This post was most recently updated on November 30th, 2021
If you are anything like me, you will want to give DIY gifts that are from the heart, are lovely, but doesn’t break the bank and most importantly – a DIY gift that doesn’t suck. If it can be an eco friendly gift at the same time? Even better! Here are my favorite homemade gift ideas that you can make to give to the loved ones in your life this holiday season !
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DIY Christmas gifts are are wonderful way to give a great gift without spending a fortune. Nothing says I love you more than a handmade gift, so below are some easy (and some more complex) holiday gift ideas that you can use this year as a Christmas present for your loved ones.
DIY gifts without buying anything
It is possible to make DIY gifts with stuff around the house, baking, baking mix in a mason jar, and bath salt or sugar scrub are all meaningful gift ideas that use ingredients that you probably already have at home.
DIY gifts in a jar
There is a huge range of gifts that you can give in a jar. It is common to use a 1L/1 Quart mason jar with a pretty piece of fabric tied around the lid.
One of my favorite gift ideas for an older child is to make them a cookie in a jar gift. There are so many recipes available to choose from! Here are some from my friend Mindy.
Other ideas for gifts in a jar cover a huge range of ideas. Some ideas for DIY gifts in a jar include:
- Spice rubs
- Pamper kits
- Makeup
- Candy
- Cookies
- Fudge
- A snowglobe
- Laundry soap
- Sewing kit
- Playdoh
- Smores kit
- Electronic bits and bobs
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate sauce
- Succulent plants
- Candle
- Soup mix
DIY Gifts that Don’t Suck: The Best Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas
No matter what your DIY gift is for, you will find some ideas here. These gifts are not limited to just Christmas, they can also make the perfect gift for mom on Mother’s day, Father’s day or even for your girlfriend or boyfriend.
DIY Gift Ideas for the Kitchen
If your gift receiver is a foodie, these kitchen themed gift ideas will be perfect.
Vanilla essence is simple to make, with only two ingredients. It does take some time to sit, so make it ahead of time and then bottle it up, ready to give away when you need a homemade gift to give someone.
Beeswax Food Wraps are a brilliant and practical gift idea, that can be made with fabric that suits a person’s taste. A set of these will not cost the earth, but is a meaningful gift for anyone that takes a packed lunch, or has lots of leftovers
Oven Mittens get grubby and burnt, so a new set of oven mittens, especially if the match your general colour theme of your kitchen, are a thoughtful gift.
Kitchen Chalk Boards make a very practical but beautiful addition to any kitchen.
Etched Jars are super cool, and can be personalized to suit whoever you are giving it to.
Windowsill Herb Pots make a cute addition to any kitchen windowsill and make the food taste so much better too.
DIY Cloth napkins look lavish on a table, making it ready for a real feast.
DIY Food Gifts
Canned Lemon Curd is shelf stable, and a lovely way to add some lemony sunshine to someone’s special day.
Infused Olive Oil makes any salad or toast better. It is an easy gift to make, however, it does need to be assembled ahead of time to allow it to develop its flavor before gifting it.
Canned foods make great gifts and you can make them in advance as produce becomes cheap. Simply add a pretty label and you have a heartwarming gift for someone.
Homemade tomato salsa is a tasty way to use up homegrown produce, and it makes a thoughtful gift idea.
A Christmas Cake is always welcome as a gift, or you could step it up a notch and make a cheesecake!
White Chocolate Rocky Road can be made ahead of time and stored in jars ready to gift. Make the jars look amazing by adding some ribbon and baubles as well.
White Chocolate and Caramel Fudge is the BEST gift in a jar idea, this fudge is super easy to make (even for people like me who can’t make fudge) and it is very easy to eat!
Elderberry syrup makes a great gift, you can make it ahead, and waterbath it. Perfect to help keep coughs and colds away over the winter, and tasty too!
Preserved lemons makes a tasty gift that can be sat on the countertop as well as used for cooking amazing tagines.
Mulberry jelly is a firm family favorite and goes wonderfully with peanut butter on toast!
Gingerbread house making kit – use the recipe and pre-cut and pre-cook the cookies, make some royal icing and give it as a DIY house building kit.
Secret recipe chicken breading – as long as this stays dry, it will last for ages in a jar.
Christmas flavored cookie butter gets fought over at our place, so I can only imagine it would be a popular gift idea.
Beef or deer jerky for the meat lover or tramper in your life.
Home Décor DIY Gift Ideas
Beeswax candles are a great idea to make, especially if you have your own bees or access to beeswax. Our kids love making candles to give to friends and family as gifts.
Mason Jar Oil Lamp is a unique and interesting gift idea, you can guarantee no one else is giving them this!
A million and one gifts made with mason jars the wonders of mason jars is that there is so many gift in a jar ideas.
Sinus Headache Pillows make a great, thoughtful gift for someone that gets sinus pain.
Aged wood coat rack makes a functional and beautiful addition to your front entry or mudroom.
DIY gift ideas for the Bathroom
Candy Cane Body Scrub makes a pepperminty Christmas treat. Make it in bulk and portion it out as gifts, or just make a small amount for one or two people.
Homemade Goats Milk Soap – it is easier than you think and it makes a luxurious gift, many people with eczema prefer this sort of soap as it doesn’t dry out their skin.
A DIY Lip Balm Kit is a fun idea to give to an older kid or a craft loving person.
Lanolin Lip Balm is an easy gift to make that will be appreciated, brilliant for people that like to ski or spend time at the beach.
Loofah Bar Soap is a mixture between scrubbing and cleaning and it makes a great, unique gift.
Lotion Bars are the plastic friendly way of getting moisture, a bar is all oil and no water, so it is a concentrated bar of goodness.
Sugar Scrub is a simple gift idea that you can make at home usually with ingredients that you already have at home.
Salves and infused oils are a nature loving persons dream gift. Add your own herbal preparations to make these wonderful balms.
DIY Bath bombs use little more than baking soda, citric acid and essential oils and they make a lush gift for the bath-taker in your life.
Remineralizing toothpaste powder is perfect to put into tiny jars ready to take camping.
Body butter is whipped to keep it soft, but has no water in it, so it also doesn’t need preservatives in it.
Homemade deodorant can be scented with your favorite essential oil blend.
DIY Gift ideas for the Garden
Vegetable Garden Markers are a brilliant gift idea for the gardener in your life.
Sandfly repellent is a must have for anywhere that has problems with flies, sandflies or mosquitos.
An oil cloth apron gives your clothes protection from the dirt and water, while also providing big pockets for gardening tools and seeds.
Other ideas include seeds, seedlings, homemade pest control or plants.
DIY Jewelry gifts
Making homemade gifts is one of the ultimate ways of showing someone that you care. Plus frugal homemade gifts are often using items that you produce on the farm, or in your garden, and they tend to be less wasteful.
If you are looking for other frugal, wastefree gift ideas I have over 100 ideas here
