Inexpensive DIY Christmas Gift Ideas
DIY Christmas gift ideas – inexpensive, heartfelt, and homemade
At SavingsAngel.com we believe in living abundantly in every area of our lives. During the Christmas gift-giving season, abundance can become narrowed in scope to simply the quantity of gifts, rather than the quality of the meaning behind them.
Let us help you live more abundantly in meaning, while also saving you money, with these inexpensive, heartfelt, and homemade DIY Christmas gift ideas. While you won’t be hand-creating every aspect of each gift, there is a personalization and warmth to every one. Plus, all are perfect for children to help create, giving them the opportunity to put their love and special touch on a gift to give just from them.
DIY Jar gifts
Money (or gift card) – Let’s face it, sometimes money or a gift card is really all you can come up with for someone. Take this gift to a more personal level by making a money jar. Place the money or gift card into a protected space within the jar by using a cut cardboard tube or plastic baggie. Surround the main gift with favorite candies of the receiver, such as Skittles.
Salt or sugar scrubs – The beauty of these gifts are the simplicity, purity of ingredients and the versatility of scents. Perfect for someone who has sensitivities to commercially made products. All you need are coarse salt or granulated sugar, olive or coconut oil, and an essential oil of choice, such as peppermint or lavender. If you already have them, you can also use pure extracts, like vanilla. (Note: If using extracts, use more – about 1 tablespoon; if using essential oils, use less – about 6 drops.) To create, combine 1/2 cup oil, 1-1.5 cups salt or sugar and the appropriate amount of essential oil or extract. Mix well and place in the jar.
Sewing kit – Perfect for someone who has just gotten married or moved out on their own. Fill a jar with the most commonly used sewing notions. Items such as white thread, black thread, some buttons, and needles. Include a homemade pincushion (you can even attach it to the top of the jar).
Savings tip for jar gifts: Save on the cost of buying jars by repurposing empty grocery jars or bottles. For gifts that are going to be consumed anyway, mayonnaise jars or jelly jars do nicely. Remove all labels and decorate the lids by gluing on scrap pieces of fabric, a paper doily, or even just nice Christmas wrapping paper. For glass jars, you can add a pretty piece of fabric or a paper doily on the lid, secured with the lid ring. For all jar gifts, add some ribbon or twine and a nice tag.
DIY Ornament gifts
Dip mix ornaments – Dip mixes such as ranch, dill, and zesty Italian can be made using ingredients you probably already have on hand. The receiver simply blends the dip mix with sour cream and/or mayonnaise to use. Look online for dip mix recipes. Don’t forget to attach a tag explaining how blend the dip.
Memories ornaments – Use portions of a child’s drawing, photographs, ticket stubs, event programs, invitations, trinkets, beads, tassels… pretty much anything you can fit into the ornament. This idea is especially perfect for encapsulating the memories of significant events such as births, weddings, baby’s first year, graduations, and honoring a loved one. Carefully insert items, using other elements to help keep them in place. Suggestions for stabilizing elements are clean play sand, confetti, beads, tiny marbles, or pieces of material, like snippets of an outgrown favorite outfit or a special hair bow. If what you want to use is on thin or flimsy paper, strengthen it by gluing to stiffer card stock paper first.
Tips for ornament gifts: You can purchase clear glass or plastic ornaments in various shapes and sizes at most hobby and craft stores. One box of ornaments can easily be used to make multiple ornament gifts of different styles. Add a ribbon or bow to each and place snugly in a gift box for giving.
What are some inexpensive Christmas gift ideas?
Making large batches of things is always a good start. Some years we make large batches of various Christmas cookies. Other years we make large batches of specialty salsas and put them in jars with ribbons. If you know how to make jellies or fruit butters, they are also nice. Even if you do not know how, the library is full of books that have recipes and explain the processes.