Five Super Cute DIY Christmas Gift Ideas They Will Actually Like

Christmas is a wonderful, yet expensive time of year. Especially if you have a big family! Although it's nice to spend a lot of money on gifts for our family and friends, sometimes this can leave us in a bit of a sticky financial situation. These five, homemade DIYs make the perfect personalised Christmas presents that your friends and family will adore without you having to break the bank!

One: DIY Photo Album

Your friends and family are sure to love this adorable gift they can treasure forever. All you need are some photos, craft paper, double sided tape (or glue) and a bit of string!

Start by gathering all your photos together. You can even print some you've taken on your iPhone. Use photos from holidays, weddings, parties, any memories you have with this person. Then grab your craft paper or card. It should be very inexpensive at your local shop (around £1-£2.) I would use black card for a more professional look but you can use whatever colour or pattern you like.

Begin by making the pages separately, treating each piece of card as a new page and begin to mount up your photos. Get creative! Use boarders, make collages, cute pockets to slide your pics in to. Don't forget to add personalised details like sticking in some tickets, leaflets, anything related to the events in the pictures. Write a little caption underneath and date it. This will create a super cute scrap book look your loved one will definitely appreciate.

Once you've finished adding the final touches to your book, grab a hole punch, line up all the pages, and make holes in the left side. Then finish it off by grabbing your string (or you could use ribbon) and loop it through the holes and tie together for a rough around the edges, homemade look. If you have a higher budget, you could purchase a sketch book (you can get ones with black pages too) from your local craft store. Depending on the size, this should cost somewhere between £5-£10. Simply stick your photos in, in the same way for a more professional look.

Two: Homemade Chocolates

Know any chocoholics? Treat them to some homemade snacks this Christmas with some super easy to make, homemade chocolates. There are loads of recipes on the internet for you to try out, but today I'm going to tell you about my delicious marzipan chocolate recipe. All you need is some marzipan, chocolate of your choice, and a cute little box lined with tissue paper. All this should come under £10.

First of all, you have to cut up the marzipan. Cut into squares or if you like, you can roll them into balls. Melt your chocolate on the stove and pour over the marzipan then simply put in the fridge to set. That's it! After about an hour, the chocolate should be set and you're ready to package them up. Line your chocolate box with tissue paper and tie it up with a ribbon for a cute finish. You could also make a personalised tag with a message on for your loved one.

Three: Canvas Painting

Gets artsy with this decorative, canvas painting gift. All you need is a canvas and some acrylic paints. Paint your friend or family member's favourite animal, TV character, or possibly a portrait of them. If you're not a confident painter, you could create an abstract wall hanging like the one seen in the picture above. Simply grab some masking tape and section off parts of the canvas. Now just paint on top in whatever colours you like or splat different colours around the canvas. Wait for it to dry and then peel away to reveal your master piece.

You could also stick a poster over the canvas and cut to size. Don't forget to paint the sides in the same colour for a more finished look.

Four: DIY Bath Salts

Pampour your friends with these colourful DIY bath salts. There are loads of different recipes online but the base is easy and cheap to make! You need some sea salt, essential oil (of your choice) baking soda, food colouring and flavouring (optional), and a jar to store it in. All you need to do is mix together the sea salt, baking soda, and oil. Research which oils are good for different skin types and change it as you like. Now just add your food colouring and flavouring to change the colour and scent of your gorgeous gift. Bottle up (you could use an old jam jar or moisturiser tub.) And complete with a super cute label for a stunning homemade gift that will be well loved. All for under £5!

Five: DIY Hot Chocolate

This tasty gift is the perfect winter present! Simply get yourself a jar and fill with hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, chocolate drops, and whatever sweet treats you like. You could also buy a packet hot chocolate (they're only 15p!), marshmallows, and chocolate separately and place in a mug so they can make their own. For finishing touches, you can tie a candy cane around the jar or wrap the whole thing up in some pretty lace and tie with a bow.