Think back to your favourite memories as a kid making homemade Christmas gifts with your parents and siblings. Sitting around the kitchen table and crafting Christmas ornaments or baking cookies or cakes for friends and neighbours. Those family traditions are gold; spending a few hours with your mum making gifts for loved ones during the holiday season.

Not only is it fun, but it also contributes to a lifetime of memories - spending time around the kitchen table making special things for special people, something more precious than anything money can buy. This great bonding opportunity is also a great way to save money. Plus, it’s just a good feeling to receive something homemade that someone put their heart and valuable time into.

The Bugle has put together a list of homemade Christmas gift ideas that you can make yourself, if the budget is a bit tight for Christmas this year or if you just feel like getting creative! Of course, our friend Mr YouTube has a wide range of DIY videos on almost every conceivable subject, so you can do your own research if you need more inspiration and know-how.

Before you start your homemade gift project, check your craft stash or kitchen supplies to see what you might already have that you can use up. Do you have lots of scrap wood? Maybe you can make cutting boards or serving trays as hostess gifts.

If you have some ribbon and miniature picture frames, maybe some DIY Christmas ornaments would be a sweet present for neighbours.

If your pantry has a couple of extra packets of sugar, you can whip up a batch of cookies or homemade sugar scrub as decadent treats for friends.

Ask yourself what you are good at, and ask yourself, “What gifts can I make that are already in my skill set or expertise?”

Whatever materials and talents you might already possess, use them to your advantage and tailor them to the specific people in your life to make the perfect gift that fits their personalities.

To get you started here are three easy gift ideas that may appeal:

Preserved and Framed Handwritten Recipes and Letters

Preserve these precious gems so that they last forever. You know a recipe is good when it’s smeared and wrinkled and splattered all over

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You’ll need: some float frames, UV laminating film, an iron and ironing board, scissors and some great handwritten recipes and possibly photos of the food or the chef. As an alternative to laminating, you can use UV-resistant clear gloss spray. 

Method:

Separate the laminating sheets, slide the recipe paper between them, and press with a hot iron on the ironing board (unless you have a laminating machine!) Cut out and frame.

Homemade potpourri 

Simple seasonal ingredients make up this handmade Christmas gift which will make your entire home smell festive and delicious, all naturally, and makes a visually appealing gift as well. A huge bonus is that they are toxin-free, and very inexpensive to make. Pair them with linen tea towels and a cheery hand-written note.

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You’ll need: Cinnamon sticks, Whole Cloves, Whole Allspice, Dried Citrus, Dried Cranberries, Dehydrated Apples, Dried Rosemary, Dried Sage, Dried Thyme, seasonal fruits such as persimmons or pomegranates, craft paper, glue dots, twine, 250g jars, small cards or tags.

Method:

1. You can always buy dehydrated fruit or DIY. Dry or dehydrate potpourri ingredients: Slice the fruit into uniform pieces, the smaller and thinner – the quicker it will dry. Set your oven on the lowest setting (around 800C or 175 F). Place the ingredients on a silicon baking mat or a baking sheet in your oven and spread evenly.

2. This will take anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on the fruit, size, and humidity level. Be sure to dehydrate fully so that all moisture is removed preventing any mould from growing.

3. Remove from the oven and save until you are ready to assemble the jars. Expect the listed ingredients to make about 5-6 jars. Add 3 cinnamon sticks in each jar combined with dried herbs and the other ingredients.

4. Cut rounds of craft paper roughly 30mm larger in diameter than the glass jars. Use a glue dot to secure the paper to the lids.

5. Use another glue dot to secure the tag to the craft paper, and then add twine and other festive accessories to the jars. Enjoy gifting these to neighbours and friends!

DIY marble coasters

If you like a quick project, these can be made in under 10 minutes!

You’ll need: 4 square white tiles (or pieces of wood), Marble contact paper (cut 2cm larger than the tile), felt squares (cut 1cm smaller than the tile), scissors and some Contact Adhesive spray. 

Method:

1. Lightly spray the top of the tile with the contact adhesive – in a ventilated area. Let the tile sit for 1-2 minutes until the top becomes tacky.

2. Gently peel off half of the marble contact paper and starting from one edge gently press the paper onto the tile, smoothing with your hand and working your way across the other side of the tile. Gently press out any air bubbles with the palm of your hand.

3. Flip the tile over snip off the corners of the overlapping contact paper.

4. Gently fold and press the edges of the contact paper onto the underside of the tile, tucking in the corners. Repeat on all four sides.

5. Once all the sides have been stuck down, spray a fine layer of the contact adhesive on the back of the tile and the felt square. Place the tile down and wait 1-2 minutes until the adhesive becomes tacky.