Must-Have Blanks For Easy DIY Gifts

With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to share my must-have blanks for easy DIY gifts you can customize in a pinch.

I don’t know about you, but the lead up to the holiday season seems to get busier every year.

So sometimes I find myself in need of a last-minute gift for various people in my community.

Customize These Blanks For DIY Gifts For The Holidays

Since I’m not a huge fan of gift cards (unless expressly requested) and I’m crafty, I like to customize something fun and useful.

I therefore keep a stash of blank items on hand so I can whip up a gift in a matter of minutes.

To make many of these gifts, you also need to have a Silhouette Cameo (affiliate link) or Cricut (affiliate link) to cut out the vinyl decal, heat transfer vinyl, or vinyl mask.

So that you can easily find these products, I have a dedicated “Recommended Products” section at the end of each section in case you want to purchase any of the supplies if you don’t already have them.

Clear Stadium Backpack

Now that professional and high school stadiums across the United States have strict clear bag policy, it’s nice to have a go-to small backpack to take to games, concerts, and events in those venues.

It’s even more special when it’s customized!

When it comes to a small clear backpack, you can use stickers to decorate it or personalize it with a vinyl monogram or decal.

I tried using a DTF sticker (pictured above) so that I could get a full color decal. The transfer sheet was a little too tacky, though, so it required extra clean up (thank you Goo Gone!).

So if you’re in a rush to make a gift, I don’t recommend a DTF sticker on any clear bag of this kind.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase a product using one of the links below.

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Cotton T-shirts

Blank t-shirts should be a staple in any maker’s inventory because of their versatility.

For years, there was the tried and true tie dye (although that wouldn’t typically be a last minute DIY gift).

But now, the decoration options include heat transfer vinyl (HTV), fabric appliques (that you make or purchase prefab), DTF transfer, bleach pens, and fabric pens.

One of my favorite t-shirt projects over the years was using puff heat transfer vinyl that changes color in the the sun (pictured below).

The color on color (once activated by the sun) looked really cool and the gift recipients were thrilled to have a custom shirt to wear to their dance studio.

T-shirts can also be used to make other things like totes, or pillow covers.

This is where thrift stores are not only an eco-friendly, but also a budget-friendly option for crafty projects that involve t-shirts.

For the project below, I upcycled a t-shirt I purchased at one of the local Goodwill shops.

@usethistomakethat

High school grad gift idea – Part 3: How to make a pillow cover from an old tshirt. #upcycledclothing #highschoolgraduationgift #diygiftideas

♬ original sound – Use This To Make That

Recommended Products

As an Amazon affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase a product using the links below.

Small ceramic dish

A small personalized ceramic dish is something you can make in less than 30 minutes.

This dish can be used on a dresser to place rings and earrings, or on a front door table for a standard place to leave house keys.

I know that a lot of people receive these as graduation gifts, but they are also perfect as a hostess gift or teacher gifts for the holidays.

You can customize them with outdoor vinyl or UV direct-to-film stickers (aka DTF) which means you can have a full-color design.

If you go the UV DTF sticker route, however, you will need a longer lead time so I typically just use the outdoor-rated vinyl.

@createtodonate

A custom jewelry dish is an easy DIY gift. So grab a small ceramic dish and some permanent vinyl and give this #diyproject a try! #personalizedgifts #jewelrytok #customgifts #diygiftideas #graduationgift #crafttok

♬ Lisztomania – Phoenix

Recommended Products

As an Amazon affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase products using the links below.

Acrylic Shapes

Acrylic shapes, like 1 – 2″ circles or squares, are great to have as part of your stash because they can be a zipper pull, standalone key chain or added to a silicone wristlet key chain to personalize it.

glass Mugs and vases

The beauty of glass blanks is that you don’t always have to purchase them – you can often just upcycle something from one of your favorite drinks.

If you want something specific, though, there are plenty of budget-friendly options to purchase from the Dollar Tree. There is everything from beer mugs to wine glasses to vases to candle holders.

You can either customize it with adhesive vinyl or make it more permanent with etching cream.

@usethistomakethat

Loved the shape of this mug and sassy inspiration struck. Should I do a full tutorial? #glassetching #diyprojects #craftymoms #svgcuttingfiles #vinylprojects #fyp

♬ Beat Automotivo Tan Tan Tan Viral – WZ Beat

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase something using one of the links below.

Flour Sack Towels

Flour sack towels are one of the best blanks to keep your stash because almost everyone can use an extra kitchen towel.

A fun saying on a flour sack towels can be gifted to a teacher or health care professional, as well as used as a white elephant gift, hostess gift, or stocking stuffer.

You can design your own cut file and apply it to the flour sack towel using basic or puff HTV.

Or, you can use a service like Creative Fabrica (affiliate link) and choose from a variety of designs with the simple search term, “towel”.

The beauty of this option is that you can use a simple, single-color cut file and do it at home.

Or, you can choose a full-color design and have it printed as a DTF transfer. Even better, create a whole gang sheet and include some things for your t-shirts too!

Etsy is also another marketplace that offers some great designs! You can even find some flour sack towel cut files in my Whimsical Walney Etsy shop.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon and Creative Fabrica Affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase something using one of the links below.

Just A Plastic Tote Or Two!

The beauty of these blanks for DIY gifts is that they don’t take up too much space.

So you can carry some extras and it will only add an extra plastic tote (or two)!

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