This Cardboard Coffee Tray Hack Is the Best Gift for Your Roommate or Bestie

I’m going to admit something: I hate giving people gifts. It’s not that I don’t want to give them; it’s that I have such a hard time coming up with creative ideas. I get stressed out when it comes to any sort of personalization out of the fear that the person I’m giving it to won’t like it. I always end up doing a gift card, which feels so boring! So when I saw this TikTok video by user @delzora, I was ecstatic. She made a DIY gift look so easy! And the core component is something you can probably pick up for free from your local coffee shop: a cardboard drink carrier. 

It turns out this DIY project has been circulating for a while, but this was my first time seeing it. It’s so simple but kind of life-changing. All you need to do is get a cardboard four-cup drink tray, some floral foam, real or fake flowers, a fun drink, a sweet treat, a card, and any other small add-ons that remind you of the person you’re giving it to. 

This TikTok user filled two spots with flowers (she stuck the stems into some floral foam from the Dollar Tree, cut to fit in place), placed a mini Bundt cake in the third, an iced latte in the fourth (which she spruced up with a custom sticker — how cute), and hand sanitizer, lip oil, and a rice crispy treat that she attached to skewers and stuck in the floral foam, too. Plus, of course, a fun birthday card to top it off. She was making hers for a coworker, but this would also make such a sweet Mother’s Day gift (it’s coming up!), a birthday gift for a friend, or even a just-because-you’re great gift for your roomie. 

If it’s a little hard to find a nice bouquet of flowers in your college town or you know your friend doesn’t have anywhere to put them, you can easily mix and match what you add to the tray. Here are some other ideas of small things you could add to the drink tray:

• Acute Jellycat plushie or something else they like to collect, like a Sonny Angel or Smiski
• A homemade baked good
• A sheet face mask
• A bottle of nail polish
• Some fuzzy socks
• Their favorite candy bar
• A reusable water bottle or coffee mug 
• A gift card to their favorite café or nail salon
• A cute bag charm
• The tiniest digital camera
• A makeup product or travel-size skincare item you know they like
• A small piece of art you made, like a drawing or crocheted masterpiece

There are all kinds of ways to personalize it and make it a low-effort but high-impact gift that fits within your budget.