Homemade Presents: Gift Guide 2018

Christmas is an expensive time of year. If your student loan is all dried up and you’re worried about what to get, check out this list of awesome homemade gift ideas that you won’t end up paying the price for in January.

Get your bake on

Baking something is a lovely way to put in some effort and make something really personal to the individual your gifting to. We’ve got a Pinterest board here that’s put a couple of our favourite bakes together for you. A big part of gifting something you’ve made is making sure it doesn’t look budget, so we’d recommend using some ribbon, or wrapping in parcel paper to make it look a bit more professional.

Let it grow

We’re not going to kid you, you’re running a little short for time on this one, but it can still be done. As we all know, millennials can never have enough house plants, so why not grow one from seed to give to a friend? Zinnias grow very quickly, as well as most herbs (including lavender). Other plants that get a speedy germination include sweet alyssum, celosia, and marigold. You can buy seed packets very cheaply and can decorate a plant pot festively.

Make a Festive Decoration

We’re not talking the primary school, stick some pasta on some paper days. Our Pinterest board is full of some great tips to make decorations using things like pinecones or felt, and there’s a whole range of ideas depending on how much time and effort you can afford to put in. These are especially handy if you have a couple of people you want to make a decoration for, as they’re very easy to make in batches.

Make some Jam

Homemade jams and chutneys are another brilliant way to make a present for several people at once. You can batch cook enough for 5 or 6 jars easily, and decorate the jars afterwards. If you’re making something for a real foodie, you could preserve some lemons and present them, ready for them to use in their own recipes. We have recipe kits for plenty of chutneys and jams here, but there are plenty online you can find easily too.

The return of the classic voucher

If it really is a case of desperate times, desperate measures, you can always revert back to the classic ‘This voucher can be redeemed within the next year for [inset your empty promise here]’. We’ve seen them for breakfasts in beds, days out shopping, and dinner party hosting, and even cleaning a car, and, if you really mean it, they can be a lovely personal way to give a gift to someone.

So there you have it! You can definitely find something to make to give for Christmas this year, even if you feel you’re not the most creative person. Enjoy making them and have a great Christmas and New Year!

If you have a go at any of these, tag us in your posts with the chance to win some prizes!