I’ve rounded up a list of 100 of the best easy-to-make homemade gifts. These are DIY gift ideas that you can make even if you are a complete beginner and don’t have much spare time. Gift ideas for the whole family, from children to grandma.
THE BEST EASY HOMEMADE GIFTS
There is a growing trend for giving homemade gifts at Christmas.
It’s a great way to circumnavigate the excesses of the festive season.
But what if you love the idea of crafting beautiful handmade gifts, but really aren’t very good at crafting?
Or if you simply don’t have much spare time to spend making DIY gifts?
What you need is a list of really easy homemade Christmas gift ideas.
This is why I’ve done some research and put together a list of 100 ideas for really easy-to-make DIY gifts.
QUICK AND EASY TO MAKE
All of these gift ideas can be made in less than an hour, even if you are a complete beginner when it comes to craft.
There are ideas on the list for gifts for every member of the family, from young children through to grandparents.
I’ve put the ideas into different categories, from things you can make in the kitchen to ideas you can sew and crochet.
Take a look through the list and start drawing up your own shortlist to craft for your family and friends this Christmas.
100 EASY HOMEMADE GIFTS
1. HOMEMADE PRESERVES
Homemade preserves are so hipster!
Who doesn’t love a farmer’s market shop?
But what’s even better than buying handmade preserves is making them yourself.
And the big secret is… it’s actually really quite easy.
Inspired to make some preserves as gifts? Here are some easy recipes you can use:
- Fruit jam really easy jam with small amounts of fruit
- Savoury jams & jellies such as green pepper jelly
- Preserved fruitwhich could be anything frompeaches tolemons
- Pickled vegetables – such as onions or garlic
- Preserved roasted vegetables – like red peppers or eggplant
- Chutney all that Christmas food shouts out for great chutney
- Preserved lemons with rosemary … Melangery
2. COOKIES AND SWEET TREATS
Homemade biscuits, cookies, sweets and candy really do knock the socks off anything shop-bought.
Plus they are a fabulous present for kids or anyone who doesn’t have the time to bake for themselves.
Now, I am pretty good at cooking. But decorating cakes and cookies is another thing.
Ready to get baking? Here are some brilliant recipes to use:
- Mason jars of cookies – gingerbread(my fave recipe) andshortbreadare always popular
- Mince pies – spray paint an old biscuit or container & fill it with mince pies
- Biscuit making kit – put together abiscuit making kitin a jar
- Jar of fudge Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a jar of fudge
- Truffles there are loads of great simple trufflesrecipes including these gluten-free truffles
- Nougat like this recipe with lovely seasonal cranberries
- Polish spiced cookies from Ren Behan
You might also like to browse through some of the sweetsand candy recipes roundups that are super popular on Mums Make Lists.
- Christmas candy recipes
- Peppermint candy recipes
- Easy slow-cooker candy recipes
3. HOMEMADE ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
Making your own alcoholic drinks might seem daunting, but it’s really just a question of soaking fruits of varioussorts in your alcohol of choice.
- Limoncello – I adore Limoncello but had no idea it was so simple
- Infused vodka you caninfuse vodkawith just about anything includingpomegranate & vanilla
- Fruit gin – such as damson or sloe
- Fruit rum such as blackberry
- Christmas tea Put together your own Christmas tea blend
- Hot chocolate kit … and for non-drinkers and kids Hot chocolate kit in a mason jar are always a winner
- Christmas Tea – Our Kitchen
4. VERY EASY HOMEMADE SEWS AND KNITS
There are loads of things you can sew or knit, even if your sewing skills are limited to sewing in straight lines and your knitting skills are sketchy at best.
- Cardholder a cardholderin pretty fabric is super easy to sew
- Tote bag you can make great totesfrom fabric off-cuts or even tea towels!
- Notebooks fabric coverednotebooks
- Flower pins fabricflower pins are also very simple
- Handkerchiefs make your own embroidered handkerchiefs – or buy plain ones and embroider on initials
- Cushion covers even if you can’t sew you can make cushion coversusing this fab tutorial for complete beginners
- Pillow slips it’s also super easy to make pillow slips & pretty cotton can be picked up very cheaply
- Duvet covers can be incredibly expensive,Neroli Blossomshave not too tricky tutorials on how to make completely gorgeous covers
- Mason jar mending kit a pretty mending kit in a mason jar or fabric pocket
- Aprons – aprons are another super easy sew & can be pretty or personalised with your own humour 😉
- Pencil case for any stationary & pen addicts a great pencil case is always a winner
- Craft kit – a beginners craft kit with e.g. ribbons, buttons, thread & printed off patterns
- Simple Card Wallet – A Spoonful of Sugar
5. BATHTIME AND SCENTED GIFTS
Everyone loves to stock up on beautifully scented goodies at Christmas.
They can create really WOW moments when they are opened but they are very simple to make.
Here are some great ideas for really easy to make homemade gift ideas.
- Lavender bags – lavender bagsare super simple to sew & just need a little dried lavender … if you haven’t got your own, it’s easy to buy
- Rosemary bags – as an alternativerosemary bagssmell lovely, calm sleep & see of moths!
- Lotion bars – you can make simplelotion barswith coconut oil and essential oils
- Body scrubs – and you can make all sorts of fabbody scrubswith sugar and essential oils
- Bath bombs – and fizzingbath bombswith Epsom salts and stuff you’ve almost certainly got in the kitchen
- Bath salts– and with Epsom salts again and some essential oils you can makebath salts
- Soaps – and you can even make your own super simple liquidsoapsin pretty bottles without too much hassle
- Lip balmand finally naturallip balmwith coconut oil, honey and beeswax
- Lavender Bags – Kimberly Layton
6. PLANTS AND GARDENING GIFTS
Garden gifts are great for avid gardeners and those less green fingered who need a little help.
- Spring bulbs in a pretty containerparticularly those more expensive to buy as plants e.g. hyacinths
- Kitchen herb garden you can plant a simple kitchen herb garden in mason or jam jars
- Off-cuttings of any great plants in your garden
- Pressed flowers children can help pressing flowers in a frame or bookmark
- Decorated plant pots you can decorate terracotta or other potsfor bulbs or herbs
- Wind chimes you can make gorgeous wind chimes from all sorts of stuff you’ve got lying around the house and the garden
- Ladybug house – you can make simple hanging ladybug houses from e.g. bamboo canes – the ladybugs will keep away the aphids!
- Bird feeders beautifulbird feederscan be made from a wide range of cheap vintage finds
- A tray of seedlings for great spring planting plants – personally I would love this, as I always run out of time to get my own planted
- Twine dispenser make a handy twine dispenser with a mason jar
- Painted can planters upcyle and paint old cans to create simple planters planters
- Twine Dispenser – Garden Therapy
7. WORDS AND PICTURES GIFTS
You can’t get simpler than words and pictures… review your year in photos for your nearest and dearest, or pen them a poem…
- Apoem by youabout them or a special time you’ve shared
- Apoetry collectioncompiled by you – you can print out in a good font on nice paper and bind with fabric or paper covered card
- Aframed poem –print or write out their favourite poem on good paper & put in a pretty old frame
- Coaster – fabulouscoastersmade from photos and cheap tiles
- Scrapbook – a memory lane scrapbook with photos, cuttings, notes etc about time you have shared
- A framed photo family tree
- Photo Coasters – One Good Thing By Jillee
8. KITCHEN GIFTS
There are lots of easy ways to personalise gifts for foodies and wannabe chefs …
- Personalised mugs – write your personal message personalised mugs with a sharpie & glaze
- Personalise glasses with chalkboard
- Jar of utensils – for the foodies in your life package up a set of lovely wooden kitchen utensils in a mason jar
- Chopping boards make your own chopping boards carved from salvaged wood or log cuts & treated with mineral oil
- Tea towels personalise tea towels with kids art
- A box of handwritten family recipes
- Kids Art Tea Towels – Setting for Four
9. HOMEMADE ORNAMENTS
Even if you’re not a great crafter it is easy to make super thrifty ornaments that look great …
- Mason jar vases – painted mason jar vases
- Upcycle old vase – chalkboard paint a cheap or old tarnishedglass vase
- Soup can vases – simple soup can & twine vase
- Mason jar lamps – lamps made from mason jars
- A framed birthplace map – there are lots of sites where you can print off for personal use detailed maps old and new
- Picture frames – picture frames made with moulding from DIY shop and decorated by you are a cheap way to give people beautiful picture frames
- Shabby chic vase – paint a cheap glass vase with acrylic paint & sand for shabby chic effect
- Mason jar soap dispenser – make simple soap dispensers from mason jars
10. HANDMADE JEWELLERY
Simple original jewellerycan be made from beads, old buttons (you can buy vintage collections cheaply on eBay), leather (reclaimed from sandals for examples) and even paper and mod podge!
- Button bracelets – make Button bracelets from old buttons & yarn
- Button hair bobbles – simple but pretty hair bobbles with button fixtures will delight little girls
- Wire bracelets – simple adjustable silver wire bracelet
- Cool cuffs made from old sandals
- Perler bead earrings great fun Perler bead earrings that you really can make in 10 minutes
- A statement necklace made from card
11. TOYS AND OTHER GIFTS FOR KIDS
- Ragdoll – there’s something very special about rag dolls and they really can be made easily
- Outdoor chalkboard – make a giant outdoor chalkboard with a board from the hardware store and a can of chalkboard spray paint
- Chalkboard blocks – these chalkboard blocks are a lovely idea that is perfect for a bit of creative engineering
- Washi tape letters these simple washi tape letters are a lovely way to decorate a child’s room
- Bean bags super simple bean bags make a lovely stocking stuffer
- Tic tac toe – make noughts & crosses or tic tac toe from painted stones
- Fold-up tent a super cool a frame tent that only needs a bit of drilling
- Peg dolls you can totally personalise peg dolls painting them as anything from princesses or superheroes
- Cardboard castle – a fab interlocking cardboard castle will support endless stories but can be easily put away
- Chalkboard blocks – Nicola on Tuesday
12. GIFTS FOR MEN
How hard is it to find great gifts for men? But some of these simple gifts should keep them happy …
- Map coasters – you can make simple coastersfrom cork and old maps
- Pencil pot – if you can wield a drill you can make a pencil pot from a log
- Tablet case – with fabric, board and glue you can rustle up a tablet case
- Cufflinks – and can make cufflinks from painted nuts & bolts
- Man’s apron – I found this great free pattern for a real bloke’s apron
- Frame star maps from key dates in a family’s life
- A hip flask cover
- Put together your own travel kit wash bag of mini products
- Beer making kit – put together your own beer making kit with this checklist
Well I hope that this list of 100 easy homemade Christmas gift ideas helps you to get a plan together for some DIY gift making this festive season.
Finding time to quietly sit and make some homemade gifts can also be a great way to take some time out and do something relaxing at a time that can be really stressful.
Good luck with whatever creations you decide to make, I’m sure the recipients will be most appreciative.
PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS WITH MUMS MAKE LISTS:
Want more life hacks and great Christmas ideas? Scroll through our Christmas posts below, click on an image or link to be taken to a post.
