Homemade gifts don’t have to look inferior to store bought! Find your next DIY Christmas project here.
As Christmas approaches, I’m always thinking about homemade gifts.
Little by little, we’ve gotten farther away from purchasing gifts with our extended families.
They pretty much expect something DIY from our household at this point! I love that we can give things that are personal, useful and usually healthy (whether food or bath & body products).
There’s so much waste & overconsumption that happens around Christmas…I guess DIY gifts are my meager effort at pushing back against that reality.
If you’re looking to give beautiful, healthy homemade gifts too, this list might help get the creative juices flowing!
The great thing about these projects is that many of them use similar materials, so you could easily make more than one of them at a time.
Lotion Bars
These DIY lotion bars have cinnamon and essential oils that can actually help warm hands on those cold days!
Beeswax Wraps
Your crunchy friends will love these more sustainable options to food wraps.
Beeswax wraps are so easy to make and use. And, you can choose pretty fabrics to really customize them.
Simmer Pot Gift Bag
Help your friends & family ditch artificial fragrance!
You can make & assemble these cozy dried simmer pot gifts over just a few days. Then attach the included printable tags with instructions for how to enjoy them.
Chamomile Soap
These chamomile-infused soaps are so bright and cheery and look lovely beside the sink.
Beeswax Candles
These are truly a beginner-level project that makes a fantastic gift.
You can customize them so many ways, from the basic beeswax candle to lavender-infused candles or other (natural) scents.
Lip Balm
I especially enjoy making lip balm with holistic ingredients that benefit your lips.
Lip balm infused with lemon balm can actually help heal cold sores and feels so soothing.
Body Butter
Whipped body butter feels luxurious and looks so pretty in a nice ceramic or lidded glass container.
Tallow Lotion Stick
This is one of my favorite DIY products to date.
With Tallow Push-up Lotion Sticks, you get all the moisturizing benefits of tallow, in a convenient stick you can take anywhere.
Loofah Soap
I love how unique these loofah soap bars are: It’s a soap with an exfoliator all in one.
It’s also a great way to make use of extra dried loofah you might have from your summer harvest.
Calendula Soap
Another great soap to make are glycerin-based soaps like these calendula soap bars.
Calendula is easy to grow and dry, and has medicinal properties as a bonus.
Yeast Breads
Based on the loaves I’ve sold and given away through the years- I can verify that bread is a really popular homemade gift.
You have so many options when it comes to gifting bread: Fresh-Milled loaves, Basic White Sandwich Bread, or Artisan Loaves (fresh milled or white flour version.)
If you’re a sourdough baker, of course that is another great option!
Canned Broth or Stock
I’m seeing broth labeled as gifts everywhere in farm and novelty stores lately.
Homemade broth has such great benefits for boosting your immune system and it tastes so much better than the grocery store version.
Pair it with some dried noodles and seasonings for a comforting savory gift basket.
Healthy Ramen Jars
Along with homemade broth- you could assemble these Healthier Mason Jar Ramen Soup mixes as a get-well or holiday gift offering.
Soup mixes make a fast & easy lunch right from the pantry. (These are assembled with seasonings and broth powder, but homemade broth can also be swapped for the water.)
Propagated Plants
Here’s a homemade gift idea for plant lovers that could be inexpensive to make, or even free.
Find those mugs that you need to declutter and make them into a lovely housewarming or Christmas gift that also cleans the air!
Read next: Best Practical Gifts for Homesteaders
