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Easy gift ideas you can make in 20 minutes or less.

a collection of crafts that can be made in 20 minutes or less and make fantastic Christmas gifts! | nelliebellie.com Christmas gifts, gift ideas, Christmas

Sometimes the best Christmas gifts are homemade.  It’s just the truth.  There’s something extra special about knowing that your gift was made by someone who cares about you; someone took the time to create the exact gift they think you would like.  These easy gift ideas are our way of helping you create that feeling for other people this holiday.

Now…if you don’t have the time or the energy…go buy something.  Your family and friends will still feel loved.  Promise.  You don’t need to try to be a superwoman (or man).  You have enough going on, don’t let making gifts be just one more stressor. Check out GIFT GUIDES to help make it easy.

But…if you like crafting gifts, or need to save a bit of money, these easy gift ideas are all fabulous ideas to get you started.  Enjoy!

Easy gift ideas:

4 forest animal Sharpie ornaments. Easy to make with easy tutorial (including video!) at nelliebellie.com. These are fun and easy gift ideas!
Sharpie Ornaments

These Sharpie ornaments are super simple and are a wonderful gift to give, particularly for someone in a new home or apartment at their first Christmas.  These ornaments can be highly personalized, and are classic enough many will enjoy them.

Difficulty Level:  Moderate.  A small amount of artistic ability is necessary.
Time: Each one takes about 5 minutes

Materials Needed:

  • [easyazon_link identifier=”B007QNWC3M” locale=”US”]metallic Sharpies[/easyazon_link]
  • white ornaments

 Click her for the full tutorial.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I mean, who doesn’t need laundry soap? Gift a batch of homemade, all-natural laundry soap in a cute jar (probably not one this big!).

Difficulty Level:  easy.  It just takes mixing.
Time: A giant batch takes about 10 minutes and will give you OODLES of small jars.

 Click her for the full tutorial.

Reindeer Rootbeer

This reindeer rootbeer is a wonderful and simple gift that is an “almost” craft.  It’s a perfect gift to make if you need a last minute gift but still want it to have some personality.

Difficulty Level:  Super Beginner.  So easy.
Time: 5 minutes per bottle. A 6-pack takes about 30 minutes.

Materials Needed:

  • [easyazon_link identifier=”B000WG851I” locale=”US”]6 pack rootbeer[/easyazon_link]
  • ribbon
  • glue
  • pipe cleaner
  • googly eyes
  • red pom poms

Click here for the tutorial.

This DIY domed cake stand is an Anthro knock-off that is easy to replicate. We found items that already had great designs, so it was just a matter of putting everything together well! Perfect if you're looking for easy gift ideas!
DIY Cake Stand

This diy cake stand is a great gift option because of how unique and simple it really is.  We made a mini version, perfect for a cupcake, but you could use the same tutorial to make a full-sized cake stand.  The key to this project is to find an interesting bowl for the cover.  This is one of our easy gift ideas that you will pull out year-round when you are looking for a fabulous gift.

Difficulty Level:  Beginner.  Seriously, it’s easy.  You can do it.
Time: about 20 minutes. But give it overnight to properly set.

Materials Needed:

  • bowl
  • small plate
  • small cup, egg cup, sundae dish, or candlestick
  • large bead or knob
  • [easyazon_link identifier=”B0044SB3M8″ locale=”US”]E6000[/easyazon_link] or similarly strong clear, waterproof glue

Click here for the tutorial

A diy ring dish that is so easy to make with a thrift store dish and knick-knack. When personalized, it is one of our favorite easy gift ideas! And a ton of different types of knick knacks and dishes would work, so it can be replicated in a ton of variations. This would make a great gift!
DIY Ring Dish

We love this ring dish for a woman’s present.  It is even simpler to make than the cake stand, but has the possibility of being incredibly unique.  Choose a figurine for the center of the dish that is special in some way for the person you are gifting this to.

Difficulty Level:  Beginner-Intermediate.  Only because there is spray paint involved.
Time: About 20 minutes. But give it time to dry and set.

Materials Needed:

  • [easyazon_link identifier=”B001IY82FM” locale=”US”]super glue[/easyazon_link]
  • paint (might I suggest gold?)
  • knickknack
  • dish

Click here for the tutorial.

These t-shirt coasters are a wonderful way to reuse an old item, and work really well as easy gift ideas! They take a bit of time to create, but are incredibly simple. Perfect gift!
T-Shirt Coasters

These coasters will not be appreciated by everyone, but those who DO like them, will absolutely love them.  They take something old and boring and turn it into a useful and fun gift.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate.  We just think that anything using superglue can’t be classified as beginner.  On principle.
Time: About 45  minutes. It just takes a bit of time to braid and wind.

Materials Needed:

  • old t-shirts
  • tape
  • superglue (or something similar)

Click here for the tutorial.

Make your own diy tea bags from coffee filters. Perfect for when you want to use loose-leaf. Or for gifting.

Coffee Filter Tea Bags

A little box of these homemade tea bags would be absolutely delightful! Use delicious loose leaf tea to make personalized bags you know they would love.

I would tuck these into a small box with a tea cup and note for an utterly charming and personal gift.

Difficulty Level: Easy.  It’s not hard at all. But some people simply struggle to fold :).
Time: About 1 minute per bag.

Materials Needed:

  • coffee filters
  • staples
  • loose leaf tea
  • cute tags

Click here for the tutorial.

This Herb Garden in A Box is a great unique twist on a traditional garden. It makes a great gift for either the person in your life who loves plants, or the person who has never had a garden. We love it for the winter; it's great to have fresh herbs right in our kitchen! It is small enough to fit many places, but there's enough in it to be useful. One of the best easy gift ideas!
Herb Garden-in-a-box

This garden-in-a-box is a ton of fun, and someone in your life is sure to appreciate it.  This is another customizable gift, where you can choose to either create your own fun box or buy one that is already pretty.  And you can decide which herbs need to be included, or maybe even small flowers instead.  Your choice.

Difficulty Level:  Intermediate.  This craft is filled with very simple steps, but there are a few more than we generally like.  We love the result, though!
Time: It depends.  If you are creating your box, add more time. If you have to go shopping for dirt and herbs, add more time.  Otherwise, it should be ready in less than 20 minutes.

Materials Needed:

  • craft box
  • paints (if you are using a plain box and decorating it)
  • wooden circles (available at a craft store)
  • small plastic cups
  • potting soil
  • herb seeds

Click here for the tutorial.

These diy animal bookends are made using gold gilding and two plastic toys. We love this project because it is so customizable, and these would make great easy gift ideas for a number of different people in your life.
Gilded Bookends

This craft is one of our favorite easy gift ideas because it can be as masculine or feminine as you choose, which makes it one of the few crafts we have that actually works as a gift for men.  We also love how unexpected this gift would be; it is fun to surprise people sometimes!

Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Time: About 20 minutes. Give it overnight to dry and set.

Materials Needed:

  • [easyazon_link identifier=”B003W0AAJG” locale=”US”]gilding[/easyazon_link] (available at craft stores)
  • 4 blocks of wood (the size you want for your bookends)
  • 2 dollar store animals (make sure they look cool on bookends)
  • super glue
  • paint brush
  • sand paper (if needed)

Click here for the tutorial.

make a cute individual cupcake holder. So easy to make and gift; it's one of our favorite easy gift ideas! www.nelliebellie.com
Individual Cupcake Holder

This is one of those easy gift ideas that actually isn’t even a craft.  It’s just repurposing something…but in a way that everyone will absolutely adore.  Take a squat mason jar and turn it into a super cute cupcake holder.  That’s it!

Difficulty Level:  Super duper beginner.
Time: 2 minutes. The more you decorate, the more time it will take.

Click here for the tutorial (though, honestly, there isn’t anything to it!).

If you’re also looking for food to serve…here’s a few of our favorite easier recipes for over the holidays!

Chocolate cake
International Coffee Drinks
Green Bean Casserole (a healthier version)
molasses cookies
Honey Cheesecake
Homemade Bread
Cinnamon Rolls in Oranges

2 thoughts on “Easy gift ideas you can make in 20 minutes or less.”

  1. Haha; we wish we could hate you mid-easterners for your warm weather. But you make it impossible. We’ll re-add you to the subscription list. I don’t know what happened…but yes, it’s possible it has happened to others. We have no real way of knowing. But we’ll be sure you see them again so you can leave us more great comments!

  2. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    Hi There!! Remember when I asked if you were still posting?? Well that’s because I haven’t received a post since you announced you’d written a book. I don’t know why or how I was dropped. Do you have something against Mid-easterners??I hope not — I don’t mind you’re Minnesotans. I mean after all, someone has to live in the frozen tundra. So — do I need to subscribe again?? If this happened to me could it have happened to others?? Miss seeing your posts.

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