These diy frugal Christmas gift ideas will help you save money during the most expensive time of the year. By making diy gifts, you can give someone something meaningful and useful that won’t just sit on a shelf for the rest of the year!
Why make homemade Christmas gifts?
I personally enjoy handmade gifts so much more than store bought. Now that I have kids, I want to be sure that I am teaching them the real reason we celebrate Christmas and that Christ is a the forefront. It’s not about what you can get or what commercialism says Christmas should be.
Making gifts for your loved ones can save you a lot of money! We are on a very tight budget this year so we will be giving gifts in the form of things like homemade jams and jellies, dried herbs and things that I can sew with my beginner skills. There are so many more ideas though if you don’t have a garden or you aren’t crafty.
1. Something Useful
Giving a gift that will get a lot of use is always a good way to go. If it makes someone’s life easier, you can bet that they will like it. But instead of some store bought gadget, there are lot’s of things you can make for someone. Here are a few ideas:
- Aprons from Back Road Bloom
- DIY Beeswax Candles
- Saved heirloom seeds from your garden
- Herb & veggie labels for the garden
- Bread Board or Cutting Board
- Wooden tic tac toe game from Teach Beside Me
- Wine shelf from an old pallet
- Coffee mug display from an old pallet
2. DIY Food Gifts
Who doesn’t like getting something delicious to eat? If you’re a wiz in the kitchen or you have a glut of home preserved food in your pantry, maybe food gifts are the way to go. Here are some ideas for homemade food items that you can make yourself:
- Pumpkin or Banana Bread
- Cinnamon rolls
- Jams & Jellies
- Pickles
- Soup in a jar
- Cake/cookies in a jar
- Dried homegrown tea leaves (mint, hibiscus, lemon balm, lavender, etc.)
- Homemade vanilla from Farmhouse on Boone
- Homemade candy
- Herb infused olive oil from Novice Housewife
- Seasoning and spice mixes
- Homemade caramel sauce
- If you’ve recently had animals butchered, giving a ham, steaks, whole chicken, etc. are excellent gift ideas, especially when groceries are so expensive!
3. Gifts for Kids
While we still buy some gifts for our kids (we go small because we know grandparents will go big), I like to give them some handmade gifts because I think at some point they will learn the value of it.
It also encourages them to make handmade gifts for people too. If they see momma and daddy giving handmade gifts, then they know theirs means something special too. I plan on doing this every year for them not only for budgetary reasons, but I think it shows a lot more love than just a bunch of store bought toys.
- Bedroom play tent by Momma Society
- Apron with mini utensils (as seen above, made with VERY beginner sewing skills)
- Wooden blocks
- Pillow and blanket for dolls or stuffed animals
4. Gifts from Kids
Kids love to give gifts too! When I was a kid, my mom would take us to the Dollar Tree and we would pick out gifts for grandparents and siblings. While I still think this would be fun, who better to enjoy handmade gifts from kids than the grandparents?
- Salt dough ornaments
- Family picture
- Art work
- Something they helped cook/bake
5. Bath & Body Gifts
Homemade bath and body gifts will really be appreciated by those who don’t like all the yucky ingredients in store bought bath and body products. But still, anyone who just needs a nice break and tlc will love them as well!
- DIY Whipped Tallow Balm
- Bath Salts
- Sugar Scrubs
- Bubble bath
6. Sentimental Gifts
Sentimental gifts can vary widely. Be creative and really think about what it is your loved ones would be moved by, or just get a kick out of. One year, I gave my grandparents personlized coffee mugs each with a favorite quote by them. My papaw’s was “All the grumblers died in the wilderness”. It was something all of his grandchildren heard a lot growing up whenever we started complaining. While the writing on the mugs didn’t last very long, he very much appreciated it and we all got a kick out of it.
- Again, a family photo
- A calendar with everyone’s birthdays/anniversaries written in them
- Coupons for a date night, pass on chores, etc. based on who you are giving it to.
- Although this is a food gift, it can still be sentimental: Someone’s favorite dish homemade with love
- A well known quote said by a loved one printed on a cutting board, coffee mug, etc.
- A cutting board with a hand written family recipe printed on it.
The coffee mug I have linked above is for my step dad’s etsy shop. I don’t receive any commission, I just think he has some cool stuff for sale!
While Christmas shouldn’t be about the gifts, it is still so much fun to give. By making your own diy Christmas gifts, you can stay within your budget and still give your loved ones something meaningful. Hopefully this list of diy frugal Christmas gift ideas helps you in preparing for the holidays.
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