Frugal Handmade Gift Ideas That Everyone Will Love
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Looking for some handmade Christmas gift inspiration? Here are some handmade gift ideas for just about everyone.

There’s nothing more special than a gift that is personally handcrafted for somebody.
What’s more, not only will your recipient enjoy the gift (if you have chosen the right gift), you will also have the pleasure of making it.
I’ve gathered just a few frugal DIY gift ideas from around the web. Make the gifts exactly as they are in each tutorial, or use them as a springboard for creating your own unique DIY gifts.
For instance, the DIY spice mixes may give you a great idea for a hamper. But you might also create your own mixes using the spices you already have in the pantry.
Or you might make a bath salt blend using the essential oils you have on hand.
Combining different frugal gift ideas into one hamper is a nice way to make a substantial yet still frugal gift.
Buying a whole heap of materials for handmade gifts can add up. To reduce the cost of making gifts recycle containers and glass jars and use up scraps of material from other projects.
Make the most of items you have around the house and scour second-hand stores and discount stores for appropriate supplies.
Handmade Gift Ideas for the Whole Family
Make Your Own Coffee Syrup
Create a variety of different coffee syrups for less by crafting your own.
How to make Cinnamon Honey Butter
Special gifts include things you wouldn't normally buy yourself. Make some delicious cinnamon honey butter for friends or work colleagues to enjoy.
Easy DIY Ice Cream Gift Basket
This is a great gift for a family to enjoy together. Add a gift card so they can get some ice cream!
DIY Coffee Hamper for the Coffee Lover in Your Life
Know someone who loves coffee? Create a coffee hamper on a budget. This article explains how.
A Gift from the Kitchen
Spice up salt by adding different flavourings - this one includes rosemary.
DIY Holiday Gift: Homemade Seasonings
Create a variety of homemade seasonings to give as gifts or in a gift hamper.
Irish Cream
Irish cream is delicious but can be expensive. Here's how to make your own.
Hot Chocolate on a Stick
For something a little different - give hot chocolate on a stick.
How to Make 100 Natural Body Care Gifts in an Hour!
Do you have a lot of people on your gift list. Here's a frugal gift ideas for all of them.
Pamper Yourself Gifts in a Jar!
Jar gifts are very popular. Here's a pamper jar gift that would make a great teacher's gift.
Relaxing DIY Bath Salts with Lavender
Don't spend a fortune on bath salts - make them yourself easily for a fraction of the cost.
Spa In A Jar DIY Valentine’s Day Gift In A Jar
Spa in a jar is another gift idea that would be appreciated by a teacher.
Make Your Own Natural Body Butter For Less
Body butter is easy to make. Here's how to make it.
DIY Beauty: a homemade flavored lip balm recipe
Another option is lip balm. Also easy to make. Here's a flavoured lip balm recipe.
Hand Embroidered Placemats
This is actually a gift I gave my mother years ago. Easy to make and you can make them in a range of different fabrics and colours. Choose to embroider or not.
DIY hostess gift: wood cheese tray with chalkboard accent
For something a little different - a cheese tray.
DIY Lap Desk with Hand-Stamped Legend of Zelda Fabric
A lap desk can come in handy for the person who enjoys working on the couch or in bed (and aren't a lot of us doing that this year!).
Tile Coaster Tutorial
Make beautiful tile coasters with this tutorial.
DIY Oven Mitt {tutorial}
Make your own super-insulated oven mitt with this tutorial.
DIY Recipe Potholders
To go with your oven mitt, or as an alternative, pot holders with printed recipes on them.
How-to: Stenciled Leaf Mug
Mugs are always useful. Personalise cheap white mugs by stamping them.
Primal Instincts
Use chalk paint to customise a plain white mug.
DIY Hand Painted Wine Glasses
Decorate wine glasses by painting them. By making each of them different, it's easier to keep track of who's glass is whose at a party.
How to turn handwritten recipes into tea towels
Personalise a tea towel by applying a handwritten recipe. This would be a good gift for an adult child moving out of home.
45 Awesome Free Bag Making Tutorials
Bags are a great practical gift. Here's a list of bag making tutorials to inspire.
Try This: Super Easy Linen Clutch
Linen clutch for when you just need a small purse.
Travel Jewelry Case Sewing Pattern
Help a loved one keep their jewellery safe with the travel jewellery case.
Heating Pad Tutorial
We all enjoy the warmth and comfort of a heating pad. Here's how to make one.
Easy Ombre Earrings
Make these beautiful ombre earrings in any colour your recipient would like.
Double Sided Fabric Headband Pattern
Original design is a plain headband. The updated design has buttons on the side to attach a mask if desired.
Easy Rhinestone-Studded DIY Hair Accessories
Snazzy up hair accessories with a little bit of glue and some sparkling rhinestones.
DIY iPad Cover And Stand
Make your own iPad cover that works as a stand for that personalised touch.
Etceteras: kindle cover
These kindle covers are made from old book covers. For the person who loves their kindle but misses the feel of books.
netbook book cover » Dollar Store Crafts
Make your own cover for a netbook.
DIY Etched Glass Tutorial
Glassware is always a useful gift, but personalised glassware that you've etched takes it to the next level.
Handmade Soap- Cedarwood Hop and Charcoal Shave Soaps
Make your own shave soap for a dad or brother.
Rosemary Mint Shaving Cream
Make natural shaving cream smell delicious with rosemary and mint.
Wooden Beer Totes
These wooden beer totes are great for carrying bottles and they have an opener on the side.
Easy Homemade No-Cook Playdough
Playdough is easy to make from pantry staples. It will keep kids amused for hours and is a much loved gift.
super easy, super fast, super hero capes
Every child needs a superhero cape. Here's how to make one.
Homemade Gift Idea: DIY Storytime Video
This is a lovely idea that costs almost nothing but will provide hours of entertainment.
DIY Flower Fairy Wooden Peg Dolls
Make these wooden fairy dolls for a toddler's imaginitive play.
Portable Small World: Pretend Model Train Set
Know someone who loves trains? Here's how to make a portable pretend train set.
Making your own Play Silks
Play silks are wonderful for creative and imaginative play. Kids will enjoy playing with these for year.
Busy Bag Tutorial
Keeps the kids (or grandkids) busy during quiet time or travel time with these DIY busy bags.
This is great. I haven’t commented in a while, but love your blog Melissa! I would be grateful for any tips re my new blog ( http://funandfrugalgifts.blogspot.com.au/ ) it has a long way to go and is basically just a way for me to “jot down ideas” at the moment. I have found some gems though and hope you’ll find some time to look it over. I’m trying for more hand made gifts each year, mostly thanks to your words of encouragement and strength. I love that I can proudly say, yes those boxes are my children’s toy shop, NO I will not throw them out! to my real estate agent without guilt or embarrassment, because I know I’m not the only one who sees the value in creative gifts of play and love.
Hi Rachel,
Nice to hear from you. Great blog, lots of great frugal gift ideas. We also have a lot of boxes for the kid’s shop :)
Fantastic! Some great ideas here – and i haven’t had to hunt them out myself! Thanks!
Thanks Anne
what a wonderful collection of DIY gift ideas, thank you for taking the time to put it all together. i have made some xmas decorations (for the tree – sewn & x stitched, from kits though) & bookmarks, my aim is to handmake all gifts – all I need are ideas (& to be more organised) thanks for the 1st – I think I just need to keep working on the latter, Deb M
That’s a great aim Deb. How nice to receive gifts made with love!
Thank you so much for including my ginger-peppermint foot scrub! This is a great list you put together. I’ll share it on my Facebook page, I’m sure my readers will love this list!
Thank you! I’m making your foot scrub for gifts for some of my family sshhh :)
Thank you for including my chilli jam! It’s an amazing list of DIY christmas gifts! I will be using some of them myself ;)
Can’t wait to try your chilli jam recipe! It’s on my to do list.
Thanks for sharing a great collection of gift ideas :) I’ve made rosemary salt and Chai tea mix before and they’ve both gone down well. The Irish cream looks amazing and I know my mum would love it.
I wouldn’t mind some for myself!
Thank you for sharing the DIY Foot Spa Collection!!
No worries :)