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on gifts that people already have or that they will eventually regift to someone else (Hey, I sometimes do it too!), why not get creative and make something that they can use each Christmas season (or everyday too!) and something that will remind them of YOU!

I thought that if any of you out there are stuck on gift ideas this Christmas season, along with Pinterest being a resourceful place for ideas, I could share my DIY Christmas Gift idea as well!

Here's what you'll need:

Glass mason jars or any small glass container with a lid
Hot glue gun and lots of hot glue gun sticks (Michael's/Walmart for the glue gun & Dollarama for the sticks)
Clear beads (you could use colored if you'd like - I used clear vase filler beads)
Battery operated tea light candles
Wide, colored ribbon (I used silver and gold for the Christmas season and a more elegant look)

Step 1:

Make sure your jars are all cleaned, labels are all off and none of them are broken or cracked. Add the beads to the jar (as much as desired) and close the lid tightly.

Step 2:

Measure how much of the thick ribbon you'll need for the width of the jar. You want to place the ribbon in the center of the jar, going all the way around. (Tip: If you're making more than one candle jar, use one ribbon measurement to cut out all the rest that you will need - all of them will be even and it will save you time from measuring all of them individually.)

Step 3:

Heat up the glue gun. Carefully apply as much glue as you need to the jar and to the ribbon and quickly place the ribbon along the jar (make sure you do it so there are no bumps and the ribbon stays straight all the way around the jar.) I also added thin red and green string on top of the wide, silver ribbon to add colour and make it look more suited to the season.

Step 4:

Add the battery operated tea light candle to each jar. Make sure it sits nice and flat among the beads. (TIP: I made an extra jar as a tester to make sure the candle works and that the candle's light will be bright enough to shine through the colored ribbons).

Step 5:

You can add your own personal touch to each jar to individualize it for the person or the family. If you know they like a certain colour, you could add those colours through the beads, strings or ribbons. You could also add a label to the jar specific to the person or family to add another personal touch. Another neat idea is to add hot glue to the lids and then cover it with glitter. I added little decorative glass ornament to each jar to make it more Christmas themed. Be creative!

Step 6:

Wrap the candle up in a nice box that fits the jar with some colorful tissue paper or wrap it up in cellophane and add a colorful bow. Remember that the gift is just as important as the presentation.

I'm so excited to give these gifts to my family and friends. They will have this gift for the seasons to come (one can hope!) and it is something meaningful because I took the time to create the gift for them. After all its the thought that counts!



Do you have a DIY Christmas Gift idea? Share! What do you think of mine? Comment.
-Xo