Getting into a thrifty mindset, it is a great idea to make and prepare DIY Gifts all year round so that you have a little stockpile of beautifully home-made, special presents – ready to give to your loved ones, family and friends. Making your own gifts can also save you a small fortune at Christmas. Have you ever received a DIY gift? How did it make you feel?
If you get swept up in the commercialism of Christmas and of gift-giving, it’s easy to believe that the more you spend on a present, the more the recipient will feel loved. The truth is that the more thought and time you put into a present, the more the recipient will KNOW that they are loved and that you consider them worth the effort, of making something especially for them. With this DIY gift idea you can put even more thought into the design by personalising the jar with the name of the person that you are giving it to.
You will need:
First off you will need clean, dry, glass jars. You can shop around kitchen stores or supermarkets during the sales to find cheaper mason and storage jars, or you can save even more money by recycling your empty coffee jars or by using any glass object that you care to decorate, such as wine glasses or recycled jam jars.
You will also need a tube of 3D paste – For this example ‘Pebeo glass & metal paint relief paste outliner‘ has been used as they have a very effective metallic gold paste, which is fitting if you are considering making Christmas presents. If you shop around online using sites like Amazon and Ebay, you can find a tube for about £3 – a small tube will last you for a lot of projects, as a little goes a long way.
How to make 3D embellished glass jars:
This is the easy and fun bit! Hold your jar steadily in one hand and use the tube of relief paste to carefully doodle and swirl your design onto the glass. You don’t have to be a great artist here, less is more so here are some suggestions:
- the recipient’s name
- a simple heart shape
- easy to draw geometric shapes like squares and rectangles – dotted around the jar
- a spiral
- a sunshine or stars
- an outline of a spoon and the word sugar / coffee / tea
- the word sweets / biscuits / treats
- an outline of a cat or dog or the word miaow or woof
- an outline of a leaf or tree
Just use your imagination when drawing out your design and remember, that it is the thought that counts with this DIY gift, and whatever you create it will be wonderful for the recipient, because you made it for them.
Once you’ve added your design to the jar, you must now leave the jar to dry in a safe, out of the way, dry place for at least half a day, to ensure that your design sets solid.
Once dry you will notice that you can run your fingers over the design and it has created a 3D effect on the jar. It looks really interesting and as is pretty durable too, so your design will endure a few knocks and bumps and last for years.
If you want to get really creative, why not take things further by experimenting with glass paints too!
The finished jars are beautiful as they are and you can always fill them for an extra surprise.
Here are a few ideas of what you could pop inside:
- Sweets
- Biscuits
- Small party-favour toys and games
- tubes of glitter / googly eyes / beads / sequins and other crafting items
- a rolled up message on a piece of coloured paper, that you have written especially for them
- a rolled up tie or pair of colourful socks
- Small make-up items and bottles of nail varnish
- tea bags / coffee / sugar
- Dried fruit / nuts
- herbs and spices
- a candle
You could fill your jar with anything you like, or leave it looking empty and elegant, it’s totally up to you as it’s your creative project. You can’t go wrong and your DIY gift will make someone’s day because you have made it for them yourself!
Enjoy… and if you have any design tips or ideas for filling the jars – let us know in the comments below – thank you!
A few self-sufficient, thrifty or off-the-grid selections, including Solar Panel Chargers. Toys and tools that I’m saving up for!
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