Make it a Crafty Christmas with 25 Handmade Christmas Presents Ideas
Let’s talk about handmade Christmas presents. Why? Well, because I don’t think any of us are feeling too rich this time of year!
“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in my Christmas savings hat”..haha, yes I know that’s not how the song goes. But this time of year we start getting a little crazy when it comes to buying presents.
I don’t know about you but it seems like all the bills come due this time of year also🤔.
What’s a person to do?
Do it homemade with Handmade Christmas Presents.
The benefits of making a gift handmade are awesome. Here are 4 reasons to do it homemade and make it a crafty Christmas.
1. Cheap or free.
Yes, that’s right, many amazing handmade Christmas presents can be made from scraps of things lying around your house. I can think of several easy to make, and greatly appreciated gifts made from scraps.
Herbal eye pillows, small patchwork quilts or wall hangings, placemats, tea cozies or baked potato bags are just a few ideas. Cookies, breads or other homemade foods might cost you some but make excellent, cheap Christmas gifts!
Even if you have to purchase supplies or a kit, it’s often still much cheaper than buying the finished product because you can make more than one, reducing costs for each gift. And certain supplies will only need to be purchased one time. (Knitting needles, for example, are a one-time purchase that will help you create many gifts over time!)
2. Custom quality.
Today we have this problem with So.Much.Stuff. But unfortunately a huge portion of it is simply throw away or use one time and you’re done quality. However, when you make handmade Christmas presents you can make it the kind of quality that will be passed down to the next generation!
Obviously you might not be able to make handmade quilts for everyone on your list (or you might, one of my friends did just that one year!) But whoever gets one will treasure it always.
3. Customizable.
This is definitely a perk to crafting. Have a sister who loves blue? Knit her a blue scarf! Have a daughter that wants a Strawberry Shortcake dress? Make her an adorable, modest one! Have a family member who is gluten-free? Make them a tasty treat sans the gluten!
Imagine what a wonderful lifeschooling lesson this can be. Hands-on learning, combined with learning to be thoughtful and pay attention to the likes and needs of others.
4. One of a kind.
Yes, handmade Christmas presents really are one of a kind! They show the recipient you really cared enough to take time for them.
As someone who has made dozens of quilts, I can attest that no two were exactly alike.
Here is a huge part of it. It does really show them that you thought they were special enough to take your limited time and make them something completely designed with them in mind. I think that means so much more than a dollar store trinket that will just collect dust!
Handmade Gift ideas for Christmas
Danielle here. I’m interrupting this guest blog post to interject a few specific handmade Christmas presents ideas for you, along with some personal stories! Having majored in art and always being crafty myself, I’ve gotten to experience a number of these projects.
I’ve put together a list of 25 handmade gift ideas for Christmas, along with a few links to some resources and kits on Amazon. Take some time to look through this list with your kids and decide what projects you want to tackle together!
1. Homemade Candles
Making homemade candles is an economical and easy gift that anyone will appreciate. A few years ago, my husband bought candle-making supplies to do this project with our youngest, and it was a real hit at Christmas. Everyone loved their gifts! Since my husband is chemically-sensitive (and those harsh chemical scents aren’t good for anyone anyway), we used natural essential oils.
2. Knitted Scarves
Who doesn’t need a scarf? And as knitting projects go, this is one of the easiest for new knitters!
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Fun Little Scarves for Everyone to Knit – New England’s Narrow Road
- Cute Scarf Knitting Patterns You Won’t Believe Are Free
3. Personalized Photo Albums
You can include photos, mementos, and handwritten notes to create a truly personalized keepsake. I’ve made handmade books, and this is a great application for that skill.
4. Homemade Soaps
Making soap is a fun handmade Christmas presents project and the result is something anyone can use!
5. Hand-Painted Ornaments
You can customize hand-painted ornaments with names, dates, or meaningful symbols. This was one of our attempted family traditions. Haha! I would paint the year, along with a memorable scene from that year. I think we managed to accomplish this 4 or 5 different years, but those ornaments are special.
6. DIY Bath Bombs
If you have any women in your life (or men…why not?) who enjoy taking baths, this gift can make their relaxing habit even more luxurious and special! I take a bath every night before bed and it is a relaxing way to wind down the day (especially if you add lavendar essential oil to your water or bath bombs). Every homeschool mom should do this, in my opinion!
7. Custom Jewelry
There are many ways to create custom jewelry, from metal stamping to beading. This was a favorite hobby of mine as a teen! I still have many of my supplies and hope to get back to creating eventually. My dad is an artist and creates fine jewelry using gemstones and more advanced techniques.
- Jewelry Making Supplies with Pliers, Wires, Findings, Necklace Chains, Magnifier and Storage Bag – This is a great kit if you already have loose beads, or are able to gather together some from old jewelry laying around. (Think yard sales! Or ask friends and family members for donations, then create something new and surprise them with updated looks!)
8. Embroidered Handkerchiefs
Who doesn’t like personalized items? If handkerchiefs are not something you would use, consider other items like tea towels or baby bibs. Embroidery is an easy and fun hobby that you can teach your kids from a young age. When Elleina was young, she had a business called Stitches by LeineyBug, where she embroidered clothing and other items, and won an entrepreneurship contest with this video about her business!
9. DIY Terrariums
If you have relatives or friends who are known for their “brown thumb” (ahem…like me), a terrarium can be the solution! This low-maintenance gift will bring nature indoors without the risk of them killing it. Haha. Here are some simple guides.
10. Handcrafted Pottery
How special would it be to create a mug, bowl, or platter that is used by your loved one on a daily basis? Some of our favorite items are the mugs my husband made in college when he took a pottery course. (He was a math major, but managed to get an A!) This idea might be a little more involved, but if you or your kids have a serious interest, consider taking a local class. You can also keep it simple with an air-dry clay pottery kit. Here are some resources that will help get you started.
- Beginners Home Pottery Kit for Adults
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Ceramics for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know Before You Start Pottery (video)
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Ceramic Arts Network has tons of tutorials.
11. Homemade Jams and Preserves
I have the best memories of traveling to my grandparents house and eating a snack of fresh-baked bread with homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam before bed! This is a simple gift idea and you can find a lot of guides and recipes online. Here are a couple to get you started.
12. DIY Body Scrubs
Body scrubs are another easy handmade gift idea for Christmas that anyone can enjoy!
13. Handwoven Blankets
Fiber Arts was one of my favorite college courses, and I have wonderful memories of learning to weave on a small loom and creating a beautiful woven belt that still hangs in my closet today. I was excited to find a small knitting loom on Amazon that will weave a full-sized blanket! This is a great project you could work on throughout the year while you sit and watch movies and shows. I like to keep my hands busy!
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The Weaving Loom Blog, offers beginner-friendly guides for small-loom blankets.
- Knitting Loom for Blankets
14. Custom Recipe Books
After my Danish grandmother passed away, I took her most loved recipes and created a recipe book for our family. It was so special and everyone loved it!
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The COMPLETE Guide to Creating Your Own Family Recipe Cookbook
- How To Make a Family Recipe Book – Passing Down Traditions – A simple three-ring binder option.
- The Ultimate Guide to Making a Family Cookbook – This company also offers an affordable printing option! I did a quick quote on five 15-page books and it came to only $8 each!
15. DIY Scented Sachets
These can be a very cheap, yet useful handmade Christmas presents idea. You can even grow the lavender in your garden!
- How to make Lavender Sachets (Free Pattern) – Video – Add your embroidery skills to this fun and simple project!
16. Hand-Painted Mugs
If handmade pottery is too complex, a simple alternative is to use special paints on a plain mug. Check craft or even second-hand stores for mugs…or maybe your own kitchen cabinets!
17. DIY Lip Balms
Lip balm was a constant companion of mine when I was younger and struggled with chapped lips. (I never drank enough water in winter!) But everyone can use a tube of lip balm in their possession. And this is another gift idea that you can make in bulk for many friends and family members all at once.
18. Handcrafted Cutting Boards
This is a harder project and not quite as economical, but it’s very practical, and also a simple way to get into woodworking.
19. DIY Hot Chocolate Kits
This is a simple and cheap handmade Christmas presents idea that you can put together in bulk in an afternoon. Gather your ingredients and a few mason jars and you’re set! If you decide to do handpainted mugs or create them from scratch (ideas 10 and 16), hot chocolate would be a great additional gift to include!
20. Hand-Painted Tote Bags
If you have a talent for painting, this is a fun way to use it! You can pick up bulk packs of tote bags on Amazon (link below).
21. DIY Aromatherapy Candles
Take your candle-making adventures to another level by using essential oils to create aromatherapy candles. To save money, you can clean and reuse glass jars that your spaghetti sauce, jam, and other food items from the grocery store came in.
22. Handcrafted Leather Goods
There are so many things that can be made with leather, or consider personalizing a leather item you find at a thrift store. Here are some resources and tools for getting into this hobby and creating handmade Christmas presents that everyone will love!
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Leatherworking tutorials from Tandyleather.com or YouTube channels like Weaver Leather Supply walk through beginner stitching and dyeing projects.
- Projects in Leather: Techniques, Patterns, and Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Over 20 Projects with Endless Variations – book
23. DIY Herb Gardens
If you or your kids enjoy gardening, this is a gift idea you can work on throughout the year. It’s a great gift for anyone who enjoys cooking, or using medicinal herbs. Plant a variety of herbs, then harvest them and put them into cute little pots! You can find cheap pots at a thrift or craft store, or you can even order in bulk from Amazon.
- Repurpose Silverware into Plant Markers – Add even more of a personal touch with handmade plant markers!
- Small Mini White Gold Clay Pots with Drainage Holes – These are a festive option for clay pots, or you can choose a basic terracotta color.
24. Handwoven Scarves
Knit scarves are nice, but weaving allows you to create intricate and exciting patterns!
25. Custom Pet Portraits
If you enjoy dabbling with paints or sketching with charcoal or pencil, this could be a fun way to use your skills! And let’s be honest, it’s much easier to capture a likeness with an animal than with a human. 😉 The book and video below will give you some good tips!
When it comes to Handmade Christmas Presents, the sky is the limit.
So, exactly what type of craft or handmade Christmas presents should you make for those special people in your life?
Really, when it comes to handmade gift ideas for Christmas, the sky is the limit! Look on Pinterest and find literally thousands of ideas or just go simple and make baked goods for all the extra people on your list and more involved gifts like quilts, handmade clothes, scrapbooks, etc. for the extra special ones.
One of the benefits of life schooling is the ability to nurture our kids talents, and what better way, than creating special gifts for loved ones at Christmas.
Whatever you choose to make, do be sure to put thought, love, and care into it. Your loved ones will treasure it and you’ll have great memories of this Christmas, where you didn’t break the bank, didn’t stress out over shopping and just made a crafty Christmas!
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