17 Best DIY Gifts to Delight Your Loved Ones This Holiday Season

The holiday season is just around the corner, and what better way to show your friends and family that you love them then by giving them a thoughtful, handmade gift? DIY gifts not only add a personal touch to your presents but show the time and effort you put into making them something special. From DIY gifts for him to DIY gifts for mom, we have easy and budget friendly ideas that you can easily recreate as a holiday gift.

How many times does a friend show up at your doorstep with a gift and you have to scramble for a last minute gift to give them? Or there is someone that you somehow forgot to shop for on your list and now have to panic to get them something. These are the best DIY gifts that will make the people in your life feel loved and remembered even though you totally forgot!

In this blog post, we’ll show you DIY gift ideas that will make your friends and family feel appreciated! Whether you are looking for a quick and easy gift idea or just want to make some holiday crafts for yourself, we will show you crafts that will inspire you!

This post is all about DIY gifts.

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Are handmade gifts thoughtful?

Handmade gifts are the most thoughtful gifts that you can give someone because they took time and effort to create. DIY gifts can be especially meaningful coming from your children or loved ones that typically don’t express their love.

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Best DIY gifts for the holiday season

We will cover all the best DIY gifts for the holiday season. We have searched high and low for DIY gift ideas that you can make for your boyfriend, mom, teacher and more! Screenshot and save your favorite DIY gift ideas and keep them ready for that unexpected gift giver!

1. DIY Christmas Potpurri

What you will need:

• Dried fruit: dried oranges, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, cloves and nutmeg
• Wide mason jar or clear pot
• Ribbon and tag

How to make this DIY stovetop potpourri:

1. Gather your dried fruit and herbs and place them in the mason jar of your choice. Try to make the fruit stacked in a neat and organized pattern. We suggest layering one type of fruit at a time.
2. Seal your mason jar shut and attach a cute gift tag with the instructions.

This is one of the best DIY gifts for teachers, neighbors or someone that you aren’t very close with but still want to show them that you care. This is also a great DIY gift for a holiday gift passing game or secret Santa. Make a batch of these and keep them stocked this holiday season, trust us they will come in handy!

BUY THE MASON JAR

This mason jar is the perfect size to store all of your dried fruit and herbs for this DIY gift! This jar is large enough that it can be reused for store of other kitchen goods like flour and sugar!

2. DIY Gifts for Dad: Hand Painted Mugs

Turn plain white ceramic mugs into unique pieces of art by hand-painting them with your loved one’s favorite colors or patterns. You can even include their name on the mug for an extra personal touch. This is one of the best DIY gifts that kids can make for their moms and dads!

3. DIY Gifts to Sell: Handmade Candles

Craft your own scented candle line by using essential oils and cute decorative containers! There is no need to be overwhelmed, candle making does not have to be complicated! Here is a very easy to follow DIY peppermint candle guide you can recreate this holiday season!

What you will need:

• Mason Jar
• Soy Wax
• Peppermint essential oil
• Red and white ribbon and/or greenery
• Glue
• Candle wick
• Popsicle stick or pencil to hold wick in place

How to make your own peppermint DIY candle:

1. Heat your candle wax according to the package’s directions. When we make candles we use the soy wax from Candlescience.com which requires creating a double broiler, however, some soy wax’s can be melted by putting it into the microwave so be sure to check out the instructions.
2. While your wax heats up to the appropriate temperature, stick the candle wicks to the bottom of your jars. If you plan on making more than one candle then get all your jars ready by gluing the wicks in the center of them.
3. Once the wax has melted to the right temperature, slowly mix your wax (off of the heat) and add 15-20 drops of your essential oil into the wax. Gently mix it for about a minute.
4. Now go ahead and fill the pre wicked mason jars with your hot wax.
5. Once the jars are filled to the desired level, be sure to secure the tops of the wicks by wrapping them around a pencil or popsicle stick. Make sure that the wick is centered.
6. Allow the candles to sit on a flat surface overnight until they are completely dry and then add any ribbons and greenery to the outside.

TIP: For the best results, allow your candles to sit for a few days before burning them.

4.DIY Gifts for Best Friends: Handcrafted Jewelry

Design and make some custom jewelry pieces like bracelets, necklaces, or earrings. Incorporate birthstones or symbols that hold special meaning to your loved ones! There is no better way of showing your friend you care than a friendship bracelet.

GET THE LOOK:

Customize the bracelets with your bff’s name and cute sayings that just you two know! These super affordable alphabet beads will make this DIY budget friendly!

5. Personalized Recipe Book

Gather a collection of your favorite family recipes or ones that have sentimental value to your family. Add personal notes, anecdotes, and photos to make it a treasured keepsake. This is a great DIY gift idea for the family member that has everything. Even if you don’t have all the family recipes handy at the last minute, create a recipe book and it can be filled with recipes over time!

BUY THE BOOK

6. Cozy Knitted or Crocheted Blanket

For the crafty types, finger knit or crochet a warm and cozy blankets in your loved one’s favorite colors. They’ll appreciate your effort to keep them warm during the winter months. Littleyellowwheelbarrow.com explains exactly how you can DIY this blanket in just two hours!

7. Homemade Bath Bombs and Bath Salts

Create a spa like experience in the bath for your loved ones by making homemade bath bombs and bath salts. Try fun seasonal scents and colors to create a customized experience for your loved ones.

We love this DIY gift idea of making a copycat LUSH bath bombs! Stick a few bath bombs in a gift basket with some scented candles for the best spa gift.

What you will need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 pitted fresh avocado
• 3 tablespoons solid coconut oil
• Green soap coloring 
• 15 drops “Love” essential oil blend from Rocky Mountain Oils
• 5 drops Lemongrass essential oil
• 1 large mixing bowl
• Food processor
• Bath bomb molds

Check out creativegreenliving.com for step by step instructions on how to make these copycat LUSH bath bombs at home!

8. Customized Pottery

Try creating a fun DIY gift out of clay for your loved one this year. Personalize your items with names, dates, or special messages that mean something to them.

If you have never done any pottery, try out this DIY air dry clay planter! Simply wrap air dry clay around a can and create the planter of your dreams.

BUY AIR DRY CLAY

9. DIY Gifts Christmas: Hand-Embroidered Linens

Add a personal touch to a cozy sweater, blanket or pillow by hand embroidering a design. Incorporate their favorite colors and a cute message into their DIY gift. This is one of the best DIY gifts to sell this holiday season!

Check out this helpful tutorial on how to embroider hand lettering onto your fabric of choice. We found this video to be helpful if you are a beginner and just need to know where to start with this holiday DIY.

10. DIY Gifts for Boyfriend: Personalized Scrapbook

Create a sweet scrapbook filled with photos, memories, and handwritten notes that you have collected throughout your relationship. This is a heartfelt way to reminisce about your shared experiences in a way that is off of social media.

GET THE LOOK:

SCRAPBOOK PAGE IDEAS:

• vacations
• birthday
• first times (first kiss, first time trying a food, first experinces)
• hobbies
• holidays ( Valentines day, Christmas, Halloween)
• memorable dates

BEST PLACES TO BUY SCRAPBOOKING GOODS:

• HOBBY LOBBY
• MICHAELS
• ETSY
• AMAZON

11. Hand-Painted Plant Pots

Decorate plain plant pots with colorful designs and unique patterns. Pair them with a small potted plant or succulent for a gift that will add some cute greenery to your loved one’s home.

TIP: Spider plants are the perfect plant for your small pot DIY.

12. Handmade Soap

Experiment with holiday scents, colors, and glitter to create unique handmade soaps as a gift idea. Package them in an aesthetically pleasing way for an elegant and useful gift.

We love these cute DIY gingerbread men soap bars for the holidays! Make a batch of them and put them in a basket with a robe and a face mask for another spa like experience gift idea! Check out the tutorial here.

13. DIY Gifts: Room Spray

If you are looking for the best DIY gift ideas for the home fragrance fanatic in your life, then look no further! These cute DIY room sprays are an awesome holiday gift that anyone would love to receive. These are fairly easy to make and also don’t have those harsh chemicals that many room sprays contain.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Spray bottles
• Distilled water
• Essential oils
• Witch Hazel
• Labels

To learn exactly how to make these DIY room sprays, check out happyhomehappyheart.com to see the exact holiday recipes to copy this festive season

14. Hot Cocoa Kit

This simple Christmas gift is a classic stocking stuffer gift that anyone would love to recieve. Simply wrap together an array of hot chocolate toppings and hot cocoa mix.

15. DIY Holiday Gift Box

You can never go wrong with a DIY gift basket! Combine your loved ones favorite items and a few of your own crafty diy gifts in a box or basket for a truly customized DIY gift.

DIY gift basket ideas:

• Candle
• Coffee mug
• Candy
• Hair scrunchies or pins
• Phone accesories
• Jewlery
• Gift Card
• Lotions
• Slippers
• Skin care
• Makeup
• Robe
• Body wash or body scrub

CHECK OUT THIS IDEA

OMG! This coffee mug is so cute that I couldn’t resist putting it in my gift box ideas! Anyone who is in a swiftie will scream with joy!

These fuzzy socks are the perfect addition to your DIY holiday gift box! The best part is this bundle is under $10! Your loved one will be so excited to keep there feet cozy with this cute bundle!

16. DIY Gift Idea for the Cook

If you have someone in your life that loves to spend time in the kitchen, consider this DIY gift idea for them! Fill olive oil dispensers with fresh herbs and spices. Garlic, rosemary, lemon and chili are great options to pair with olive oil. We would gift this DIY set with a fresh loaf of bread and a cute rustic cutting board.

17. DIY Gifts For Mom: Christmas Cookie Sugar Scrub

Thisnthatwitholivia explains exactly how to make the Christmas cookie sugar scrub for your loved ones! Below are the ingredients that you will need.

What you will need:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup organic coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon red, green and white nonpareil sprinkles
• 6 drops therapeutic grade vanilla essential oil

Happy crafting and happy holidays!

This post was all about DIY gifts.

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