When I’m giving gifts, I love to make sure it’s personal and something that is very representative of our relationship. If you’re the same, you may be thinking about making your gifts this year, rather than buying.

One of my favourite gift ideas is the Jar of Appreciation. I’ve put together a how-to guide to make this gift. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to make, but it comes out really well and is a great way to show someone how much you care about them.

Please note: This post includes affiliate links. They are suggestions of where you can purchase the items needed, but you can buy them elsewhere if you want to. If you buy the items I suggest, Amazon give me a small percentage of the price you pay, but you do not pay extra. This cost is covered by Amazon. It just helps me cover the costs of running this blog.

Instructions

You will need:

• a jar
• coloured paper
• scissors
• a pen
• star sequins (optional)
• stickers (optional)

Take your coloured paper and cut it into small pieces (approximately 4cm x 4cm).

Take each small piece of paper, and on one side, write something that you appreciate or love about the person who is going to receive the gift. Here are a few examples to get you started:

– You are kind
– You make me laugh
– You are caring and supportive
– You’re always there for me
– You are dependable
– My days are brighter with you in them

You could also include short poems, song lyrics, or doodles that remind you of that person and your relationship.

Once you have written each one, fold it in half, then in half again, and pop it in the jar. Keep going until the jar is almost full.

Once you’ve done that, you can take your sequins and sprinkle them inside the jar. Close the jar, and gently shake it around to spread the sequins throughout the jar.

You may then choose to decorate the outside of the jar with stickers or anything else you want to add.

 If you decide to make this gift, you can send me a photo of your creation by tagging me on Twitter (@thepatchworkfox).

Do you like making homemade gifts? What are your homemade gift ideas? Let me know in the comments!