DIY Homemade Christmas Gifts

Our budgets may all be tighter this holiday season with the economy the way it is, and we are all searching for ways to save money. Homemade Gifts not only come from the heart but also are fun for the entire family to make together. Here is a list of DIY homemade Christmas Gifts.

Refrigerator Photo Magnets

Items you need:

Pre-cut Wooden Circles/Squares (your choice of sizes)
Glue
Magnets
Black Marker
Family Photos

Take different family photos and cut out each photo down to the size to fit on to each piece of wood. Glue each photo on to the wood and then glue a magnet on to the back of each piece of wood. Write Christmas 2009 on the back of each photo magnet using a black marker.

Christmas Gourd Candle Holder

Items Needed:

Gourds in a variety of sizes
Miniature Pumpkins
Black Marker with Fine Tip
Red & Green Tea Lights or Red & Green Votive Candles
Pumpkin Carving Knife

Use the fine tip black marker and place a candle on the top of the gourd or pumpkin that you want to use and then trace around the candle.

Use the pumpkin carving knife and then carefully cut out the circle you just traced on the top of the gourd/pumpkin and remove the circle.

Hollow out the insides of the gourd/pumpkin and just take enough out to make room for the candle/tea light to set down inside of it and stay in place.

Place a tea light/Christmas votive candle inside and light it.

You can also use these as a vase for small bouquets of poinsettias or any other small flower.

Add sprigs of fresh eucalyptus & cinnamon to fill the air with aromas of Thanksgiving & Christmas.

Stencil your gourds or pumpkins with snowflakes, Santa, reindeer, Christmas Trees, turkeys or anything else you can think of and then use them as a centerpiece for your dining room table during the holidays. The glow of the candles will add coziness to the festive atmosphere.

Instead of placing tea lights or votive candles inside of the gourd/pumpkin, fill them with pine scented potpourri or aroma crystals.

Christmas Coffee Cup

Items Needed:

Plain-unpainted Large coffee mugs
Red & Green Ribbon
Small Christmas Bells
Hot Chocolate Packets
Flavored Stir Sticks
Magic Marker

Cut a piece of Christmas ribbon long enough to fit around each mug and tie in a bow. Then use a magic marker and write the recipients name on the mug. Take a piece of the ribbon and tie it around each mug and then use a hot glue gun (be careful not to burn your fingers with the glue gun. Glue is extremely HOT) and place a bell right in the center of the bow on the ribbon and glue the bell to the ribbon. Place a few packets of hot chocolate inside the mug and a few of the flavored stir sticks.

Hot Tea Mugs

Items you will need:

Flavored tea bags
Small packets of sugar
Stir Sticks
Christmas Ribbons
Christmas Stencil
Fine Tip Marker

Cut a piece of Christmas ribbon long enough to fit around each mug and tie in a bow. Then take a stencil and place it flat against the mug and stencil the picture on to the mug using a marker. Take a piece of the ribbon and tie it around each mug and then use a hot glue gun (be careful not to burn your fingers with the glue gun. Glue is extremely HOT) and place a bell right in the center of the bow on the ribbon and glue the bell to the ribbon. Place a few packets of flavored teas, and sugar inside the mug and a few of the stir sticks.

Vase of Peppermints

Items you need:

Peppermint sticks or candy canes
Small glass vases

Place several peppermints/candy canes down inside of each glass vase. These look so pretty sitting on a table.

Recipes In A Jar:

Items You Will Need

Mason Jars
Gift Tags
Christmas Ribbon
Christmas Bells
Christmas Stencils
Fine Tip Markers

Place all the dry ingredients from your favorite recipe for either chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins or even a cake: the possibilities are endless! Then layer the dry ingredients inside of a mason jar. The only thing for the recipient to add will be the eggs and milk. Write the recipe onto a gift card and then tie the card with a ribbon on to the outside of the jar. Use a marker and stencil on Christmas items on to the enter jar. Use a hot glue gun and glue a Christmas bell on to the top of each jar. Be careful using a hot glue gun and do not burn your fingers. The glue becomes extremely HOT!!

Tea Cup Candle Holder

Items Needed:

Tea Cups
Saucers
Red or Green Lace Doilies
Hot Glue Gun
Christmas Colored Votive Candles

Take the glue gun and place a dab of glue on to the bottom of each cup and then sit the cup in the middle of the saucer to glue it down. Place a candle inside of the cup.

Tea Cup Potpourri

Items Needed:

Tea Cups
Saucers
Red or Green Lace Doilies
Pine Scented Potpourri or your choice
Glue Gun

Use a glue gun and glue a saucer to the bottom of the cup. Be careful and do not burn your fingers with the hot glue! Take the potpourri and pour some into each cup. Glue a doily to the bottom of each saucer.

Christmas Wash Cloth Basket

Wooden hinged basket with lid
Red/Green Washcloths
Red or Green Christmas scented candles or small soap
Fresh Eucalyptus sprigs

Roll each washcloth and then stand each one up on one end and arrange them around inside the wooden box. Tuck one or two candles down in between the washcloths and then take a few sprigs of fresh eucalyptus and nestle down in between the washcloths.

Fleece Christmas Scarf

Items you need:

4 ½ feet Christmas Print Fleece 4 inches in width
Quilter's Knife

All you do is fold the fleece in half once you decide how long you want each scarf to be, and make sure the fleece is straight and even and then use the Quilter's Knife and on each end of the fleece, start cutting the ends into strips and then go about four inches up the fleece so there will be enough room to tie each strip of fleece into a knot to add more details to the scarf. I made one just to see how fast & easy they are to make and I had mine finished in less than 5 minutes. After I finished my scarf I ironed out all of the wrinkles.

Muffin Jar/Basket with Homemade Honey Butter

Items you need:

Glass Jars with lids or Wicker Baskets
Muffins (you can bake your own or buy some jumbo muffins from a bakery)
Small Spatula
Christmas Ribbon
Jingle Bells
Red/Green Pipe Cleaners

Line the baskets and or jars with a Christmas print bandanna. Add the muffins. Take a piece of ribbon and tie around each jar/basket and then tie in a bow. Tie another piece of ribbon to the spatula and then attach the spatula to the jar/basket with a pipe cleaner.

All you do to make homemade Honey Butter is combine honey with your choice of butter and mix well. Add enough honey to taste. Spoon some honey butter into a plastic container with a lid and place in the basket and write the recipe for honey butter on a gift tag or if you use a jar, wrap a ribbon around the plastic container along with a recipe of how to make the honey butter.

Jar of Candles

Items you need

Glass jars with lids
Christmas candles in a variety of shapes, sizes and scents.
Disposable Lighters
Gift tags
Ribbons

All you need to create this gift is to fill a mason jar up with several small red and green candles or use all red and white striped candles that look just like peppermints. Wrap a piece of ribbon around the jar and tie in a bow. Tie a gift card around the lid of the jar using a piece of the ribbon along with a holiday decorated disposable lighter.

Movie Night DVD Basket

Items you need:

Padded Picnic Basket with lid
Candy Bars
Microwave Popcorn
Cans of Soft Drinks or Water
DVD Rental Certificates or purchase a DVD

Place the package of popcorn, candy bars, DVD rental certificate or a DVD and two bottles of water or soda down inside of the basket. Close the lid and then tie a gift tag to the handle on the basket.