DIY Christmas gifts people actually use (30 homemade ideas by cost and time)

The short answer: the best diy christmas gifts are homemade things people use up or use often, and they cost about $2 to $8 each when you make them in batches.

• Kitchen gifts: hot cocoa jars, spice rubs and cookie tins
• Paper gifts: a printed family recipe book or a coupon book
• 30 ideas sorted by cost and time
• A six-week plan and food safety rules
• Next step: Plan it with the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99).

The best DIY Christmas gifts are homemade things people use up or use often: baked goods, hot cocoa jars, spice blends, a printed family recipe book, handwritten letters and coupons for your time. They cost about $2 to $8 each when you make them in batches, and they feel more personal than anything from a store shelf. Below are 30 ideas sorted by cost and time, a simple make-ahead plan, and the food safety rules worth knowing before you bake for a crowd.

I love giving and receiving cards, and I keep the ones people send me. That's the test I use for homemade gifts: will they want to keep it, or happily use it up?

Homemade Christmas gifts at a glance

Homemade gifts from the kitchen

Kitchen gifts are the safest bet because nearly everyone eats, and they don't add clutter.

One of the easiest edible gifts is saltine toffee. Our Christmas crack recipe has a troubleshooting table, storage times and tips for packing it in tins.

1. Hot cocoa jars. Layer cocoa powder, sugar, powdered milk, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips in a pint jar. Tie on a tag with "Stir 1/3 cup into 1 cup hot milk." I'm a hot chocolate person, so this is my favorite one to make.
2. Spice rubs. A taco blend, a steak rub or an everything-bagel mix in a small jar with a printed label.
3. Cookie tins. Bake two or three kinds and layer them with parchment. Sturdy cookies like shortbread and gingersnaps travel best, and snowball cookies or rum balls pack neatly into small tins. Our Christmas cookie box ideas cover packing and shipping.
4. Granola. Oats, nuts, honey and dried fruit, baked in sheet pans and packed in jars or bags.
5. Infused sugar. Vanilla sugar, cinnamon sugar or citrus sugar for coffee and baking.
6. Flavored salt. Rosemary-lemon or chili-lime salt for people who love to cook.
7. Candied nuts or brittle. Shelf stable and easy to make in big batches.
8. Soup or cookie mix in a jar. Layer the dry ingredients and attach the recipe card.
9. Homemade vanilla extract. Start it early: vanilla beans in vodka need several weeks to steep.
10. Freezer meal for someone busy. A lasagna or soup with reheating directions taped to the lid. Hand this one over in person.

Shopping for a serious cook? Our gifts for cooks guide pairs well with any of these.

Paper and printable homemade gifts

These are the gifts people keep for years. For store-bought ideas with the same personal feel, see our unique gifts.

Add a handmade touch to every package with our free printable Christmas gift tags, cut out and tied on with twine.

A handmade gift looks even better with simple wrapping; our gift wrapping ideas use paper and twine you probably already have.

Handwritten family recipes on a recipe card template make a quick, low-cost gift.

11. A family recipe book. Collect the dishes your family makes every holiday, add who made each one and when you eat it, then print and bind the pages. The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) gives you section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 recipe cards and a conversion chart, so the finished book looks polished instead of homemade-in-a-hurry.
12. A coupon book. "One dinner I cook," "one movie night, your pick," "one Saturday of errands." Print them on cardstock and staple them together.
13. A handwritten letter. Tell someone exactly what they mean to you. It costs almost nothing and gets read more than once.
14. Personalized Christmas cards for the whole year. Make a bundle of handmade cards for birthdays and thank-yous for someone who loves sending mail.
15. A memory jar. Fill a jar with folded notes, one memory or reason you love them per slip.
16. A printed photo calendar. Print twelve favorite photos with a calendar grid and bind it with binder clips or rings.
17. A "first year in a new city" guide. For a friend who moved: your favorite coffee spots, parks and takeout, printed and bound.
18. A recipe card set. Just one recipe? Print it on a 4x6 card and tuck it in with the dish itself.

Homemade gifts that use your time

Many of these suit the office as well; see christmas gifts for coworkers for etiquette and team ideas. Shopping for everyone else on your list? See our gift ideas for anyone.

19. Babysitting or pet-sitting coupons. Give a parent a free evening.
20. A cooking lesson. Teach a friend the dish they always ask you to make.
21. A meal-prep afternoon. Show up with groceries and cook a week of dinners together.
22. Help with a project. Painting a room, organizing a garage or setting up a budget.
23. A movie night kit plus your company. Popcorn, cocoa and a promise to watch their pick.

Easy homemade crafts

Keep crafts simple and useful.

24. Salt dough ornaments with a year written on the back. Our DIY ornaments guide has the recipe and printable templates.
25. Hand-painted mugs with oven-bake porcelain paint.
26. Sugar scrub in a small jar: sugar, coconut oil and a little vanilla.
27. Fleece tie blankets with no sewing required.
28. Beeswax food wraps for people who pack lunches.
29. Bookmarks with a pressed flower or a favorite verse.
30. Embroidered tea towels with initials or a short phrase.

How to keep homemade food gifts safe

Food gifts are where homemade can go wrong, so a few rules matter:

• Keep perishables cold. FoodSafety.gov's holiday food gift tips say perishable food shouldn't sit out longer than two hours (one hour above 90°F), and anything shipped should arrive at 40°F or colder.
• Mail shelf-stable treats. The USDA's guide to mailing food gifts recommends foods that don't need refrigeration, such as baked goods and hard cheese, and shipping early in the week so packages don't sit over a weekend.
• Label everything. List the main ingredients and common allergens (nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat) on the tag, and add a "made on" date.
• Use reusable containers. The EPA's waste reduction tips suggest giving baked goods in reusable containers instead of disposable packaging. Thrifted tins and mason jars become part of the gift.

A six-week plan for homemade Christmas gifts

Making gifts together can become one of your cheap family christmas traditions.

Homemade only saves money when you plan it. Supplies add up fast if you buy them one trip at a time. The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) has a gift list with a budget for every person, a holiday calendar and a to-do timeline, plus a spreadsheet that adds up your supply costs for you. If you want the whole season covered, the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99, $25.94 if bought separately) adds the Sinking Funds Tracker, Meal Planner and more. You can browse every planner in our printables shop.

Want something free to start with? The Holiday Budget Starter Kit is three US Letter pages we email you after you join our list.

See also

• Christmas gifts under $10
• Last-minute Christmas gifts
• Christmas gifts for neighbors
• DIY Christmas gift baskets
• Our gift guide

Want a gift you can make in one afternoon? Our Christmas jam is a strawberry cranberry jam you store in the fridge or freezer, so you don't need to can it.