This Christmas, give your loved ones something special that you craft with care. With projects ranging from quick and easy to more involved, you will be able to create something unique for everyone on your list!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I love giving and receiving handmade items.
Gifts that are crafted with care are more meaningful than those that can just be purchased from a store shelf. Oftentimes, handmade gifts can be a more economical option too, the trade off is your time investment.
If you have a little bit of time, you can make some unique gifts for your friends, family, coworkers, or anyone on your list.
Here are 12 gift ideas that you can make for your loved ones this holiday season, organized from quick and easy to more involved.
1. Make and Give Body Spray as a Gift
Body spray is a quick and easy gift to make. All you need are some small spray bottles, four ingredients, and some kitchen measuring equipment. You can create a custom scent by combining essential oils for a unique personal care gift item. For instructions and my DIY body spray recipe, click here!
2. Make and Give Chemical-free Toilet Spray as a Gift
Making your own Poo-Pourri is another quick and easy project. Similar to the steps involved in making a custom body spray, all you have to do is pour a few clean ingredients into a small spray bottle. Add a label with a creative name and you have a humorous and useful gift for someone! Click here for the directions and my chemical-free toilet spray recipe.
3. Make and Give Beard Oil as a Gift
If you have a man with facial hair on your list, this is another quick and easy project. To make beard oil, you need a small dropper bottle, a funnel, and four natural ingredients. Pour them together and you have a delightful smelling, nourishing gift to pamper him in the cold winter months. For my DIY beard oil tutorial, click here.
4. Make and Give Sugar Scrub as a Gift
Everyone loves sugar scrub and this project is super quick and easy to make. You need some jars, kitchen measuring equipment, and four basic ingredients to create an exfoliating sugar scrub to use at the sink or in the shower. This is a great one to make in a big batch and give to teachers, coaches, and delivery drivers to show your appreciation. Click here for directions and my sugar scrub recipe, with lots of variations to choose from.
5. Make and Give Bath Soak as a Gift
Just like the sugar scrub, this project is quick and easy. To make bath soak, you just need to measure and mix a few ingredients and spoon them into bottles or jars. Gift recipients will love adding this indulgent soak with salts, powdered milk, and dried flowers to their bathtub. For details on the ultimate bath soak recipe, click here.
6. Make and Give Whipped Honey as a Gift
Whipped honey is quick and easy to make. All you need is honey (raw and local is best) and an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Whipping adds air to the honey, making it an even more creamy and decadent treat. Put it in a cute jar with a bow and you have a delicious gift that won’t go bad! For directions, click here to read the original post.
7. Make and Give Lip Balm as a Gift
Making lip balm is a moderately difficult and time-consuming project. You will need to melt some ingredients and carefully pour them, so adult supervision is required if your kids are looking for gift ideas to make.
I have a classic beeswax recipe or a tallow and beeswax recipe to choose from. If you want to tint your lip balm, you can get directions here to add mica or beet root powder for subtle color!
8. Make and Give Tallow Balm as a Gift
If you are rendering your own beef, goat, sheep, or deer fat this project is moderately difficult and time-consuming. For directions to render fat on a stovetop or in a slow cooker, click the links to see the processes I use. If you are starting with tallow that has already been rendered, making a balm is pretty easy.
I make a solid tallow balm and a whipped tallow balm and use them as a facial and skin moisturizer. Follow the links for my two tried and true tallow recipes. It’s absolutely amazing for dry skin in the winter! You can add scent and make a gift your friends and family are sure to love.
9. Make and Give an Air Freshener as a Gift
This project is moderately difficult and time consuming. You can make an air freshener with some felt and essential or fragrance oils for someone to use in their car or gym bag.
If you want to try embroidering, you can make some neat designs. Alternatively, you can cut out felt shapes and put everything together with a hot glue gun. For directions to make an air freshener like mine, click here.
10. Make and Give a Decorated Grapevine Wreath as a Gift
Making and decorating a grapevine wreath is fun and only moderately difficult and time consuming. I forage wild grapevine from my property, for directions on how to identify and weave your own wild grapevine wreath, click here.
You can also buy grapevine wreaths online or at a craft store and decorate them for any season or occasion! Use dried flowers, artificial flowers and greenery, or bows to make a festive gift for home décor. For my wreath decorating tips, click here.
11. Make and Give Resin Jewelry as a Gift
Working with resin is moderately difficult and time consuming. To get started, you will need some basic supplies including epoxy resin and silicone molds. If you want to make earrings, you will also need findings and craft adhesive and might want additives like colorants and glitter. For my full list of resin jewelry making supplies, click here.
12. Make and Give Handmade Soap as a Gift
Soap making is a rewarding but difficult and time-consuming project. To make cold process soap, you need to work with some caustic chemicals and have at least a basic understanding of the saponification process. You need to plan for 4-6 weeks of cure time after making the soap before it can be used or gifted.
I have a soapmaking business using the milk from the dairy goats on my farm. While I can’t give out my recipe, I can give you my supply list here so that you can get started making cold process soap yourself. I also have some troubleshooting tips for cold process soapmaking that you might find helpful, click here to find them.
I recommend Brambleberry.com for soap making recipes and supplies. They also have beginner-friendly kits!
Gifting a Basket of Handmade Goodness
Gift baskets are a great way to display and give your handmade items. If you have several small things, you can arrange them in a cute basket to keep them together and create a visually appealing offering. Don’t forget to include a bow and a gift tag!
Mother, farmer, author, and teacher by trade… She loves tending to things and watching them grow!