The frugal college student may not have a lot of extra time on their hands until semester break but, we can start thinking about all those presents we need to get for the holidays. We’ve blogged before that Mom and Dad would rather have something you made with your own two hands than spending money they gave you for college. After some web searching, here are a few ideas for you.
From GetRichSlowly.org
- Create a secret hollow book. Find a cheap musty old classic in your closet or garage. Glue the pages together, use an X-Acto knife to hollow out the center of the book. Now the recipient can store his treasures!
- If you’re artistic, GRS-reader Beck suggests giving memory drawings: “Draw a very simple black-and-white picture of a memory that you have of you and the person (e.g. me and my dad playing NES back in the day). This could be a very simple (think Shel Silverstein) drawing. Frame it and gift. The great thing about this (besides being cheap) is that you can give it multiple times to the same person. They will have a growing collection of ‘memory drawings’ from you.” Beck reports this gift is very well received by family members.
- What could be cuter than a stuffed pig? This project from Martha Stewart allows those who are handy with needlework to assemble an adorable, docile pet from felted wool, a pipe cleaner, and some cotton or polyester fill. (Crafty Daisies has instructions for making a felt penguin, and Expert Village has a video series demonstrating how to make stuffed animals.)
- Personal gift certificates also make great gifts. In essence, these are gifts of time. Give parents a gift certificate for a night of baby-sitting, a car wash, backyard barbeque, or a back rub.
From DIYnetwork.com
- Peppermint Bark Crunch up some peppermint candy to create a sweet treat reminiscent of holidays past.
- Ruby the Sock Reindeer (09:09)
Ann Jacobs Mooney creates a holiday-themed sock critter: Ruby the Reindeer.
- Decorate Ornaments (03:50)Turn ordinary ornaments into glittery masterpieces
From Yesandyes.org
- A car travel kit, you’re entertained and there might be fewer arguments about directions.
- the world’s hippest pet bed.
- For a sexy gift, make your own honey dust and apply with a fluffy feather
From our DIY Father’s Day Blog
- You can’t go wrong with cooking Dad’s favorite meal.
- A cube of paper that you decorated by decorating and Blinging
- A custom created coffee tumbler
- Photo album of your favorite pictures of Dad and the family
- Do a project with him like having Dad help you build a bird feeder for his backyard
- Homemade fudge. If you don’t know how, buy some and wrap it up like you made it.
Related articles
- DIY Father’s Day Gift Ideas (collegelife.wpengine.com)
