Three easy holiday DIYs that make great gifts

Shopping for everyone on your list for the holidays can add up quickly! But the best gifts are the ones with thought, meaning and effort. Grab your elf hat because design expert Erin Rochon is sharing three cost-saving, beautiful holiday gifts that you can make yourself right at home. From candle holders to rustic vases, these gifts are guaranteed to impress your family and friends—you might even just get head-hunted by Santa himself! Make sure you watch the video for step-by-step instructions!

Dried Flower Hoop

Materials needed: 

• 14" gold metal hoop
• 3 or 4 types of dried flowers
• Yarn or cord
• Glue gun
• Scissors

Steps: 

1. Tie a knot to one end of the hoop with the yarn.
2. Wrap the yarn horizontally in the center of the hoop. Wrap it approximately 15 to 20. Use the glue gun to glue the end of the yarn and hide it on the back of the hoop.
3. Place your dried flowers on a table and plan where to place your flowers in the hoop.
4. Take a dried flower and place it into the wrapped yarn. Take the stem and create a basketweave pattern, weaving the stem into the cord. Continue adding flowers until your pattern is complete.
5. Add some yarn to the top of the hoop and tie it off so it can be hung on a wall.                                                 

Bubble Candle Holder

Materials needed: 

• 27 natural wooden beads 30mm or larger for 1 candle holder
• Hemp oil
• Wood glue
• A piece of cardboard approximately 10 " h x 12"w
• Candles
• Cloth or shop rags

Steps: 

1. Dab some hemp oil on a cloth and wipe it over each wooden bead. This will help deepen the colour and protect the wood.
2. Let the beads dry for approximately 30 minutes.
3. Take the cardboard and bend it to create an L shape. This will help keep the beads even.
4. Next, take one bead, push it up against the cardboard. Take another bead, dab some glue on the side. Push it against the cardboard and onto the glued side of the previous bead. Continue gluing and attaching two more beads to create a row of three. 
5. Continue adding two more rows of three beads until you have the base of your candle holder (nine beads in total).
6. Add another base of beads on top of the previous base by glueing the bottom and sides.
7. Add another base of beads (three rows in total) and let dry overnight.
8. Add some candles to complete your gift.

Rustic Vases

Materials needed: 

• Upcycled glass vases
• Primer spray paint 
• Acrylic paints- dark brown, tan, terracotta, cream -make it special by personalizing the colour.
• Sand texture (from a craft store)
• Paintbrushes- 1" and 2 or 3 fine art brushes
• Wax paper or a paper plate

Steps: 

1. In a well-ventilated area, spray the primer over your vases. Follow the recommended drying times.
2. Add some sand texture onto the wax paper. Pour one of the paint colours into the Sand texture and mix it up until it has a peanut butter consistency. Approximately 3:1 paint to sand texture ratio.
3. Paint the whole vase with the paint mixture. Let it dry for a few hours.
4. Once the vase is dry, pour a small amount of dark brown paint on the wax paper. Use a fine art brush, dip it into the paint and dab off excess on a paper towel. Make sure most of the paint is off your brush to give it an authentic effect. Dab the brown paint along the top and bottom of the vase, blend moving toward the middle of the vase in a circular motion. This will give it depth and an aged effect. Add a light colour or a mid-toned paint colour to add more depth.
5. Follow steps one to four and create two more vases to make more of an impact.