10 DIY Wedding Gifts

With the arrival of June comes the arrival of the unofficial “wedding season.” The summer months are a very busy time for weddings. People seem to want to have their weddings during the warmer months. And if you know a lot of people getting married in the same year, those warmer months can quickly become very expensive for you. With that in mind, creating wedding gifts on your own just might be the solution to keeping your budget in check. Here are 10 DIY wedding gifts that you can feel good about giving to the happy couples.

1. Etched wine glasses – These etched wine glasses are easy to create and look stunning when complete. You could etch Mr. & Mrs., the initial for their last name or even a monogram. This process works on all  glass so you could also etch vases, the glass part of a frame (then put in a picture of the happy couple), or anything you think the couple may use.
2. Date night in a basket – This idea can be tailored in many different ways. Thanks to Pinterest, I found a few different ideas that could be put together easily. You can create a dinner basket using a nice metal colander, pasta, jarred sauce, some kitchen utensils like wood spoons, and a nice bottle of red wine. You could give them a cozy night in with a soft blanket, some candles, a bottle of wine, and a couple of movies you think they would like.
3. Personalized Signs – The Dating Divas have a great tutorial with templates for creating a personalized framed print.This great DIY gift just requires some time on a computer, ink, and a great frame. This print would look great on any wall in the newly married couple’s home!
4. Homemade Stationary – This idea also requires some time on a computer and a bit of ink. Create a great set of stationery for the happy couple with both their names on it. You could create note cards, return address labels, letterhead, and even notepads. There are many free templates to create these online, and while you might need to make a trip to a copy shop for the notepads, the rest could be printed from home. Add in a couple books of stamps and put everything into a decorative box wrapped with a lovely bow to give this great DIY gift an extra special touch.
5. Mason Jar Gardens – Start the newlyweds off with something to grow along with their marriage. Plant kitchen herbs, succulents, or small houseplants inside mason jars and attach a sweet quote about how their love has grown. Pinterest and Google can give you some wonderful ideas on how to present these adorable mason jar gardens- a nice wire basket, an antique wooden box, or attached to reclaimed wood are just a few ways.
6. Polaroid Coasters – If you have some great pictures of the newlyweds, turn them into amazing coasters with this tutorial from Brittany at Darkroom and Dearly. Homemade polaroid coasters only require a few supplies – ceramic tiles, some Mod Podge, acrylic spray, felt circles, and a great images. You can personalize them with a Sharpie (see tutorial for tips on this) to add words just like you would with a Polaroid picture. These are such a great gift; anyone would love them! (ETA: WAITING ON PERMISSION TO USE IMAGE FROM SITE OWNER)
7. A Year of Dates – This gift will take a little thinking on your part, but there are enough great ideas on the internet that it might not be too difficult to come up with twelve dates for the happy couple. Create envelopes filled with ideas for one date each month for the upcoming year. They may have just the instructions on something simple to do like “Pack a picnic, a blanket, your wedding photos and head to the place where you had your first date.” Or you could add in gift cards for dinner and a show. Mix up the envelopes so that some cost a bit of money and others are completely free.
8. Scrabble Tile Art – Pinterest was once again full of ideas on how to create a wonderful DIY gift using tiles from the game Scrabble. One great idea is to spell out the couple’s last name on foam board and then connect their first names to the last name. Attach the letters with glue and then frame the board for a great piece of art. You could also make a similar piece of art by using words like husband & wife, happiness & marriage, and the couple’s names. The ways to personalize this are only limited by your imagination.  (Where are you going to get all those letter tiles?  You can buy Scrabble tiles in sets of 100 here.)
9. The Perfect Pairs – Pinterest has another great idea that I discovered. Create a great set of “perfect pairs” for the perfect, newly married pair. Use a basket to assemble the pairs. Think peanut butter and jelly, fork and spoon, paper and pen, candle and flame, salt and pepper, and more. These cute pairings could be topped off with a card for the couple and gift cards to dinner and a movie, another perfect pair.
10. A Sign of Love – Create a work of art that celebrates the love the newly married couple feels. Spell the word love with found items that have been attached to a piece of wood. Inspired by this image on Pinterest, you could use antique kitchen utensils if the couple were foodies, sticks or rocks if they are nature lovers, or find vintage letters of different scripts an antique or salvage stores and attach them to the wood. Look around the internet for ideas; there’s lots of inspiration to be found.

Giving a unique, homemade wedding gift can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Inspiration for such gifts can be found in this post, on Pinterest, and with a simple Google search. Take an idea that you find and turn it into a personalized gift that any couple, newly married or celebrating years of happiness, would be happy to receive.