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100 Best Homemade Christmas Gifts You Can Easily DIY Last-Minute for Family and Friends

Creative and useful handmade ideas for parents, grandparents, teachers and kids alike.

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diy christmas gifts, candy filler poppers, spoons with chocolatepinterest
The House That Lars Built/ Mike Garten

Christmas can be one of the most joyful holidays of the year. But when you consider gift-giving, decorations and party planning, it's no wonder it's also one of the most expensive. If you find it difficult to stick to your holiday budget — especially when the most popular gifts of 2023 are only a click or swipe away — DIY Christmas gifts are the answer. They're thoughtful, creative and can be personalized for that special someone in your life. That's why we're sharing some of the easiest (and best last-minute!) homemade Christmas gifts that you can make for everyone on your gift-giving list this year.

We've sprinkled in an array of Christmas crafts for adults and kids to gift to their loved ones. Some of the ideas, like giant ornament pillows, gold leaf candle holders and name puzzle pieces, double as cherished pieces of decor. Others are edible —the snowmen spoons and the coffee mug mixers are delicious examples. We even have a few Christmas gift basket ideas, including tutorials on how to crochet and knit your own bags and hats (all thanks to the GH Stitch Club and their library of patterns). Plus, when it comes to decorating a Christmas tree, you can't go wrong with homemade ornaments parents, grandparents, teachers and coworkers would love to hang.

So, get ready to be extra crafty this year, all while using our roundup for inspiration. And for more DIY Christmas content, check out our assortment of homemade gift-wrapping ideas and homemade Christmas cards.

1

Ornament Pillows

diy christmas gifts, large pink ornament shaped pillows on the couch
Studio DIY

Basic sewing skills and blogger Kelly's ornament pillow template will help you DIY these adorable plush pillows. They're festive and can be kept on display long after the holiday season ends.

Get the tutorial at Studio DIY »

2

Brick Neon Sign

diy christmas gifts, neon sign that reads make and glows pink in the dark above the desk
Persia Lou

Everyone can appreciate a DIY neon sign to brighten an office space. Blogger Alexis started by gluing foam project bricks to a white canvas. After deciding on the word to feature, sketch it out on paper, use yarn to lay it into the board, then pull your lights through.

SHOP NEON LIGHTS

Get the tutorial at Persia Lou »

3

Personalized Christmas Ornament

diy christmas gifts, white ornament on the tree with an f monogram and a white ribbon
Tonya Staab

For this craft, start by spray painting clear ornaments white. Find letter and holiday-themed stencils to apply to the ornaments before painting them in your desired color. Finish the designs off with a sealer. Then, hot glue ribbon or twine to the top so your gift recipient can hang their new decoration on the tree.

SHOP CLEAR GLASS ORNAMENTS

Get the tutorial at Tonya Staab »

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4

Gold Leaf Candle Holders

diy christmas gifts gold leaf candle holders
Mike Garten

Any holiday dinner table can benefit from the glow of candlelight. Paint clear candle jars with adhesive. After waiting 30 minutes for the glue to dry, place sheets of gold leaves over the area. Smooth everything out with your hands before applying a thin layer of sealer on top.

SHOP GOLD LEAF KIT

5

Washi Tape Holiday Cards

diy christmas gifts, red, green and blue washi tape holiday cards
Mike Garten

Use washi tape to add flair to basic Christmas cards. Take your pick of festive designs and patterns — think Christmas trees, presents, stripes and snowflakes.

SHOP WASHI TAPE

6

Fringe Ornaments

homemade christmas ornaments colorful ornaments made of colorful fringe
Mike Garten

Easily transform glass ornaments into colorful decor by hot gluing tinsel fringe from the bottom to the top. Whoever you gift them to — a friend, coworker, parent or neighbor — will surely find them stunning.

Get the tutorial »

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7

Coffee Mug Mixers

diy christmas gifts , coffee mug mixers on a white serving tray
Mike Garten

A mouthwatering treat, especially one that involves spoonfuls of chocolate, is always a go for Christmas. Sprinkle candy onto the chocolate of your choice before wrapping the spoons in plastic to give their hot chocolate an extra dose of sweetness.

Get the recipe for Coffee Mug Mixers »

8

Christmas Cutout Candle

diy christmas gifts christmas cutout candle with a white design on the front and matches beside it
Mike Garten

Use your Cricut machine to print and cut out a winter wonderland scene onto white vinyl. Think fields of snow and white evergreens. Stick the scene around the base of a candleholder for gifting.

SHOP CRICUT JOY

9

Twine-Wrapped Lightbulbs

diy christmas gifts, lightbulbs wrapped in twine beside candles
Mike Garten

Don't worry: These "pears" aren't as expensive as they look! Coil twine around light bulbs and hot glue the twine in place. Use twigs as the stems and pieces of paper as your leaves.

SHOP TWINE

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10

Knit Hat

diy christmas gifts, white knit hat
Philip Friedman

Follow the tutorial linked below to easily knit this cozy hat. You'll need chunky yarn and this simple pattern to start. It's a gift everyone can appreciate to get through the cold winter months in style.

SHOP CHUNKY YARN

Learn how to knit hats »

11

Christmas Tree Drink Picks

diy christmas gifts drink stirrers that looks like christmas trees in a pink glass
Mike Garten

Is it even Christmas without a merry cocktail? Here's an easy way to take yours up a notch. Cut drink skewers down to 3" long. Then, attach small bottle brush trees to the top with hot glue. Voila!

SHOP TINY PINE TREES

12

Filled Glass Ornament

diy christmas gifts, clear glass ornaments with feathers inside
Mike Garten

Spruce up your Christmas tree with clear glass ornaments filled with feathers, bottle-brush trees, miniature figurines (like a snowman) and more!

SHOP FILLABLE ORNAMENTS

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13

Hat and Scarf Wine Stopper

diy christmas gifts wine bottle with a mini scarf around the stem
Lydi Out Loud

They'll love nothing more than receiving their favorite bottle of wine as a gift. Don't stop there, though. Consider hot gluing miniature hats and gloves to the cap and neck for a holiday-ready look.

Get the tutorial at Lydia Out Loud »

14

Alcohol Ink Coasters

diy christmas gifts, colorful marble coasters
Persia Lou

They're colorful, cute and oh-so-fun to make! Decorate ceramic, metal or glass coasters with alcohol ink to bring these elegant designs to life.

SHOP INKS

Get the tutorial at Persia Lou »

15

Christmas Poppers

diy christmas gifts, christmas poppers with ribbons
Jane Merritt; The House That Lars Built

Use blogger Brittany's template to create candy-filled poppers your gift recipients can let loose right before the Christmas meal! Items needed include Kraft paper, ribbon and an X-Acto knife.

SHOP KRAFT PAPER

Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »

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16

Knot Pillow

diy christmas gifts, blue knot pillow on a high white table
Sugar and Cloth

Make your own trendy knot pillows with a sewing machine. Once done, gift them to loved ones to place wherever they need a pop of color for the holiday season and beyond.

Get the tutorial at Sugar & Cloth »

17

Air Fresheners

diy christmas gifts diy air fresheners in the shape of christmas trees
IAN PALMER for Country Living

Choose your preferred scent, fabric and shape for your air fresheners based on your giftee's style. Maybe lavender for Grandpa and lemon for Mom?

See more at Country Living »

18

Patterned Wooden Spoons

diy christmas gifts, wrapped wooden spoons in colorful embroidery thread
Alice and Lois

Wrap wooden spoons with colorful embroidery thread and use quick dry glue and Mod Podge to keep it in place. They'll make the perfect gift for any home chef.

SHOP EMBROIDERY THREAD

Get the tutorial at Alice & Lois »

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19

Vintage Map Wall Art

diy christmas gifts, two framed maps with ribbon and twine outline on the wall
David Hillegas for Country Living

Know anyone who is fascinated with maps or loves to travel? Then, gift them a DIY framed map, where you've outlined the countries and continents with ribbon or twine. Hot glue will keep it intact.

See more at Country Living »

20

Succulent Garden Bowl

diy christmas gifts, succulent garden in a large bowl on the table
Inspired by Charm

Plant lovers will adore a DIY green display they can place on their coffee table, bookshelf or kitchen island. Fill a large glass bowl with soil, before creatively placing moss, cacti, succulents, stones and more on top.

Get the tutorial at Inspired by Charm »

RELATED: Best Gifts for Plant Lovers That Will Knock Their Stalks Off

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