Handmade Gifts this Christmas

Instead of fighting the shopping crowds this Christmas why not get crafty by creating your own personalised presents for your loved ones.

Every year people swarm the streets stressfully searching for the perfect present for their loved ones. This year, instead of joining the chaotic Christmas craze outside in the chilly winter weather, why not stay inside and keep toasty by getting crafty, creating your very own personalised prezzies that your family and friends will adore. These imaginative ideas are brilliant for those who want to do Christmas on a budget and for those who want to say something special by taking the time to fashion a fabulous and fun handmade gift.

A sweet little jar of sugary goodness.

DIY sweetie jars are a cute and creative gift for all ages. Wash-up and store all your jam jars over the year and then come Christmas fill them up with your family or friends’ favourite retro sweets for the perfect personalised present. You can even decorate your jar using glitter, gems, and a greetings card to wish them a happy holiday.

Not a sweetie fan? Why not celebrate the holiday with homemade chocolates instead?

Making chocolates at home is a fun (and tasty!) activity to get you into the Christmas spirit and make a thoughtful gift (that’s if you don’t eat them yourself first!).

Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen is a wonderful website packed full of delicious and simple baking recipes, baking tools and lots of tips and tricks to help you perfect your homemade chocolates this Christmas. There are recipes for dark chocolate and salted caramel ganache squares, mince pie truffles, orange liqueur truffles, and more! All perfect for your foodie friends during the festive holidays. Check out Charlotte’s website for step-by-step instructions to create your choccies from scratch this Christmas (charlotteslivelykitchen.com/).

Keep it Christmassy with crafty tree trinkets.

Why not create custom Christmas tree decorations using ceramic baubles that you can buy in-store and online from Hobbycraft. Their Christmas baubles offer the perfect canvas for creating original ornaments that your loved ones can hang on their trees. Decorate with paints, glitters, or events write them a little message to remember. Visit www.hobbycraft.co.uk/

Warm-up their winter with homemade hand heaters!

Sometimes even the woolly mittens can’t keep that winter weather from giving you frosty fingers! Get crafty and creative, a gift guaranteed to make your loved ones smile and keep them snug with handmade hand warmers this Christmas.

You will need:

1. A needle and thread
2. Fabric
3. Scissors
4. Rice

1. Firstly you’ll need your scissors to cut two pieces of fabric into squares (a guide size is 3-4 inches square).

2. Next, you’ll need your needle and thread. Put the patterned side of the two fabric squares together and tightly stitch around three sides fully. On the forth side leave about an inch away from the edge as this will be the gap you will use to fill with rice.

3. Secure the thread with a knot and cut off any extra thread and turn the hand warmers right side out.

4. Using the hole you left on one of the edges fill the bag 3/4 full of rice. You may want to use a funnel.

5. Finally, stitch up and close the hole.

6. And there you have it, a lovely little Christmassy gift for your friends and family to enjoy. Don’t forget to add a note to say the hand warmer should be in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

Beautiful body scrubs for your secret Santa.

Stick to a beauty budget this holiday by making your loved ones an all-natural body scrub. Honey-sugar body scrubs are so simple to make and require just three ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen!

You will need:

1. Honey
2. Oil
3. Brown or white sugar
4. A mixing bowl

1. Firstly gently heat a jar of honey in the microwave for a couple of seconds until it becomes runny but not too hot.

2. Secondly, pour about /4 of the honey into a small mixing bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of your favourite oil, for example, coconut oil works well.

3. Finally, add about 1/2 a cup of sugar. Mix the ingredients together until you are satisfied with the texture.

4. Place the mix into a nice jar and add a personal note. That’s it! A great gift scrubbed up in a matter of minutes!

Fashion your loved ones a festive friendship bracelet.

If you know someone who loves to accessorise then a handmade bracelet is the perfect gift for them! Source what you need online, or dig out your old jewellery box and find some pieces that you could use. Cute DIY Projects (cutediyprojects.com) is packed full of jewellery ideas including 60+ DIY bracelet creations with easy to follow step-by-step instructions, including wrap bangles, friendship bracelets, crochet bracelets, and more. You are sure to find the best bracelet to make a magical gift this Christmas.

Let’s get down to the Knitty gritty.

From socks to scarves, blankets and book covers, whether you need something for your family, friends or co-workers, you can knit so many gorgeous gifts for everyone this Christmas!

Visit www.diyncrafts.com for all the knitting inspiration you’ll ever need.

Show them you care with a homemade care package this Christmas.

With all the chaos around Christmas, it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself. This Christmas why not put together a personal care package for your loved one? A few examples of items you could include are:

1. Lavender tea (for stress relief and a good night sleep)
2. Bubble bath
3. Hand cream
4. Chocolates
5. Marshmallows
6. Their favourite sweeties
7. A framed photo of yourself and them
8. Fluffy socks
9. A good book
10. Eye mask
11. Lip balms

Pop the items in a Christmas bag or perhaps a hamper and you have yourself a thoughtful care package homemade handpicked for your loved one.