Homemade wedding gifts: ideas & DIYs
If you have been invited to a wedding, maybe you are thinking about what you should wear and what would be the perfect gift. Traditionally, the gift should be something the newlyweds can use to decorate their home. It is not always easy to find the perfect gift, especially since most couples live together before getting married. It is important to show creativity and to choose something the happy couple will like. Making your own wedding gifts is a lovely gesture and something the bride and groom will really appreciate. This will show them how important they are to you. In this article we will show you different wedding gift ideas that you can make yourself with step-by-step instructions.
DIY wedding gifts: creative ideas for giving money as a wedding gift
Weddings can be quite expensive; therefore, it is a good idea to help the bride and groom by giving them something they will need. Money is also a great gift idea for the happy couple, but there are ways to make this gift extra special. By getting creative and making something extra special, the bride and groom will really appreciate the creativity and lovely gesture.
How to create a monetary wedding gift using an LED lightbox or a letter board
You can use a lightbox or a letter board to set the stage for a special message for the bride and groom. Usually, there are 90 letters in a set when you buy a letter board, which gives you the option to write a personal message. We will show you how you can use this idea when giving money as a gift.
The small letters can be easily changed or exchanged at any time. This way, you could give the bridal couple the rest of the letters and they could use it to decorate their home.
Here’s what you will need:
Lightbox or letter board with letters
Notes
Ribbon
Instructions for making your own wedding cash gift:
Fold the notes into hearts and attach them to the lightbox or letter board. You can either use 10 Euro notes for the hearts or you can make colourful hearts using different notes. You can easily attach the folded notes with sticky tape. It's best to use double sided tape so that it sticks from both sides.
Method:
Start off by folding it once lengthways by placing the bottom edge on top of the top edge. Keep the note folded and then fold it again vertically in the middle by placing the left side onto the right side.
Unfold the last fold so that the note is now elongated with the long fold in front of you.
Now fold the bottom left corner upwards along the top line. Repeat this step with the lower right corner.
Now fold the two upper corners on the left and right backwards to create a heart shape.
Go along all the folded seams again with your fingernail to tidy it up so that the heart stays in shape.
Making your own wedding gift: money photo frames
For this simple yet creative gift, all you will need is a deep box frame, a piece of paper and some notes. You can get deep box frames in lots of homeware shops or craft shops. Once you've got your photo frame, you'll be able to make this simple but wonderful gift in no time at all.
Here’s what you will need:
Deep box frame
Different notes
Kraftpaper & a fineliner
(As an alternative a postcard or a printed picture)
Decorative ribbon
Making butterflies out of banknotes
First of all, you need a message for the passepartout on the photo frame. You can either use a postcard with a saying or you could print something out. If you are very good at calligraphy, you could write a message and your best wishes for the bride and groom. Place butterflies made of folded notes around your message. Use lots of colour to give it a bright and creative look.
Instructions for folding a money butterfly
For each butterfly you will need two notes that are the same. First make the upper half of the butterfly:
Start off by folding the note lengthways in the middle and putting the lower edge over the upper edge. This will help you with the following steps.
Now following the line, fold the corners towards the centre so that there is a neatly folded tip both on the left and right side.
You should now have the longer side in front of you with the two tips pointing to the left and right. Now fold the banknote back and forth like an accordion.
Now bend it in the middle and you will have the upper wings ready for your butterfly.
Instructions on how to fold banknotes
Now get the second note and start making the lower parts of the wings:
Turn the note on its side and fold the note backwards and forwards like an accordion. Afterwards, fold it in the middle.
Now attach the upper and lower parts of the butterfly together using some ribbon or wire.
Carefully attach the butterflies to the passepartout with some sticky tape.
An alternative idea for giving money as a gift
You can easily turn a deep box frame into a beautiful money box. Drill two holes in a straight line with a small hand drill and leave a little bit of space between the two holes. Use the drill to drill through the space between the holes. Finally, just sand them down and your personalised wedding money box is all done.
Make your own simple wedding money gift: a filled piggy bank
If you’re looking for a creative money gift for a wedding but just can’t seem to get the banknotes folded properly, you could opt for a piggy bank instead. All you need is a nice ceramic or glass piggy bank and the amount of money you wish to give as a gift. This wedding gift looks particularly decorative if you also decorate the piggy bank with a small tag, a bow or a label bearing the couple’s names and the wedding date. In no time at all, you’ve created a personalised wedding money gift that saves you the trouble of folding the banknotes and spares the couple the hassle of unfolding them later.
What’s more, the piggy bank can later be used as a joint savings pot for wishes, holidays or larger purchases, giving it a practical second life.
How much money should you give as a wedding gift?
There is no strict rule. Modern etiquette suggests giving an amount that reflects your budget, relationship with the couple, and local customs rather than covering the exact cost of your attendance.
Typical ranges vary widely: 50–150 € per guest is common in some regions, but the key is to give what you can comfortably afford.
If you are not very close to the bride or groom or depending on your financial situation you do not have to give as much. Alternatively, vouchers can also be a lovely gift if you are not sure about how much money you should give. You can even make your own vouchers.
Ideas for vouchers:
Babysitting for an evening
Mowing the lawn in summer
Organising a barbecue together
Taxi service to and from the airport for the honeymoon
There is always a lot to do when organising a wedding. Even after the celebration, the bride and groom still have a lot to do. Therefore, as a wedding gift, you could help the couple with any tasks that still need completing. For example, you could take care of the design of the guest book.
Homemade wedding gifts: wedding gift boxes
Organising a wedding can be quite stressful and it does require a lot of time and planning. That’s why the bride and groom deserve a couple of days off where they can just relax. However, before they jet off on their honeymoon, it is a good idea to give them a starter pack for their honeymoon. You could give them everything they need for a day out at the beach. This includes, for example, suncream, a chic new pair of sunglasses, beach kimonos and Hawaiian shirts or snacks for the flight.
Even if the newlyweds are not jetting off on their honeymoon straight away, you can still give them a lovely gift basket with everything they will need for a cosy night in. You could give the happy couple a high-quality blanket, lovely, scented candles and loungewear. Depending on the couple's preferences, you can finish off your gift with a DVD or a box of luxury bath and body products.
Handmade wedding gifts: how to wrap a bottle of wine creatively
A creative idea is to give the bride and groom two good bottles of wine. One bottle of wine should be from the year of the wedding and the second one should be from the year the couple met. The bottles can be stored and opened on a special occasion, such as the 5th wedding anniversary. You can easily wrap the bottles up to make them look like a bride and groom. It's easy to do but it will look very impressive.
Here is what you will need:
Black and white coloured cardboard
White tissue paper
Silver paint marker
Black and white silk ribbon
Buttons, silk flowers, bows for decoration
A piece of white lace
Double sided tape or sticky pads
A ruler, glue stick, tape and a pair of scissors
Groom’s bottle of wine method:
Start off by measuring the height of the bottle of wine all the way up to the bottle neck. Next, cut a wide piece of black cardboard. The length of the cardboard needs to be the same size as the circumference of the wine bottle. For most bottles, a length of 25 cm is sufficient.
In the middle of the cardboard, with a pair of scissors make a V shape. It needs to be about one third of the height. Now add a piece of white tissue paper. This is a basic outline for your groom’s outfit. Using a silver paint marker draw the seams, waistband, button placket and suit collar onto the bottle.
You can now spice up the suit with some decorative elements. Buttons and a bow tie always look very smart. To finish off, simply place the suit around the bottle and using double sided tape you can stick it onto the bottle of wine.
Bride’s bottle of wine method:
Cut out a piece of white cardboard that is the same length as the body of the bottle of wine. Now, at the top, cut out a slightly curved heart shape as a neckline for the wedding dress.
For the skirt part of the wedding dress, cut a strip of white tissue paper that is half the size of the body of the bottle. Wrap it around the wine bottle and then bring it slightly to the top of the skirt. Simply tape the tissue paper onto the bottle. Then cover the tape with silk ribbon so that it is no longer visible.
Now decorate the wine bottle with a veil and small flowers and voilà your beautifully wrapped bottle of wine is ready.
Some types of wine are not suitable for aging over extended periods of time. A bottle of wine with a high tannin content and a lot of acidity can usually be kept for a long time. The best thing to do is to go to a specialist wine shop for advice.
Conclusion: getting creative and making your own wedding gifts
On wedding invitations you can usually find out what the bride and groom would like as a wedding gift. If you are unsure, you can ask the best man for advice. When designing and wrapping wedding gifts you should take your time to create something very special. This will impress the bride and groom and show how much effort you have put into their wedding gift.
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References and further information
https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/organising-and-planning/money-as-wedding-gift/
(Last accessed on 25/03/2026)
https://www.mcclaincellars.com/store-wine-properly/
(Last accessed on 25/03/2026)
https://www.vogue.com/article/weddings-wedding-gift-buying-spending-giving-rules
(Last accessed on 25/03/2026)