A few sheets of newspaper and a twig can become a simple but beautiful gift with ease. To make the flower, cut petal shapes out of newspaper, arrange into a rose shape and sew the layers together at the base. Cut some dried branches to fit snugly inside the globe of the cloche, securing the pieces and your flower together with fine jewellery wire. For the finishing touches, we painted a papier-mâché box lid as a base, and made a personal message using a stamp set.

What you need:Vue clear glass cloche, $39.95, Myer. Papier-mâché round box, $4.40, Reeves acrylic paint in Grey, $4.95, both Eckersley’s. Le Monde newspaper available from good newsagents. Stitched paper flower (right), $10, Gertrude & Alice. Alphabet stamp set, $13* (£7.95), Muji; or similar, $24.95, Kikki.K.

A tissue paper pompom kit and an acrylic bauble are the main ingredients in this easy-to-make decoration. Open the acrylic bauble into two halves. Follow the pompom kit instructions to tease the tissue paper into a ball. Cut a strip of thick paper (long enough to wrap around the pompom) to size and add a name or message – we used a stamp kit – and secure the ends with invisible tape. Insert the message and pompom, close the bauble and thread with ribbon.

What you need: Clear ball ornaments, $4 each, Spotlight. Small white tissue pompom kit, $6.90/pack of 5, Paper2. Alphabet stamp set, $13* (£7.95), Muji; or similar, $24.95, from Kikki.K. Plaited red/white string, 95c, and ‘Merry Christmas’ red/white woven ribbon, $1.40, both Vandoros. Box, stylist’s own. Red tissue paper, from all good newsagents.

These lovely votives are a versatile gift, great for both indoor and outdoor use. We used vintage jars, but any glass vessel will do, and lace trim. Remove sticky labels by soaking each vessel in water, and once clean and dry, wrap lace around tightly, securing with pins. Hand-sew the fabric neatly at the back, and place a pretty wax candle or tealight inside.

What you need: Nylon 9cm lace trim $24.20/10m, E&M Greenfield. Embroidered trim, from $2.42/m, E&M Greenfield. Memorial candles, $1.65 each, Coles. Jam jar and glass tumbler, stylist’s own. Box of long matches, $16, Pigott’s Store. ‘Music’ wrapping paper, $7 per sheet, Papier D’Amour. Pearl Head pins, $22/1000, Tessuti. Gutermann Sew-All cotton thread, $4.99, sewing needles, $2.50, both Spotlight.

This gift is ideal for busy parents or workaholics, with the added special touch that you can design a personalised aroma! Put 500g of Epsom salts and your desired essential oils (we used five drops of eucalyptus oil and 15 drops of lavender oil) into a bowl. Mix well, then, using a plastic funnel, decant into apothecary-style bottles and seal. Box up and tie with festive ribbon or attach a personalised gift tag to the bottle.

What you need: O-Check brown vase (left), $20.95, Paper2. Large brown bottle, $85, Maison et Jardin. Alphabet letter packs, $4.50 each, Spotlight. Red gift tag, 90c, and twine, $7.95, both Paper2. Red wax cord, $11/100m, and 16mm double satin ribbon, $11.14/25m, both E&M Greenfield. Epsom salts and essential oils available from chemists.

Choose images with special significance to create a gift with meaning – you’ll need one for each month. Print out your photos to fit, or trim postcards/images to a uniform size. Using a glue stick, fix them onto frilly-edge cards, then mount on the calendar with more glue. Add decorative flair with stickers and cute sticky notes. For a final flourish, we made a nenvelope using two pieces of card and sticky tape, then covered it in gift wrap.

What you need: 2012 DIY desk calendar, $19.95, Kikki K. Rectangular deckled-edge cards, 90c each; ‘Japanese blossom’ notes, $7.50; East Of India Kraft paper chain, $7.95/3m roll; red gift wrap, $2.50/m, all Paper2. Pompom bow in Silver, $2.99, Hallmark.

Give the gift of a mini herb garden to the foodie in your life! Repot plants into a planter tray – we used a large Tupperware container, punched drainage holes in the bottom with a metal skewer and used the lid as a saucer – but check that the container fits comfortably into your crate or box before planting up. Customise the crate with a chalkboard label and wrap it with festive ribbon for a gift that’s as attractive as it is useful.

What you need: Wooden wine crate, $10, Vintage Cellars. Potted herbs and salad plants, $5 each, Earth Food Store. Chalkboard label, $15; trowel, $65; herb garden seeds, $8.80, all Flori e Casa. Double-faced satin ribbon, from 45c/m, Vandoros.