Big/Little DIY Gifts!

As some of you know I am in a sorority. When you are in a sorority you get a Big, a Big is someone who is your mentor within your chapter, pretty much someone you can go to when in need of advice or help. I already have a Big and I got a Little last year, which if you're a Big you call the person you are mentoring a Little. Well I got another Little this year :) and Big/Little reveal is coming up soon, which means it's present time!! For Big/Little reveal I have a budget of $30 and I'm going to show you all what I made for my lovely little that you can try yourself! :)


Tie-Dye Shirt


 I am personally obsessed with tie-dye so I decided to make my little one of my signature tie-dye shirts. 




These are the dyes I used to make her shirt. You can find these little packets of dye at Wal-Mart or any craft store for about $3. I got the purple at Michael's and the pink at Wal-Mart. It is really easy to make a tie-dye shirt. You need a white 100% cotton t-shirt, I got mine for $1. Rubberbands to hold the t-shirt, and a bottle, I use empty hair dye bottles from Sally's, they were $1.50. You can find video tutorials online on how to make them, I think I'm gonna do a whole blog post on how I make my own, click here for a video that explains exactly what I do, except I apply my color differently, I squirt the dye on the different rubberband sections. And I also put my shirt in the washing machine and run it on the smallest load with just the water to get the excess dye out.


 I also ironed on my sorority letters on the shirt as well. I did this by getting fabric transfer paper, which I got a pack of 6 sheets for $8, it is in the paper section at Wal-Mart. It seems like a lot, but greek apparel is not cheap at all. The paper is awesome, you literally just print whatever design you want on it from your own printer, then iron it on to any clothing! The instructions on how to apply it is on the box it comes in. One thing that you need to know is the design NEEDS to be flipped horizontally, in order for the design to be ironed on the right way. I showed an example above of how the paper should look, it should be going the opposite direction, so when you flip it over and iron it on, it is going the correct direction! Don't be the one that has to learn the hard way! One other thing, you can make multiple little designs and fit it on one sheet of the paper, which is what I did with the one I made above. I have made a transfers the size of the sheet, and multiple little designs that fit on one piece of transfer paper. Below is a picture of a shirt that has the entire size of the paper transfer design on it.

Picture Frames



 Next thing I made for my little is picture frames with our sorority letters on them. I got the plastic frames for less than $1 at Wal-Mart, and I used puffy paint to write the letters on it. I used the above puffy paint. I got this pack of 3 colors for less than $3 at Wal-Mart.

Painting



Another gift I made my little was a painting with our sorority letters and one of our sayings on it. The painting is on a flat canvas, I got a pack of 5 from Michael's for about $5. So in order to hang it I just hot glued about a foot long piece of white ribbon (each end of the ribbon) to the back of the canvas. I also got the paint I used from Michael's for 30 cents, they were having a huge sale on their acrylic paint so I stocked up on my favorite colors, the paint is usually 60 cents. My little said she loves glitter so I decided to outline the sorority letters in glitter, which I did with tacky glue, which you can get at Wal-Mart for less than $2 and loose glitter which I used sliver and got from Michael's for $1.50. When applying the glitter I actually use a paint brush, and do one letter at a time, it is a lot easier and you don't get air bubble splats on your painting!

Jewelry Box



The last present I made my little was a jewelry box. We are supposed to give them one to hold their badge/pin in it. I got my heart shaped box at Michael's for $1 and I used my acrylic paint from above. This was the easiest thing to paint! I put her initials on it and my sorority letters on it.


Now I know you're thinking did she spend over $30, and if you add it up I did go over by a little, but a lot of these things I have had and use over and over again, for instance, the tie-dye, and paint. I only had to actually buy a few of these items, a lot of the other things I have had from past projects and continue to use or I have stocked up on because I got a good deal on it. I also got my little a few other things, like her favorite candy, a stuffed penguin, stuff that has our sorority letters on it - cups, keychain, car sticker, and a pin.
Overall I hope this gave you some excellent ideas for presents to make for your little or big or in general :)



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