If you need a gift for a 16-year-old who recently got his permit, or someone who got a new car, this DIY New Driver Gift is such a fun way to celebrate that time in their lives.
For more ideas, check out all of our DIY posts.
We’re at the age where many of our friends’ kids are turning 16. That’s really exciting because that means a new driver in the house.
I remember turning 16 and being really excited to have a bit of freedom when my parents would let me borrow their car. I also remember the first time I went to the gas station because I was trying to be. thoughtful and replace my parents’ gas.
It was expensive and cost me a lot of my babysitting money.
Gas is so much more expensive now than it was when I started driving. So, anytime we are giving a gift to a 16-year-old for their birthday or to celebrate them getting their permit or license, we buy them a gas station gift card.
But, you know me. I can’t just put a gift card in a card and sign our names. Of course I have to be a little extra and make the gift special.
If you’re the same way, you’ll love this DIY New Driver Gift. It’s super easy to make with items that I found at the dollar store. Of course, just use this tutorial as an example. You can fill your gift up with whatever you think is best.
If you’re looking for more creative ways to give gift cards, check out our DIY Starbucks Coffee Cup Gift Card Holder. That’s one of our most popular unique gift wrapping ideas.
DIY New Driver Gift Tutorial
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DIY New Driver Gift Supplies:
You can get the full list of supplies in the how to card below.
- Car cup organizer – This is actually going to be the basket portion of your gift.
- Paper shred – This acts as a filler. Plus, paper shred always looks like you’re giving a gift and not just a collection of items.
- Microfiber cloths – Pete loves using these to clean the car windows. Plus, they add a bit of height to your gift and you definitely want to play with heights.
- ArmorAll Protectant – A mini sized bottle fits perfectly in this gift.
- Rain X – My dad gave us all Rain X for our windshields for Christmas one year and it was super helpful, so I always include this in my gift.
- Air Freshener Tree – What’s a new car gift without an air freshener tree?
- Gas station gift card – Make sure you’re getting a gift card for a gas station in your recipient’s area because gas stations are regional.
How To Make A DIY New Driver Gift:
Putting this together is pretty easy, but if I wasn’t writing this tutorial, you would’ve never stumbled across this post. So, we’re gonna go through it together.
Start with your car cup organizer.
So many of the ones that are popular now have a back portion where your cell phone is supposed to lay. That drives me a little bit insane because you shouldn’t have your phone that close to you when you’re driving, especially if you’re a new driver.
But, in this case, the back slots do help to balance the items you’re sticking in the cup organizer, so from a gift standpoint, it’s fine. From a practicality stand point, I hate it.
Add some of the paper shred into the bottom of the cup portion of the cup organizer.
This will help to prop up your other items a little. But, you don’t wanna add too much because then the paper shred will take up all the space.
Add in the microfiber towel.
This is the largest item that we’re adding to our gift, so we always add it first.
Add in the rest of the items, playing with their heights so you can see everything.
Keep in mind that you want to start with whatever is the largest then work your way down until the smallest.
Add your gas station gift card last.
Stick that in towards the back in a way that keeps it hidden, but also allows it to be seen. You want your recipient to notice it and be excited about it, but not have it be the first thing that they notice because they may then not be excited about the other items.
Add a little bit of extra paper shred between all of the gifts so that your overall gift looks finished.
DIY New Driver Gift: Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a large plastic gift bag, you can fit this whole gift inside, then tie it with a piece of ribbon or tulle.
If you don’t have a gift bag that’s large enough, putting this in a regular holiday gift bag is fine. Just be careful if you’re traveling with it. You want to make sure that it doesn’t fall over and the gifts don’t move around or knock the paper shred out all over the place.
I really like using a car cupholder organizer as the base for this gift because it’s really practical and something that most people don’t have yet. Plus, I like the size because it quickly fills up with just a few items, which means I have more money to spend on a gas station gift card.
If you want to make a larger gift, you absolutely can.
In that case, we suggest you use a large bucket that your recipient can use in the future when they’re washing their car.
Make sure you’re also adding other items that can be used during a car wash, like large sponges, car wax or buffer, etc. That way, your gift recipient will understand why your base is a bucket. If not, that can read a little confusing.
DIY New Driver Gift Tutorial
If you need a gift for a 16-year-old who recently got his permit, or someone who got a new car, this DIY New Driver Gift is such a fun way to celebrate that time in their lives.
Materials
- Car cup organizer
- Paper shred
- Microfiber cloths
- ArmorAll Protectant
- Rain X
- Air Freshener Tree
- Gas gift card
Instructions
- Add some of the paper shred into the bottom of the cup portion of the cup organizer.
- Add in the microfiber towel.
- Add in the rest of the items, playing with their heights so you can see everything.
- Add your gas station gift card last.
Notes
Have you made this DIY New Driver gift? Let us know how it went in the comments.