But I really put a lot of pressure on myself to get really good gifts. And then there's added stress because this girl really doesn't have any money. And then I just in general feel like I'm not very good at gift giving. I think when I have my own family we're just going to make fun projects together and eat a meal. None of this stress stuff for me if I can help it!
I revamped a guest post I did earlier this year with tips and inspiration on DIYing. I'm so glad I came across it because I really needed it! It reminded me that I don't have to spend a lot of money on gifts and gave me lots of ideas for practical things that I can make that I know people will love. Hopefully it helps you as much as it did me : )
//Go out of your medium when looking for inspiration. If I'm making a piece of clothing, I try to find inspiration from a really awesome album cover or piece of furniture. If I'm designing a graphic image I'll try to take in a bunch of textures/fabrics around me, pieces of jewelry, etc. I think its easier to stay original (and make sure that you aren't stealing someone else's product) if you use this method for your main source of inspiration!
// If you don't have a Pinterest account, go sign up immediately! And visit often : )
//And speaking of process, try to enjoy it! Or at least don't make your DIY project all about the end result. I'll relate it to blogging: would you love having your blog if the only thing you were concerned about was 10,000 pageviews a day or becoming a for-profit blog in 6 months time? Posting wouldn't be fun! Connecting with other bloggers wouldn't be fun either. It would be completely about gaining something for yourself and you'd probably come off as insincere along the way. Oh man, and could you imagine if your blog never became "successful" like you wanted it to? Ahh well a lot of my crafting projects completely fail. That's why it's important to enjoy what you're doing along the way and take whatever learning experience you can from it.
//Start small and don't get overly ambitious. The best confidence booster is doing something well! So start with something that you know you'll be able to do (my next tip is a good place to start). Put a few smaller but successful DIYs under your belt, then move onto something bigger and have more confidence while doing it!
//Easy DIY ideas: put some spraypaint on it (it being whatever you own)! Buy some chain and add a really cool pendant (that perhaps your grandmother or great Aunt owned). Glue something onto a bobby pin. All three of these ideas will use things that you already have. Maybe you just don't like the color of a picture frame that someone gifted you. The necklace will be personal because it has something from a member of your family. You probably already wear a million bobby pins so why not glue a cool gemstone to the end of a few to add some detail and fun to your messy bun?!
So there you have it! And in case you're in need of some really awesome DIY blogs, you can visit this blog, this blog and this blog. Or this one or this one!
