When you're making homemade and DIY Christmas gifts for your friends and family, it's never too soon to start. In fact, Summer is a great time to craft away the hot days while you're dreaming of Christmas.
Here are my favorite handmade Christmas gifts to start as soon as possible!
(Don't worry, all those gifts weren't just for the three of us! Those are for all the cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents and more!)
Whether you like to knit, cross stitch, give a food item, or even do some woodworking, these are a few of my go-to DIY Christmas gift ideas for everyone in your life!
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Handmade Christmas gifts are a wonderful way to show you care. Plus, they can save you a ton of money!
And yes, they can be a little time consuming to make, but if you plan ahead, you will have more than enough time to make a special and unique gift for everyone on your list.
Sometimes I need a last minute handmade gift that only takes up 15 minutes or less to craft, but generally I try to plan a little further in advance than that!
So, let's take a look at some of these amazing handmade Christmas gift ideas!
DIY Christmas Gifts to Start Today
When I was growing up, my dad would always talk about "good, fast, cheap" when choosing a project or project. "You have to pick two", he would say.
It can either be good and fast, but it won't be cheap - or good and cheap, but it won't be fast - and of course, cheap and fast are hardly ever of good quality!
With this list you get good and cheap, but not fast. And that's ok! Because if you start now, you will have plenty of time to create amazing gifts for very little money!
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Let's start out with something CRAZY easy, that only requires about 2 minutes of effort: Homemade Vanilla Extract
This is an amazing simple, yet delicious gift that doesn't need a lot of time spent crafting - but it DOES need a good chunk of curing time.
It makes a great gift for co-workers, neighbors, cousins, or even close family members who love to cook.
While I like to recommend a minimum of 6 months curing time, you can get away with as little as 2 months in a pinch.
I have heard of people making vanilla extract in an Instant Pot, but I haven't tried it myself, so I'm not sure how it turns out or if it's shelf stable. But it might work if you need to whip something up last minute!
Easy Cable Knit Scarf
I love homemade knitted gifts, they are comfy, cozy, and just so much fun to make!
If you're new to knitting, this easy cable knit scarf pattern is a great option for you.
You can make this scarf in just a few hours, or over a few evenings while watching Netflix!
The cable pattern is perfect for men or women, and has a lovely texture no matter what color you choose. I generally make several of these scarves each year!
It's even good to keep a few in the closet for last minute gifts in a pinch!
Get the free cable knit scarf pattern here!
DIY Woodworking Gifts
If you have scrap wood around your place, or you just want to give something sturdy and lasting, a woodworking project is a great way to go!
Depending on who the gift is for, you can make a set of wooden blocks for kids, or a glue gun stand for mom.
If you have a wood lathe, you can even turn pens, wine bottle toppers, and more!
Check out this list of scrap wood projects to pick the perfect DIY Christmas gift for your list!
DIY Christmas Ornaments
Last year I made these sweet little Christmas deer ornaments for every woman in my family, so each household could have the same ornament on their tree.
These only cost about $3 to make, and took about an hour a piece. Easy, adorable, and handmade!
If you've never cross stitched before, that's ok! This is a very simple pattern and would be great to start out with, especially since it only requires 3 colors.
Get the Christmas deer cross stitch pattern here, which includes finishing instructions for turning it into an ornament!
Home Canned Items
You may have a large list of people for whom you are wanting a DIY Christmas gift.
When I find myself in this situation (and I don't want to or can't give vanilla extract) I like to give a small jar of my favorite jams or jellies.
You can also give cherry or apple pie filling that you've canned and let people make it for their Christmas celebrations!
Just use some twine and a pretty tag on each jar and you have an unforgettable DIY Christmas gift!!
Here's a big list of water bath canning ideas that you can make without any special equipment!
DIY Knitted Sweater
You might think that knitting a whole sweater might be beyond your talent or patience.
But what if I told you that this sweater only takes about 8 hours to knit?!
Yep! If you're making a sweater for the kids in your life, this is an 8-hour sweater for up to size Youth Medium.
If you're knitting for larger kids, or adults, it does take a bit longer, but it's manageable if you start now!
This easy, no sewing required knitting pattern comes with 14 sizes (Toddler 2-5, Youth XS - XL, and Adult XS - XXXL) and is completely knitted in the round, so you never have to purl (except for the ribbing on the collar and cuffs).
Get your copy of this easy knitted sweater pattern here!
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Really though, DIY Christmas gifts can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. Some require great skill; others are as simple as pouring vodka in a bottle!
If you’re just getting started with the idea of a handmade Christmas, it can be a little daunting to know where to begin.
Hopefully these ideas have given you a good jumping off point. Have other ideas? Let me know in the comments!
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Nancy L says
If you have an Instant Pot, the vanilla extract could be done in 30 minutes or so. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on my to-do list.
Victoria says
I’ve heard that too! I don’t have an IP though… I have heard that the taste is not the same and the vanilla beans can’t be used again, since you cooked them during the process. I’d love to know how it goes if you try it!
We’ve been doing homemade vanilla for about 20 years now and it’s so dang easy. We love it! :-)