Homemade Christmas Gifts People Will Actually Use
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If you’re like me, you’re scouring all your goods that you make from scratch on your homestead to give handmade gifts to friends and family during the holiday season. The older I get, the more purposeful and useful I want my gifts to be and not just some random Chinese made junk that doesn’t last long and maybe the gift receiver doesn’t really need. And maybe it’s not for everyone, but I personally love receiving homemade Christmas gifts! It’s the thoughtfulness behind it and the time someone took to gift something to lil ole me! Whether you’re good at canning homemade foods, gardening, using your sewing machine, baking, or handcrafting homemade soaps and herbal preparations, gifts with a personal touch are a great way to tell your friends and family I LOVE YOU and to spread a little Christmas cheer!
Below I’m going to link some creative ideas to make along with ideas on how to package them. I have lots of ideas from homemade goods, to homemade vanilla extract, to soaps and beyond. Here’s a curated list of simple DIY Christmas gift ideas from my own recipes on my website. Let’s go!
This lovely recipe is for those with a sweet tooth and a love for cheesecake. Yeah, this is rebel canning, but many of my close friends are rebel canners themselves and would appreciate it. If you don’t want to can it, simply refrigerate it and you still have little cheesecakes in a jar to give. It’s a unique gift that comes in a reusable glass jar that will 100% get eaten. Take a mason jar or two and put some pretty Christmas themed fabric scraps or ribbon on the top, tie gift tags around, and gift.
This is a pretty popular one to give away because it’s easy and it’s definitely delicious and usable. I prefer to make my vanilla extract in big jars and then decant it when I’m ready to gift, but you can also use little jars or bottles and add beans to the bottle themselves for a cute touch. Unfortunately though, the vanilla should infuse for 12-18 months before use, so I’d recommend using an existing batch, and if you want a bean in the jar, pull one out of your brew and smash it in there! Label your jars and even gift with a homemade cake or cookie mix and a fancy wooden spoon for a quick dessert for your friend.
I know some might think this is weird, but if someone were to gift me handmade dish soap, I’d be so thankful! Yeah, boring cause ew chores, but anything handmade soap is so fun and exciting. Help those friends swap out their toxic cleaners for something better. Add a couple bars of dish soap with a wooden dish scrubber and a soap dish and you got yourself a gift. These are super cute in a small basket from the thrift store filled with Christmas themed tissue paper. Feel free to scent your dish soap with more wintery essential oils too, like wintergreen, orange, cinnamon, cloves, balsam, and peppermint.
We can’t leave out the dogs! Gift your pup, or your dog loving friend or family member the perfect gift that either they or their dog (or both) can use. This handmade pet shampoo soap bar is ultra soothing to the skin and leaves coats feeling supple and soft. The gift of soft fur and happy skin is a lovely gift!
Ohhhh this lip balm is a fantastic gift. Not only is it super simple recipe to make, but one batch makes A LOT of lip balm. Flavor it with a fun flavoring oil, like peppermint stick, and this simple gift idea will have all your friends asking for more! This is a perfect gift for younger kids and older adults alike! Make a printable label for the tube and gift away.
This whipped tallow skin moisturizer is a great DIY Christmas gift that most everyone will love and use. Tallow is ALL the rage right now and for good reason. This is an easy tutorial that is simply tallow whipped with essential oils. Customize it with your own blends, fill jars, and decorate with a homemade printable tag.
Give the gift of immune support with homemade elderberry syrup. This recipe is a quick and easy one with most of your time being waiting on it to cool. Gift it canned so the receiver can add their own honey or gift it prepared with instructions to refrigerate and enjoy! A thoughtful present to give to any family, especially during cold and flu season to ward off those cooties.
​Homemade jam is NEVER a bad gift. Especially if gifted alongside a homemade loaf of bread. No person is going to be mad at you for that gift. I’d say this is probably my favorite gift to give because I know the bread is good and with homemade jam?! 10/10, no notes. Bag up the bread and tie with a pretty ribbon, place in a gift bag with a jar or two of homemade honey orange jam. Deeeelish.
Soap is ALWAYS a useful gift, because hopefully your friends and family bathe. If they don’t… that’s an issue. But if they do, this 100% lard goat milk soap is a delightful bar to gift. Add Christmas-y essential oils like cedarwood, balsam, orange, and peppermint to make an earthy, winter themed bar that will clean and also nourish the largest organ in our bodies… OUR SKIN.
With a little help from my recipes, you’ll be on your way to useful homemade Christmas gifts that I personally like to give. Â
