10 DIY Christmas Gifts People Actually Keep |

The problem with most homemade gifts isn’t the making, it’s the keeping. A gift that’s charming on the day and then lives in a drawer was a lot of work for a drawer.

The ten below are things people use up or use every day: candles, food, tea towels, wraps, a wreath. And because the worst part of making gifts is making twelve of them in the second week of December, each one says how far ahead it can be done.

DIY Christmas Gifts: Make Them in October, Not December

Most of these can be made weeks in advance, and several are better for it. Candles smell stronger after curing, dried oranges keep for months, and a ring dish needs days to dry anyway. The ones that can’t wait are the food gifts, and even those can be mixed in November.

Here’s the order we’d make them in:

Make in	Gifts
October	Candles, clay ring dishes, macramé hangers, stamped tea towels
Early November	Dried orange garlands, pressed-flower bookmarks, beeswax wraps
Late November	Herb salt, hot cocoa mix
Early December	Boxwood mini wreaths (fresh)

1. A soy candle in a thrifted jar

A candle is the gift almost everyone uses. Thrifted jars and thick teacups make each one a little different. Make them in October: soy candles need one to two weeks to cure for the fragrance to develop, and you’ll want time to test-burn one first.

Everything you need to know about wax, wicks and temperatures is in our DIY candles guide.

A soy candle in a ribbed thrifted glass jar with a kraft paper tag — Make candles in October; they need a week or two to cure.

2. Dried orange garland

Slice oranges a quarter inch thick, pat them dry, and dry them in the oven at about 200°F for two to three hours, turning them every half hour. Thread them on twine with a large needle, alternating with bay leaves or cinnamon sticks.

Dried properly, they keep their color for months and smell faintly of orange all season.

A garland of dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks on twine — Turn the slices every half hour so they dry evenly.

3. Herb salt

Blend a cup of coarse salt with a big handful of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and sage work well) and the zest of a lemon, then spread it on a tray to dry for a day or two, or in a very low oven, until completely dry. Break it up and pack it in small jars.

Salt is a preservative, so dried herb salt keeps for months. It’s the easiest food gift there is.

Small jars of green herb salt with rosemary sprigs beside them — Dry it fully before it goes in the jar.

4. An air dry clay ring dish

A small dish for rings, keys or earrings is useful to nearly anyone, and every one comes out a little different. Roll the clay a quarter inch thick, shape it in a small bowl, and let it dry for two to three days before painting and sealing.

More projects and the rules that prevent cracking are in our air dry clay crafts.

A painted clay ring dish with a gold rim holding a pair of earrings — Every dish comes out a little different, which is the point.

5. Hand-stamped tea towels

Carve a simple shape into an eraser, stamp rows of it across plain cotton tea towels with fabric paint, and heat-set the paint with an iron. A set of two tied with twine is a gift that gets used daily.

The method is in our easy DIY crafts.

Two folded tea towels stamped with a small leaf pattern tied with twine — Heat-set the paint and they survive the wash.

6. Beeswax food wraps

Cut cotton fabric into squares, lay one on a parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle it evenly with beeswax pellets, and warm it in the oven at a low temperature, around 200°F, for a few minutes until the wax melts through. Lift it off, let it cool for a minute, and it’s done.

They’re for covering bowls and wrapping bread, cheese and vegetables. Wash in cool water, and keep them away from raw meat and heat.

Cotton squares coated in beeswax folded into a stack — Low oven, a few minutes, just until the wax melts through.

7. Hot cocoa mix

Whisk together 2 cups powdered milk, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Pack it in jars with a tag that says: three heaping tablespoons in a mug, top with hot water or milk, stir.

Layering it in the jar looks nice, but a tag with the ratio is what gets it used.

A jar of hot cocoa mix with a wooden spoon and a small tag — The tag with the ratio is what gets it used.

8. A macramé plant hanger

One knot, the square knot, and about an hour of work. Include a small potted plant or leave it empty. It’s one of the few handmade gifts that reliably ends up on display. Instructions are in our easy DIY crafts.

A cream macramé plant hanger with a small trailing plant — One knot, one hour, and it ends up on display.

9. Pressed-flower bookmarks

Press small flowers and leaves in a heavy book for a week, arrange them on strips of heavy cardstock, and seal them with clear self-adhesive laminating sheets. Punch a hole and add a short piece of ribbon or twine.

A good gift for readers, and a good project to make with children.

Bookmarks with pressed flowers and leaves sealed under clear film — Press for a week, then seal under clear film.

10. A boxwood mini wreath

A small fresh boxwood wreath on a 10-inch frame is a gift that decorates someone’s door for the whole season. Make it in early December so it’s fresh. Boxwood dries well and stays green-gray for weeks after it’s no longer fresh.

The wire-frame method is in our DIY Christmas wreath guide.

A small dense boxwood wreath with a thin linen ribbon — Make it in early December so it’s fresh on the door.

What We Would Skip

Garlic-infused oil, and any oil with fresh garlic or herbs in it. Fresh garlic in oil at room temperature carries a botulism risk. It’s safe only refrigerated and used within a few days, which makes it a poor gift. Herb salt is the safe version of the same idea.

Baked goods made too early. Cookies and breads are wonderful gifts, but they belong in the last week before you give them, or in the freezer.

Making a dozen of something you’ve never made. Make one first, use it for a week, and only then make the batch.

Where We Would Start

Two candles and two clay ring dishes this October. Both need time to cure or dry, and doing them now leaves December for the food gifts and the fresh wreath.

If you’re new to all of this, start with our easy DIY crafts, and see our DIY fall wreath for a grapevine base you can reuse.

Questions We Get Asked

What are good DIY Christmas gifts to make?

Candles, herb salt, hot cocoa mix, stamped tea towels, beeswax wraps, dried orange garlands, clay ring dishes, macramé plant hangers, pressed-flower bookmarks and small wreaths. All of them get used rather than stored.

When should I start making homemade Christmas gifts?

October for candles and clay, early November for dried oranges and beeswax wraps, late November for dry food gifts, and early December for anything fresh, like a wreath.

What homemade food gifts are safe?

Dry mixes and preserved items, like herb salt, flavored sugar, hot cocoa mix and properly made jams from tested recipes. Avoid homemade oils with fresh garlic or herbs, which need refrigeration.

What are cheap DIY Christmas gifts?

Herb salt, dried orange garlands, pressed-flower bookmarks and hot cocoa mix are among the cheapest, especially if you already have the herbs, oranges or jars.

How do I wrap homemade gifts?

Plain brown paper, natural twine and a sprig of evergreen or a dried orange slice suit homemade gifts well. Reused jars and tins become part of the gift.

What DIY gifts can kids help make?

Pressed-flower bookmarks, dried orange garlands, hot cocoa mix and stamped tea towels. An adult should handle the oven and the iron.