If you’re searching for a creative (and inexpensive) gift for a special friend, one that doesn’t create too much clutter, the Christmas Morning Mug Hugger is the project for you!

It doesn’t take much know-how or prep and before you know it you’ll have cute Christmas morning treats for everyone on your list.

Here’s how in five easy steps:

1. Acquire mugs. I recommend not purchasing new mugs, mostly because there are so many unique and interesting (and cheap!) used mugs out there. Last year my workplace was clearing funky mugs out to bring in some classy ones so I snagged practically an entire set for free!

2. Purchase single/sample size hot drinks. If you’re really hard-up for cash you can probably find someone who collects hotel coffee who will give them up for your project, but actually you can grab a pack of single serving instant coffee or hot chocolate for quite a low price from just about any cafe or grocery store.

3. Purchase a single/sample size mixer or liqueur. This will be the most expensive part of your Mug Hugger. I would go for Baileys but really this is a take-it-or-leave-it step.

4. Purchase or make gift bags. When I put these together I found really inexpensive gift bags at a dollar store, but just last week someone in my building put a whole box full of tiny gift bags in the “giveaway” section of our building, so you really can find them anywhere. If you can sew a straight line you can easily create simple baggies, as well. Just measure out the size you need from some stash fabric and sew until it holds something!

5. Make your mug hugger! This is the most labour-intensive part. It’s a simple knitting pattern you can download or make up for yourself. All you need is a tiny bit of yarn and a few buttons. If you get really creative you can add ribbon, jingle bells, or whatever else you feel will give your mug hugger the edge it needs.

When you put it all together it makes a really lovely gift—why not try it out?