50 Homemade Gift Ideas – From Around The Web

by Dana Joseph on November 17, 2006 · 25 comments

in General Finance

Homemade gifts are some of the best gifts I give at Christmas. It makes the gift more personal and who doesn’t like to receive a homemade gift? I searched the web to find some of the best gifts to make. There are some wonderful craft projects in this list and I will be trying a few.

1. Homemade Holiday Ornaments: Lots of easy to do crafts. I especially like the picture ornaments and the baked clay snowman.

2. Create Your Own Heirloom Photo Ornament: This is just lovely, and definite on my list this year to make.

3. Make A Distressed Photo Frame: The distressed look is in, and would be a great gift for someone who enjoys that decor.

4. Make A Christmas Snow Globe: You could use this same technique to create a snow globe of any theme, not just for Christmas.

5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix In A Jar: Yum! A wonderful and simple gift to give.

6. Dog Biscuit Recipe: Can’t forget Fido. A great recipe for a yummy dog treat.

7. No Cook Food Gift Ideas: If you are short on time in the kitchen, here are some great gift ideas you can tie, wrap and basically just give.

8. Scented Potpourri: Recipes for Apple Spice, Regency Rose, and Summer Breeze.

9. Bead And Button Teacup: This teacup is for display purposes only, but it is a really cute craft that teens could make for teacher, mom, or grandma.

10. Make A Paper Bag Scrapbook: These scrapbooks are adorable and easy to make. You use paper bags as the album!

11. Decorative Dried Herbs In Oil: Make one of those fancy looking bottles!

12. Christmas Gifts From Your Kitchen: Some yummy recipes for delicious treats including Chocolate Billionaires (love the name); Swedish Nuts; Cinnamon Nut Mix; Mocha Walnuts; and Sugared Peanuts.

13. Make Your Own Garden Stepping Stones: We’ve done this for our yard but used the kits you buy at the store. I like this version better.

14. Personalized Towels: These do not require any sewing. You could use this technique to personalize almost any item.

15. Gifts In A Jar: There were just too many to choose from so here is the entire page. Many wonderful and easy gifts to make in a jar.

16. Fleece Blanket: Directions for how to make a no-sew snuggy fleece blanket.

17. Make An Altered Lunch Box: This is one of the newer craft techniques, using scrapbooking tools.

18. Craft Foam Christmas Ornaments: These are perfect to give as a gift or keep some for your own decorating

19. Make Gel Candles: Gel candles are very popular and a great gift idea. Here are the instructions so you can make your own.

20. No sew Sachet: Even the littlest kids can help to make this one.

21. Make A Friendship Bracelet: Great for teens or tweens. Get directions for how to make a friendship bracelet.

22. Christmas Pot Holder: Who wouldn’t love this adorable home made pot holder? You could make this in a non seasonal theme as well.

23. Folk Rag Doll: Great to give a little girl or for anyone who enjoys dolls.

24. Make Your Own Butterfly House: This is a great gift idea for some of the older kids. Directions are for making the house and for the food the butterfly needs.

25. Make a Kite: Even if it is not kite flying weather, a kite can be used as a decoration for a kid’s room!

26. Mr. Bean Style Teddy Bear: This is a knitting project and looks a bit harder for this non-knitter. I included it here in case any knitters want to do this. It is adorable!

27. Sock Monkey: These are priceless and they do not look too complicated to make. This is a sewing based craft and you’ll need a pair of men’s extra large white socks.

28. Washcloth Puppets: I love these! Directions are given how to make a cow, bunny, or bear. They are all cute and I would have a difficult time choosing which one to make.

29. Broomstick Skirt: These are really in style now. Would be a great gift to give a teen or for a teen to make.

30. Make a Classic Tote: Who doesn’t need a tote bag. Very versatile.

31. No Sew Quilt: Really simple quilt idea. YOu could make this with a Christmas theme or any other theme you desired.

32. Make a Doll House Out Of Cardboard Box: Step by step directions to make a doll house using a simple cardboard box. Then check out the ideas for making doll house furniture.

33. Make A Kitchen Apron: A perfect gift for those who love to cook!

34. Create a Tie Dye T-Shirt: This looks to be a little bit messy but tie dye crafts are a hit.

35. Make An Advent Calendar: A gift to give as the Christmas season begins.

36. Fabric Ponchos. You could make a few in different colors. These are made of fleece and don’t require any sewing.

37. Kitchen Towel Pillow Covers: What a great way to quickly and inexpensively make some really cut pillows.

38. Clay Pot Snowmen: These are so adorable and are really easy to make.

39. Homemade Beaded Candles: Look just like those really expensive ones in the store.

40. Make A Vest For Your Dog: This is a resizeable pattern, good for a poodle or lab!

41. Crosstitch A Heart Bookmark: This is an adorable bookmark and would make a wonderful gift for the book lover!

42. Coat Hanger Covers: These are sewn and you could make a set of them to give as a very practical and pretty gift.

43. Cell Phone Case: Sew your own so the options are endless!

44. American Girl Doll Dress: This pattern is for any 18 inch doll and is a drop waist dress. Lots of combinations are possible using this pattern.

45. DishTowel Angel: Really cute and only needs one dish towel, one dish cloth, and one potholder.

46. Make a Personalized Calendar: Free printable templates to make your own calendar for 2007.

47. Gingerbread Gifts: Love the smell of gingerbread! Here are several crafts which feature gingerbread. Patterns for gingerbread people, trees, and other shapes. Make a gingerbread garland too!

48. Beaded Napkin Rings: These are so cute and even though they are a “kid craft” I think anyone would enjoy receiving these as a gift.

49. Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging: This is a quilt project, and a little bit more advanced. However, it is a beautiful quilt and would make a very nice Christmas gift.

50. Vine Wall Hanging: This project looks to be simple but very nice with a country flair!

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{ 3 comments }

1 Alan December 19, 2006 at 2:30 pm

Great posting! Another ornament idea…. if you have old computer memory that’s useless now… turn it into a keepsake “Memory Stick” Ornament. You can print tiny photos that you’ve taken throughout the year and stick them on both sides of the memory (using archival photo squares from walmart/scrapbooking stores, or double stick tape (although it may not last as long)). This makes a great keepsake ornament and it’s already properly named…

2 pat baginski November 17, 2007 at 11:05 pm

Thanks for the ideas. Here’s a website that has a bunch of homemade stuff. Some look like they are real frugal.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/97034/j_p_whickson.html?contact=true

3 CanCan April 15, 2008 at 3:52 pm

I blogged about my recycled crayon candles today!

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