Handcrafts seem to go hand-in-hand with simple living and homesteading. Whether your hobby is knitting, crocheting or sewing, woodworking or cooking, this list of gift ideas will inspire your holiday preparations.
Let's see how you can to turn your homestead crafts into holiday gifts.
Homemade holiday gifts
With winter's arrival our thoughts turn toward family and the holidays.
And holiday gifts...
Our family's focus is on the true meaning of Christmas, but we also want to bless our family members with something meaningful that shows our love for them.
Being a "crafty" person, I love giving handmade gifts.
Looking for inspiration for the perfect gift?
The challenge is to combine our skills with the recipient's interests. I start by praying for inspiration and for the ability to notice what my loved one needs and likes.
Whatever your favorite hobby or craft may be, you can probably make something wonderful for someone.
A woodworker might make a birdhouse for a bird-lover, a wall shelf for an avid reader, a stool for a child to stand on to reach the bathroom sink.
You might knit a sweater or dishcloths, or crochet an afghan.
A seamstress has a world of projects at her fingertips.
The thing is, some handmade gifts take awhile to make; that's why I like to start thinking about them early.
In fact, if you take a walk through your local fabric or craft store, you'll find that they too are reminding you to get started on your holiday projects using their fabric and supplies.
Not a crafty person?
You're not a crafty sort of person, but still want to a give a heartfelt gift? That's ok, I still have you covered! Here are a few ideas:
If auto mechanics is your thing, you could change the oil in Mom's car.
Promise to shovel someone's driveway this winter. Just be sure to follow through and get it done!
Maybe you love baking bread or making jelly and jam?
You might design a "bread of the month club" and make a loaf of bread each month for your family and friends, or add a couple jars of homemade jams and a bread mix in a jar to a gift basket.
Handmade Gift Ideas - Let's make something!
I've asked some blogging friends about items they make and gathered a collection here for you.
Some are time-intensive and others are small and faster. I hope you'll find something perfect for someone on your list in this idea-filled post.
All images are used with permission.
Make a crib quilt or lap-sized quilt
Quilts can be very time-intensive, but wall hangings, lap quilts and baby quilts are smaller and faster. Straight lines, easy cutting and easy sewing make these projects quick and easy.
You'll find one of my baby quilts here, with links to the others.
Spoon butter
Are you familiar with "spoon butter"?
I wasn't before I read Anna's post at Salt in My Coffee. But it's true, my wooden spoons dry out and splinter, and this easy-to-make oil would solve that issue.
This is a quick little gift idea for anyone who uses wood-handled items, not just the family cook. Anna's tutorial even includes a printable label.
Homemade Vanilla Sugar Scrub
This super simple vanilla sugar scrub will make your gift recipient feel loved and pampered. It’s gentle and made with almond oil so it’ll sink right into their skin. Made with real vanilla beans, it’s even safe enough to eat.
It requires just a few ingredients and will be ready in seconds - perfect if you're needing a last-minute, quick-to-whip-up gift.
Terra cotta pendants
These terra cotta pendants are very cute and trendy as well as easy to make.
You'll find the tutorial at My Homestead Life, along with Amber's recipe for the mosquito repellent essential oil blend that she applies to these pendants.
These would be a fun craft for children to make as gifts too.
Sew a cuddly throw
Learn how to make a cuddly throw in this post from Julie at The Farm Wife.
Like the small crib quilts above, straight cutting, straight sewing and using fabric scraps if you have them makes this a frugal and easy project the recipient will love.
DIY farmhouse candle holder
Whether you make a candle to go along with this or not, this DIY farmhouse rope candle holder would make a beautiful gift for someone special. You'll find the tutorial at Country Living in a Caribou Valley.
Handmade soap
I've gifted my handmade goat milk soap to many people over the years, and the recipients always rave about it!
You'll find everything you'll need to start making your own soap in this post, plus the links to my tutorials.
Cold-processed soap requires six weeks to cure, so it's definitely something you need to start early. However, hot process soap doesn't need to cure as long.
Look here if you'd like to know more about making hot process soap.
If you don't have goat milk on hand, here is a comprehensive tutorial on making cold-process soap from scratch, using water instead of milk.
Melt-and-pour soap
If you want even faster soap, look into "melt and pour" soapmaking.
In this method, the soap base has already been made for you, combining the lye, liquid and oils into cubes of soap "base."
You just melt the soap base, add ingredients such as colorant and fragrance, and then pour into the mold of your choice. It's ready in just a few hours.
This method doesn't allow you the creativity of crafting a specialty soap with the oils, butters and clays you might want to use, but if your goal is a fun, fast product, this could be it.
It's also fun to do with older children without the risks that lye and raw soap pose. The melted soap will be HOT though, so adult supervision and help are still necessary.
Dark chocolate truffles
Bless the chocolate lover in your life with these handmade dark chocolate truffles from Boot and Hooves Homestead.
With just a few simple ingredients you can make these delicious candies and decorate them with chopped nuts, coconut, sprinkles or just plain cocoa powder.
Plus a few more homemade gift ideas
Here are a few more ideas to inspire your creative juices:
Christmas ornaments from aluminum cans from Learning and Yearning
A twig and pine cone garland from Funky Junk Interiors
Rustic wood slice ornaments from The DIY Dreamer
Simmering potpourri to make your home smell wonderfully holiday-ish
Looking for more gift ideas from your home and homestead? You might be interested in these posts:
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