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11 Artistic and Handmade Gift Ideas

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I don’t know about you, but I love finding a great reason to give my art away. I get to make art, and I get to give a gift – win win!

If you’re looking for some fun DIY art ideas that you can give away as gifts, check out this list of some of my favorites!

1. Handmade Notebooks and Sketchbooks

Notebooks and sketchbooks are fun when they’re personalized, especially if you’re giving them as a gift. I have a great list of ways to decorate a sketchbook that I suggest checking out!

But, if you’re going for max personalization, how about making a notebook or sketchbook from scratch?! This can be a great, meaningful gift.

Here’s a tutorial I found helpful!

2. Decorated Tote Bags

I always need extra reusable bags when I’m grocery shopping! Well, why not make grocery shopping for fun for your friends and family by making custom tote bags? Grab a cute tote bag and fabric paint or markers, and get creative!

Here are some tips on getting started!

3. Stationary

Stationary is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s so fun to receive, and also so fun to send and let others receive.

You can create custom art on individual notecards.

Or, you can use a service like Printify to order a set of custom postcards with your art on them. If you order notecards in bulk, this is a great way to have more gifts for more people!

4. Decorated Jars

This is a great way to recycle while also creating art and gifts! Find a cute, old jar. Then, decorate it with paints, decoupage, ribbons, and more.

When you’re done, you can fill the jar with chocolates, cookies, or any other fun treat. These jars can then live on as pencil or art supply holders!

5. Painted Plant Pots

As you can probably tell, I love the idea of taking regular objects and turning them into personalized pieces of art. Plant pots are great for this!

Here’s a video for inspiration!

6. Personalized Calendars

Custom calendars can go a long way in making someone smile as they review the busyness of the week ahead. This is a great gift if you have a collection of art to pull from, or feel excited about creating 12 new pieces of custom art.

Once you have your art ready to go, you can use a service like Printify to order your calendars.

Similar to the greeting cards, you can order calendars in bulk so that you can give them to multiple people!

calendar example

7. Illustrated Recipe Book

We have some cherished recipes in our family that would be awesome to put together into a book! If you know that someone has recipes they love, could you compile them into a book with some cute illustrations?

If you don’t want to make an entire book, it could be cute to stylish and decorate 1 cherished recipe to turn into a poster!

8. Affirmation Cards

Getting a note from a friend or family member can make the morning a little brighter. What if there was a note for every day of the month?

Create 30 affirmation cards that are personalized to the person who’s receiving your gift. Have fun decorating them and packaging them in a cute way. Every day when they look at a new affirmation card, your gift can bring a smile to their face!

canva drag and drop to select elements
You can make these by hand, or digitally in a program like Canva!

9. Decorative Signs

Personalized, custom signs can be so special to receive! Maybe the sign has a special quote on it, or the family’s last name. Maybe it’s a tribute to the favorite pet cat! If you know what would be meaningful to your recipient, this can be a great way to use your art skills to create a meaningful gift.

Here’s a tutorial for inspiration!

10. Customized Bookmarks

If you want to give a gift to an avid reader, bookmarks can be so fun! They can be simple, complex, painted, crocheted, drawn, or watercolored. There are SO many options!

Maybe your reader has a favorite book you can draw inspiration from. Maybe there’s a favorite quote you can use. Have fun and get creative!

11. Host an Art Party

Instead of creating something ahead of time, create an experience out of it and create art together with your friends and loved ones. Choose a theme, buy some supplies, and have everyone over for a fun art party!

You can pull names out of a hat so that everyone has a designated person to create an art piece for. This is a win win situation where you can create art for your loved ones while halso spending quality time with them!

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