A gift for a friend: creative DIY birthday gifts to make at home
Is your best friend's birthday coming up and you're still looking for a personal and special gift? In this article, we’ll give you heartfelt gift ideas for friends that you can make at home in no time at all. From bestie sweatshirts, shared photo memories, to a personalised gift box: let our craft ideas spark your imagination! In addition, we’ll give you ideas for the greatest gift of all: fun and meaningful ways to spend quality time together.
Birthday gifts for friends: a gift voucher for quality time together
What could be more valuable than spending quality time together? Giving a good friend the gift of a shared experience is often the most special gift of all. With a lovingly designed quality time voucher, you can make a gift for a friend that is not only special but looks amazing in its unique, homemade wrapping.
Materials for your creative present for a friend:
Brown cardstock
White crafting paper
A pair of scissors
Glue
A ruler
A black fineliner pen
Instructions for your birthday gift for a friend: a voucher for quality time together
First, cut the brown cardstock to DIN A6 (10.5 cm x 14.8 cm) size. This is a quarter of an A4 sheet.
Then cut out a 10 cm x 6 cm rectangle from the white crafting paper and stick it onto the brown card. Take care, only to glue the top, bottom and left-hand edges! Leave the right-hand edge open so that you can slide the voucher in later.
Now cut the voucher to size, preferably to a size of 11 cm x 4.5 cm, so that it fits in the pocket, and you can pull it out easily.
Next, use a fineliner to write on the voucher what activity you are going to do together - e.g. have breakfast, take a walk, have a games evening or a shopping trip together.
Finally, you can decorate the whole thing with a fineliner, small drawings or stickers. This will turn your quality-time voucher into a heartfelt, personal gift for your best friend.
Birthday gifts for best friends: a bestie sweatshirt
If your boyfriend or girlfriend loves clothes and you want to create a personalised gift, a homemade bestie sweatshirt is the perfect idea. Not only is it a truly unique present, but it is also a wearable reminder of your friendship that your buddy can feel good in and always have with them. Whether you choose a print or a sincere message, you can transform a simple sweatshirt into a special and unique gift from the heart.
Materials for your creative present for a friend:
Transfer foil for printing
An iron
A pair of scissors
Alternatively: textile pens
Instructions for your birthday gift for a friend: a bestie sweatshirt
Look online and choose a motif, word or symbol that connects the two of you. Print it twice on transfer film, i.e. once for each sweatshirt.
Cut the motif out neatly with a pair of scissors. Make sure you follow the contours as accurately as possible so that you get a nice result later.
Lay the sweatshirts flat on a table and place the motif where you want it. Then simply iron it on, leave to cool, and you’re done!
Tip: Alternatively, you can personalise the sweatshirts with textile pens. Whether you opt for a lovely message, an insider saying or small drawings, with a little creativity, you can make a personal gift for your best friend that you can wear together. Your homemade gift for a friend will be an eye-catching and modern alternative to friendship bracelets.
A gift for a friend: a homemade gift box
There is nothing more sentimental than reminiscing upon shared moments. This works particularly well with photos that capture special moments of your friendship or holidays and trips together. If you're looking for a creative and easy birthday present for a friend, you're sure to love this craft idea:
Materials for your creative present for a friend:
A square wooden box
Photos in a square format
White paper or paper with a design
A pair of scissors
Glue
Instructions for your birthday gift for a friend: a DIY photo box
Measure your wooden box and cut a long strip of white paper so that it can be folded and placed in the box later.
Choose your favourite photos of shared memories, such as travel photos, snapshots or nice moments, and print them out in a square format.
Fold the strip of paper like an accordion so that you can unfold it when you take it out of the box and then stick the photos on it.
Place the folded photo strip into the wooden box. If you like, you can add a little note or a heartfelt saying. Alternatively, you can write a note on the back of the photo about the occasion. Now, your homemade gift for your friend, filled with love and memories, is ready to be gifted.
Birthday gifts for best friends: how to decorate your gift box
A homemade birthday gift box is the perfect idea for inviting a good friend to cook a meal, enjoy a cosy movie night or a spa day together. Whether it's snacks, tea lights, recipes or little hints about your plans - with a few personal details, your gift box will be a very special kind of invitation.
Materials for your creative present for a friend:
A wooden box
A string of fairy lights (with batteries)
A wine glass
Artificial flowers
Snacks and treats
Glue
Instructions for your birthday gift for a friend: a homemade gift box
Place all the little gifts in a pretty wooden box. Make sure to place heavier or fragile items at the bottom so that nothing gets damaged.
To ensure that nothing slips around during transport, you can secure the items with some glue or a small piece of string. This is particularly helpful for decorative items such as artificial flowers or fairy lights.
Switch on the fairy lights just before you hand over your gift. It will create a wonderful moment of surprise and will complement your creative gift idea perfectly.
Tip: if you like, you can also pad your gift box with wood wool, tissue paper or decorative fabric. This will protect your box and look pretty too.
With a little creativity, you can adapt your gift box to a specific theme. For example, you can turn it into an invitation to a shared evening of cooking by placing small kitchen utensils and exotic spices inside. Alternatively, you can create a wellness box with products from your local drugstore and care products for a little time out. You could also package a movie night as a charming gift with your favourite snacks and 3D glasses.
More gift ideas for friends: tips & inspiration
Here are some more creative birthday gift ideas that are guaranteed to bring joy to your friends. Whether they're adventurers, connoisseurs or sporty types - there's something for everyone here. Let yourself be inspired and find a gift that really suits your friends:
Wellness gifts: for friends who need a time out
A fluffy bathrobe & care products from your favourite brand
A DIY wellness set with face masks, candles & tea
A voucher for a soothing massage
A visit to a thermal spa or sauna together
A voucher for a yoga class
Adventure gifts: for friends who love new experiences
Concert tickets of your choice
A day trip to a theme park or zoo
A surprise city trip over the weekend
Solving puzzles in an escape room
Tickets to an open-air cinema
Culinary gifts: for friends who enjoy good food
A gift basket with wine & regional specialities
An invitation to brunch or dinner
A joint cookery course
A barista workshop
Sporty gifts: for friends who love being active
Climbing in a treetops course or bouldering
A canoe tour or SUP tour
Trying out a new sport together (e.g. CrossFit or dancing)
A cycle tour followed by a picnic
Finding the right birthday presents for your friends made easy
If you want to give your friends a special treat for their birthday, something homemade is always a good idea. Whether it's a lovingly designed gift voucher, shared photo memories or a gift box filled with your favourites, a personalised gift shows how important your friendship is to you. Spending quality time together is a particularly special gift. This way, you can tailor the gift to the interests of the person receiving it and create touching memories.
