Crafting thoughtful gifts that are both personal and affordable might sound like a difficult task. But that’s not actually the case. 

You don’t need a big budget to make meaningful presents, and DIY gifts can often be more special than expensive store-bought items. Because you use your ideas, creativity and skill, the recipient will know they’re getting something special. 

Every gift idea included in this post is based on easy-to-follow Skillshare classes, making it simple for you to learn how to craft each one. 

1. Sew a Small Zippered Bag from Scratch

Smiling woman holding up a medium-sized blue zippered bag, sitting at a white work table against the background of a white wall and curtains, plants, brown leather cough and dress form 
Robyn walks you through the basics of sewing, from setting up your machine to creating your own useful zippered pouch. Skillshare class Foundational Sewing Skills: Sew a Zippered Bag From Scratch by Robyn Burgess

About This Project: Robyn teaches you the basics of sewing and how to make your own small, simple pouch. With these skills, you’ll be ready to start making clothing and other items. 

What You'll Make: You’ll sew a zippered bag, about the size of a clutch purse, from soft, flexible fabric.  

Who Teaches It: Robyn Burgess is a sewist and designer who’s been making her own clothes for years. With a successful blog and pieces worn by WNBA athletes and ESPN hosts, she’s got the experience and teaching skills to help you achieve your sewing goals. 

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • A sewing machine that can sew a straight stitch, zigzag stitch and buttonholes
  • A zipper presser foot for your sewing machine
  • Measuring tape
  • Clear ruler
  • Fabric scissors
  • Marking pen and/or chalk
  • Glass head pins
  • Seam ripper
  • Fabric–a yard should be plenty

Budgeting Tip: Rather than buying new fabric, look around for something you can repurpose, such as a pillowcase or old blouse. 

Learn to sew a zippered bag from scratch

2. Make Your Own Clothing

Three images of a woman in different clothing, on the left she wears a short, golden poncho, in the center a wide-brimmed hat and a gray sweater and on the right a camel-colored wrapped sweater with a large collar 
Denise teaches you the basic tools and techniques needed to make your own clothing, and even shows you how to buy the right supplies. Skillshare class Sewing Basics: Make Your Own Clothing by Denise Bayron

About This Project: Denise teaches you the basic skills and elements of making clothing and guides you through the stitching and finishing of your own project. 

What You'll Make: You’ll sew a piece of your own design, from a simple apron to a pajama set. More important than what you make are the techniques you’ll learn for clothing making in general. 

Who Teaches It: Denise Bayron is a designer and pattern maker with experience in a range of fiber arts. She not only demonstrates basic sewing skills but also includes a segment of her visit to a fabric store, explaining how to select the best fabric and supplies for your project.  

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • A sewing machine
  • Spare bobbins
  • Cutting surface with a grid
  • Sewing shears and paper scissors
  • Rotary cutter
  • Pinking shears
  • Clear sewing ruler
  • Pins and pin cushion
  • Sewing needles in various sizes that are compatible with your machine
  • Seam ripper
  • Marking tools, such as tailors’ chalk
  • Fabric scraps
  • Thread
  • Iron and ironing board or pad

Budgeting Tip: If you’re just getting started, buy supplies on the less expensive end. As you learn what works well for you and what doesn’t, you can upgrade as necessary. 

Learn the basics of sewing clothes

3. Create Your Own Wall Art

Fabulous wall art doesn’t require several expensive supplies–you can make unique, attractive pieces with things you already have around the house. Skillshare class DIY Wall Art: 5 Beautiful & Budget-Friendly Techniques by Bronwyn Tarboton

About This Project: Bronwyn teaches you to create attractive wall art from things you might already have around the house and simple art supplies. 

What You'll Make: You’ll make five pieces of wall art that cost very little yet look upscale. Enjoy the flexibility to use already-loved items, found objects and whatever creative supplies you have on hand. 

Who Teaches It: Bronwyn Tarboton is a Broadway actor turned home decor DIYer. When her stage time halted during the Covid pandemic, she started seeking out used objects to fix up to decorate her own apartment. After a few years, she’s teaching her followers to make the most of their own “highly curated trash.” 

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need: 

  • Frames and canvases (used are fine)
  • Watercolor paint
  • Black marker
  • Joint compound
  • Scraper

Budgeting Tip: Before buying anything, look around your home, work and other places for used items no one needs. You might be able to do this project for free! 

Create beautiful, inexpensive wall art

4. Create Floral Prints With Natural Dyes

Overhead view of a floral print featuring hand-drawn flowers and bright color from the flowers themselves, surrounded by fresh flowers in red, orange, yellow, blue and purple
Look to your own flower gardens for bright, natural dyes that will help you create gorgeous floral prints. Skillshare class From Nature to Paper: How to Craft Colorful Fine Art With Floral Dye by Peggy Dean

About This Project: Peggy teaches you to source natural plant life, and how to extract its color to bring even more beauty to your hand-drawn art,   

What You'll Make: You’ll create two art prints, one with foraged flowers and greenery and another from garden or store-bought flowers. Each print combines hand-drawn objects colored by dye made from the plants themselves. 

Who Teaches It: Peggy Dean is an author, educator and artist who loves showing students how to create art from the items found in nature. She begins by showing you how to find and select the plants themselves, and guides you through the whole process, whether you’re a beginner or more experienced. 

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • Watercolor or mixed media paper, at least 90 lb
  • Tracing paper (optional)
  • Hammer or mallet
  • Flowers and greenery from your yard, the woods or the store

Budgeting Tip: As long as you have paper that can handle a lot of moisture, you don’t have to purchase a thing. Whether you’re using brightly colored flowers or grass from outside your door, natural pigment is in just about every type of plant. 

Color hand-drawn prints with floral dye

5. Turn Torn Paper into a Landscape Collage

Several layers of torn paper, organized into landscape and abstract collages in whites, grays, blues, greens and browns
Create landscape collage from torn paper, using a variety of colors, textures and sizes. Skillshare class Torn Paper Landscape Collages for Relaxation and Self-Care by Ewa Rosa

About This Project: Ewa teaches you to use the simple process of tearing paper as not only art, but a meditative, relaxing process. Then turn that paper into relatively sophisticated pieces. 

What You'll Make: You’ll go on a hunt for paper featuring the colors and textures you love. Then you’ll arrange those pieces to create any type of landscape you want.

Who Teaches It: Ewa Rosa is an illustrator and embroidery artist who loves to draw inspiration from nature. Her style is playful and doesn’t hesitate to incorporate small details into large, organic pieces. 

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • Thick paper
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Magazines, colored paper or handmade paper
  • White and gold gel pens (optional)

Budgeting Tip: You don’t need fancy paper to do this project–old magazines and whatever paper you have around the house will do. 

Turn paper scraps into a collage

6. Sew for Less With Second-Hand Fabrics

Four different colorful fabrics, one in primary colors and geometric shapes and flowers, one in a rusty orange and wine color, one with pink and yellow flowers on a tan background and one with coral, yellow and dark blue stars and dots on white
Second-hand and clearance fabrics offer a wide range of colors and patterns, making them perfect for accessible, inexpensive projects. Skillshare class Creative Sewing on a Dime: Find Inspiration in Second-Hand Fabrics and Materials by Maura Marcks

About This Project: Maura teaches you how to explore second-hand and inexpensive fabrics for inspiration and affordable projects, as well as tips for building up your sewing gear. 

What You'll Make: You’ll learn to develop a project plan for using second-hand and used fabrics. From the spark of an idea to listing what you’ll need, you’ll be ready to take on a range of inexpensive sewing projects. 

Who Teaches It: Maura Marcks is a clothing designer who works with vintage and second-hand fabrics. She likes to use bright, happy patterns to create sustainable, original clothing.  

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • The project plan checklist
  • Second-hand fabric
  • Preferred sewing tools

Budgeting Tip: You likely have something around the house, such as old clothes or a blanket, you can salvage for used fabric. Consider what you have while creating your plan to avoid having to buy anything. 

Sew and save money with second-hand fabrics

7. Make Earrings Out of Paper

Three pairs of paper earrings, in grays, pinks, blacks, and silvers, hanging from a wooden dowel; on either side is a torn paper motif in black and white 
Making attractive earrings from paper is easier than you might think. Skillshare class PaperCraft Earrings: 3 DIY Designs by Khara Plicanic

About This Project: Khara teaches you how to design and create earrings from paper, even if you have little to no experience with the craft. 

What You'll Make: You’ll make three different pairs of papercraft earrings, using the paper and other materials of your choice. 

Who Teaches It: Khara Plicanic is a photographer, designer and mixed-media artist with decades of experience in a wide range of crafts. She enjoys teaching through books, videos and in person.  

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • Scissors
  • Crafting glue
  • Craft paper
  • Earring hooks and jump rings
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Hole punch
  • Shaped paper punches
  • Round nose pliers
  • Ruler
  • Beads (optional)

Budgeting Tip: You don't need to buy expensive paper, as you can make these earrings with just about any type of paper you have around. Some techniques may require certain paper types, however. 

Make earrings out of paper

8. Turn Dirt and Rocks Into Pigment

Artist’s hand applying a brush to a canvas, on which there’s an abstract painting of a planetary setting in reddish browns, greens, blacks and whites
The pigment you create from dirt and rocks works like other paints, but results in a deeply organic-looking piece with rich, natural colors. Skillshare class Alchemy of Color: Turning Dirt & Rocks into Mineral Pigment Palettes by Karelia Blum

About This Project: Karelia teaches you the three basic steps for turning dirt and rocks into works of art, from finding the natural materials to mixing them with binders to make paint.  

What You'll Make: You’ll experience the entire process of finding natural materials and extracting their pigments, then turning that into a paint you use to paint a representation of yourself. The final piece may be realistic or abstract. 

Who Teaches It: Karelia Blum is an artist and mindfulness facilitator who loves to use natural pigments she makes from natural items she’s gathered. She wants to share the beauty of creation and connection with others, and hosts workshops to help people get back to nature. 

Materials Required: For this project, you’ll need:

  • Glass containers
  • Plastic bags
  • Digging tools
  • Mortar and pestle, or even just two big stones
  • Metal and cloth strainers
  • Blender
  • Several bowls
  • Protective mask for mouth and nose
  • Small pigment storage containers
  • Canvas
  • Paint brushes
  • Paint binders 

Budgeting Tip: Once you know how to identify and forage for natural pigments, you won’t have to pay for expensive paints. You can do this project with very few materials, many of which you find outside and probably already have in the house. 

Turn dirt and rocks into pigment palettes

Craft Thoughtful Gifts without Breaking the Bank

And there you have it–thoughtful, personalized gifts don't have to be expensive to make a big impact. 

Take some time to explore the Skillshare classes mentioned here and embrace DIY gifting as a way to show care and creativity. You can also check out the blog for more ideas, including:

If you haven’t already, sign up for Skillshare to get started on these and other accessible, affordable projects that make the most of your creativity. You’ll never run out of gift ideas! 

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Written By
Katie Mitchell

Katie Mitchell

Katie lives in Michigan with her husband, kids and pets. She enjoys cooking, travel and live music.

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