Some occasions call for an extra love-filled gift with a personal stamp (either that or you just happen to have more time on your hands …) These 5 personalized gift ideas are fun to make, and definitely fun to receive. Your boyfriend will love the thought you put in while creating this present!
Altoids Tin Kits
You can make a personalized kit in an Altoids tin for every interest. For camping enthusiasts, stick in fishing hooks, line and sinkers, matches, needle and thread, duct tape, a compass, and band-aids. For the short-attention-spanned, a pocket games chest (dice, a mini deck of cards, tokens, and game instructions cards). For martini lovers, a to-go martini kit. The more stuff you can wedge in there, the more impressive your kit will be.
Secret Book Safe
Everyone needs a secret spot to stash – even if your partner has been living in their own apartment for years, hiding things never loses its appeal. Get a good-looking vintage hardcover from a second hand book store. You just need some white glue, an Xacto knife or box cutter, brush, pencil, ruler. Check out this tutorial.
iPad / Laptop Case
You can make an iPad or laptop case out of a moleskin journal, a composition book, hardcover book, bubble wrap filled duct tape, or fabric. For the less- crafty among us, sewing a fabric one is the easiest option. If you've got a friend with a sewing machine, fabric covers are the most forgiving option.
Luggage Tags
To make a super easy DIY luggage tag, take two rectangular pieces of leather or suede and sew the wrong sides together (face in), and leave one side open. Trim the sides as close to the stitch line as you can. Cut a slice of leather for the handle for the tag, and put it in the open side and stitch it shut. Get a piece of laminate sheeting just smaller than your leather square. Lay it on top of your leather square, and stitch down both sides and leave the top part open,
Infused Vodka
A personalized bottle of booze adds a lot of character to a home bar. Flavoured vodkas are easy to make and more natural than artificial-flavoured ones. Grab some canning jars or glass hermetic bottles, a neutral flavoured vodka, and your infusion ingredients. If you only have a few days, stick to fresh herbs, vanilla beans, and citrus. These flavours don't take as much time as fruits or berries or cinnamon sticks, which need to sit for up to 2 weeks. Wash your jars, your produce, and then add the your ingredients to your vodka. Let the containers rest in a dark cool place. Shake them every few days or so. After a few days, strain and then gift.
Map Coasters
A well travelled soul who likes to entertain will appreciate these easy-to-make handmade coasters. You'll need some old maps (vintage National Geographics will do), round cork coasters, a craft knife, a foam paintbrush and glue sealant. Place your map on a cutting mat face down, and put the coasters on top. Cut around them with the craft knife. Cover one side of the coasters in glue, stick the map circle on. Cover with glue sealant and let dry.
