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            The holidays are just around the corner and many of us often scramble to find unique, personalized and affordable gifts for our family and friends. We’ve all seen enough DIY (Do It Yourself) crafts online, but they can often lead to fails. But what if I told you that making a DIY holiday gift could be easy, successful and cheap? DIY workshop classes offer professional guidance through the making of a craft. There are a few DIY craft places around the DSM area where you can make gifts for and with your friends and family. I set out to discover what DSM has to offer and selected the most unique, affordable and creative workshops.

The Most Unique DIY: Board and Brush

Cost: $68 for adult, $35 for children

Length of workshop: 3 hours

Gift suited for: Parent or Grandparent

Required Experience: None

Board & Brush offers a unique DIY craft that I normally wouldn’t have thought about making on my own — a DIY wood sign. Their goal is to make customers a “DIY Master.” They provide all of the raw materials needed such as the wood, knots and color variations. The professionals even walk you through the process of distressing, sanding and staining the wood.

            The most popular workshop is called the Pick Your Project Workshop. Customers create their personalized wood sign or clock. Pick Your Project Workshop has a range of project types, including: holiday, children, sports and signs for any room in or outside of your house.

Owner Julie Weiland said that they offer holiday designs year-round. But what do people love about making DIY signs?

            “That they (customers) did it themselves. That they got to pick their own colors. That they made it their own,” Weiland said. “I mean we get five ladies in there and they’re all making the same sign and but they all look different because they all put a different twist on it.”

This season is perfect for a Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or winter sign. Board & Brush’s main project element is the wood signs, however there are a variety of materials offered: glass, chalkboard, canvas pillows, slate and terra cotta pots.

Since Board and Brush offers everything that you would need, they only ask you to bring your creativity and personality. Creating a DIY board for older family members would truly be a unique gift idea for the upcoming holiday season.

The Most Affordable DIY: The Knotty Nail

Cost: Varies, but the average is between $35-50

Length of workshop: 2-3 hours

Gift suited for: Friends

Ages: 14+, no children are allowed

The Knotty Nail hits the nail on the head for offering great and affordable DIY workshops. There are a variety of crafty projects here like Sips & Strings Workshops, Design-a-Sign Workshops, Pop-Up Workshops and Children’s Workshops. The Knotty Nail workshops allow you to BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer) and they provide all of the supplies.

Both private and open workshops are available and I was amazed at all of the projects that you can make. In the November classes for Sips & String Workshops the following projects are available: wreath/wood flower, gnome, art and 3D wood sign.

“Our most popular class this fall and winter has definitely been our gnome buddies,” said owner Becky Pospisal. “So you can make two stuffed gnomes. They’re really cute and you get to decorate them however you’d like. You get to pick your fabrics and make them from start to finish; they’re adorable.”

Customers get two gnomes along with customized supplies including: fabrics, fillers, beards, jingle bells and hat poofs. These gnomes are so popular that the November classes are fully booked. They are a seasonal project that also comes back in the spring, summer and fall.

The Knotty Nail is not only affordable for college students, but also has fun DIY projects that you can make with friends. I encourage students who are looking for the perfect holiday present for a friend to look into a Gnome Workshop session.

The Most Creative DIY: AR Workshop

Cost: Varies, but averages between $40-100

Length of workshop: 2-3 hours

Gift suited for: Family

Skill Level: Any

AR Workshop has a vast amount of projects to choose from. Here are a range of the DIY crafts offered: plank wood projects, centerpiece wood boxes, pedestal trays, plank trays, wood photo frames, canvas pillows, chunky knit blanket and pillow, holiday designs and many youth projects.

The choices are seemingly endless at AR Workshop. I think great DIY gifts for your family would be anything in the holiday designs collection or chunky knit blankets for the winter season. AR Workshop provides all of the materials so customers can build a personalized DIY craft.

 “On Saturday, December 14^th at 10:00 AM we are also doing a gift-making workshop,” said Design and Operation Assistant, Ashley Woodford. “That one has to be registered for by guests. We’re really just inviting guests in to make gifts for their neighbors or families and loved ones.”

The gift options to choose from at this workshop are a set of two photo boards, a set of two or three mini plank trays, a set of centerpiece boxes or a set of mini rounds. These gifts range from $49.50 for the set of two mini plank trays to $89.50 for the mini rounds.

Other perfect gift options for your family could be their chunky knit luxe runner. This can be used as a tree skirt for the holidays and then a bed runner or throw for a chair or couch. Some of the other designs include special holiday-themed signs, pillows, centerpiece box, Christmas tree plank and an Elf Santa gifts holiday countdown. These multi-use gifts are perfect for family this holiday season.