50 Handmade Gift Ideas

I always tell my kids the best gifts are handmade. I truly believe this. Today I’m sharing 50 Handmade Gift Ideas in case you want to make some gifts for family and friends.

There’s nothing quite as special (and personal) as a handmade gift. I love how handmade things tell their own story, but also show so much love. Both of our kids have asked Luke and I want we want this year and we say (as we do every year) make us something. A handmade gift created by them and filled with love is so meaningful to me. I hope you enjoy these 50 Handmade Gift Ideas. This post is great for the holidays but it’s also a great post to come back to season and after season because many of the ideas and projects are timeless.

I’ve gone back into our archives and rounded up my favorite recipes, crafts, art and DIY projects. I hope you love this as much as I did creating it. All you need to do is click the button under each to see more about the project or recipe. I’ve already shared the ultimate gift guide for everyone on your list and my shop small gift guide featuring many of my favorite local shops.

Be sure to pin this for later:

1. Shibori Dyed Pillows and Home Decor

This is such a fun project and love how everything comes out unique. Who doesn’t love blue and white? We created runners, placemats, and pillow covers. The possibilities are endless. Pillow tutorial here and succulent shibori tablescape here.

2. Gingerbread House Cakes

Sweet gingerbread cakes are a lovely gift to drop off for friends or family. They also look so pretty!

3. Stencilled Stationery

Do you have a writer or journal lover on your gift list? Make them some stenciled stationery!

4. Dried Floral Ornaments

Pretty baby’s breath and dried grasses look timeless and lovely in glass baubles. This is an easy and fun project and makes a great gift!

5. Winter Gin and Tonics

These are fun to make for friends! Pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprigs make them feel more festive.

6. Mini Seascapes

Using watercolors paint a mini seascape and frame it. Perfect for any beach lover! Learn to paint your own or print my free printable here.

7. Snowball Cookies

These are always a crowd favorite and easy to make! I love them with tea!

8. White Christmas Wall Hanging

I’ve always loved the lyrics for White Christmas. Use this free printable to create your own wall hanging.

9. Floating Starfish Wreath

Classic and timeless white starfish. The perfect gift anytime of the year!

10. Hand Poured Candles

Use recycled glass yogurt pots and soy wax to create your own hand poured candles.

11. Sparkling Cranberry Cocktails

Perfectly festive sparkling cocktails to celebrate the holidays or New Year’s Eve.

12. Easy Peppermint Bark

Who doesn’t love peppermint bark? It’s easier to make than you might think.

13. Farmhouse Floral Arrangement

Flowers always make lovely gifts. Create a special arrangement and put it in an antique vessel.

14. Driftwood Sailboat Ornaments

These will sail right into someone’s heart! Use driftwood, dowels, and old map pages for the sails.

15. Homemade Eggnog

Our friend Kate taught us how to make homemade eggnog and there’s no comparison to homemade. Make some for friends and put in pretty gift bottles with a tag!

16. Heart Crayons

Such a fun project with the kids or grandkids. Melt down old crayons to make your own heart crayons. A beautiful way to show someone you love them!

17. Homemade Mince Pies

This is another family favorite! It reminds me of England. We love making these together and they are nice to give as gifts.

18. Sunprint Art

Another fun project to do with the kids or grandkids. We made a bunch using items from our yard. Evergreen branches would look really pretty and festive. It works best with things that can lay flat.

19. Dried Orange Slice Ornaments

I just shared how to make these the other day. We also shared ways of decorating with orange slices and how to make an orange slice garland here.

20. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

We all need more chocolate in our lives! These double chocolate chip cookies are delicious!

21. Hand Dipped Candles

Our son really got into hand dipping candles. Learn to make hand dipped candles with bees’ wax. They are very fun to make!

22. Paint Snowy Evergreen Bookmarks

Learn to make snowy evergreen bookmarks! A perfect gift for the book lover!

23. Make Birch Candle Holders

Pretty and easy candle holders made from birch logs.

24. Champagne Cocktails

Fizzy champagne and orange cocktails! Fun for New Year’s Eve.

25. Dip Dyed Napkins

Make unique napkins in any color by using a dip dying technique.

26. Homemade Marshmallows

Have you ever made your own marshmallows? They’re actually delicious and so fluffy. Perfect for hot chocolate or s’mores cookies.

27. DIY Terrariums

Plants are always a fun gift and make a home feel so warm and welcoming after the holiday decorations are put away. Using simple elements make terrarium gifts.

28. Faux Malachite Tray

This luxe looking tray is perfect for the home lover or entertainer! We created a faux malachite look with paint! You could also do this same technique on coasters.

29. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another favorite in our house! These are easy to make and lovely boxed up as a gift!

30. Watercolor Hearts

Tell someone you love them with your own watercolor heart art.

31. Mulled Wine Kit

This is a fun gift to bring over to a party. We also did them one year for all of Luke’s brothers when we lived in England.

32. Chippy Vintage Sled

Take an old sled and add some paint, Salt Wash and Christmas greenery to make a lovely winter decor item.

33. Delicious Homemade Chocolates

Make these Oreo Cookie Truffles and while you’re at it maybe make some pretty boxes, too!

34. Shell Candles

Hand poured candles in sea shells. These are lovely for the beach lover and so much fun to make!

35. Paper Peonies

Paper flowers are so pretty and fun to make. These would be pretty alone or to embellish a present.

36. Cranberry Relish

My dad always used to make his famous cranberry relish at the holidays. This makes a lovely gift packaged in pretty ball jars tied with ribbon.

37. Snowy Galvanized Star Ornaments

These pretty galvanized stars are so pretty turned into ornaments.

38. DIY Moss Heart

Lovely for the nature lover. Take a raw edge piece of wood and add a pretty moss heart.

39. Old Fashioned with Whisky Stones

My husband loves a good old fashioned. This is his recipe and it’s lovely!

40. Vintage Style Sign

Use this tutorial for making a vintage sign that can say whatever you like! Mine says Fresh Oysters because my husband loves them!

41. Ferrero Rocher Cookies

I’m obsessed with Ferraro Rocher chocolates. I love them at Christmastime and my family usually gives me boxes of them. This cookie is devoted to these lovely hazelnut chocolates.

42. Pressed Clay Botanicals

This is another fun one to try with kids!

43. DIY Wrapping Paper

Techically this isn’t really a gift BUT it can go on a gift. Making gift wrap is so fun and is also recycleable.

44. Pretty Centerpiece in Ironstone

A pretty centerpiece in ironstone is a perfect hostess gift!

45. Sea Glass Bottles

Create the look of sea glass on pretty bottles. Another great one for the ocean lover!

46. Sea Fan Wall Art

Create pretty wall art with pine boards and sea fans.

47. Creating a Hot Chocolate Bar

Making a hot chocolate bar with homemade marshmallows and all different Christmas cookies is a fun “event” style gift.

48. Dark and Stormy Cocktails

Gift all the ingredients for this spicy winter cocktail!

49. Holly Free Printable

Paint a bough of holly or print this free printable in a painted frame.

50. Make Mason Jar Snow Globes

This is another fun project to do with the kids or grandchildren. Using mason jars create pretty little snow globe scenes.

---

I hope you enjoyed these 50 handmade gift ideas and I hope you’ll try and make some for family and friends! Please tell me if you do!

As a bonus, gift from me to you I wanted to also give you some watercolor gift tags for all those gorgeous gifts you’re gonna make. Simply click the link to be taken to the post to print your gift tags.

Watercolor Pine Tree Gift Tags

Winter Favorites Gift Tags

Hope you have a beautiful weekend, friends, and thank you so much for reading!