The holiday season has arrived, and with it comes long days of shopping and shelling out cash for presents. But if you're dreading those hours spent at the mall and worried about blowing through your savings, consider going the DIY route. With 75 percent of Apple stores selling out of the iPhone 4S and iPad sales up 68 percent on Black Friday, you can pretty much guarantee that someone on your list will be needing a cover or case for their new gadget! Get personal and give your friends and family homemade techessories they'll be sure to love.
1. Laptop Sleeve
Give your favorite techie something they can actually use, a homemade laptop sleeve, which you can make using this tutorial from Prudentbaby. This cushiony storage is great for protecting any larger techie toys, from an iPad to a kindle. Find some fabric and follow the DIY instructions for this laptop carrier.
2. Charging Station
Help a tech-obsessed friend get organized and reboot in style. This homemade charging station is the perfect present for someone with lots of tech devices. So get creative with this easy tutorial from Cut Out + Keep.
3. Leather Envelope Phone Case
When the holidays roll around, give someone a chic DIY leather envelope phone case. This tech accessory is not only functional, but it's also a stylish way to help protect your phone from wear and tear. From your dad to your best pal, this gift is great for anyone with an iPhone, Blackberry or Droid.
4. Gears of War Themed Rubik's Cube
Give the gamer in your life this clever Gears of War themed Rubik's cube. This DIY project is brought to you by Instructables, with an easy-to-follow tutorial and images from the video game that you can print out.
5. Vintage Book Travel Tech Organizer
For the techie who likes to travel, this Vintage Book Travel Tech Organizer is the perfect fit. Using elastic ribbon and a cloth-bound hardcover book, create a storage case with compartments for cords, cables, chargers, headphones, and electronics.
6. Keyboard Magnet Gift Set
What to give the computer nerd who has everything? This Keyboard Magnet Gift Set is a great stocking stuffer. Just follow the DIY instructions from Unplggd and create a customized gift that any techie can have fun with on their fridge.
7. Sound Effect Minesweeper Pillows
Give the computer dweeb closest to you these Minesweeper pillows with added sound effects from the classic mine clearing game. A great gift for a gamer to lounge on when going for the high score or getting some shut-eye.
8. Pac-Man Cork Board
Give a retro gamer you know a Pac-Man Cork Board. This gift, based on everyone's favorite yellow video gaming mascot, functions as a piece of art or a fun way to display pictures. Following the DIY tutorial from Instructables, you can download images and turn boring cork board tiles into iconic characters from the arcade game.
9. Floppy Disk Pen Holder
Convert those old floppy disks your parents have lying around into a handy desk accessory, perfect for the tech geek. Although these old school disks have long since been been replaced, you can utilize them as a different type of storage with the floppy disk pen holder .
10. Hand-Embroidered iPhone Case
Use this crafty way to bring some old school cross-stitching to iPhone technology. Design your own phone cases with unique templates, such as those from Connect Design, and create customized hand-embroidered holiday gifts. If you're not feeling crafty, you can also purchase a pre-made cover from the same site for a lower cost than most iPhone covers -- and it's one of a kind!