Giving gifts can be so rewarding and special, but the holiday season tends to be quite wasteful and costly. Plus, if you’re like me, you have people in your life who are hard to shop for or already buy everything they want. So, what’s someone who doesn’t want to overconsume, overspend, or over-gift supposed to do? Make some homemade gifts of course!
Giving a homemade gift is a perfect way to get the people in your life something special to keep or consume without all of the headaches that come with holiday gifting. Going this route does require more thought, but don’t the people you’re gifting deserve the extra effort?
These homemade gifts will save you money and reduce unnecessary waste while still being able to show the ones you love that you appreciate them. The possibilities are endless when gifting something homemade, but I hope this can inspire you to be more intentional with your gift-giving. With that being said, let’s get into it!
Infused sugar or salt
If you add aromatics to salt or sugar and let them sit the flavor will deepen and create infused salt or sugar! This idea is so economical yet so nice to receive, especially if you have someone in your life who likes to cook. They’re super easy to make, versatile, and aesthetic – all the makings for great homemade gifts! Package in an airtight container and adorn with twine and a label and you’re good to go.
To make infused sugar, start with the sugar of your choice then place whatever aromatic into it. To make infused salt, I suggest using a chunky salt instead of a finely ground salt and then you follow the same steps you would to make the infused sugar. Let the salt or sugar sit for at least a week after adding your aromatics to allow the flavor to seep into it.
As a rule of thumb, for every ¼ c of salt or sugar use 1 tsp of your aromatic of choice. If you want a stronger flavor just add more of your aromatic! If you use dried aromatics your salt or sugar should keep for quite a long time, but if you use something with some moisture like citrus peels, be mindful that you may get some clumping and that will keep fresh for less time. Either way, these gifts will last well over a couple of months.
This year I’ve made some chili salt with some homegrown dried chili peppers and cinnamon sugar. The possibilities are near endless with this though, you can use whatever herbs, edible flowers, or spices to make infused salt or sugar. They’re great for avocado toast, baking, making cocktails, coffee, and more!
Baked goods
Baked goods are classic homemade gifts and for a good reason too. The possibilities are almost endless here! Plus, food is one of the most sustainable gifts you can give because you consume it! Gifting baked goods also gives you a lot of freedom, you’re able to customize this idea to the tastes of the people you’re gifting. But even if you’re unsure of the person’s preferences, I don’t think I know anyone who wouldn’t appreciate something home-baked.
A Christmas classic is cookies, which is also a great idea if you have a lot of people to gift since you can easily make a lot of servings. I’ve also gifted pies, loaves of bread, scones, and even doughnuts. If you aren’t the best baker you can always go to a local bakery and pick some stuff up because it gets the same idea across while still being less wasteful than a non-edible gift.
To package, I love thrifting cookie tins or jars. There are so many options just waiting to be thrifted for super cheap! Bonus points if the packaging you use isn’t holiday-specific because most people tend to toss those after the season. Cloth bags or using cloth as wrapping (like Japanese furoshiki) works well and is super cute too. You can also buy compostable paper bags or parchment paper to use as wrapping if you’d rather go the non-reusable route but still be more eco-friendly.
Spa kit
As a girlie who loves self-care and wellness products, I love gifting and receiving little spa kits. I’ve done different iterations of this idea several times throughout the years simply because of how perfect of a gift it is. You could change the focus and do a self-care or pamper kit, but the idea remains the same.
You can get creative with this and easily make things like bath salts, dried flowers, oil blends, or body and lip scrubs for a luxurious at-home spa experience. If you’re especially crafty you could even make beeswax candles, bath bombs, or soaps to include too.
To elevate this idea, thrift a cute basket and add in reusable cotton rounds, chocolate, a book or journal, loofah, or konjac sponge so the person you’re gifting has all the tools for a low impact at-home spa experience. This year I plan to make a spa kit for a friend of mine, so I thrifted a jar to put a homemade body scrub in and am going to include a face mask I know she loves and some homemade truffles.
Jams, syrups, extracts, or sauces
I love this gift idea because it just feels rustic and wholesome. Plus, not many people make jams, syrups, or sauces for themselves which makes it a great thing to gift. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of recipe videos for cheong, which is a Korean fruit syrup, and I’m so excited to give it a try this year. I’m planning on making a lemon cheong because you can add it to tea making it perfect for the winter season.
In general, both jam and cheong are super simple to make but have a good shelf life and can suit anyone. Not into sweets though? Make some homemade pickles! You can still use an upcycled jar and make something delicious. For the sandwich lover, some classic dill pickles. For the spice lover, some pickled peppers or homemade hot sauce.
Syrups or extracts are also amazing affordable gifts you can make. The standard is vanilla extract because it’s so easy, but these can also be customized depending on the tastes of the person you’re gifting. Recipes are easy to find and ingredients tend to be very accessible.
Thrift some jars or bottles (don’t forget to sterilize them!) and customize the fruit, vegetables, or aromatics you use to suit who you’re gifting and you’re set! Jams, syrups, extracts, or sauces are amazing homemade gifts on their own but also pair well with other things. For example, you can include some tea, condiments, homemade or artisanal crackers, thrift a mug, or bake some bread to go with as a bonus. The possibilities are endless.
Candy
Similar to the baked goods idea, candy is always a great gift to give. It may seem intimidating to make candy, but it doesn’t have to be! Homemade candy is perfect for anyone on your list but is also a great idea for white elephant gifts or gifting people you don’t know super well because it’s so ubiquitous.
Things like truffles, chocolate bark, fudge, peanut butter cups, and candied nuts are simple to make yet impressive nonetheless. This year I plan to make my grandparents some homemade candy because, not only do they love sweets, but my grandma loves fudge during the holidays yet she doesn’t like to make it for herself anymore. So, I’m going to make it for her!
Just like with my previous suggestions, thrift containers or jars to store the candy in to make sure it doesn’t get smooshed or melted. These compostable mini baking cups are also great for preventing chocolates from moving around in boxes. If you aren’t planning to ship it, you can DIY or buy small cloth drawstring bags to package your homemade treats too.
DIY toys
You may be thinking, “How can I possibly make toys at home?” and I gotta say there are some pretty easy options! Not only can this idea be low cost, but it’s low waste since you’re not buying plastic toys or toys that come in plastic packaging.
Furthermore, homemade toys are a great way to keep play fresh without overburdening your wallet. On top of that, you’ll be giving the kiddos in your life something extra special because you made it specifically for them! Either way, handmade toys are customizable, can foster imagination, and make for memorable gifts.
Last year I made some felt animal toys for my nieces using a pattern I found and they turned out so cute! That was perfect for me because I’m trying to improve my sewing skills. But if you don’t want to sew, crocheting stuffed animals is an equally adorable idea and you can even buy kits to help you if you’re intimidated by doing it from scratch. Other ideas are upcycled sock toys, DIY puzzles, playdough, or even cardboard toys!
Friendship bracelets
Another idea that is great for either kiddos or your friends is DIY friendship bracelets. These are super easy and affordable homemade gifts to make and you can customize it towards either your skill level or color preferences for the person you’re gifting.
I use tutorials for making string friendship bracelets I find on YouTube and once you get the hang of it it takes no time at all. Just make sure to measure the size you’ll need to make the bracelet carefully! Gift this idea with a cute picture of you and the person you’re gifting or a thoughtful card for a simple yet thoughtful gift.
Homemade gifts are a great way to express your creativity in a meaningful present, but this is just one way to make gift-giving sustainable. If you don’t have confidence in your DIY skills, you can still give plenty of eco-conscious gifts. Things like experience-based gifts, gifts from local or sustainability-focused stores, second-hand gifts, or store-bought consumable gifts.
The bottom line is there are plenty of ways we can give gifts while keeping sustainability (and our wallets!) in mind so whatever route you choose I hope these ideas inspire you to get creative and lower the amount of waste created during the holiday season!