We all want to give Christmas gifts that dazzle the recipient while keeping our costs low. Sometimes, making a homemade gift can save you a bundle. Other times, homemade gifts can sink your budget and cost you sweet time. These D.I.Y. ideas are simple, affordable, and useful. Plus, keep reading to realize when you should D.I.Don’t.
Holiday Emergency Kit
Not all of us have the crafty gene. But that doesn’t mean you can’t put together a thoughtful gift basket with items you may already have at home. Consider making a Holiday Emergency Kit to gift early in the season. You could include all sorts of items, but think about the last minute things people hurry and scurry for on Christmas Eve.
- Tape
- Bows
- Gift Tags (Print your own at home!)
- Paper plates/napkins
- Coffee or Hot Cocoa
- A gift card for takeout
- Batteries
- Christmas Cards
Christmas Morning Pancake Mix
Everyone loves a yummy Christmas morning breakfast! Make the experience easier for someone you love. Pre-assemble special Christmas morning pancake mix in a mason jar. I love this simple recipe from The Pinning Mama. It even has a printable label and instructions to attach to your jar. You could add a bottle of syrup and/or green and red sprinkles to make the mix extra fun.
Baked Goods
Your favorite Christmas goodie recipe provides joy and deliciousness for your friends and neighbors. Whether you choose to whip things up completely from scratch or purchase pre-made dough (I LOVE GFS Sugar Cookies and Costco Chocolate Chip Cookies), the amount of time you spend is up to you. Obviously, you’ll always save money by cooking completely from scratch but sometimes it’s better to save a bit of trouble and mess. Place them on a cute plate reusable plate, too. It’s a double gift!
Homemade Cleaners
I LOVE making my own cleaners. The holiday season can be a fun time to share your favorite homemade cleaner recipe and give it to a friend or family member. Be sure to include instructions on use and the original recipe, too. Here are some homemade cleaner recipes on my site:
- 5 Quick & Easy D.I.Y. Household Cleaners (includes laundry detergent)
- Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe
- 5 Quick, Easy, & Cheap Cleaning Hacks
Hand lettered Mugs
This gift requires a bit more skill. I outsourced this project to my oldest daughter who has amazing hand lettering gifts. Buy plain mugs at thrift stores or craft stores. Clean them thoroughly with rubbing alcohol. Then using a Sharpie paint pen, create an original design. Allow the mug to dry for an hour or even overnight. Then bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. These mugs should still be washed by hand instead of in the dishwasher. But your original design will remain permanent.
Add some coffee or hot cocoa to the mug to make it extra special!
How to Know When To Say “No” to D.I.Y.
- The ingredients cost more than a real gift. Keep it real friends. If you could purchase an equivalent gift while spending less, it’s probably a better idea to go a different direction.
- You won’t have time to actually make the present. The holiday season is crazy busy for us all. If it’s going to take more time to make the gift than you can handle, say no. You want to enjoy the process, not end up biting everyone’s head off because you’re stressed.
- You don’t have the skill set to create the item. You’re not going to learn to knit, sew, crochet, bake, or weld overnight. If you’ve never made the gift before, take a hard pass. It’s not a good idea.
What amazing D.I.Y. ideas do you have for Christmas gifts? Leave them in the comments!
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[…] While we typically associate homemade Christmas gifts with baked goods and hand crafted items, take another angle this year. Consider making a practical item like homemade laundry detergent or a multipurpose cleaner. Buy a durable container and be sure to include instructions for use with each item. Your special someone will think of you each time they tackle a less than pleasant task. Don’t miss last week’s post 5 Amazing D.I.Y. Christmas Gift Ideas. […]