Because of the current situation, I will certainly be on a budget this year especially when it comes to birthday and Christmas gifts. Is it the same for you?
Given all the free time we have right now, there’s no better time to make some homemade gifts that your friends, family and other halves will love.
We hope you get some inspiration from this list of easy DIY travel gifts you can make in a weekend… you may even want to make some of these gifts for yourself!
Psst! No time to make your own gifts? Check out these personalised travel gifts you can buy that come straight from the heart!
Easy DIY Gifts For Travel Lovers
- London and Paris Cross Stitches
- Paris Cross Stitch
- Wanderlust Collage Cross Stitch
- Adventure Awaits Cross Stitch
- Happy Camper Cross Stitch
- Cute Camp Vibes Cross Stitch
- Love London Cross Stitch
- Personalised Scrapbook / Travel Journal
- Easy Map Canvas Wall Art
- Super Easy Map Art
- Self-Care Basket For Travel Lovers
- Filled Photo Album
- Filled Travel Keepsake Box
- DIY Globe Clock
- BONUS! DIY Map Wrapping Paper
Travel-Inspired Cross Stitch Pictures
Cross stitch is my all-time favourite DIY gift because the designs don’t have to be complicated to look good and come from the heart.
Small designs can easily be stitched in a weekend and once you’ve popped them in a cute frame or turned them into keyrings, coasters or magnets, they look so great!
Etsy is a treasure trove for unique and original cross stitch patterns, which you can access as an instant digital download. Plus you’ll be supporting independent sellers and small businesses, which is especially important in these uncertain times!
Here are some travel-inspired cross stitch patterns we love:
- London and Paris Modern Cross Stitch City Patterns by SatsumaStreet
- Paris Cross Stitch City Pattern by Xrestyk
- Wanderlust Collage Cross Stitch Pattern by Stitchonomy
- Adventure Awaits Modern Cross Stitch Pattern by fiddlesticksau
- Happy Camper Cross Stitch Pattern by MODERNCrossStitchArt
- Cute Camp Vibes Cross Stitch Pattern by HomeSewnStitches
- Love London Modern Cross Stitch Pattern by HELENEWORKSHOP
Personalised Scrapbook / Travel Journal
One of our friends lovingly made us a travel scrapbook for our wedding gift last year by personalising the front of a plain journal with illustrations and scrabble tiles.
We love it and will treasure it forever!
If you want to do the same for someone, then any plain book will do and you can gussy it up with various trimmings.
You could even include some scrapbooking essentials with it to help them get started with their first pages. Things like travel stickers and vintage maps both work well.
Easy Map Canvas Wall Art
We just love how easy map wall art is to make!
All you need is some vintage map wrapping paper and a canvas to cover it with.
These look particularly special if you go for multiple canvases to hang next to each other or even shaped canvases.
You could even add some extra pizzazz with fairy lights, led lighting strips or pretty text!
Super Easy Map Art
Now that most of us are turning to Google Maps and SatNavs to get around, you’re probably like us and have a bunch of old road atlases stored away somewhere.
If not, Etsy also has a bunch of vintage maps that will work perfectly for this DIY travel gift!
And it’s as easy as cutting a shape out of one of your maps and framing it! Maybe you know a couple who are celebrating a destination proposal or wedding, or have just bought their first home together?
Cut a heart around that place or get extra fancy with trickier shapes like houses or planes. Glue your shape to some card and frame it. Simple!
You could also make a set of these for a couple who met, got engaged, got married and bought their first home in different locations. This would make such a cute gallery wall!
Read the full tutorial here >>
RELATED: 15 THOUGHTFUL TRAVEL GIFTS FOR COUPLES THEY’LL LOVE
Self-Care Basket For Travel Lovers
Who doesn’t love an evening of self-care and pampering? You can easily make up your own travel-inspired basket with a bunch of goodies like:
- Foodie treats inspired by another country (e.g. French macarons, German Christmas cookies or Belgian chocolate) … these can either be homemade or store-bought
- Wanderlust candle
- Fun colouring book and pens or pencils
- A novel inspired by travel or a travel coffee table book
- Aromatherapy bath salts and lotions and potions
- Fluffy socks
- Tea or hot chocolate mix in a travel-themed mug
RELATED: 30+ SUPER CHIC TRAVEL GIFTS FOR WOMEN
Filled Photo Album / Travel Keepsake Box
Another super easy DIY gift idea is to round up all your favourite photos taken together when travelling and simply package them up in a pretty photo album.
Your recipient will love that you went to the effort of handpicking which photos to use and is something they can keep forever.
You could also do this with a travel keepsake box and fill it with mementos from your trips together including photos, magnets, souvenirs, ticket stubs and more.
DIY Globe Clock
For our final DIY travel gift idea, you’ll want a globe you don’t mind cutting in half.
While most people use these globes as unique wedding guest book ideas (you may even already have one at home!), we’ve seen a fantastic tutorial online to turn them into clocks using a craft knife and a simple clock mechanism.
You could even have a globe personalised with your own message and add the clock part to that side for an extra dose of something special.
We have yet to try this one ourselves but it’s on the list!
BONUS! Map Wrapping Paper
Don’t forget to incorporate the travel theme into your gift wrapping too!
You can either use old maps you have lying around or buy pretty map wrapping paper from Etsy.
And there you have it – easy DIY travel gifts you can make in a weekend! Which one(s) will you try first? Have you got any other ideas? Scott and I are a crafty pair so we’re always on the hunt for new ideas to try!
Do you want more travel gift ideas? Check out our other travel gift guides.
Do you think these DIY travel projects look fun? Pin this list now and make them later!
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