'Tis the season... for giving and getting things you (and your giftees) might not really need. With sustainability becoming a paramount concern for many and the drawbacks of overconsumption entering our collective consciousness, the idea of gifting thoughtful, handmade, and possibly even zero-waste gifts is becoming ever more appealing. The only problem? We're not all as handy as we might like to be. Don't worry though — you don't need to be an expert maker to craft these DIY Christmas gifts! From beginner to advanced, there's a homemade Christmas gift idea for giver and giftee alike.
Brit + Co
If you know your way around a kitchen, don't sleep on the opportunity to give your loved ones an edible gift. You know it'll get used (AKA eaten), and it's essentially a zero-waste gift-giving strategy.
We love making pretty desserts that work well as gifts, like this matcha yogurt bark, this peppermint bark, these super easy Christmas cookie recipes, and these edible gift ideas. Package them up with these creative gift wrapping techniques, or forego paper altogether and wrap them with a cute kitchen towel for a zero-waste approach.
If you're a complete beginner to DIY and handmade Christmas gifts, it might be smart to start out with a kit. A DIY kit allows you to fashion a thoughtful gift that shows your recipient just how much time and effort you put into giving them something special.
This DIY permanent jewelry kit is perfect for someone who wants to give their bestie a one-of-a-kind present this year. You can also DIY Christmas-scented candles, grow your loved one's birth month flower, or construct a super-cute tiny house to be displayed as kitschy decor.
We love a good DIY. Our favorite presents are handmade Christmas gifts, and we've shared a ton of homemade gift ideas in our time.
A cute winter terrarium is perfect for the quirky decor lover in your life, while nothing brings the hygge vibes more than a hand-knit blanket. Give your favorite houseplant lover some gorgeous flora in one of these DIY cement planters, or embroider a pillow that'll add a cute touch of color to your bestie's home!
Brit + Co
Speaking of your bestie's home, we've got plenty of ideas for DIY Christmas gifts you can give in the home decor category.
Spruce up a simple IKEA desk to give your work wife a WFH chair that's cute and from the heart. Make magazine wall art in your giftee's favorite colors to add a homemade, kitschy touch to their space. This Anthro-inspired DIY chandelier is another great option for artsy decor lovers.
A friend who loves hostessing will appreciate this pineapple cutting board, and someone who's into the beauty of organization will swoon over this DIY wall organizer.
Brit + Co
Many of us adore jewelry, so why not give someone in your life a cute and colorful accessory this holiday season? These acrylic earrings are super colorful and adorable, while this DIY choker is '90s inspired and totally on-trend. We also love this geode statement necklace and this cute necklace made out of old tee shirts. Talk about sustainable style!
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Brit + Co. may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
It's official: Blue Ivy looks totally grown up now — especially in her gorgeous gold gown at the Mufasa: The Lion Kingpremiere. It honestly feels like just yesterday that Beyoncé announced she was born, and now she's a star in her own right! She celebrated her Disney film debut with her family by her side on the red carpet (and everyone looking as gorgeous as ever).
While Jay-Z was one of the latest celebrities caught in the crosshairs of P. Diddy allegations, it didn't stop mom and dad from showing their unwavering support. The family put on a united front, smiling for the cameras and praising Blue's work on her latest Disney film, further proving that they're in this together. Here's everything we know!
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
Blue Ivy stars in Mufasa: The Lion King as Kiara with Beyoncé voicing Nala again. The highly anticipated film will show Mufasa's origins from a young cub to the majestic king we've come to know, love, and mourn.
In this cute BTS clip, Beyoncé and Blue are initially shown in separate recording booths while the latter says, "Don't stare at me." It's a typical response all kids eventually give their parents, but it doesn't bother Beyoncé. She simply smiles and says, "I can't help it. You're just too beautiful girl." Still, she offers a bit of reassurance to Blue. "I'mma be right here closing my eyes."
Blue briefly talked about what it feels like to work on a movie by saying, "If I like told my younger self that I was in a movie, I'd like never believe myself."
The star couldn't help but tear up as she continued to watch Blue and said, "Give me a second. I'm still...just can't believe that's my baby." While sitting side by Blue, Beyoncé eventually turns to look at her to let her know she's "so proud of her." Even Rumi, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's youngest daughter, makes a quick appearance!
The Mufasa: The Lion King premiere occurred December 9 with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and grandma Tina Knowles standing by Blue Ivy's side. They looked stunning on the red carpet as they wore coordinating outfits. Although the ladies seemed to be present and excited, Jay-Z temporarily looked distracted while all of them were standing together (via PEOPLE).
If we had to guess, it may have something to do with the recent allegations connecting he and P. Diddy weighing on his mind. After the accusation went public, Jay-Z penned his own public statement and shared it to Roc Nations' social channels. The most heartbreaking aspect of it is realizing his children will be able to see everything.
"My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people," he wrote (via X). Only time will tell how everything pans out, but we hope this doesn't overshadow Blue Ivy's success, nor do we want to see people vilify her or her siblings for alleged misdeeds of Jay-Z.
At the end of the day, we're so proud of Blue for letting her light shine bright despite everything else!
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It's the most wonderful time of year for presents, festive recipes, and *all* the Christmas party ideas. Now is the time to start your holiday decor pinboards, stockpile entertaining essentials, and dream up your party menu. Instead of throwing the same old gathering you've been hosting for ages, mix things up with a holiday shindig that's totally epic this year. Check out these 35 DIYs, decor ideas, and creative themes that'll have your guests RSVPing Yes!
Etsy
Host a Candy Cane Lane party with this sweet and colorful backdrop. (via Etsy)
Shutterstock
String dried oranges with twine for garlands, attach them to gifts, or use them as natural ornaments on your tree.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Serve up the most festive charcuterie board with gingerbread, pomegranate, chocolate, rosemary, and candy canes!
DBackdrop
Create a Christmas Tree Arch for your photo backdrop with real or artificial garland.
My Mind's Eye
Buy or DIY these adorable cups for your holiday party. (via My Mind's Eye)
Bring a little dance floor vibe to your holiday door with this disco wreath. (via Brit + Co)
If you’re looking for a colorful, swoon-worthy backdrop for your dessert table, you can’t go wrong with a wall covered in honeycomb shapes. How pretty are those jewel tones with pops of gold? (via Sugar & Cloth)
Instead of Santa or reindeer, turn your tree into an homage to everything awesome about the ’90s, including Koosh balls (‘member those?). (via Aww Sam)
This tribute to our fave legal blonde is now our new favorite holiday decoration. Invite some friends over, and make one together! (via Brit + Co)
Foil-wrapped chocolates will make these pretty trees the main attraction. Line them up along the mantel or use them as an inexpensive table centerpiece at your holiday dinner. (via Brit + Co)
DIY queens will love the idea of putting their own spin on ornaments. Stock up on plain glass balls at the dollar store and let your friends have a blast coming up with holiday puns. They can then take their handiwork home at the end of the night as a fun party favor. (via Brit + Co)
Peace, love, and peppermint! These candy cane gift boxes are a breeze to put together. Fill ’em with chocolate truffles dunked in pink chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. (via Brit + Co)
A disco ball tree beats vacuuming up pine needles any day. It’s bold, it’s glam, and it’s actually pretty easy to put together. (via Studio DIY)
Amazon
Fill these glass ball ornaments with pine stems, snow, gift bows, even sprinkles for your festive decor!
Marble backdrop with tiny packages full of goodies? Now you’re well on your way to counting down to Santa’s arrival in style. (via Brit + Co)
Don’t forget the hot chocolate! You need all the fixings, though: marshmallows, whipped cream, sprinkles, and even a little caramel drizzle. (via PMQ for two)
Let these beauties bounce across the floor, bunch them together for a photo shoot, or hang them on your porch. (via Studio DIY)
Decorate your tree with gold stars, red ribbon, and soft sage leaves for an extra pop of texture. Then follow this DIY to recreate the soft pastel ombre ornaments. So pretty. (via A Kailo Chic Life)
Channel warm holiday vibes with this crafty ornament. (via Club Crafted)
It doesn’t get much more festive than a bar cart full of presents and gold barware. Layered garlands and mini bottle brush trees create punchy decor accents for any holiday get-together.(via Sugar & Cloth)
Give that punch bowl set you found at the thrift store a new lease on life with metallic paints. (via Design Improvised)
Don’t pass up a chance to put a fresh spin on this party staple. Just add gumdrops, candy wheels, and sugar dust! (via Studio DIY)
String these on the tree, hang them across the mantel, or use them as a photo booth prop. These light bulb garlands can do it all. The best part is that you can totally customize the colors! (via Studio DIY)
Round up a group of friends for a spur-of-the-moment holiday wrap party. Make sure to get plenty of tape at the store, then warm up your printer and go crazy with this tropical-themed gift wrap. (via Studio DIY)
Simple, colorful, and DIY — all of our favorite things! This easy balloon backdrop will transform any blank wall — and the tree! — into a breathtaking party scene. (via A Kailo Chic Life)
Deck out your bar cart for the holidays with some swag and swap out your wine glasses for something gilded to show off your signature Christmas cocktail. (via Brit + Co)
Shutterstock
It’s not a party until the confetti shows up. Pop the bubbly, then pop these DIY confetti cannons to kick off your bash in style. (via Brit + Co)
THEME IDEAS
If you’re going with good old-fashioned snail mail this season, nothing beats a handwritten holiday card. Throw a party dedicated to hand-lettered addresses and actual stamp-licking. Check out the Brit + Co x Moonpig Holiday Collection too! (via Brit + Co)
Skip the grand festivities in favor of a cozy night in with the people you love. Order in pizza, break out the Trader Joe's wine, and get ready to share some hilariously weird and wacky gifts. (via Brit + Co)
ASTR the Label
Give everyone a reason to wear their cute holiday sweaters without needing to shop for something they'll never wear again. (via Brit + Co)
Photo by Marko Klaric
Grab your besties for a night of warm cocoa, gift wrapping, and holiday festivities at your house. Stock up on pretty wrapping paper and cool DIY gift toppers for a fun gift wrapping extravaganza.
Turn your tree lighting into the main event. Invite your pals over for coffee and cocktails, then get your decorating on by DIYing a few baubles. You can even ask everyone to bring one DIY ornament with a prize for the most creative! (via Brit + Co)
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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
Ahhh…Paris Geller. Where does one even begin with the best Gilmore Girl whose name isn't actually Gilmore? The woman we all came to know and love. The purveyor of backhanded compliments, deadpan humor, the quickest wit one can imagine and an absolutely ungodly work ethic. The sole character of the series who I would 100% watch a spin-off of, and love every minute. Sure — she once said that everyone around her needed to be sterilized immediately. And that Rory’s boyfriend offers “nothing to women or the world in general.” And that she can “scare the stupid out of you. But the lazy runs deep.”
She may, in fact, be the only character whose absurdity warrants such unhinged comments, and I am so here for it. You may be reading this because you too believe that Paris Geller deserves way more praise than she receives. Or you hate her. Or perhaps you don’t even know who she is. Regardless, allow me to delight you with the many — shall I say — unique musings of my favorite Gilmore Girls character, and explain exactly why Paris was not only what the cult-classic show needed, but the feminist icon TV needed, too.
So let’s start from the beginning. Paris Geller (played by Liza Weil) joined the GG crew in Season 1, right as Rory Gilmore (the show’s sort-of protagonist) walked into Chilton Academy, a private school where Paris was attending, for her first day. A far cry from Rory’s relatively timid and soft-spoken personality, Paris tore up the screen with her high-strung personality and immediate rivalry with Rory (Rory did not feel the same), who Paris viewed as the only candidate who could possibly challenge her spot at the top of the class standing. As the year progresses, the two become friends, which of course Paris still highly questioned.
The rest of their high school experience is plagued with repeated ups and downs, from Paris’s parents’ highly publicized divorce to their joint student government campaign and, most notably, Paris’s C-SPAN meltdown, courtesy of a Harvard rejection fueled by what she can only assume to be wide-spread knowledge that she lost her virginity. Despite losing the Valedictorian slot to Rory (which Paris comes to terms with after finding out Salutatorians tend to be more successful), Paris walks across the graduation stage and accepts her diploma from the school’s headmaster, to which she iconically quips, “no hard feelings.”
Fast forward to Paris’s first year at Yale, a school she knew Rory was attending but had no intention of ever seeing again. Not to the surprise of Paris’s life coach, the two frenemies were placed together as suitemates, a pairing that ultimately served as a catalyst for lifelong friendship. Throughout college, Paris pursues pre-med and pre-law degrees, joins the Yale Daily News alongside Rory, dates an elderly professor (he passes away, leaving Paris to grieve), moves on with the editor of the Yale Daily News, Doyle McMaster, and potentially saves Rory from abandoning Yale forever by admitting to Lorelai that Rory is the only person who ever listened to her, challenged her and motivated her.
Paris then proceeds to become the editor of the Yale Daily News, a position in which her power-hungry tendencies took full-force, resulting in a forcible resignation, kick Rory out of their shared apartment, let Rory move back into their shared apartment (now with Doyle), be accepted to a slew of prestigious medical and law schools. She ultimately chose to attend med school and break up with Doyle, to which he refused, and tells Rory that they’re on their own but she can still do great things (Of course this doesn’t last, the two are meant to be best friends.)
Somehow this doesn't even scratch the surface of the character of Paris. As you can tell, Paris is a fiercely loyal, protective woman who fights for herself to no end. She (literally) doesn’t care what other people think (so long as they’re not within her immediate circle) and never stops pursuing her dreams, no matter how many times she probably should have. She is the epitome of feminism in modern television — perhaps taken to an extreme — and serves as a necessary counterweight to Rory’s floundering sense of self.
So long as she keeps her need for perfectionism in check, Paris has one of those few personality types whose wild ambition and outspokenness is directly beneficial to her success, a success that she, and only she, can define. Sure, she has an exaggerated sense of self-importance, but when balanced by Rory’s soft-but-straightforward approach, Paris can quickly reset, reevaluate and move forward.
That's the thing with Paris — she’s always moving forward. She doesn't get into Harvard? Tough. She takes a few days to wallow before considering her other options: Yale, Columbia and Princeton. She doesn’t know whether to choose med school or law school, so she takes stock of her bearings, reflects on her past dreams, and makes a clear, concise decision that she moves forward with.
Her brutally honest nature (both internally and externally) is exactly why Paris works. She’s generous when needed, comfortable with giving tough (and oftentimes tougher) love, is able to express vulnerability with the people she loves, doesn’t allow outside influences to affect her path and never let’s someone (especially a man) tell her she’s less than (*cough, cough*—Rory). For an early 2000s show, she showed women that there is power in education. There’s power in stepping away from a caretaker role. There’s power in expressing your opinion, no matter your age.
Image via WB
There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s inspired countless women over the years — after all, she’s inspired me! Even though she’s had her controversial moments, she’s always been a cheering voice for women, even if it’s behind her resting grimace. For these reasons, and so many more, I am hereby deeming Paris Geller the best of Gilmore Girls — the heroine, perhaps, and a feminist icon to all.
What's your take on Paris Geller? Let us know in the comments, and sign up for our email newsletter for more pop culture musings!
Header image via Netflix, Warner Bros
This post has been updated.
Gilmore Girlstakes up more of my brain space than I'd care to admit. The show is undeniably great. I mean, there's a reason it's become an absolute cultural phenomenon! The banter is witty and memorable, the Stars Hollow, Connecticut setting is warm and friendly, and the character dynamics feel natural and comforting. All of these elements combined create the perfect comfort show thatI personally rewatch again and again. However, despite having an overall positive opinion of the show, there is one bone I have to pick with it. This grievance makes my blood boil and keeps me tossing and turning at night.
While I can't pose my all-too-important question to the creators of the show, I will ask it to you, reader: Why in the world was Lane Kim's storyline such a travesty? Considering the show is not shy about uplifting and celebrating Rory (despite her many mistakes) it feels especially unfair how short of a stick Lane (played by Keiko Agena) truly got. Here are my unfiltered thoughts on the subject.
Throughout Lane's formative teenage years, she was forced to hide her true identity and interests in order to appease her mother. From hiding CDs in her floorboards and changing her clothes when she got to school, Lane was under a lot of pressure to keep her mom happy, while still trying to figure out who she was. Her mother even kicked her out after finding out about her "secret life," causing Lane to have to move into Rory's dorm. Rory, on the other hand, had a mother who supported her every dream and who she could be fully herself with.
I'm not sure why only one of these two besties got to live out their dreams, but if it did have to play out this way, it should have been Lane Kim. Given how difficult her upbringing was, couldn't the show have given her a win by having *her* be the one who gets to follow her dreams?
Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix
Once again, the show propped up Rory and gave her not one, not two, but three love interests. Whether or not you love all three of them, we can all admit that each boyfriend was compatible with Rory in their own way, and helped her learn and grow. Lane, however, did not get this. Her first boyfriend, Dave, is great. He's kind and sweet and understanding of her family situation, but the show breaks them up because they can't handle being long-distance. (Technically, we know actor Adam Brody had to leave for The O.C. but where is the justice??!)
After Dave, it all goes downhill from there for poor Lane. She ends up with Zack, who isn't bad but isn't great. And, as soon as Lane is finally getting to pursue her passion by going on tour with her band, she finds out she and Zack are pregnant. Considering how long Lane dreamed of getting to be her authentic herself and openly express her interests, it feels cruel that this twist of fate took it away from her at this exact moment.
Image via Neil Jacobs/Netflix
Despite Rory having almost every opportunity available to her, we find out in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life that she is making bad decisions (like, er, sleeping with an engaged man) and is struggling to find her way. Lane, on the other hand, has made the best out of the cards she's been dealt. She's still married to Zack, is taking care of her twins, and has even kept music in her life by joining a band. I can't help but think if Lane can forge ahead despite all of her unfortunate circumstances, how fantastic could her life have been if the writers had served her just a little bit more good fortune?
Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix
Lane's experience mirrors many Asian-American girls' lives. She had a strict upbringing and struggled to strike a balance between fitting in with her American peers and forming her own identity, while still trying to manage her mother's expectations of who she should be. As an Asian-American, Lane's experiences mirrored many of my own, and, at a time when there was such little Asian representation, this was extremely impactful.
With the lack of representation at the time, it was even more important that Lane was dealt an ending that she and her viewers could be proud of. Instead of turning her into somewhat of a cautionary tale, her story could have been utilized to empower an audience of individuals who saw themselves in her. For that reason, Lane's treatment on Gilmore Girls will never quite sit right with me.
What do you think about Lane Kim's storyline on Gilmore Girls? Let us know in the comments and check out our guide to Where Is The Gilmore Girls Cast Now? to keep up with your favorite Stars Hollow residents (even if they're not in Stars Hollow anymore).
Lead image via Warner Bros
This post has been updated.
