If you have teens in your life, you know they can be really hard to shop for. Here are 14 DIY gifts to make for teens they will love (even if they don’t say so). 

I have 3 teens and I know how challenging it can be to find gifts teens really like.  And because I have 3 teens who eat A LOT more than they did as little kids ($) and seem to outgrow their clothes the second I turn around ($), as well as the fact that I have one who started college this fall ($$$$), money is pretty tight this year.  So, I have gathered 14 of my favorite DIY gifts to make for my kids that I thought you might like to make for the teens in your life, too.  I have 2 girls and a boy and they have a wide range of interests, from anime and superheroes to Minecraft and fun accessories. So, this list is all over the place.  But, then again, so are teens, which is why I didn’t split this up into items for boys or girls! 🙂

So, here are 14 DIY gifts to make for teens!

Marshmallow shooters.

Made from PVC pipe.  Our whole family would love to play with these.  Especially, my biggest kid, my hubby! 🙂

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Comic book magnets.

These are so simple. Use glass “pebbles” from the dollar store for small pictures. Glue on the picture and a magnet to make great magnets for their locker! Or for larger pictures, you can use Podgeables from Mod-podge. They are pictured below in this tutorial.  Purchase Podgeables here. They are also very inexpensive.

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Superhero shoes.

These use paper napkins (!!!) and Mod-podge.  So easy, and endless ways to create different designs.

Galaxy shoes.

These are simply painted and look very easy to make.  Love the stars made by flicking paint from an old toothbrush! My oldest daughter loves Dr. Who, so I can see adding a Tardis on these, too!

Cute smart phone speaker.

This is so easy!!! A toilet paper tube wrapped with decorative washi tape (although scrapbooking paper would work great, too). The feet are push pins! It really does work as a great speaker, too!!

Earphone holder.

I saw this on Pinterest and knew I had to make it!

My kids are constantly tangling up their ear buds.  So, I made one of these for each of my kids for Christmas!!! See how I did it here.

Bath bombs.

All 3 of my kids (yes, even my son…shhh) love soaking in the tub. These bath bombs are fun and easy to make!

DIY pop sockets.

Store-bought ones are very expensive.  So I was excited to find a DIY version tutorial here on YouTube. (Love that these can be decorated any way you want!)

Minecraft light up blocks.

My son has been into Minecraft for years, and I know he would love these.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles signs.

TMNT is my daughter’s favorite.  She’s 16 and still uses her TNMT sandwich holder…  I guarantee if you have a TMNT-loving teen, they will love these easy signs in their room.

(TMNT bonus.)

The turtles made out of golf balls.  Add an eye hook at the top and turn them into an awesome key ring or to attach to their backpack. (And I think they are just darned cute!!!)

DIY candy wrapper pouches.

I think this is such a clever idea!  They can be made from your teen’s favorite candy wrappers.  The wrappers are re-inforced with clear tape and then a very easy sewing project of adding the cloth lining and zipper. (My hubby is the sewer in our house, so he is making these this weekend and I’ll do a post with the finished products!)

Cellphone holder.

This is made from an old lotion bottle.  What a great way to keep the phone and charger neatly stored while the phone is charging!

And, finally, CASH!

I wanted to share this one because teens appreciate using some good old cash to buy things they really want. This picture is actually one of the gifts we gave to our college-bound kid at her graduation party in May. See the ideas here. But, it would be a fun gift under the tree, too! And it’s easy as can be.  Her “pizza” is 25 dollar bills taped down in the middle of the box with double-sided tape and a few quarter pepperonis attached with double-stick tape, too. Hubby made the sign for inside the lid.

So, I hope you got some great ideas on DIY gifts to make for teens.

(And remember, even if they don’t always say thanks, they do appreciate getting gifts! 😉 So, hang in there, parents! )

Happy crafting!

P.S. Got a teen heading off to college soon (or one already there)? Check out our ultimate college student gift guide for practical or just plain fun gifts for them!