Handmade Holiday Gift Guide

Get crafty this holiday season with my handmade holiday gift guide. I’ve rounded up 25 handmade craft projects for family and friends of all ages!

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Hello Crafty Friends! Break out your craft supplies this holiday season and make a one-of-a-kind handmade gift! Today I’m sharing my Handmade Holiday Gift Guide with 25 craft ideas for family and friends of all ages. Whether you are planning to make all of your gifts or looking to make just one or two this year, I have rounded up projects from my site that would make wonderful gifts this holiday.

Crafty Combination Gifts

While all of these handmade gifts can be given on their own, I’ve also included ideas for purchased items that would coordinate well. For example adding a new cookbook or utensil set to a handmade apron. The handmade gift can be the star or it can be a sweet sidekick like a handmade bookmark with a new set of books!

Tips for Saving Money while Crafting Handmade Gifts

While making something handmade is unique and thoughtful, it is not always cheaper. Here a few quick tips for ways to save money while making your own Christmas gifts!

Shop your home! If you have a large stash of fabric or paper, chances are you have some of the supplies needed already. While it’s tempting to purchase everything new, taking the time to go through your supplies will save you money.
If you need to purchase items shop the sales! For example if you know you are making a half-dozen fleece pillows, wait until Joann Fabrics is running a fleece sale and then stock up.
Create multiples of the same item. For example, crafting a batch of wreaths from similar fabrics will save money when compared to purchasing completely different fabrics for each one. They can still be unique and customized to each recipient by changing something small. For my Polar Bear pillows I made all of them with white fleece but changed the fabric in each ear to fit who was receiving it.
Make a sample before creating multiples. I always suggest testing things to makes sure the craft will work the way you hoped. For example, if you plan to make a treat box to fit something specific, make one first and test it out. This will allow you to make changes to the size or type of paper you are using before purchasing a lot of supplies.
Create “scrappy” items! I love making crafts that work well with scraps. Whether that is scraps of fabric or scraps of paper, projects that allow you to use up bits and pieces leftover from other projects instantly save you money. Many of the fabric banners I create are made with fabric scraps from my stash.

I hope these tips help. Gifting unique one-of-a-kind items is so much fun! I often take on a bit more than I can chew with handmade gifts, but am getting better at having realistic expectations of what I can actually get done. Nobody wants to be frantically finishing up gifts when you could be enjoying the season with loved ones. Make a plan and be flexible if things need to change as you go. The process of hand crafting gifts should be enjoyable for you too!