As the holiday season draws closer, it’s time to come up with some gift ideas for your friends and family. Finding the perfect gift for someone doesn’t always mean you have to spend a large amount of money. The best gifts come from the heart. If you are feeling lost and you need a head start, here are a few DIY gift ideas to get the ball rolling. 

The Split Hoodie: 

This is a great gift for those who love to wear something that you don’t typically see everyday. In order to create this split hoodie, go to your local goodwill or thrift store and find two different hoodies that are the same size and style. As for the other materials, I recommend having a sewing machine, colored thread that matches the color of your hoodies, a ruler/flat edge, a fabric marker or sharpie and a set of pins. Using a sewing machine will make the process a lot easier and it will save you so much time. If you don’t own a sewing machine, there are some available to students in the craft center at the EMU. Here are a few steps to get you started! 

Step one: Place the two hoodies on a flat surface, making sure that there are no bumps in the material. 

Step two: Take a ruler or a flat edge, and draw a line in the middle of each hoodie. This should be where you are going to cut the hoodies. Make sure that the lines on each hoodie are in the same exact spot. 

Step three: Cut both hoodies in half. 

Step four: Take one half from each hoodie, then place them together. Use the pins to make sure they are secure and placed in the position you want.

Step five: Use your sewing machine to combine the two halves together! If you are unsure on how to do this, there are many videos on youtube that will be able to guide you throughout this process. 

Patchwork Tees and Jackets: 

This is a very simple way to put a spin on something old, and make it new again. Whether it’s upcycling something that you already own, or buying a basic tee that you want jazzed up a bit, this is a very simple DIY that is perfect for everyone. This is also a great gift for friends and family, who love the vintage look. If you don’t know where to look for patches, I recommend that you start at a craft store. Usually they have a whole aisle dedicated to iron on patches. As for the t-shirts and jackets, these can be found at a thrift store or even somewhere like target. The materials you will need for this project include, an iron, a thin towel or cloth, iron on patches of your choice and a shirt or jacket that is mostly cotton or polyester. Denim also works great! 

Step one: Plug in your iron so it can start to heat up, you want it to be around 350 degrees. 

Step two: Place your shirt or jacket on a flat surface, making sure that there are no bumps. 

Step three: Decide where you would like to iron on your patch or patches. After deciding, place them in the decided spots. 

Step four: Place the thin cloth over the patches. Then when the iron is finally heated up, lightly press down on the clothed area while also making small circular motions. This will help distribute the heat heavenly over the area where the patch is, allowing it to seal. 

Rit Dye Tote Bags: 

The third and final gift idea is a DIY tote bag! This is a very functional gift idea for those who love reusable grocery bags or even just a bag to carry their things. In order to create this

DIY, you can either purchase a plain tote bag off of amazon or from a craft store. These usually range from $5-10. As for customizing the bag, here are a few materials you might use; Rit Dye, fabric markers or paint, embroidery thread and iron on patches. If you are wanting to dye the bag, I recommend that you visit the Rit Dye website for more information. On the back of each bottle of dye, there are instructions on what to do. Here is a layout of some of the steps! 

Step one: Boil a gallon of water on the stove until it reaches the temperature of 140 degrees. Step two: Pour your water in a pluged sink or gallon bucket. Then pour about a quarter of the dye into the water. 

Step three: Place the tote bag into the water while wearing rubber gloves. 

Step four: Let the bag soak for 30-60 minutes, depending on how dark you want the color. 

Step five: After it is done soaking, drain the water and rinse the bag in the sink. Making sure that all the excess dye is out of the fabric. The water should run clear. 

Step six: Wash the bag on delicate with only a little bit of detergent. Let the bag air dry and then you are finished!

Now that you have a few different DIY gift ideas, it’s time to go out and put them to the test! If you need some more inspiration on where to start, check out your local thrift store for some upcycled materials. Or make time to go to your local craft store. The possibilities are endless when it comes to homemade gifts!