The holiday season is upon us and your mind is in a million places, there is always so much to do and so many gifts to purchase. This year, consider making gifts for your loved ones, and better yet – put some of those beautiful family photos or adorable school pictures to use.

You can absolutely order a coffee mug with your children’s picture on it and gift it to a grandparent, or you can find a retailer online who can add a collage of photos to a blanket for you, but I encourage you to consider creating a homemade gift from the heart! You are only limited by your own imagination and creativity, but this list is a good place to start:

Mason Jar Lid Magnets

I love how trendy and practical these magnets are! If you are new to the DIY scene and not too sure how your crafting skills will hold up – this is the perfect project for a beginner! It is something so simple, but the final product will make a huge impact. This style of magnet fits almost any aesthetic of home decor and it will be so meaningful for the recipient to open.

Photo Collage Letters

This is a very thoughtful gift, and easy to personalize for anyone in your life. Pick a letter that is meaningful to the person, or you can even do a few letters and make a word like “Love” or “Joy.” I suggest printing out more pictures then you might think you need, because once you start cutting them to size and organizing the collage itself, you will have more room then you realize to work with. I’ve made a few of these before, and each time it is such a special gift that is so loved and proudly displayed!

Photo Keepsake Ornaments

If you are looking for a gift to give someone who puts up a tree for the holidays, ornaments are always a great idea! Re-do this idea year after year, so the tree becomes a display of how much the family has grown over the years. You can also hang these ornaments off of doorknobs or even on command hooks as decor. If you love this idea, but have no desire to make an ornament, this same concept can be recreated on coasters, which we will get into next.

Photo Coasters

I love this idea because you can take a few hours one day to make a handful of coasters, which can then be turned into gifts for multiple people. This is also a great DIY to start with if you consider yourself a beginner in the crafting field, it is easy to make and hard to mess up! Even if your gift recipient doesn’t use coasters regularly in their home, these are also practical decor pieces to leave out for guests to admire.

Photo Clocks

While this certainly isn’t a project to tackle if you aren’t a confident crafter just yet, this really is a sweet gift to make this holiday season! There is usually always a spot in someone’s home to add a clock, and if not, people will make room to add this thoughtful gift to their decor! It is always fun to add pictures to practical everyday items, and they mean so much more than just gifting a photo in a frame.

Photo Frame Luminarie

There are a few different styles of this same concept out there, so I encourage you to find the style and method that will work for you. I like this one, because you can use 4 different photos – one for each side, and I know sometimes there are too many adorable pictures, you can’t just pick one! Because this gift pairs with a battery operated tealight candle, it is safe to keep lit at all times. This would look perfect on a mantle somewhere or mixed in with your holiday decor this season.

Photo Frame Memory Wreath

One of the more time consuming DIY projects on the list, just because there are so many small picture frames involved. Not only do you need to decide on pictures to fill all of the frames, but you then need to adhere them to create the wreath shape. While this may take time to create, the outcome is absolutely worth it. This wreath will stand the test of time, and is sure to be adored for years to come. A beautiful conversation starter to add to your loved one’s home!

Photo Canvas

Here is an absolutely beautiful handmade gift to make for someone you love! These photo canvases can be made as large or as small as you like, and will look professional once hung on the wall. This is a great DIY project if you are a beginner, as it is fairly simple, but it won’t look like your little one made it. A canvas on the wall adds so much dimension to a room, the recipient of this gift will so appreciate it!

Photo Transfer Candles

These candles are another gift that look professional once completed, and will also look perfect with any home decor. Candles are a staple during the winter months, and many people love to light candles all over their home. While they may choose not to light this candle, they definitely will want to display and admire it. This is a gift that can easily be made for multiple people on your list, and each one will appreciate the thoughtfulness (and practicality) of the gift!

Photo Puzzle

There is nothing more fun than a game or activity to give as a gift during the holidays, and it is even better if the activity is personalized! Pick one of those stunning family photos or find a group picture of all the nieces and nephews, and turn it into a puzzle for someone to enjoy. This project is not for beginners, and does require a Cricut machine (at least for this particular tutorial – if you don’t have a Cricut, feel free to get creative!).

Photo Puzzle for Kids

A spin on the above idea, you can create a personalized photo puzzle for your little one (No heavy machinery required!). Take pictures of family members, even include a picture or two of your little one, and hide them behind puzzle pieces. Puzzles are an excellent way to work on hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and problem solving, and adding this personalized twist makes the puzzle even better!

I love the idea of DIY gifts during the holidays, they mean so much more than something from the store. It’s fun to plan out what you are going to make, and for who. This list takes it all a step further and you can also plan out what picture(s) you will use for each gift. I hope you found some inspiration on this list to create the perfect holiday gift for someone you love! Happy Holidays & Happy Crafting!