A little effort can go a long way
Time and money: Those are two things you might not have a lot of around the holidays. And that can pose some serious challenges when finding the perfect presents for everyone on your list. But with a little effort—and we really do mean just a little—even the least crafty people can whip up some fantastic homemade gifts with items they already have at home. These fabulously festive and thoughtful DIY ideas won’t cost you a thing, but they will mean a lot to the people who receive them.
Coffee scrub
The coffee lovers on your Christmas list will love this homemade scrub that will make them feel like they’re at the spa. It’s a great exfoliator to use anywhere on the body to brighten skin, increase circulation and even reduce the appearance of cellulite. Plus, it’s a cinch to make with ingredients you have in your pantry. The recipe calls for fresh or used coffee grounds, brown sugar, coconut oil and vanilla. Put the scrub in a clean jam jar, and tie a festive ribbon around it to make it look holiday-ready. By the way, these are the best foods for bright, healthy skin.
Orange pomander
Oranges are inexpensive in the winter and make fun, aromatic gifts for the holidays. That’s why we love using them to make pretty little pomanders (scented, decorative balls for your home). For this creation, you just need firm, fresh citrus fruit, dried cloves, a toothpick and an orange zester. Use the zester to make designs on the fruit. Then, poke a row of holes in the orange with a toothpick and push the cloves in. Or if you’d prefer another scent for the season, check out these DIY ways to make your home smell like Christmas.
Salt dough ornaments
This traditional Christmas craft is a kid’s favorite—to make and to give as a present. Just mix together 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 and 1/2 cups water (more if needed) to form a slightly dry dough. Knead for about 10 minutes, then roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to make festive shapes, use a straw to punch holes at the top of the ornaments, and place them on a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for one to two hours or until the dough is completely dried through. Once the ornaments have cooled, paint them and/or add glitter with glue. Tie a colorful ribbon through the hole at the top, then gift away! And don’t stop there: Keep the kids busy with these annual family Christmas ornaments.
Hot cocoa mix
Who doesn’t love curling up with a warm mug of hot cocoa on a cold winter day? Exactly, and that’s why this recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix makes a perfect gift for nearly anyone. Using a few pantry ingredients—dry milk powder, powdered nondairy creamer, confectioners’ sugar, baking cocoa and instant chocolate pudding mix—you can mix up a large vat of dry cocoa mix. Divide it into glass jars, add layers of mini marshmallows and crushed candy canes, top it with seasonal fabric, and tie a candy cane to the whole thing for a fun, festive touch. If you’re a chocolate lover yourself, you won’t want to miss these hot chocolate add-ins.
Rustic twig hanging tree
People would pay good money for this unique holiday decoration, but all you have to do is forage in your yard for twigs to create it! Once you’ve gathered the materials, cut the twigs in graduating lengths and secure them with twine. Add homemade ornaments to the branches, and tie a flat dough-star ornament to the top. This little rustic tree is perfect for friends and family who love farmhouse decor. Add to the holiday ambiance in your own home by making these easy DIY Christmas wreaths anyone can handle.
Hand-lettered sign
This is a perfect last-minute gift for the person who has everything. And even better, the recipient of this gift will be able to take it out and display it year after year—and think of you every time that happens. Amy Latta Creations makes it super easy to create this custom, hand-lettered sign without actually needing to know how to hand-letter. Just grab her free printable and frame it. Yes, that’s it! Recycle last year’s Christmas crads with these genius crafts.
Evergreen arrangement
Make your own mini tree by gathering fragrant branches in your own backyard. Clip pine, juniper or other evergreen boughs, and place them in a pot or a lined basket filled with potting soil. Decorate the branches with dried oranges, apples or other seasonal fruit, tiny golden balls and/or DIY Christmas ornaments. This arrangement can be enjoyed for weeks as long as the soil stays moist. Here’s just how to decorate this year.
Glittery snow globe
Upcycle glass jars into homemade snow globes! To achieve the look in the photo, secure a flat, felt ornament on the outside of the jar. For a more traditional snow-globe look, glue a waterproof ornament to the bottom of the jar. Set it aside to let it dry. Next, add clear glue to a bowl, along with warm water equal to the volume of the jar. Add glitter and stir. Place the lid onto the jar to seal. Embellish the jar with ribbon, and it’s ready for gifting!
Knitted wine-bottle bag
Did you get a few too many bottles of wine this holiday season? Regift one (or more) of them—but add a personal touch. This adorable wine bag is made from the sleeve of a sweater and requires very little sewing. To make it, cut off a sweater sleeve and turn it inside out. Then, sew it across the bottom (the end with cuff is the top). Flip it right side out, secure the bottle of wine with a ribbon at the top, and you’re done! This is a great way to upcycle a sweater that’s seen better days. No one will regift these savory Christmas food gifts.
Herb salt
Create your own gourmet salts with herbs from your garden. These salts are easy to customize and will look great packaged in little glass jars. To make them, you’ll need a handful of your favorite herb and a cup of kosher salt or sea salt. Pop both ingredients into a food processor and blend until the herbs are finely chopped. Spread the herb salt onto a cookie sheet and let it dry overnight. You can add citrus rinds and fresh garlic to the salt, too!
Fire starters
These little items do exactly what you think: They help get a fire going in your fireplace. But even better, they’ll also give your fire a lovely, cozy, seasonal aroma. You can create fire starters, like this one from Do-It-Yourself Garden Projects and Crafts, from items in your yard, pantry and dryer vent. (Yes, you read that right.) First, combine dry pine cones, pine needles, cinnamon sticks and dryer lint, and put it into cupcake liners in a cupcake tin. Then, melt down old wax candles and pour the wax over the top of your mixture. Let the wax cool, and you’ve got a pretty present. You can even add a little homemade tag with these directions for use: Put one fire starter (cupcake liner and all) underneath kindling, then light. Here are some other clever DIY ways to make everything in your home smell amazing.
Sweater pillow
Transform sweaters you don’t wear anymore into this cozy and fun DIY gift. Use the body section of the sweater to make an easy pillow covering. (Cable knits are particularly great for this, though other types can work as well.) These sweater pillows are perfect for the colder months and make great hostess gifts. Bonus: You get to clean out your closet while making this. Talk about multitasking!
DIY cookbook
Share your family’s best recipes with friends. Simply compile all of your favorites into a notebook, and to round out the gift, make one of the dishes to go along with it. After all, there’s nothing better than sharing a home-cooked meal with your nearest and dearest. And while the meal will last only for a short time, the custom recipe book will last forever. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. For other holiday cooking ideas, check out these 45 delicious Christmas foods that are perfect for gifting.
Holiday music
Gone are the days of the mixed tape, but you can still give the gift of music to a special someone. Create your own holiday playlist of your favorite Christmas tunes, and don’t forget to include a few songs that the recipient particularly loves, too. You’ll likely want to add some (or all) of these Christmas songs to listen to while baking.
Cookie tray
You can never go wrong with homemade holiday cookies. The cookies are festive enough on their own, but they look even better on a pretty Christmas plate. And aside from enjoying these yummy treats, the recipient will appreciate all the time and effort that went into this gift. Another idea for spreading the cookie cheer: Organize a cookie-exchange party so that you can get more people involved in this simple gift swap—and so you can try even more cookies. For your cookie-palooza, try all 150 Christmas cookie recipes that are perfect for the season.
Sweater stockings
Maggy Woodley at Red Ted Art created these knitted Christmas stockings without knitting! Her secret? She uses old sweaters to create this effect. Leave them plain or add holiday-themed felt cutouts and buttons. These stockings do require a minimal amount of sewing, but the results are absolutely adorable and totally worth it.
Cup cozies
You’re not done with those old sweaters just yet! Cup cozies are another way to repurpose them. For this project, you’ll just need the cuffs. Cut them off, and make a 1/2-inch slit at the seam for the handle to pop through. Mix and match cuffs to make a whole set of cozies. You can also use the ribbed cuffs of any sweatshirt or jacket. Gift these adorable and delicious homemade chocolates.
Wine cork snowflake
Here’s a great way to re-gift those wine corks you have lying around your house. Paula Skulina from Sweet Pea came up with a fun, easy-to-make ornament using wine corks, glitter and ribbon. Find out how to make it at virginiasweetpea.com.
Homemade Christmas potpourri
Ever wish you could bottle up those magical Christmastime scents? You actually can—and give it as a gift (or keep it for yourself). Choose one of a fun smelling “recipe” and put the ingredients in a mason jar as a gift. When your recipients add the contents to a pot of water on a low simmer, their houses will smell like Christmas. Here are some more clever hacks to make everything in your home smell amazing.
Refurbished picture frames
Turn a cheap purchase into a memorable Christmas present. Buy old frames from the dollar store or a garage sale (the more intricate the designs, the better) and give them a fresh coat of brightly colored paint. Be sure to put a cute photo of the two of you inside. These Christmas Even recipes are perfect for enjoying while you open your gifts.
Photo collage tray
Want to gift a more inventive photo display? Editors at The Family Handyman came up with this creative way to show off fun photos. They decorated a white wood tray with photos and stickers and covered their designs with an acrylic piece. Make it more special by adding mementos like movie stubs or quotes from the recipient’s favorite TV show.
Sand art brownie mix
This DIY gift not only looks pretty, but it tastes delicious. Layer the brownie ingredients in a mason jar and add a festive gift tag. All the recipient will need to do is add eggs, canola oil and vanilla to prepare tasty brownies. Get the recipe here. Want more delicious ideas for presents? Try these recipes for gifts in a jar.
DIY cell phone cover
Cell phone covers can be pricey, and many of the more reasonably priced ones only come in solid, boring colors. But with this clever idea from blogger Katie Adams, you can turn any ordinary cell phone cover into a work of art with some washi tape and decoupage. Get all the instructions from The Crafty Blog Stalker.
Homemade lemon body scrub
If you’re lucky enough to not be hosting the holiday party you’re going to this year, you don’t have to go through the effort and stress that your hosts put into the big event. Thank them for their hard work with a relaxing, rejuvenating body scrub. Mix a half-cup each of Epsom salt, sugar and coconut oil. Then add one tablespoon honey and five drops of quality lemon essential oil. Banish dryness with this easy honey hand treatment.
Good mornin’ pancake mix
There’s one gift that no one thinks to ask for but is universally adored: the gift of breakfast. And this pancake mix doesn’t make your average pancakes. The orange peels, raisins and cinnamon give the batch a touch of special festive spice that the cook in your family is sure to appreciate. Put the raisins and almonds in one bag and the rest of the dry ingredients in a second bag, and tie them up with a holiday ribbon. Here’s a peek at the the full recipe.
Glittery holiday message bottles
Give your friends a festive sparkle this Christmas with these decorative wine bottles. All it takes is some paint, Modge Pog and glitter. Lots and lots of glitter. Get the instructions from Annie at Through the Yellow Door, but feel free to put a different message on the bottles or use a different color combination, like red and green or silver and blue. Next, check out all of the best gifts for crafty friends.
The post 25 DIY Holiday Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank appeared first on Taste of Home.
Claire Nowak, Debbie Wolfe