Home made gifts can be adorable and they are a great way to be a little more frugal at Christmas.
However, unless you've got oodles of time and you're an experienced crafter the whole notion can become super intimidating.
I'm short on time and still in crafting 101 but there are loads of great ideas out there ... many with easy tutorials ... that can be done in less than an hour by complete beginners.
Hurrah!
This list of 100 really simple home made gifts will give you ideas for the whole family from the children to grandma ...
... but do come back next week when I will have another massive list of ideas just for kids ....
Original source image L'Amour Olivia
Preserves
Making jam & jelly and preserving fruit and vegetables might seem tricky but there are loads of
simple recipes available and you don't have to make huge batches ...
- Really easy jam with small amounts of fruit
- Savoury jams & jellies such as green pepper jelly
- Herb jellies like this rosemary jelly
- Preserved fruit which could be anything from peaches to lemons
- Pickled vegetables - such as onions or garlic
- Preserved roasted vegetables - like red peppers or egg plant
- All that Christmas food shouts out for great chutney
Sweet Stuff
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| Yesterfood |
fabulous present for kids or anyone who doesn't have the time to bake themselves ...
- Mason jars of cookies - gingerbread (my fave recipe) & shortbread are always popular
- Spray paint an old biscuit or container & fill it with mince pies
- Put together a biscuit making kit in a jar
- Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a jar of fudge
- How good does candied orange peel dipped in chocolate sound?
- There are loads of great simple truffles recipes including these gluten free truffles
- Coconut ice
- Nougat with lovely seasonal cranberries
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| Ren Behan |
Drinks
Making your own drinks might seem daunting but it's really just a question of soaking fruits of various
sorts in your alcohol of choice - obviously it's great if you've got fruits stashed away in the freezer but it's not essential ...
sorts in your alcohol of choice - obviously it's great if you've got fruits stashed away in the freezer but it's not essential ...
- Limoncello
- You can infuse vodka with just about anything including pomegranate & vanilla
- Fruit gin - such as damson or sloe
- Fruit rum such as blackberry
- Mulled wine kit
- Christmas tea
- Hot chocolate kit jars
Fabric, Very Simple Sews & Knits
Even if your sewing skills are limited to sewing in straight lines and you can't knit at all, there really are
loads of things you can whip up ... on a borrowed machine if necessary ... in a couple of evenings ...
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| Seasoned Homemaker |
- A card holder in pretty fabric is super easy to sew
- You can make great totes from fabric off-cuts or even tea towels!
- And without much more effort you can make a great purse or handbag
- Fabric covered notebooks
- Fabric flower pins
- Even if you can't knit you can make scarfs & other simple knits with a cheap loom
- Embroidered handkerchiefs - make your own or buy plain ones and embroider on initials
- Cushion covers using this fab tutorial for complete beginners
- Pillow slips are also super easy & pretty cotton can be picked up very cheaply
- Duvet covers can be incredibly expensive The Ruffled Stitch and Neroli Blossoms have not too tricky tutorials on how to make completely gorgeous covers
- A mason jar mending kit in a mason jar or fabric pocket
- Aprons are another super easy sew & can be pretty or personalised with your own humour ;-)
- For any stationary & pen addicts a great pencil case is always a winner
- A beginners craft kit with e.g. ribbons, buttons, thread & printed off patterns
Bath Time & Smellies
Everyone loves to stock up on smellies at Christmas and they are very simple to make in all sorts of different ways ...
- Lavender bags are super simple to sew & just need a little dried lavender - if you haven't got your own, it's easy to buy
- As an alternative rosemary bags smell lovely, calm sleep & see of moths
- Lotion bars
- Body scrubs
- Bath bombs
- Bath salts
- Soaps
- Lip balm
Plants & Garden
Garden gifts are great for avid gardeners and those less green fingered who need a little help ..
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| Garden Therapy |
- Spring bulbs in a pot particularly those more expensive to buy as plants e.g. hyacinths
- A kitchen herb garden planted in mason or jam jars
- Off-cuttings of any great plants in your garden
- Pressed flowers in a frame or bookmarks
- Decorated terracotta pots for bulbs or herbs
- You can make gorgeous wind chimes from all sorts of stuff you've got lying around the house and the garden
- A ladybug house from e.g. bamboo canes - the ladybugs will keep away the black fly
- Beautiful bird feeders can 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
- Gardeners scrub - every gardener needs a good hand scrub
- Mason jar twine dispenser
- Painted can planters
Words & Pictures
- A poem by you about them or a special time you've shared
- A poetry collection compiled by you - you can print out in a good font on nice paper and bind with fabric or paper covered card
- A framed poem - print or write out their favourite poem on good paper & put in a pretty old frame
- Fabulous coasters made from photos and cheap tiles
- Printed book or album of the whole family's year
- Printed book or album of all the grandchildren's year
- A memory lane scrapbook with photos, cuttings, notes etc about time you have shared
- A framed photo family tree
Kitchen
There are lots of easy ways to personalise gifts for foodies and wannabe chefs ...
- Personalised mugs - write your personal message with a sharpie & glaze
- Create beautiful tins by spray painting old biscuit tins etc
- No sew burlap place mats
- Personalise glasses with chalkboard
- Lovely wooden kitchen utensils in a mason jar
- Chopping boards carved from salvaged wood & treated with mineral oil
- Tea towels personalised with kids art
- A box of hand written family recipes
Ornaments
Even if you're not a great crafter it is easy to make super thrifty ornaments that look great ...
- Painted mason jar vases
- Chalk board paint a cheap or old tarnished glass vase
- Soup can & twine vase
- Candles & candle holders
- Mason jar lamps
- A framed birth place map - there are lots of sites where you can print off for personal use detailed maps old and new
- Picture frames made with moulding from DIY shop and decorated by you are a cheap way to give people beautiful picture frames
- A shabby chic vase - paint a cheap glass vase with acrylic paint & sand for shabby chic effect
- Mason jar soap dispensers
- Washi tape chevron box
Jewellery
Simple original jewellery can 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 from old buttons & yarn
- Button hair clips from old buttons & bobby pins
- Gorgeous dangling button earrings
- Pretty button hair bobbles
- Paper & mod podge earrings
- Wire bracelet
- Hemp necklace
- Cool cuffs from old sandals
- Anthropologie style chain earrings
- Pretty painted washer necklaces
- 10 minute perler bead earrings
- Statement necklaces
Toys & Other Gifts for Kids
I will be posting a mega list of gift ideas for kids next week but here are some ideas to start you thinking
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| An Idea on Tuesday |
- Rag doll
- Outdoor chalk board
- Chalk board blocks
- Washi tape letters
- Bean bags
- Noughts & crosses or tic tac toe from painted stones
- Fold-up a frame tent
- Peg dolls painted as super heroes
- Interlocking cardboard castle
Gifts for Him
How hard is it to find great gifts for men? But some of these simple gifts should keep them happy ...
- Map coasters from cork coasters and old maps
- Pencil pot from a log
- Tablet case
- Cuff links from painted nuts & bolts
- BBQ apron
- BBQ rub in a personalised jar
- Frame star maps from key dates in family's life
- A hip flask cover
- Put together your own travel kit wash bag of mini products
- A beer making kit
... and if you're still looking for more inspiration and want to involve your kids in making gifts you'll find loads of great ideas in these books by Martha Stewart and my wonderful fellow Londoner Maggie Woodley ...
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