Homemade Pearl Gifts for 2011

If the economy left holes in your wallet, you can easily fill them with some last-minute, semi-homemade presents. These ideas will work, even if you do not think of yourself as crafty or talented. There are some items you can easily embellish with freshwater pearls to upgrade them from plain to unique.

Turn a simple picture frame into a personalized work of art by gluing pearls on the frame. You can use a glue gun or craft glue. Add a picture that has meaning to the recipient. For example, include a picture of your child or children if the present is for grandparents. For a friend, you can print out a nice nature or animal photo from your computer and frame it.

Another great gift idea for any occasion is to embellish a trinket box with pearls and gemstone chips. It is a good idea to lay out your design on a piece of felt (so the pearls won't roll around). One suggestion is to use small pearls to create the initial of the gift recipient. Another idea would be to create a mosaic with pearls and gem chips.

To create a design, you can use scotch tape. Start by applying this tape around the edges of the lid of your trinket or jewelry box. This will keep your design nice and neat. Then you can add extra tape on the inside of your “frame” to create geometric designs. Apply your craft glue on the surfaces that don't have tape and add gem chips with tweezers.

Let everything dry completely and then remove the tape. Add tape to cover the existing design and cover the blank surfaces (where the tape originally was) with glue. Adding tape on top of your existing design will protect the gems from getting glue on them. Finish filling in the design with pearls. Wait until completely dry again, and then remove the tape.

Other items you can enhance with pearls are candle holders, lamp shades, planters, key chains, cell phone cases, vases, and basically any decorative object.

Chances are you can find any of these items in your attic or basement. While you would not give “used” items as gifts, embellishing these turns them into "up-cycled" items, which is perfectly okay for gifting. Also, you are doing something nice for the environment. However, you will want to polish them up with a coat of craft paint in seasonal colors.

If you do not like this idea, you can purchase all these items. Embellishing them will turn them from cheap trinkets into thoughtful presents for birthdays, graduation, Mother or Fathers Day, or any other occasion when a lovely gift is needed.