44 DIY Christmas Gifts You'd Actually Want to Receive

By BH&G Holiday Editors
Updated April 29, 2020
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
We've made the list and checked it twice. This holiday, give a handmade Christmas gift you, your friends and family will love. These easy and creative DIY Christmas gift ideas include homemade serving trays, custom jewelry holders, make-it-yourself limoncello, and more.
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Hand-Stamped Tea Towel

Credit: Alice & Lois

A potato and a cookie-cutter are all it takes to make a custom holiday stamp. This handmade Christmas tea towel can be customized with any artwork and colors you like. Make a bunch and give them as festive DIY gifts.

Buy It: Solid Flour Sack Dishtowel 4pk, $3.99, Target

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Etched Cake Stand

Credit: Nicolas Gourguechon

Jazz up an everyday glass cake dome in minutes with whimsical etched and painted doodles. To create, dip a foam pouncer into etching cream and stamp circles around the glass dome. Let sit 15 minutes and rinse. Apply a second coat, let sit 15 minutes, and rinse again. Using a white oil-base paint marker, draw your design. Let dry and gift!

Buy It: Glass Cake Dome, $39.95, Williams Sonoma

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Cord Planters

Credit: Carson Downing

Transform a plain planter with ribbon and cotton cording. Using waterproof crafts glue, secure the ends of eight lengths of ribbon to the bottom of the pot, spacing evening between each ribbon, and varying colors and sizes as desired. Hot-glue cotton cording at the base of the pot and wrap horizontally around, alternating under and over the ribbons and gluing as needed. Repeat the next row, switching the under-over method in a weaving pattern. Continue gluing just over the top edge of the planter. To finish, fill the planter with your favorite houseplant variety.

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Metallic Match Strikers

Give your boring box of matches a major style upgrade with these chic match strikers. Upcycle plain glass jars with a few coats of metallic spray paint and finish with a strip of self-adhesive striker paper. Gift them on their own or as a set with a festive Christmas candle.

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Textured Vase

Credit: Steven McDonald

Give a cylindrical glass vase a handcrafted vibe with white air-dry modeling clay. With wet hands, knead clay until it becomes easy to work with. Keep a bowl of water handy to add moisture as needed. Roll the clay to a consistent thickness, and trim into a rectangular sheet that's slightly larger than the height and perimeter of your vase. Carefully wrap the clay around the vase, pressing the seam with water to seal it. Neatly fold over the clay around the top and base of the vase creating a stable surface. Using a clay sculpting tool, comb lines to add texture. Let dry 24 hours and sand rough edges.

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Homemade Cookie Butter

Get the Mason jar tags!

It doesn't get more decadent (or delicious!) than homemade cookie butter. Make a big batch and package it up into individual servings. Keep it classic or get creative and try a fun new flavor like bourbon-vanilla.

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Felt Pouch

Credit: Carson Downing

Keep jewelry or other trinkets secure in drawstring wool bags. To make, cut two circles of colored wool felt. Use iron-on adhesive to secure the two pieces together. Using an eyelet kit and rotary punch of the same size, punch holes around the circle, then use the eyelet tool and hammer to set eyelets. Cut braided ribbon to size, knot one end, and add a wooden bead. Weave the ribbon in and out of the eyelets, then add another wooden bead and knot. Fray both ends for a final flourish.

Editor's Tip: Fill this handmade gift with small treats, self-care items like essential oils, or jewelry.

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DIY No-Sew Blanket Scarf

'Tis the season for cozy! Skip the store and DIY your own oversize blanket scarf. All it takes is a few yards of flannel fabric and scissors. We'll show you how to trim the edges for the perfect frayed look.

Buy It: Flannel Fabric Distressed Red, $3.59 per yard, Joann

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Leather Keychain

This easy DIY Christmas gift is as practical as it is trendy thanks to the stylish weaving technique used. To make, poke holes every 1/8 inch around a rectangular section of a leather tag with an embroidery needle. Thread two strands of a six-strand length of embroidery floss through the holes, working in one direction. Weave in the opposite direction using a different color of embroidery floss. Knot the strands on the backside of the tag and add a key ring.

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Embellished Mug

Transform a budget-friendly ceramic mug or bowl into a heartfelt handmade Christmas gift using permanent oil-base paint markers, which work well on slick surfaces. Freehand a repeating design, like arrows, around the mug, and fill the cup with packages of dry soup mixes or other wintry treats. Add a clever gift tag to top off this darling DIY present.

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Fabric-Wrapped Serving Spoons

Serve up holiday cheer with these handmade serving spoons. Choose a colorful fabric to dress up plain wooden spoons and you have a quick holiday gift that's pretty and functional.

Buy It: Beech Wood Slotted Spoon, $3.99, Target

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Gold Picture Frame

Add glamour to an Instagram photo or a favorite snapshot with a DIY gilded frame. Cut a gold-painted flat dowel to be a little longer than your photo. Use decoupage medium to secure the photo to a cardboard backing board and glue the dowel to the image. Adhere a small painted binder clip with one side removed to the back of the cardboard.

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Leather Baskets

Give your grocery store bouquet a major upgrade with these DIY leather vases. Use our free template to create a stunning gift with just a few simple supplies. They're perfect for dressing up a succulent, potted plant, or small arrangement.

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Leather Tassel Keychain

A handmade tassel keychain is the perfect handmade stocking stuffer. Pick up some colorful leather cording and you have the start to the easiest DIY holiday gift.

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Custom Whiskey Glasses

The whiskey connoisseurs in your life will appreciate this simple (yet affordable) Christmas gift idea. Pick out two inexpensive glasses and use painters tape to mark off sections you wish to decorate. Rub the painters tape with a credit card to make sure it's securely sealed to the glass. Apply two or three coats of acrylic crafts paint to the taped-off sections. Gift as a set.

Editors' Tip: Check the acrylic paint's label to learn the best way to clean the glasses after painting.

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Sparkly Mini Planters

Glitter makes everything more fun, including indoor gardening—plus, these mini pots are perfect for decorating small shelves or desks. Simply coat the pot in decoupage medium followed by glitter to create a glamorous look. Once the planter is dry, fill it with a tiny houseplant.

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Jumbo Marshmallow Treats

Nothing better than sticky-sweet marshmallow treats—unless they're decked in sprinkles and topped with trees, of course! Pick the flavor that best fits your friends and fam: classic, chocolate-dipped, caramel-pretzel, or peanut butter and chocolate. Cut green tissue paper into 1-inch squares. Place pencil end onto the middle of a square and dip in glue. Push onto a foam cone. Continue with remaining tissue paper squares until the cone is covered. Glue tiny pom-poms onto the tree to embellish. Place the marshmallow treat in the bottom of a clear box and top with a square of acetate cut to fit. Place tree inside a box; top with a ribbon bow.

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Handmade Cactus Art

Have an art-lover in your life? Gift them this handmade cactus print. They're sure to love this piece of handmade art and you'll love how easy and inexpensive it is to make.

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Felt Owls

Need a darling DIY kid's gift? These colorful felt owls make sweet stocking stuffers. Our free template makes it easy to create hand-stitched owls in a variety of sizes. Add your own embellishments, like wings, for a custom pillow that couldn't be cuter.

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Washi Tape Notebooks

Everyone could use a journal, especially one as pretty as this. The trick? Washi tape! The decorative tape comes in a ton of colors, patterns, and sizes—and makes any drab notebook look fresh and new. Adhere five strips of washi tape close together on a piece of cardstock to create "tape paper" for punching. Punch three or four flowers from the tape paper, layer the pieces, and fasten them with a brad.

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Ribbon-Covered Cookie Cutter Ornaments

The baker on your list will get a kick out of handmade Christmas ornaments made from cookie cutters. Wrap the cookie cutters in ribbon and secure with glue (use double-stick tape if you want them to use the cookie cutters later). Finish with a coordinating string or twine for hanging. Sweeten the package with a few freshly baked sugar cookies.

Buy It: Wilton Cookie Cutter Set, $7.99, Target

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Rope-Wrapped Basket

Give the gift of (pretty!) storage. A rope-wrapped basket is the perfect handmade holiday gift for anyone who loves to stay organized.

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DIY Bath Bombs

It's time to treat yourself (and your friends!). Whip up a batch of homemade bath bombs and prepare to relax. Choose your favorite essential oils and flower petals for a custom blend.

Related: Check out our favorite ways to gift self-care.

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Painted Tea Towels

These painted tea towels are almost too pretty to use! Perfect for anyone who loves to cook, these DIY Christmas gifts can be customized with any color combination you like.

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DIY Initials Pennant

Want to give a personalized Christmas gift this year? You can DIY this custom felt initial pennant for under $5. Choose a monogram or initials, cut them out, and get gluing.

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Homemade Marshmallows

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It's not Christmas without melt-in-your-mouth marshmallows. A package of these homemade morsels are an easy DIY Christmas gift—recipients can pop 'em in their hot cocoa or enjoy them plain. Wrap the marshmallows in a cellophane bag topped with a small chalkboard gift tag (found at crafts or hobby stores). Clip it on using a wooden clothespin.

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Spray-Painted Storage Basket

Organizing just got adorable. Gift your clutter-a-phobe friend with a wicker basket spray-painted in her favorite hue. Just apply wide painters tape to the basket, spray all sides of the container, and let dry before removing the tape. Tuck in a few stuffed animals, fragrant soaps, or pretty candles to complete the creative DIY Christmas gift.

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Limoncello

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When life gives you lemons, make limoncello. The cool vodka liqueur calls for just four ingredients and is totally ideal for the lively crew in your life. Pour the limoncello into a screw-top jar. Tie a strip of corduroy fabric around the jar neck, followed by a manila tag adorned with an old school label.

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