Homemade holiday gifts are a wonderful eco-friendly alternative for anyone looking to stray away from the same old boring presents this year. We’ve rounded up 10 cool and crafty DIY gifts that can be customized with unique, personal touches for the receiver and easily crafted in no time. Instead of visiting the big box stores this year, consider making your own gifts for loved ones with upcycled items and simple, budget-friendly ingredients.
1. Cuddly pillows made from old sweaters
Who doesn’t love a little bit of quiet, cuddly time on the couch after a long and chilly day? By gifting one of these homemade pillows made from upcycled sweaters, you can help them create a soft, snuggly sanctuary. Take a look through your closet or at a local thrift store to find some unique patterns and follow these easy instructions to make some classy throw pillows with either envelope-style closures or a stylish button hem.
2. Funky and decorative bowl made out of an old LP
For the music lover in your life, styling a one-of-a-kind decorative bowl out of an old LP is a wonderful gift idea. The process is incredibly easy, requiring only your record and an oven. By heating the LP for a short period of time, it becomes malleable and ready to be shaped into any funky design you think your loved one might like to have featured on their coffee table. Be sure to pick an LP of their favorite artist or one with a colorful label.
Related: 14 affordable green gifts under $50
3. DIY green terrariums for any room
You don’t have to have an especially green thumb to maintain a terrarium, making this gift perfect for any nature lover. Follow the tips in this guide for finding the ideal plants for every home environment, planting everything with plenty of room to thrive, and dressing up your displays with miniatures or found objects from the wild. Stones, twigs, acorns, and other plant material make great accents, as well as plastic doll house furniture or animal figurines. The possibilities for customization are endless!
4. Vintage teacup candles
Candles are always a great bet whether gifting to the closest of friends or the most extended of family members. But dropping dough on expensive, often single-use, glass candles seems like a waste. This year, try your hand at creating your own unique candle creations using vintage teacups and saucers. You can easily find a variety of shapes and patterns at the thrift store – and for a steal. Personalize your scents and colors and you will have a gift folks will remember for years to come.
5. Personalized cat pillows!
We all have that friend who loves their fur baby more than anything in the world. You know they would love to have a soft, cushy clone of their pet to take with them on trips or display proudly on their bed – why not be the one to make their dreams come true? With some sewing skills and iron transfer paper, you can make a pillow representation of a loved one’s cat, dog, fish, or even favorite celebrity.
Related: Inhabitat Green Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Furry Friends
6. Homemade bath bombs, bath salts, and body scrubs
Bath and body products are surprisingly easy – and cheap – to make at home, making them ideal gifts for anyone who enjoys a good pampering. Whether you would like to gift one sweet-smelling scrub or an entire basket of bath bombs, bath milks, hand scrubs, and bubble bath, these instructions have you covered. Personalize these handmade goodies by choosing scents best for that special someone who enjoys a relaxing bubble bath at the end of the day, the athlete who needs to soak their muscles after going heavy at the gym, or the early riser who could use the sharp scents of citrus to energize their morning.
7. DIY solid perfume lockets
For a gift that looks amazingly classy, but is actually incredibly simple and cost-effective to create, these solid perfume lockets are the ticket. The recipe is completely customizable, allowing you to create the kind of scent combinations that will make your loved ones swoon. By using lockets or pocket watches from the thrift store, you can keep costs down and class all the way up.
8. Homemade pickled veggies
Food gifts are some of the very best ways to show your appreciation for loved ones around the holidays. Nothing brings people together better than food, right? Even if you are not an expert chef, almost anyone can craft some stunning jars of pickled veggies. Not only are they both tasty and pretty to look at, but they will keep for a long time.
Related: 3 easy, last-minute DIY gifts for nature lovers
9. Hardcover book planter
This gift is for all the bookworms out there! If your friend is a combination book worm and green thumb – even better. Take any hardcover book and transform it into an easy-to-maintain planter and instant conversation piece with just a few simple steps. Pick out a friend’s favorite tomes or plant some herbs in a classic cookbook for your buddy with culinary prowess.
10. DIY chalkboard mugs
The person in your life who absolutely needs a morning cup of joe before taking on any human tasks would greatly appreciate a customizable chalkboard mug to broadcast their readiness to interact with the world. Even chipper coffee-drinkers will love a cup they can personalize with the seasons. Creating such a gift is surprisingly simple and even dishwasher safe!
Images via Shutterstock, Flickr (1,2), GartenKultur, and Public Domain Pictures
