3 Ways to Save Money on DIY Holiday Gifts This Year

The holidays are a time for giving, and what better way to show your loved ones how much you care than by making them a unique and thoughtful gift? But if you're on a tight budget this year, don't worry – there are plenty of ways to save money on DIY holiday gifts. Plus, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals abound, you will surely get more savings by shopping during this season of discounts, promotions, and offers! 

In this post, we'll show you how to get the most bang for your buck while still putting a smile on your friends’ and family members' faces with homemade gift ideas. So read on and start crafting!

Make the Best Holiday Gifts With These Paper Crafting Ideas! 

1. Create Thoughtful Holiday Cards For Your Loved Ones

This goes without saying, but making a holiday card for our loved ones is included in every crafter’s rulebook (LOL). This is because one of the most thoughtful ways to show your loved ones how much you care this holiday season is to make them a homemade card. While store-bought cards are convenient, nothing comes close to the personal touch of a handcrafted card. Plus, paper crafting is a fun and relaxing activity that will get you into the holiday spirit.

Globe Builder Die Set

There are endless possibilities when it comes to design, so take some time to brainstorm ideas before you start. Once you have a general idea of what you want your card to look like, gather your supplies. All you need is creativity, a stunning stamp and die set, and some watercoloring products to color your images. 

You can make many DIY holiday cards for your loved ones even with just one stamp and die set. Simply arrange the stamps differently and mix up colors to produce multiple cards, like a 5-cards-1-stamp project. Not only will this bring you massive savings, but you'll also be flexing your creative muscles when it comes to card designs. 

Festive Tree Complete Bundle

You can also make a watercolor-themed design for a unique holiday card idea. To do this, stamp your chosen image on watercolor paper, heat-emboss, and use watercolor paint pans to color your image. Using watercolors instead of ink for your holiday cards will give them a distinct, distressed vintage look.  

Watercolor 36 Pan Set

Once you’re done with your card design, personalize it with a touching letter inside! If you’re struggling to come up with some holiday card messages, why not try browsing through our Card Messages page to get some inspiration? 

2. Bring Your Gifts to a New Level With Customized Gift Wraps

Personalized gift wrap is always a nice touch, and it's easy to make your own with stamps. All you need is some paper, ink, some winter-themed stamps or stencils, and your choice of coloring medium.

DIY Gift Wrap

Once you have your materials, simply stamp the paper with your chosen design. Color them with your chosen medium - try using alcohol markers for a more vibrant look! Alongside stamps, you can also choose to embellish your gift wrap with sequins, glitter, or even washi tape. 

If you’re using a stencil, use the stencil to create a repeating pattern on your gift wrap. You can then use this customized paper to wrap gifts, or you can even frame it as art. 

Floral Lace Die

Another way to customize your holiday gifts is to accent your wrap with some beautiful die-cuts. Follow these steps for a beautiful and one-of-a-kind gift wrap:

• Choose plain wrapping paper with no designs as your base. Using simple colors such as red, white, brown, or black is best, so that your die-cuts can shine against the wrapping paper.
• Decide if you’re going to use the dies as accents or you want them to cover the entire gift. Play with your imagination! 
• Cut your dies onto some bold-colored or glittery cardstock. You can also use patterned paper. You don’t have to worry about picking specific dies designs, because most die-cuts are versatile (especially our floral ones!)
• After cutting them through your die-cutting machine, adhere them on your gift wrap. You can choose to prop them up with Instant Dimension Foam Tape, or lay them flat. 

Layered Snowflakes 2 Die Set

You can also make holiday gift tags to go with your presents! Doing this technique is made easier because of tag-shaped dies. Just run them through your die-cutting machine, pair them with your favorite holiday-themed stamps or dies, and voila! You now have a beautiful gift tag - if it's too pretty to throw away, your recipients can even use it as a festive ornament on their tree! 

Labels & Tags 2 Die Set

Whatever materials you choose to use, making DIY gift wraps and tags is a fun and easy way to add a personal touch to your gift-giving. Who knows, your homemade gift wrap may become your loved ones' favorite part of the present!

3. Impress Your Loved Ones With Some Stunning Alcohol Ink Art

Alcohol ink is a versatile medium that you can use for all sorts of paper crafting projects. If you're looking for a unique DIY holiday gift idea, why not try your hand at making some alcohol ink art? There are endless possibilities for design and color, so you can really let your creativity shine. 

One popular technique is using alcohol inks to create marbled paper. You can use this to make a personalized scrapbook full of your loved ones' memories. To start, you'll need some Yupo paper, alcohol inks in your desired colors, and an ink blower.

Simply drip the inks onto the paper and then use the blower to swirl them around until you're happy with the design. Let the paper dry completely before moving on to the next step - decorating your scrapbook layout!

Alcohol Ink Bundle (24 Colors)

Fill the scrapbook with short messages, photos, receipts, tickets, and other trinkets that you can adhere to the paper. Decorate your scrapbook pages with embellishments, stamps, and dies to give your alcohol ink art some texture. This scrapbook full of happy memories will show your loved ones how creative and thoughtful you are - a priceless DIY holiday gift they can't find at any store! 

Evergreen Alcohol Ink

Another way to use alcohol ink for gifts is to color canvas tote bags, DIY customization of ceramic plates, or even make tie-dye shirts. There are endless possibilities when it comes to creating with alcohol inks. So get crafty and see what you can come up with!

Get Massive Savings on Your Gifts This Year With These Tips!

With some creativity and planning, you can easily make DIY holiday gifts this year and save yourself a lot of money in the process. We hope these ideas have inspired you and that you're excited to get started on your personalized scrapbooks, one-of-a-kind cards, festive gift wraps, and unique holiday tags!

Speaking of saving more on holiday gifts this year, don't forget to mark your calendar for Altenew's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale! This is the perfect time to stock up on all the stamps, dies, inks, embossing folders, and other paper crafting supplies you need to create beautiful handmade gifts for your loved ones. Watch this handy shopping guide to get a sneak peek on the top paper crafting products to look out for: 

With these discounts, you can save up to 60% OFF on all your favorite paper crafting items + FREE SHIPPING! Drop by our website and All Things Altenew page daily so you don't miss out on the biggest crafting sale of the year! Happy shopping!