The holidays are right around the corner and all of the procrastinators (like me) are either filling up their amazon carts or digging deep in the pantry for odds & ends we can piece together as gifts for all the people on our list! For the last several years the latter has been my favorite tradition. The kids and I discuss what handmade creations we should put together for our friends and family and then we spend the days leading up to Christmas working away on their projects of choice. I love watching them put so much love & attention into their handwork, it truly is a priceless gift. It teaches them that the sweetest presents we give in life are not bought but thoughtfully crafted from our hearts. The gift of light, of food, of presence, of self-care. Useful things made purposefully with the recipients in mind.
This year we’re putting together gift baskets full of handmade treasures and I thought that I would share 10 handmade gifts to give this holiday season with you! Most of them can be made with ingredients you probably already have on hand and a lot of them are kid friendly so they can be involved in the magic of handmade gift giving this holiday season.
Make & Craft
Here are our top 10 handmade gifts to give this holiday season:
10. rolled beeswax candles- I love giving handmade candles this time of year! They are simple to make with kids of all ages and because they are beeswax, they give all the cozy without all of the chemicals that traditional candles are filled with. Rolling candles is a simple activity we enjoy all winter long in our home and one that keeps little hands busy for hours! Need a quick candle rolling tutorial? I love this one from Reading My Tea Leaves!
You can find beeswax sheets and wicks here.
9. dipped beeswax candles- Want something a little more involved for your older children to work on? Dipped beeswax candles are where it’s at! I love the rustic look of candles dipped by hand and the process is actually fairly simple and requires just a bit of adult supervision! There is a really great tutorial that just went up on Woodlark that will give you all the steps!
I like to purchase beeswax in bulk from here.
8. knit & crochet wash cloths- If you know how to knit or crochet, put those skills to good use this holiday season, sister! I love making simple projects that I know people will love and get use of through out the year so things like pot holders and wash cloths are my go-to. This year I knit and crocheted a few different patterns and styles so I could gift them as a pack and they turned out so cute! Need an easy pattern to work up?
Try this one if you’re a knitter & this one if crochet is your thing!
7. diy room sprays – This is a gift that is perfect for every season of giving! You can choose scents that you know your friends will love or create new, custom seasonal smells that they can enjoy through out their homes. We use room sprays to freshen up the bathrooms, create a relaxing environment at bed time, and to make the whole house smell like a chai latte so really, the possibilities are endless! I love giving the gift of natural, clean products to my friends and family- bonus points for being so easy to put together! You can find my blog post on them here!
6. felted wool dryer balls- This is one of my favorite projects because its simple, reduces waste, and is such a better, more natural option to toxic dryer sheets! I usually pair them with a bottle of lavender essential oil so that the recipient can have dreamy smelling laundry with just a few drops! Dryer balls are a game changer for your laundry routine, you wont be sorry you whipped up this gift! You can find the tutorial on Free People’s blog.
5. natural perfume- Like room sprays, making your own perfume blends to gift to family and friends is a fun way of creating something custom for every person on your list! Citrus notes for your cousin, floral for your momma, and something spicy & sweet for your sister-in-law! I love getting beautiful perfume bottles from Wood & Oils and filling them with lavender buds and dried rose petals before adding the perfume blend for a beautiful little touch.
You can find recipes for roll on and solid perfume here.
4. body buttah- This diy gift is a staple on our list each year because the ingredients are simple and everyone could use a bit of pampering, am I right? Again, you can get really creative about what oils you choose and how you package them up which is always fun! Lisa from Farmhouse On Boone has a really great recipe on her blog and she even provides cute little printable labels for you to use! Click here to grab the recipe!
3. bath tea- I started giving this as gifts years ago now and even wrote a blog post on it way back when. It’s simple, nourishing for the skin, and our kids love scooping and mixing the ingredients into each satchel. I always love mixing citrus peel and oats in ours for a soothing but energizing affect! You can find a how-to here!
2. infused olive oils- This has been one of my favorite gifts to put together this year because it’s so simple, beautiful, and useful in the kitchen. I had an abundance of herbs left in my garden and this little diy is putting them to good use! I even added some of my vitality essential oils into a few and they turned out splendidly! You can find a how-to here!
1. homemade jams- I am a huge fan of giving food as gifts! Sour dough starters, homemade cookies, bread, & jam are usually my go-to’s. This year jam is on the list and the kitchen has been filled with the smell of cranberries and oranges all week long! This recipe is perfect for the holidays, so festive. Need some cute labels to top off your homemade jam? You can find some cute free printables here!
I hope these 10 handmade gifts to give this holiday season gave you some practical ideas for gift giving this year and that I inspire you to make things just a little more home made during this holiday season!
Do you have a favorite handmade gift?
Leave it in the comments below! I would love to hear from you!
Try one of these diy options? Tag me on social media and let me know! I would love to see all of your handmade creations!
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