Though the holidays are usually a time when people loosen their belts, the current economy is making more and more of us think about scaling back at Christmas time.
It feels grinchy, I know, to cut back on spending at Christmas time, but I really do think that you can do that without making your holidays any less warm and delightful. One way to save money while still blessing others with gifts is to make some homemade Christmas gifts.
Here are a few ideas that have worked for me.
1. Homemade Bread
Quick breads like pumpkin or cranberry bread are great, but if you really want to give a “wow” gift, trying making some homemade yeast bread. A lot of people can manage to make a quick bread, but the vast majority of the population has no idea how to make yeast bread. And since so few people make yeast bread, they generally feel that receiving a loaf is a fabulous treat.
One year, I gave my parents some bread at Christmas time and then promised to bring them a different variety of bread each month for the coming year. And one year when I was a teenager, my sister and I baked about 10 different kinds of yeast bread, using mini-loaf pans. We wrapped up the loaves, filled baskets with them, and gave them as gifts.
Even if you keep it very simple, though, and make loaves of sandwich bread, you can be sure that your gift will be well-received.
All of my yeast bread recipes can be found in the Yeast Bread category but here are a few recipes that are particularly good for gift giving.
Whole Wheat Bread (this is sometimes a welcome change for people who get overloaded with sweets in December)
Homemade yeast bread does not keep as well as quick breads do, so you should plan to either give your loaves right away, or freeze them until gift-giving time.
2. Grape Jelly
Jams and jellies can be expensive to make, at least at this time of year, when produce is not highly available. My grape jelly recipe uses prepared grape juice, though, so you can easily make it at any time of year. A jar of jelly makes a great addition to a loaf of bread, especially a plain loaf like challah or whole wheat bread.
3. Drink Mixes
Mixes for soups, cookies, or brownies are often suggested as homemade Christmas gift ideas, but I think a drink mix is a better option because it requires little preparation on the part of the recipient. All too often I’ve seen layered brownie mixes residing on someone’s counter snuggled in a dust blanket, and that’s not how you want your present to end up!
I posted a recipe for a Chai Latte mix recently (there were some good suggestions in the comments on that post, so be sure to read them), but a hot chocolate mix is also a good idea (you could try this one from Alton Brown, although I might leave out the chili powder if I were you!). Russian Tea Mix or a coffee mix (there are a number in this list from Hillbilly Housewife) are also good options.
4. Photo Albums
For about the last 5 years, I’ve been making a small scrapbook album for my husband’s grandmother each Christmas. She lives in a fairly small condo and the last thing in the world she needs is stuff to clutter up her space. I know she likes to see pictures of our kids, but there’s only so much room for framed pictures. So, I buy an 8×8 album and fill it with pictures I’ve taken of our kids throughout the last year. She loves these especially because they function as a great brag book when she gets together with her friends. 
5. Framed Pictures/Art
If you’re good with a camera, a framed picture of you or your kids might be a great gift for a family member. Frames can often be found inexpensively at Goodwill or at a regular store on clearance, so this doesn’t have to cost a lot.
To make your framed picture look special, I highly recommend finding a frame with a mat. It makes such an enormous difference. I often sift through the frames section at Goodwill, specifically looking for mats. Even if I hate the frame, I sometimes buy one for a dollar or two if it includes a nice mat. I then remove the mat and insert it into a frame I do love.
I got this frame on clearance last year, and though I loved it and really wanted to keep it, I printed some pictures I’d taken of my niece and gave it to my sister-in-law last year at Christmas (the pictures themselves look kind of funky in this photo because they are behind glass. They really did look sharp and clean in real life, though!).
Even if you have no kids and your camera skills are abysmal, this idea could still work, with some variation. I framed a black and white picture from my Ansel Adams calendar, and you could easily make a set of these to give as a gift.
Or, if you’re at all good with graphics, you can make some really nice prints to frame as well. Sabby in Suburbia did this using powerpoint…check it out.
Of course, if you’re giving a gift like this, you’ll want to be sure you have a good feel for the recipient’s decorating style, so be careful!
6. Refurbish a thrift store/yard sale find
(this isn’t exactly homemade, but it’s close enough for me!)
Last year, I found two wall shelves at Goodwill which I knew would be perfect in my sister-in-law’s house. The only problem was that they were a lightly stained wood color, and my sister-in-law doesn’t really go for that look. So, I bought them and prayed for a warm day in December. Happily, some warm weather came in time, and I sanded the shelves, primed them, and spray painted them white. Unfortunately, I did not manage to take a picture of the finished product before I gave them to her, so you will just have to use your imagination. They looked SO much better in white, though, trust me.
Again, you’ll want to make sure you know that this kind of thing will mesh with the recipient’s decorating style.
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Those are my best ideas, but I’m sure that you have some ideas that are equally good (or better!), so please do share in the comments. What are your most successful homemade Christmas gift ideas?
Tracy says
Great ideas! I’ll have to give some of them a try. Thanks for sharing.
This Thrifted Life says
I am in the middle of doing the last actually–I found an adorable old-fashioned chair that I knew would be perfect for her after I fixed it up. So I picked it up for $6 and just sanded and primed it yesterday–I’m planning on painting it a fun, pretty color later this week. It’s good to have friends who appreciate unique finds (and homemade gifts!)
Erika says
This is a great post – thanks for all the great ideas! One question – Where the heck do you find the unsweetened instant tea? I’ve looked in every supermarket I’ve gone into and can only find lemon-flavored sweetened iced tea mix and the like. What brand do you buy? I would love to give drink mixes for Christmas but have had no luck finding the tea!
Kristen says
This Thrifted Life-yes, it’s lovely to have friends who like thrifted stuff/handmade stuff. My husband’s sister is great that way, so I never have trouble coming up with stuff to give her! lol
Erika, I buy it at Weis…they have their own brand of it and also a Nestea brand. That’s so weird you haven’t been able to find any. I’d say try another grocery store, but it sounds like you’ve already done that!
Cate says
This is a great post. My stepsiblings and I do an ornament exchange every year, and this year I was considering throwing in a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread for each of them. I don’t want to show them up, though, so I might not.
Lindsay says
Great gift ideas! So true about mats and photos-they really set off the image and make for a more polished gift. This year almost all of the gifts I’m giving are handmade including earrings (requires an initial investment, but are then surprisingly affordable), a pillow with collaged fabric, a small painting, felt ornaments, and a little fabric wallet. It works for me because I just looooove making things. I think it’s harder for folks who aren’t used to arts-and-crafting.
Sharon says
I make cards and this year I’ve made a boxful to give to my Mum. I’ve also done quite alot of knitting – scarves, facecloths, mittens etc.
I also made up a little hamper for my Gran – some homemade marmalade, homemade fudge and some sweets and biscuits which I bought.
Rachel says
Great list
I have lots of frugal handmade gifts to give this year too. Crocheted scarves, embellished tea towels, crocheted butterfly hats for my 6-year old nieces, handmade journals, and tote bags. I don’t think I found anything at the thrift store this year, but that’s a good idea.
My best frugal non-handmade gifts are books
Shaylin says
May I suggest another option….re-gifting? (Did I just step over an invisible line?!?!?!)
I just went through our mugs and realized that we have an abundance of holiday mugs that we don’t and probably have never used! I am going to pair them up with some hot cocoa packets (some of a nice brand bought at the end of last season for a very good deal!) and with a pair of mittens (purchased for another group of gifts, but I have 3 pairs left over. They were $0.50/pair). These are going to be the teacher gifts for my son’s preschool teachers and are not going to take any money out of our tiny Christmas budget!
Carla says
The ladies at church are getting together gift baskets for our elderly shut-ins. They will have items like lotions, soaps, socks, thank you notes, stamps, etc. These elderly friends can’t get out to shop and little things like this are very welcome, not to mention how much they enjoy the ladies’ visit to them to deliver the baskets.
Stacey says
I love these ideas! I just made my husband the one-and-only gift he asks for each Christmas: a homemade fruitcake. It’s not exactly frugal – it has over 10 cups of diced dried fruit, whiskey and bourbon (the tab came to $30 for all) – but it’s huge and he makes it last for a month (the alcohol keeps it well preserved). He loves it so much it’s definitely worth it!
Jinger says
I made fabric birds stuffed with lavender, eye glass cases, and aprons from vintage style fabric. Also small notebooks from cereal boxes and recycled paper decorated with vintage style bird designs. And a delicious snack… caramel corn with mini marshmallows, crushed Heath bars and salted almonds coated in chocolate. Easy to make and just scrumptious!
Angela says
Great ideas, Kristen. The framed photos of your niece is gorgeous. A framed photo or some type of album is one of my favorite gifts to give or to receive.
I’m also making bread- it’s quick bread (pumpkin), but a favorite of many. Also shortbread cookies and bourbon balls. This year I’m trying jelly for the first time- it’s apple/rosemary with rosemary from the bush in our yard. I made homemade egg nog for my husband and a few other people, and like Stacey mentioned, anything with booze is NOT frugal, but he loves it. I also made simple wooden beaded bracelets for my husband, my niece, and a couple of friends. Oh, and granola- which is so simple and delicious.
Handmade is fun, especially when people appreciate it!
Jamie says
I just made a pillow for my mother in law using fabric I already had. I traced my kid’s hands and cut them out of fabric. Then I stitched them onto 4 blocks (4 kids) and sewed them together. I used a coordinating fabric on the back and stuffed it with stuffing. I would have used a pillow form if I had one, but all I had was stuffing left over from another project. All in all it only cost me my time and I am sure she will be thrilled.
WilliamB says
Here’s another potential source for frames with mats: there’s a chain of stores called Tuesday Morning that specializes in selling closeouts from regular stores. They always have candles and pix frames.
I regift all the time. I follow two rules: the gift *must* be appropriate for the recipient, and make sure the recipient didn’t give it to me (ideally the recipient wasn’t there when I got it).
WilliamB says
I don’t do homemade for gifts much on the theory that people get enough sweets during the season. I do like cruising the Dollar Store or Tuesday Morning for an assemblage of gifts (such as bath salts, spiffy containers, floating candles), then wrapping them in scrounged tissue paper and a previously-used gift bag or basket. I prefer a gift bag because they store small, unlike baskets, so they’re more likely to be reused instead of thrown out. Layering several colors of tissue paper contributes to the festive look.
Franci says
I love the photo of your Christmas tree!
Erika says
Update: I found the unsweetened tea mix! I decided to check when I was in Target and there it was! A question about the Chai Tea Mix – do you add the cardamom? I know people suggest buying it at a local ethnic grocery store but I don’t know of any around and a tiny jar of it is $14 at the grocery store. Can I just leave it out?
Gabby says
Hey Mrs. K! This year, for Christmas gifts, I made porcelain ornaments for teachers and friends. When my grandmother was a younger adult, she made lots of porcelain dolls and ornaments. So, I thought it would be cool to make ornaments for Christmas presents. Of course, it is expensive to start out with (you need to buy a kiln, molds, porcelain slip, etc.), but after getting started, it’s very inexpensive (and these things were already available to me so it cost nothing!). Kilns and molds, for example, can last for years and years and years. Porcelain slip is available by the gallons and we only used a little bit of it to make a lot of ornaments (around 60). And I was going to give a couple ornaments at time so that I add to their collection every year. It’s a very unique gift to give (because not everybody gives homemade ornaments!) and it will beautify their Christmas trees.
Erika says
Chai tea update (again!): I found the cardamom! I google mapped “Indian Grocery” and found a place right near work. I was able to pick up a pretty large package for $3.99. I’m not sure if that’s a good price, but it’s MUCH better than the $15 little jars at the supermarket!
Castal says
you mentioned leaving out the cayenne pepper in the hot chocolate mix, noooo! It really brings out the chocolate flavor, especially when paired with a little cinnamon powder. Most of the “mexican” or “mayan” chocolate recipes taste so good because they have just a hint of heat and cinnamon to them.
As for the chai, I make up the liquid mix with crushed spices in a big pot and then toss it in the fridge to later combine with milk. It does taste much better if you cook it with the milk for a while, but I don’t go through it enough to make a big batch that way most days.
I definitely need to try your instant version for traveling and for at work where we don’t have access to the wonders of a stove (but the microwave and warm water dispenser are close at hand!)
hiptobeme says
http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/hot-broccoli-dip-86814.aspx
I can’t remember where you talked about bread bowls but I saw this and thought of you. Sourdough bread is used here, and they toast the whole loaf before putting the liquid in it. Let us know if you succeed!
Jessie says
Thank you so much for posting the grape jelly recipe! I made it for the first time over the weekend, and it was so easy. I’m giving away some jars as gifts for the holiday. I’ll never go back to store bought jelly again!
Stacy says
Alton Brown’s hot chocolate recipe is by far my favorite, including the chili powder! I received it a few years ago as a gift, it is now one of my favorite gifts to make. However, I will say that I’m from Texas and we like things spicy down here!!
Misha says
I love this website, great ideas!
I’ve handpainted 5-6 gifts already, each personalized for the person. I’ve tried things I didn’t think I could do, dragons, peace signs, cartoon characters, each is as unique as the recipient. I’ve also written poems, that will be framed, done the photographs of the kids for all sorts of gifts. I want to make a memory box for my son and his girlfriend. Decomposing their picture on the top and putting a note inside, to fill it with all the memories they share together in the next year. For another couple whose focus is completely on getting married next June, I found all kinds of quotes online on marraiges, some wise, some funny. I’m going to mat and frame them for the couple.
Crafting on the weekends, but accomplishing so much. FEELS great! And so nice on the budget worksheet for Christmas!!!
Dallas says
I love this post! Thanks so much for the fabulous ideas. I am going to use your chai tea recipe as gifts for my friends. Keep up the inspiring work!