DIY Gift Ideas: Twig Push Pins

Holy moly this is the last week of school before winter break and I have soooo much more to do!!! If you are like me and rushing around looking for last minute DIY Gift Ideas. Here is a super fast DIY gift, great for teachers or anyone that enjoys spiffed up office goods.  You can buy similar push pins from Etsy or Anthropolgy for $10 to $15 a set, but you can make these for a few cents each in just a few minutes.

DIY Gift Ideas

Start by finding some twigs or branches that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut them to size. For the round push pins, cut half inch thick discs. For the lengthwise twigs I used pruning shears to create a beveled cut, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length.

Next drill your holes by clamping the twigs with a sturdy clamp or using a vice grip. Using a 5/16 inch drill, bit drill a hole that is about 3/8 of an inch deep. I put my finger at the bottom and when I can feel the wood start to move stop so that the drill doesn’t penetrate through to the other side.

Now take plastic push pins and test to see if they fit flush into the twig. If not trim the end of the pushpin so that it will.  Use hot glue to glue the push pin into the twig and you are done.

This is such a fun project that the kids can help with. We found so many interesting twigs, including one that will work as a hook for small objects.

 

When packaging the push pins, make sure that the sharp pins won’t go through the wrapping and poke anyone. I used a wooden box from the dollar section at Joanne’s as a container, painted it a bright color then wrapped a bit of packing foam with burlap and glued it into the box. We also personalized some plain cards by doing abstract water colors on them, and viola, a sweet little gift.

Check out these other DIY gift ideas!