Homemade Christmas Present Ideas

by Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of Brand Shamans &  Write W.A.V.E. Media

Image © Jeanne Frost; All Rights Reserved (used with permission)

Receiving gift baskets for Christmas often can be a great joy. Homemade Christmas presents are great ways to show appreciation since a lot of love can go into composing them. A good homemade Christmas present idea is one that the recipient will find both useful and meaningful.

Be attentive to the personalities and lifestyles of those you are giving gifts to in order to come up with the ideas that will suit them the best. Amazon is a great source for many of the craft and hobby items required when making these homemade Christmas present ideas.

The Gift Basket

The gift baskets you make can include crafts. First, think about the types of things you have seen in the recipient's home. Also consider what that person likes to do. For example, a car lover who has pictures of cars or car collectibles around the home might appreciate a craft gift basket full of model car kits, model paint, a hobby knife and model glue.

Alternatively, that same person might also enjoy scraps of wood, plastic and other materials that can be used to design his own model vehicle. When considering supplies for homemade Christmas present ideas,  everything should be catered to the needs of the recipient. If the gift recipient likes flowers, twist a few floral stems around the basket handles, or you can even incorporate some into the gift itself. There are endless possibilities when it comes to gift baskets as presents for Christmas.

The Food Basket

Christmas-themed foods also make great homemade Christmas present ideas when it comes to filling a gift basket. Foods can include jams, pies, fruits, nuts in the shell, chocolates and peanut brittle. To make them extra special, prepare the foods yourself. If you are unsure how to do this, fear not.

All it takes is a simple Web search to find the perfect holiday recipes. Foods that are great to prepare and use as homemade Christmas present ideas for gift baskets include fruit cake, spice cake, cookies, gingerbread house kits, hot chocolate mix, ribbon candy and Christmas-themed chocolates made from candy melts and molds.

Homemade Christmas Ornaments

There are many homemade Christmas ornaments that can be made from food items. These are great things to put into gift baskets for Christmas. One idea is to take simple dough, roll it out and cut out cookies with cookie cutters. To make the dough, you'll need 4 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt and about 1 1/2 cups of water.

Mix those ingredients together. Flour a flat surface and roll the dough out on it. Use cookie cutters to cut out Christmas shapes. Bake the ornaments until they are slightly browned. Let them cool. For decorating the cookies, any acrylic craft paint can be used. These ornaments make great homemade Christmas present ideas because they

For another homemade ornament idea, read "Kids Christmas Crafts: Recycled Tree Ornaments". Adults can make and enjoy these as well.

Homemade Bath and Beauty Gifts

Most people like to pamper themselves every now and then. A bath and beauty gift basket can be filled with homemade items such as glycerin soap, candles made with a scent personal to the recipient, and custom scented bath salts. You also can blend essential oils together for a personalized combination.

Aromatherapy-at-home.com has instructions for making your own essential oils. If you wish to save time, essential oils can also be purchased and then blended at home to make massage oils, bath oils, salts and more, all targeted to the recipient's needs. Essential oils can be used on the skin, hair and nails as part of a natural beauty regimen to keep them healthy.

If you aren't very crafty but you like the homemade feel you also may want to consider handcrafted jewelry items.