Are you stressed about getting last-minute gifts? Would you rather not pay an arm and a leg to get something for everyone? You can avoid the stress, save money, and put your creativity on full display this holiday season by making homemade gifts!
Making homemade gifts can seem a bit overwhelming, but the result is much more meaningful and cost-efficient. Plus, you won’t have to leave the comfort of your own home (other than getting the ingredients).
I wanted to share my recipes for the fun gifts that I like making.
I like my presents to be thoughtful and useful without having to spend a ton of money. Take into consideration who you’re making the gift for when thinking of what to make. I have friends and family members of all ages, so I needed to come up with something that I knew everyone would love.
I split my gifts up into two categories:
- Treat Yourself: personal care items
- Sweet Treats: baked goods and candies
Most of the women in my family will be getting the Treat Yourself gifts, and most of the men will be getting Sweet Treats.
All the ingredients listed can be found at your local grocery store.
Homemade Bath Salts (Treat Yourself)
Ingredients:
- Unscented Epsom salt: 8-pound bag
- 10 glass jars: 8 to 12-ounce size
- Coconut oil: 12-ounce jar
- Essential oil scents: eucalyptus and citrus (I like to use these scents for a refreshing, energizing blend)
This recipe yields 10 gifts; one gift per jar.
Steps:
- First, clean all the jars and let them dry completely for at least a day. Once they are all clean and dry, you are ready to start preparing the bath salts.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat your coconut oil in 30-second increments until completely melted.
- Next, add as much or as little essential oils to the coconut oil as you would like. I add 25 drops of each scent. Remember to keep in mind who will be using these bath salts when deciding how much of the essential oils to add. You may want to have a stronger scent when mixing the oils, because once you add it to the bath salts, the scent will be slightly diluted by the salts. Now you’re ready to start putting the salts into the jars!
- Fill the jar about halfway to the top with bath salts and add two tablespoons of your mixed oils; stir them together.
- Fill the jar almost to the top, leaving enough room to stir the mixture again and add two more spoons of oils; stir again. You can always add more scented oils as you feel necessary.
Homemade Peppermint Bark (Sweet Treats)
Ingredients:
- Chocolate melting wafers: 40-50 ounces (any kind of chocolate works, but I usually use white and dark)
- Peppermints: 2 handfuls, or just enough to get the peppermint flavor (I use red and green peppermints for variety)
- Silicone molds to pour the chocolate into (I use all shapes and sizes)
- Decorated plastic bags: 10-15, depending on how many candies you’d like in each bag
This recipe yields about 10 gifts; one gift per decorated bag.
Steps:
- Clean the silicone molds before using them and be sure all containers and utensils are dry.
- Put your peppermints into a plastic bag and crush to your desired size. I like to have a few medium-sized chunks and a few sprinkle-sized pieces.
- Next, melt the chocolates based on the directions from the brand you buy. I use Ghirardelli melting wafers and always get great results.
- After the chocolates are melted, sprinkle a few small pieces of peppermint into the bottom of the silicone molds, and then mix the rest of the peppermints into the melted chocolate. This will create a better look once the candies harden.
- Pour the chocolate and peppermint mix into the molds carefully. You can even add crumbled Oreos or pretzels for extra crunch!
- Place them in the refrigerator to harden overnight. Once hardened, remove the candies from the molds and place in plastic individually wrapped bags or containers for gifts.
Remember, there’s no need for more stress and anxiety during the holiday season. Making homemade gifts this year is sure to be exciting for both the gift giver and gift recipient!
Have you ever thought about doing homemade Christmas gifts? Let us know in the comments!
My name is Emily Glover! Since joining Pelican in 2016, I have fallen madly in love with the credit union world. My favorite part of what I do is getting to interact with new people. I am a worship leader and a music enthusiast, and I love learning to cook new dishes for my husband and son.
