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Summary

12 Easy Christmas Gifts To Make At Home & These Thoughtful Ideas Fit Any Budget (VIDEOS)

So many fun Christmas projects!

A woman cutting ribbon to wrap a Christmas gift with.

A person wrapping a Christmas present.

Senior Writer

Christmas shopping can get expensive, so why not try making some of your gifts at home this year?

DIY Christmas gifts may seem intimidating at first, but you can easily make some cute presents right at home and save a lot of money while you're at it.

I plan on making some presents this year and to get inspired I started scrolling through TikTok to see what I could make that would be unique, thoughtful and useful for the person I plan on giving it to.

Here are 12 of the best DIY Christmas present ideas I found.

Candles

@fromhaustohome

‘Tis the season for homemade candles #candlemaking #slowliving #homemadegiftidea #thriftedchristmas

Candles make your home smell wonderful and they're also a nice piece of decor. They can also make a great gift for someone on your list.

There are plenty of step-by-step videos on TikTok of how to make candles, including how to infuse them with essential oils and add pretty flowers on top.

If you want to simplify the process even further you could buy a candle-making kit on Amazon rather than going out and buying all the items yourself.

Bath Salts

@gracelynnhewitt99

the little jars are soooo cute 🥹🤎 #bathsoaks #bathsoaksalts #bathtime #aestheticbathroom #bathroomdecor #diybathsoak #diybathbomb #diysaltscrub #fallaesthetic #asmrtiktoks #asmrsounds #asmr #asmrvideo

Who doesn't love a hot bath in the winter?

Nice-smelling bath salts are the perfect addition when you need some self-care time and they're pretty easy to make.

TikToker @gracelynnhewitt99 uses pure Epsom salts, pink Himalayan salt, baking soda, dried flowers, and coconut oil. You'll also need cute little jars to put the mixture in.

Natural Soap Bars

@miyaevarenae

in my DIY era 🫶🏼🫧✨🧼 #diy #diysoap #diysoapbars #soapmaking #allnaturalsoap #asmrsounds #asmrtiktok #cozyvibes #selfcare

Natural soap bars are another great DIY gift that you can make right at home.

All you'll need is a natural soap base, dried flowers, and essential oils.

You can also have fun with the design of the soap based on the silicone molds you choose.

Photo Albums/Scrapbooks

@ayazhvoyazh

Memories 📸 #diy #photography #scrapbook #photoalbum #artistsoftiktok #фотоальбом #фотографии

It doesn't get more personal than a scrapbook or photo album.

If you don't know what to get your best friend, sibling, parent or partner, consider filling a scrapbook with all your favourite photos you have with them.

Personalize it a step further by writing notes and stories beside the photos so they can relive those special moments.

Cocktail Rim Salts

@carolineharrington__

Feels fancy but SO easy. Recipes for Cocktail Rim Salts below🍹 Paloma rim salt - 1 part grapefruit zest 2 parts sugar 1 part salt Dehydrate in oven until dry Margarita rim salt - 1 part lime zest 1 part tajin 1 part salt Sugar to taste Cayenne pepper to taste Dehydrate in oven until dry Bloody Mary rim salt - Smoked sea salt 2 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp celery seed Garlic powder to taste #merrychristmas #cocktails30sec #giftideas #christmascountdown #saltbae

It can be fun to create unique or traditional cocktails over the holidays (with or without alcohol) and rim salts can take them up a notch.

In a video, TikToker @carolineharrington makes rim salts for Palomas, Margaritas and Bloody Marys and then bundles them up together nicely.

They would make for a great gift for a loved one, a stocking stuffer or a present for a party host.

Nuts & Bolts

@carolineharrington__

This batch will not make it until Christmas, we eat it so fast! Recipe below 🌶️ SO addicting. I enlisted the OG maker to help (and buy the groceries!) Dry ingredients: 1/2 box of Crispix 1 box Wheat Chex 2 boxes Honey Nut Chex 2 bags of pretzels (fresh market) 2 cans of honey roasted peanuts Wet ingredients: 4 sticks of butter 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp Lawry’s seasoned salt Full container of Cayenne (!) (obviously just do your comfort level here) Instructions: Combine all dry ingredients Combine wet ingredients and melt in microwave Combine wet and dry ingredients Place in oven at 325 for 3 hours or so, stirring every thirty minutes to distribute sauce. Stop when the mixture is dry Let cool before packaging Enjoy within a month but it won’t last that long!! #homemadechristmasgifts #spicychexmix #tryitoutyourself Ps. I would half this recipe unless you have a deep pan as big as Nana’s, or split between two casserole dishes. XO!

Nuts and bolts are a traditional Christmas snack in some households and honestly, the salty, crunchy mix looks pretty delicious.

You can get creative with what you add depending on what you have available in stores nearby.

From the recipes I've seen online nuts and bolts typically includes a cereal like Crispix, Shredded Wheat or Cheerios; a type of cheese cracker like Goldfish crackers or Cheez-Its; pretzels and roasted peanuts.

Jam

@zoeerousseau

Berry jam! Day 4 of homemade gifts 🎁 #homemade #homemadegifts #christmas2022 #fyp #foryoupage #diygift #giftgiving #budgetgiftideas #foryou #berryjam #homemadejam #canningjam

Jams are another delicious gift that someone on your list is sure to enjoy.

All you need is fresh or frozen berries, sugar and lemon juice.

You can customize it further with cute jars, labels and colourful ribbons, all of which can be found on Amazon.

Cookie Boxes

@halfbakedharvest

Cookie boxes 🎄🎁 #christmas #cookiebox #homemade #homemadegifts #happyholidays #merrychristmas #diy #christmascookies

If you enjoy baking then you might want to consider making cookie boxes as Christmas gifts this year.

Take a weekend to bake a variety of cookies and then buy some pretty boxes to put them in.

If you need inspiration for which cookies to put in the box, Half Baked Harvest and Sally's Baking Addiction have plenty of incredible cookie recipes.

Friendship Bracelets

@auras_moonstone_

Replying to @Veneta i hope this makes some sense!🩵🩵🩵 #erastourbracelets #taylorswift #fyp #friendshipbracelets #bracelettutorial #erastour

Friendship bracelets blew up in 2023 thanks to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and you can keep the trend going with your Christmas gifts this year.

There are a lot of videos on TikTok showing how to get creative with the design and you can get so many cute bracelet-making kits available on Amazon.

Sugar Scrub

@medinacolaku

Replying to @Hosting & Party Inspo Make this gift for the loved one who needs some extra self care, they’ll appreciate you! #diygift #diygiftideas #lowcostgift #lowcostgifts #lowcostgiftideas #lowcostchristmas #floralcandle #floralcandles #diyfloralcandle #pressedflowercandles #pressedflowercandle #diychristmasgift #diychristmasgifts #diychristmasgiftidea #lavendarsugarscrub #sugarscrub #diysugarscrub #diysugarscrubs #homemadegift #homemadegifts #homemadegiftidea #homemadechristmasgifts #homemadechristmas #homemadegiftideas #intentionalgifts #intentionalgifting #intentionalgift #homemadescrub

If you're low on time, sugar scrubs are a quick and easy gift and they're also super cute.

TikToker @medinacolaku uses raw organic sugar, dried edible flowers and essential oils.

Knitting or Crocheting

@curiouspapaya

#crochet #amigurumi #review #thewoobles #amigurumitiktok #crochetersoftiktok #crocheting #lion #kawaii #chibi #diy #yarn #yarnpunk #valentinesdaygift

If you want to step it up this Christmas and aren't intimidated by crocheting and/or knitting, then why not make something extra special?

If you're a beginner then you may want to check out crocheting kits, which come with everything you need including clear instructions.

Gift Baskets

@studiobexley

DIY Christmas Gift basket idea for him! #fyp #25daysofchristmasdiys #giftbasket #diygiftbasket #giftideas #giftguide2021 ##holidaycountdown #diygifts #fy #targetfinds #studiobexley

Last but not least, when in doubt you can always make a gift basket filled with items you know that special someone will love.

From snacks to candles and drinks, you can put just about anything into a gift basket.

These are also great to make for someone new in your life like in-laws, a party host or a boss.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.

Narcity may receive a small commission if you buy something from this article, which was created independently by Narcity's Editorial team just for you.

This article has been updated since it was originally published on November 4, 2023.

  • Senior Writer

    Asymina Kantorowicz (she/her) was a Senior Writer for Narcity Media. She has worked at Yahoo Canada, CTV News Vancouver Island, CTV News Channel, and CHCH News. Over the past eight years, she took on various newsroom roles and helped produce award-winning newscasts. Loving the fast-paced environment of any newsroom, she helped cover stories like the 2016 royal visit to Victoria, the 2019 B.C. manhunt, and provincial elections. She had an MA in journalism and a BA in media from Western University. She moved from Toronto to Victoria a few years ago and loved being close to the ocean.

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