When time is short but you still want to give a special present, homemade gifts can be the perfect solution. Creating presents from scratch can add a personal touch that shop-bought gifts often don’t have, and many can be made with ingredients and materials that you may have at home.
Homemade Food Gifts
Homemade food gifts can be a real treat at Christmas. You could try making traditional chocolate truffles with double cream and dark chocolate and these can be flavoured with orange zest, sea salt or coffee, and dusted with cocoa powder. Festive biscotti, sprinkled with cranberries and pistachios, keep very well and make an excellent present when packaged in cellophane bags with ribbon. If your friends and family prefer savoury treats, spiced nuts roasted with rosemary and maple syrup are a tasty present, or homemade chutney can bring a taste of luxury to everyday meals.
Crafty Gifts
Crafted items don’t always need advanced skills or specialist equipment. You could try making hand poured candles made from soy wax and scented with essential oils for a relaxing treat. Personalised photo albums made from cardboard frames and decorative paper can become a treasured keepsake when they are filled with carefully chosen photos. If you’ve got basic sewing skills, lavender sachets that are created from leftover fabric can be a lovely fragrant gift. If you have a friend or family member who wants to learn a new craft, a knitting kit can also be a great present https://www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/.
Beauty Products
Natural beauty products are another thoughtful gift option. Sugar scrubs that are blended with coconut oil and vanilla extract are easy to make and they are an indulgent beauty gift. Handmade soap can be a bit more difficult to make, but it can be prepared in large batches and then cut into individual bars that can be marbled with natural colouring.
The key to making successful last-minute gifts is to choose a project that can be made in the time you have and with the skills you have, but a thoughtful homemade gift will always be appreciated.
