Nowadays, there are so many products out there for our curly, wavy, and coily haired friends.
By adding a little creativity of the mind and some good ol’ handcrafted personalization, creating one of these inexpensive gifts for your curlfriends this holiday season will be unexpected and appreciated.
Make it in a mug.
Find a plain mug and decoupage pretty patterned papers or pictures onto it. Go online and look for quotes about beauty, curls, hair, style, etc. Keep in mind your friends’ style and curl type. Look for hints and ideas for their hair type. Type up the quotes that pertain to their style on a plain Word document. Keep them smaller in font and lay them out so 15-20 cover a page. Cut them out in strips and place them in the mug. Layer the typed sheet onto cardstock (to reinforce the slips and make them look a little prettier”> then cut them out and fill the mug.
Or buy one of Keturah Ariel’s coffee mugs (pictured above”> if you don’t feel like doing it yourself.
A hair journal kit.
You and your curl friends are always trying new ideas and techniques. They like certain looks and colors. Why not create a kit with a journal made just for them? Find a plain journal at your local grocery store and decorate the cover with a special photo of the two of you. Inside, include cut outs of pics they like, links to try out for inspiration. Combine photos, drawings, etc. that define their specific curl pattern. (Pinterest, NaturallyCurly, Etsy and even Facebook are great site ideas”>. Attach a pretty ribbon and tie a pen to the end so one is also available. Insert a pouch or pocket where they can store cut-out articles, coupons, and other odds and ends marking significant parts of their hair journey. Sign the cover or leave a note of your own inspiration inside, too!
Get knifty – as in, knitting.
If you know how to knit or crochet, it’s a great time of the year to made some hats and headbands for your curlfriends. Knitted headbands (adjustable”> are ideal. Embellish them with floral elements or other fun stitches from your local craft store. If knitting isn’t a skillset of yours, try your hand with a hot glue gun and some fabric flowers. Create a headband–even a coordinating pin–using faux flowers or ribbon to layer into your masterpieces. Your friends will be thrilled to wear your artwork year-round!
Journey vision/progress board.
Use a piece of thin chipboard, wood or corkboard. Paint or decorate the board with patterns, words or just a few pretty colors. Find photos of your friend during different stages of her natural hair journey. Pin them to the board with either glue or decorative tacks. Make room for your friend to post future photos of herself as well. A vision board can be a great place for inspiration. You may want to write or paint on a few encouraging words as well.
Vintage recipe note cards.
Find a few curly mixologies that suit your friend and create a unique recipe book for them. Use an old album, a recipe file card box or make a mini book to store them in. Type them on vintage note cards or paper. Decorate the album and recipes with drawings, photos, pictures or designs. Leave a personalized message for your friend with a date when the two of you will get together in the curl lab (AKA kitchen!”>,and test some of them out for a day.
