A girl who has everything still doesn’t have a fairy jar lamp that glows like it caught a real fairy, and that’s the whole magic of diy gifts for girls. You can make every idea on this list at the kitchen table, from a seed bead cherry bracelet that takes a few minutes to sock dolls with yarn pigtails and button eyes. There are things she’ll wear, things that keep her room organized and a few silly ones (yes, there’s a taco that holds earbuds). Most use supplies you already have, and plenty are easy enough for her to make alongside you. Perfect for daughters, granddaughters, nieces, tweens, teens and the best friend who already raids your craft stash.
1. Simple DIY Daisy Bead Rings
Tiny daisy rings are the friendship bracelet’s cuter little cousin, and they’re made from nothing more than seed beads and stretch cord. Each daisy is a ring of white petals around a yellow center, repeated all the way around the band. The pattern can look intimidating at first glance (most bead projects do), but once the rhythm clicks your fingers just keep going. Pick her favorite colors, or make red, lavender and white versions so she can stack them. Small enough for a stocking, sweet enough to wear every day.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
2. Easy DIY Hair Tie Rings
Two hair ties, a needle and thread and one little pearl, and somehow it becomes a flower ring. Stack two hair ties, push the needle through the center and pull the thread tight until the loops pinch into petals. Wrap the middle, knot it, sew a pearl on top, then stitch one more hair tie underneath as the band. No special tools and no sewing skills needed, so younger girls can make their own. Each one takes a few minutes (fair warning: a whole rainbow of them will happen). Hand out a set at her next sleepover.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
3. DIY Cord Tacos
Every tween with earbuds has the same tangled mess in the bottom of her backpack, and these little tacos fix it. Each one is a circle of leather folded in half with felt “fillings” tucked inside, cut into scallops so they look like lettuce, tomato and cheese. A snap closes the taco around the coiled cord. They’re simple, cheap and no fuss, and they look so much like the real thing that someone will try to take a bite. Make a stack of three and they double as a silly little gift tag topper.
Get the full tutorial at localadventurer.
4. DIY Woven Hair Tie Headband
That drawer full of loose hair ties finally has a job. Weave them around a plain plastic headband, looping one hair tie over the top and one under, then pulling each new pair through the last so the band fills with a chunky braided texture. No sewing and no fancy tools, just stretch and loop. Pastels look sweet, brights look playful, and a mix of every color looks like a rainbow ate a scrunchie (in the best way). It’s comfy enough for all day wear and fun enough for her to make a second one herself.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
5. DIY Shrinky Dink Flower Bracelet
Shrink plastic is the closest thing to craft magic. Draw a flower on the rough side, trace the lines with a craft knife so they’re crisp, color it, then watch it curl and shrink into a thick little charm. String the flowers with green leaf beads and gold spacers on a chain and suddenly you have a bracelet people don’t believe is handmade. A cardboard template keeps every flower the same size. The tutorial walks through the common beginner mishaps, which saves a lot of shriveled petals. Girls who love art will want to design their own.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
6. Crochet Chevron iPad Mini Case
A tablet case she’ll actually want to carry, with bold chevron stripes in aqua, gray and coral. The pattern is a beginner friendly crochet project worked in cotton yarn, finished with a flap and one big button. It’s a great fit for girls who love a boho look, and it’s soft enough to keep a screen from getting scratched in a backpack. Choose her favorite colors for the stripes. If she’s curious about crochet, make it together, because a project like this is a sneaky way to pass down a skill along with the gift.
Get the full tutorial at whistleandivy.
7. DIY Pom Pom Market Tote
A plain canvas tote becomes the cutest bag in the carpool with a few yarn pom poms. Make tiny red, yellow and pink pom poms, add embroidered stems and leaves so they read as cherries, and stitch a handwritten “get fresh” underneath. It’s playful without being babyish, which is exactly the line teens care about. She’ll carry it to the farmers market, the beach or a sleepover (and it will hold more snacks than you’d think). Fill it with flowers, a scarf or her favorite treats and the bag is half the present.
Get the full tutorial at damasklove.
8. Easy Flower Bead Bracelet for Beginners
This sparkly bracelet looks fancy, but it’s the friendliest place to start beading. Tie fishing line to a clasp, add a gold bead, cross the two lines through it, and then each flower is a repeat of the same little sequence with faceted beads and pearls. No special tools and no experience needed. Blue and gold feels dressy, pink and red feels sweet, and mixing the two makes a pair of best friend bracelets. Once she gets the pattern she’ll want a bigger bead stash (consider yourself warned).
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
9. Cherry Bracelet
The seed bead cherry bracelet is all over social media right now, and it’s one of the easiest to make. White seed beads make the band, and every so often a tiny green bead stem branches into two red cherries. It only takes a few minutes and a handful of beads, with no bracelet experience required. Add a lobster clasp for a finished look. It’s a perfect screen free craft for a sleepover (expect a whole bowl of them by the end of the night), and it makes the sweetest friendship bracelet.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
10. Grape Bracelet
If the cherry bracelet was a hit, the grape bracelet is its cute sequel. Pale pink or white seed beads make the band, and little purple clusters with a chartreuse leaf bead hang along it like bunches of grapes. All it takes is 3mm seed beads, bead thread, crimps, jump rings and a lobster clasp, plus an extension chain if you want it adjustable. Plain nylon and beads work too, since the band stretches over her hand. Make a fruit set with the cherry version (the matching pair always gets a squeal).
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
11. DIY Mini Make Up Pouch
Every girl who’s just starting to carry lip gloss needs a pouch to keep it from rolling around her backpack. These mini zipper pouches are cut from bold floral cotton, with a white zipper and a fluffy cotton tassel on the pull. They’re small and quick to sew, so one fat quarter can turn into a whole set. Make them for every girl on the list in different prints. Tuck in a lip balm, hair clips or a little cash before you wrap it and the pouch becomes the gift box too.
Get the full tutorial at aliceandlois.
12. Easy Macrame Bracelet
Macrame sounds intimidating until you learn that this whole bracelet is one square knot, repeated in alternating directions. Cut two cords about 4.9 feet each, fold them in half, tie and tape the ends down, then knot your way along until it wraps her wrist. Alternating pink, purple and white cords gives it a rose pattern. No hooks, no special tools, just two cords, tape and an evening. It’s the classic friendship bracelet with a grown up finish, and it’s a great first step before bigger macrame projects.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
13. Embossed Hand Lettered Journal
A plain kraft notebook becomes a keepsake with a little hand lettering and embossing powder. Letter a phrase like “love you to the moon and back” in black, then add a shimmery moon, an arrow and a scatter of stars with embossing powder for a raised, glittery finish. The kraft cover makes the black ink pop. It’s simple and quick, and you can make one for every girl on your list with her own phrase. Pair it with a nice pen and she has a brand new place for her secrets.
Get the full tutorial at oneartsymama.
14. DIY No Sew Funfetti Cake Slice Pillow
A slice of birthday cake she can hug, with zero calories and zero sewing. This pillow is a wedge of pink fabric with colorful sprinkles, white frosting stripes and little pink dollops on top, all put together without a sewing machine. It sits perfectly on a bed next to a donut, a pretzel and a candy heart (the tutorial site has a whole snack themed set). It’s the kind of silly gift a tween will keep for years. Sprinkle colors are your call, so match them to her room.
Get the full tutorial at awwsam.
15. Pom Pom Barettes
Hair clips this cheerful should be illegal. Glue a row of craft pom poms onto plain metal barrettes and you’re done, in about the time it takes to find the glue gun. Go big with three or four large pom poms in pink and red, or line up tiny ones in a rainbow. Mix sizes for a fun stacked look. Even if you’re new to crafting, this one is forgiving. Make a whole set on a card in different colors and she has a hair clip for every outfit (and a few to lend out).
Get the full tutorial at myveryeducatedmother.
16. Denim Flower Bracelet
Old jeans plus that jar of buttons you’ve been saving “just in case” equals a bracelet that looks like a boutique find. Cut a denim strip, fold both long edges to the middle with double sided tape, then sew on flowers, buttons and beads however you like. Crimps, a chain and a lobster clasp finish it off. There’s no pattern and no wrong arrangement, so it’s a great one to make with tweens and teens who want to design their own. It costs almost nothing, and the button stash finally earns its keep.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
17. Chevron Zipper Pouch
A little crochet pouch with a bold orange chevron is just the right size for lip balm, nail polish, a few bills and a gift card. It’s worked in a chunky gray and orange yarn, with a zipper sewn in and a yarn tassel on the pull. It makes a great wallet for a girl getting her first allowance or a holder for the small stuff that disappears from her backpack. Swap orange for her favorite color. Fill it before you wrap it and you’ve got a gift within a gift.
Get the full tutorial at whistleandivy.
18. Mini Notebook from Scrap Paper
Those scrapbook paper scraps you can’t bear to throw out turn into pocket sized notebooks in about five minutes. Fold and cut the paper into a small accordion of pages, wrap it in a patterned cover and you have a tiny journal that fits in a pencil case. Mix florals, solids and bright colors so no two match. They’re perfect for notes, doodles and secret lists, and girls love having a whole collection (one is never enough). Make a stack as party favors or tuck one into a card.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
19. DIY Japanese Printed Bowls
Plain little ceramic bowls get a delicate Japanese inspired look with painted patterns and soft color washes in peach, purple and pink. Dots, flecks and tiny repeating motifs give each bowl its own personality, so a set never looks matchy. They make perfect ring dishes for a nightstand or a vanity, holding earrings, rings and a favorite necklace. Take your time on the pattern work, since rushing is how dots turn into smudges. Give one or a stack of three to a girl who’s starting a jewelry collection.
Get the full tutorial at thelovelydrawer.
20. DIY Painted Mugs
A monogram mug is a gift she’ll use every morning for hot cocoa, and this one is made with hundreds of tiny dots. Stick a scrapbook letter sticker on a white mug, dot oil based Sharpie paint pen around it in reds and greens, then peel the letter off to reveal a crisp initial. The tutorial is all about making the design last through washing, so bake it in the oven exactly as the steps say (skipping that is how dots wash away). Customize the colors for any season or her favorite team. Fill it with candy and it’s ready to give.
Get the full tutorial at gluedtomycraftsblog.
21. Camper Zipper Pouch
This vintage camper pouch looks like it took a week, but it’s simple straight stitching, fusible applique and one basic zipper. A heart window in the door, gingham curtains tied back with ribbon, a button wheel and a tiny trailer hitch give it real glamper charm. It finishes at about 7.25 inches wide by 6 inches tall with a 3.25 inch boxed bottom, big enough for makeup, hair ties or road trip snacks. There’s a free printable pattern to download (print at 100% and check the calibration square). Pure happy camper material.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
22. Fabric Bag Hobo DIY
A slouchy hobo bag is the easy everyday bag teens actually reach for, and this one is a simple sewing project. Pick a fun printed fabric (this one is covered in bold newspaper style type, crowns and mustaches) and pair it with a coordinating band at the top. One long handle makes it easy to throw over a shoulder for school, the mall or a weekend trip. Keep it simple, since the basic version looks just as good as any fussy one. Choose a print that fits her personality and the bag does the talking.
Get the full tutorial at handmadiya.
23. Air Dry Clay Ring Holder
A flower shaped ring dish with a little post in the center, made from air dry clay with no kiln and no baking. Roll the clay flat, cut it with a template, make slits and shape the petals up into a cup, then add the center post for rings. Paint it a bright coral and finish with UV resin for a glossy, almost porcelain look. It’s sturdy once it dries, functional and pretty on a dresser. Choose her favorite color and it’ll hold the rings she takes off before bed.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
24. Air Dry Clay Jewelry Organizer with Pebbles
Press pebbles into air dry clay and you get a jewelry tray with built in little nooks for rings and earrings. Roll the clay into a flat circle, press smooth stones into the surface to make the hollows, then let it dry. The paint is mixed with baking soda for a soft, beachy texture, and the finished tray looks like something from a seaside shop. Bright blue with shell details or a sandy cream both look great. It keeps earrings in pairs and rings off the floor, which is a miracle in any girl’s room.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
25. Nail Polish Marbled Jewelry Purse
Two metal jar lids and some old nail polish become a tiny marbled jewelry case. Prime the caps with white gesso, pour a few polish colors onto a container of water, then dip each lid and shake off the extra. No swirling is needed, and every one turns out different (half the fun is seeing what comes up). Line the inside with felt, join the two caps and it snaps into a little purse for rings, earrings or earbuds. It’s a perfect travel case for a girl who’s always losing her jewelry.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
26. 10 Minute Infinity Scarf
An infinity scarf that takes about ten minutes to sew is the kind of gift you can make the night before (no judgment). This one is a cozy red and green plaid flannel, sewn into a loop so it drapes in soft folds with no ends to fuss with. It’s a great beginner sewing project, since it’s mostly straight seams. Pick plaid for winter, a soft knit for school or a floral for spring. Make one for every girl on the list in different prints, then roll each one up and tie it with ribbon.
Get the full tutorial at raegunramblings.
27. Upcycled Ferrero Rocher Jewelry Box
That fancy clear chocolate box was always too nice to throw away, and now it gets a second life. Peel the label off the lid with wide tape, then glue pressed flowers into the gold lined compartments and onto the lid. The little wells are the perfect size for rings, earrings and tiny keepsakes, and everything stays separated. It needs only glue and dried or pressed flowers, so it costs next to nothing. Pressing your own flowers together first makes it a fun weekend project (and an excuse to buy more chocolate).
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
28. Yarn Dog Keychain
A fluffy little yarn puppy that clips onto her backpack or keys. Shape an oval body from air dry clay, about 1 7/8 inches long, with an eye pin in the middle, let it dry, then wrap it in yarn with dabs of hot glue. Add pom pom ears, tiny feet, button eyes, a felt tongue and a satin bow. You can match the yarn to her own dog’s color (prepare for squeals). Bag charms are hugely popular right now, and this one is budget friendly and beginner friendly. Make a whole litter for her friends.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
29. Easy Handmade Sock Dolls
Nobody guesses these sweet little dolls started as socks until you tell them. Cut a sock into sections, stuff a white piece for the head with a running stitch, shape and stuff a patterned piece for the body, then attach them and add button eyes, rosy cheeks and yarn hair in pigtails or buns. Hats, scarves and plaid skirts give each one a personality. They take some patience the first time, but they get faster with practice. Make them bigger for hugging or smaller for bag charms, and expect them to get names immediately.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
30. Marbled Clay Butterfly Wand
Leftover nail polish and a bit of air dry clay turn into butterfly and dragonfly wands that look straight out of a fairy garden. Roll and flatten the clay, cut out the wing shapes and push a toothpick into each piece to use as a handle. Dip the wings in nail polish floating on water for a marbled finish, then assemble them on a stick. The marbling is way more satisfying than it has any right to be. She can wave them around, tuck them into a potted plant or use them as photo props.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
31. Easy DIY Fun Photo Bookmarks
Print a photo of her best friend, her dog or the whole family, cut close around the figures, and they become bookmarks that peek out over the top of the page. Mount the cutout on cardstock, seal it with contact paper and attach a yarn tassel so the people look like they’re dangling from the book. It’s budget friendly, kids can help, and you can use a favorite cartoon character instead of a photo. Bookworms will love it (and so will the kid who loses her place every night).
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
32. Glitter Foam Flower Pen
Homework is more fun with a giant glitter rose on the end of the pen. Trace a round cap about 1.5 inches across onto glitter foam, cut circles with pinking shears for scalloped petals, then glue them around each other into a full bloom. Add green foam leaves and a bow and slip it onto a pen. A bigger template makes a bigger flower. It’s budget friendly, works in any color and makes a great party favor or classroom gift. The sparkle gets everywhere (that’s the point).
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
33. Fairy Jar Lantern
Inside this glowing jar, a fairy silhouette looks like she’s flying through the leaves. Print and cut out a fairy pattern (trees, mushrooms or a little house work too), paint the jar, layer the silhouette inside and add a light so it glows warm and soft. An old pickle jar is perfect. Every one turns out a little different, especially with glitter or dried flowers mixed in. It makes a dreamy night light for a girl who’s a little scared of the dark (or just loves anything magical).
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
34. DIY Crystal Knob Boxes
Plain round wooden boxes get a glamorous upgrade with a raw crystal glued on top as the knob. Paint the boxes white so the stone is the star, then attach a chunk of rose quartz or amethyst to each lid. They’re perfect for holding earrings, hair ties or little treasures on a dresser. It comes together faster than you’d expect, and a set of different sizes looks great stacked. Teens who love crystals will go wild for these. Pick a stone in her favorite color and fill the box before you give it.
Get the full tutorial at homeyohmy.
35. Anthropologie Knock Off DIY Agate Coasters
Store bought agate coasters cost a pretty penny, and this knock off gets the same look for a lot less. Purple agate slices get a liquid gold leafing edge, which turns plain stone into something that looks straight off a boutique shelf. The swirled rings of deep purple and white are the whole show. Brush the liquid leafing on slowly, and if a little lands on the stone, let it dry and clean it off. Give a set of four to a teen setting up her first room or dorm, and she’ll feel fancy every time she sets down a drink.
Get the full tutorial at totallythebomb.
36. Bow Embroidery on Jeans
Little embroidered bows on the back pockets turn plain jeans into the most wanted pair in her closet. You only need a needle, scissors and ordinary thread (embroidery floss is optional). Bring the needle up, go down about half an inch away, come up a quarter inch below and repeat to build each loop, then finish the knot and tails. A single bow takes under five minutes, even for a total beginner. Stitch a row in red, pink or blue, or use them to hide a small hole. Upcycling never looked this cute.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
37. Mini Hot Glue Photo Frame Magnets
These ornate little gold frames look antique, but they’re made from clear hot glue and a wax seal stamp. Press the glue with a chilled stamp to make each frame, paint it gold, then add a tiny printed photo and a magnet on the back. Best friend selfies, pet pictures and family photos all fit. They turn a fridge or locker into a mini gallery wall. They’re quick, budget friendly and the hardest part is choosing which photos to print. Make a set of six for a sweet birthday or holiday gift.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
