Handmade gifts are a great way to celebrate a friend or family member's birthday. They're affordable, unique, and easily personalized to send a special message to the birthday boy or girl.
Birthday Balloon Surprise
Balloons are a must at any birthday celebration, but this balloon is a gift and a party decoration all in one. It can be customized to suit recipients of any age, although you would need to be careful to avoid choking hazards if you planned to make a birthday balloon surprise for a very small child.
Supplies
- Large latex balloon
- Empty plastic soda or water bottle
- Scissors
- Cardstock
- Hole punch
- Ribbon
- Markers
Instructions
- Carefully cut the top off your plastic soda bottle.
- Stretch the opening of the balloon over the opening of the plastic soda bottle. Fill your balloon by inserting items through the funnel you've made. You can use fun sized candy, tiny toys, lip balm, hair ties, bracelets, coins, or anything else you can think of that will fit through the funnel. Homemade coupons, silly jokes, or small photos can also be added if you roll them up tightly before pushing them through the funnel. Be creative and try to choose a mixture of items that reflects the recipient's interests.
- Take the balloon off the plastic bottle funnel and inflate as desired.
- Tie the balloon closed.
- Use markers to write a message or doodle a design on the balloon.
- Use cardstock, markers, scissors, and hole punch to make a tag that says "Pop me" and tells who the gift is from. Attach the tag to the top of the balloon with a bit of colorful ribbon.
Emergency Kit in Keepsake Storage Bag
If you're looking for a practical gift, you can't go wrong with modern day emergency kit. This is a collection of smaller themed items packaged together in a decorative reusable storage bag. Some ideas for filling your emergency kit include:
- Boredom buster for a child: Coloring book, crayons, stickers, puzzle book, and card game
- Study emergency kit for a teen: Pens, pencils, highlighters, index cards, and a few favorite study snacks or a roll of quarters for the library vending machine
- Beauty emergency kit for a woman: Hair ties, bobby pins, mini hair spray, lipstick, lip balm, and tiny perfume
- Snack emergency kit for a man: Beef jerky, mixed nuts, gum, mints, and favorite candy bar or protein bar
Supplies
- Gallon plastic bag
- Decorative paper, photos, and/or stickers
- Double sided tape
- Clear packing tape
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Eyelet setter
- 2 eyelets
Instructions
- Use double sided tape to position decorative paper over the front and back of the bag. You can use wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, a child's drawing, magazine pages, favorite photos, or a collage made from your favorite stickers as the base of your bag.
- Cover entire bag with overlapping strips of packing tape. Work slowly and pull the bag tight to minimize air bubbles.
- Use scissors to trim excess as needed.
- If desired, attach a second smaller design to the front of the bag and leave the top open to use as a pocket.
- Use eyelet setting to add two eyelets to the top of the bag, one on the left side and one on the right side.
- Thread ribbon through eyelets and tie in a knot.
- Fill the bag with desired items.
Other DIY Birthday Gift Ideas
Additional ideas for birthday gifts you can make include:
- Candy card: An oversized candy card with a clever message and an assortment of sweet treats is the perfect gift.
- Origami towel basket: Fold a towel into a gift basket, then fill it with body wash, lotion, and pampering treats like a favorite magazine, nail polish, and a scented candle.
- Candles: Recycle leftover candle wax and your favorite thrift store containers into a custom birthday gift. Tea cups, mason jars, vintage metal cookie tins, and terra cotta flower pots are just a few candle options to consider.
- No sew fleece blanket: This gift is practical, but fun. Choose fabric in a whimsical pattern to make a birthday gift that's sure to please.
- Washi tape picture frame: Add colorful washi tape to a simple wooden frame for a special way to present your favorite photo.
- Paper bag scrapbook album: Showcase your favorite photos in a homemade scrapbook the recipient is sure to love. This gift works especially well for milestone birthdays, so you can highlight your favorite older photos.
Add a Heartfelt Handmade Card
When you're finished creating your homemade birthday gift, don't forget to include a handmade card with a special note for the recipient. Cards with handwritten notes are keepsakes that will be treasured for many years to come.
