We're sharing all our best homemade Christmas gifts in this roundup of DIY projects. The only rule is that the projects must be easy to make, able to make multiple gifts at once, and accessible for the kids to help.
If you're looking for gift-giving ideas that you don't have to make, be sure to check out our Christmas homesteading gifts. That's where you'll find all the small and/or family-owned businesses we love to support (and they're all products we use and love!).
This list is different. This is a list of DIY projects where you can gather your supplies, have a gift-making day with your kids, your friends, or just by yourself, and make a lot of heartfelt gifts all at once for not a lot of money.
The idea here is for an enjoyable, stress-free holiday. So don't put too much pressure on yourself. Scroll through the list and pick a few of your favorites...
And be sure to bookmark our Mother's Day gift guide and our Father's Day gift guide to come back to year after year (we keep them updated!)
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Quick Look at This Post
- ✅ Topic: Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide
- ✅ Key Takeaways: This quick reference guide includes our favorite DIY projects for an enjoyable, stress-free holiday.
- ✅ Bonus: Simple gift wrapping suggestions and ideas included!
- ✅ Tips: Check out this episode of Everyday Homesteading on how to enjoy stress-free holidays to help keep commercialization from stealing the true joy of Christmas.
The Gift of Time
The holidays can be a very busy time of year, so what better gift than to give someone the night off from cooking? Make up a large batch of one of my convenience meals and a loaf of my easy 5-minute no-knead artisan bread.
The no-knead bread dough can be doubled or tripled to have enough dough for multiple loaves of bread (each batch makes five good-sized loaves).
| Method | Recipe Link |
| Freezer Meals | Easy meatloaf recipe, pot roast cottage pie recipe, homemade beef and broccoli stir-fry recipe, comforting frozen chicken pot pie (in a jar!), black bean enchiladas recipe, or flavorful chicken masala recipe. |
| Pressure Canning Meals | White bean chicken chili recipe, home-canned beef stew, or easy chicken and gravy recipe. |
| Freeze-Dried Meals | Freeze-Dried Chicken Pot Pie |
Gifts in a Jar
Gifts in a jar are fast, easy, frugal, and can be made in advance. Add a simple bow, and use the flip side of the recipe card as your gift tag.
- Homemade Pancake Mix
- Healthy Granola Recipe
- Instant Breakfast Mix
- How to Make Your Own Tea Blend
- DIY Cobbler Mix in a Jar
- DIY Brownie Mix in a Jar
- DIY Cookie Mix in a Jar
- Freeze Dried Candy
- Freeze Dried Ice Cream
DIY Ingredient Gifts
Know someone who has a love for cooking? Make them a gift basket of quality seasonings to enhance their favorite recipes.
Homemade Cookie Platter
Christmas time is our favorite time for extra baking projects around the homestead. You don't have to bake 30 different cookie recipes, just pick a few of your favorites and place a couple of each kind on a platter (or paper plate), wrap it in parchment paper and secure it with some festive ribbon.
We like to do this for close friends, teachers, or as a hostess gift. Here are some of our favorite cookie/dessert recipes:
Homemade Bath Products
Who doesn't love fancy toiletries? Some festive-scented bath products packaged in a Mason jar or repurposed container make for a great gift and are easy to whip up in large batches.
Other Homemade Gifts
What other homemade gifts can you think of? Here are a few ideas that go beyond toiletries and food!
- Easy DIY Beeswax Wrap - This is a super fun project for the kids. But you may want to supervise as making homemade beeswax wrap can get a little messy!
- Homemade Wreath - With just a simple frame made out of pine branches or grapevines (or an inexpensive wire wreath form) and some cut pine branches and pine cones, you can easily make a beautiful, gift-worthy homemade wreath.
- DIY Christmas Garland - A DIY Christmas garland makes an inexpensive, fun craft with tree branches, ribbons, and twinkle lights.
- Customized Holiday Potpourri - Make stovetop potpourri with the perfect scents for the season.
- Edible Playdough - A long time ago I shared how to make edible playdough for the kids. You can color these up with natural dyes or non-toxic food coloring and your kids will have fun for hours.
- Homemade Bubble Solution - No matter the age, blowing bubbles can provide hours of fun and this super easy DIY bubble solution is the best recipe.
- DIY Firestarters - These DIY firestarters are a simple, natural way to help your wood stove, fireplace, or campfire catch quickly and burn steadily. Arranged in a basket, they also add a pretty display to a mantle.
Wrapping Supplies
Don’t forget your gift wrapping supplies like brown craft paper, this cute red and white “candy cane” cotton twine, rustic brown Jute twine, or brown craft paper gift tags.
I hope you take time this year to relax and enjoy the gift-giving experience. It's all too easy to get wrapped up in the commercialism of the season, but with these heartfelt gifts, you're sure to get into the true spirit of Christmas and pass that spirit along in each gift you give.
