Easy homemade Christmas gifts and craft ideas - How to make simple DIY Christmas gifts for free

If you are already wincing at the thought of what Christmas will do to your bank account, fear not. With a little bit of thought and time, it can be possible to make gifts for virtually nothing.

The shops are already full of Christmas presents - but you can give the festive season a personal touch by making your own extra special gifts for loved ones this year.

The trick is to make them personal - your gift may not have the gleam of a store-bought product, but it is much more heartfelt and these projects will be fun for children to have a go at.

Here are some Christmas gift ideas that you can make with just the help of the internet and your kitchen cupboards.

We also have tips on making your own wrapping paper, Christmas tree decorations, and homemade Santa hats which are sure to make your celebrations extra special.

1. Photo calendars

Design and print off a photo calendar using this free template. We do this every year with pictures of the kids, to gift to grandparents, and aunts and uncles.

2. Decoupaged photo frames (Image: Maybe Matilda)

Take an old photo frame, and cover it with old maps (if you can find one of a relevant area, that makes it extra special), vintage sheet music, old books, or even comics. And then pop in a picture, or a leave it empty for the recipient to fill.
 Lots of tutorials call for special decoupage glue, but simple PVA watered down with a little water will work just as well.

3. Memory jar (Image: Vicky Barone)

An empty jar and some scraps of paper can create a really thoughtful Memory Jar. The idea is that the recipient makes a note of all the great things that happen over the course of the year, and can then empty it out and look back on them at the end of the year (or whenever they are feeling low).

Read More Have a homemade Christmas 4. Personalised Cookbook

Type up some of your favourite recipes, print them out and tie them together into a personalised recipe book

5. 52 reasons I love you (Image: Katherina Krafts)

This works well on a pack of cards. 
Simply write out 52 reasons why you love that person, and stick one on each playing card.
 Another version is to write them on paper, fold each piece into an origami heart, and pop them all into an old glass jar.

Read More 6. Flavoured sugars


Vanilla, cinnamon, lavender and lemon can all be used to simply flavour sugar and they make great gifts for any bakers in your life.

7. Origami bookmarks (Image: Red Ted Art)

With a little bit of clever folding, a simple piece of paper can become a bookmark, in the shape of a monster, a heart, or even a minion.

8. Spice Rub


This is a super easy make, and you may already have everything you need in your kitchen cupboards.

Read More Christmas gift guides 9. Recycled crayons

Collect up all the part worn, and use them to make a set of brand new crayons. 
You can use a muffin tin and cases, or if you have silicon ice cube moulds, these work well too (although the crayons can stain the mould, so be selective about what you use!)

10. Sourdough Starter (Image: Hobbs House)

A sourdough starter is an ancient method of starting to bake bread and it's made from the simplest of ingredients - flour and water. With a few days and TLC it can become the founding ingredient of some magnificent sourdough bread, and makes a great gift for anyone looking to start baking their own bread.

Jen Gale is a money saving blogger. She wrote about her year of buying nothing new in My Make Do and Mend Year and continues to blog at Make Do and Mend-able .

Cheap personalised Christmas gifts 1. Themed jars (Image: Daily Mirror)

Make your wrapping part of the present with a personalised theme the recipient will love.

Add sewing kits in glass jars (Under £5, Hobby Craft) will keep essentials handy all year round.

Fill a pudding basin, (£6.49, Lakeland) with the most luxurious ingredients and wrap it in a tea towel (£3 for two, M&S)

Fix with ribbon to complete the novel gift for cooks and creatives.

2. Candle bouquet Stems of seasonal flowers such as lilies, sprigs of heather, a candle and a foam sphere is all you need to treat mums, grandmothers and mother-in-laws this Christmas.

You can easily make one yourself for friends and family or as a sweet decoration too.

Stems, from £2 each, and heather plant, £7.99, both The Garden Centre Group

Pillar candle, £2.50, Sainsbury's

Foam ring, £4.50, Hobbycraft.

3. Homemade chocolate truffles (Image: Daily Mirror)

Kids will love making these tasty treats for teachers and who wouldn't be delighted to receive these goodies on Christmas Day?!

The no-bake truffles are fun to make - especially if you get to lick the bowl- and will take a matter of minutes whip up.

Gently heat a 284ml pot of double cream, 280g of good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), and 50g of unsalted butter in a pan and leave to cool until pliable.

Then mould into round balls and roll in cocoa powder, caster sugar, chocolate sprinkles or melted white chocolate.

Place in candy boxes (£4.49 for 5, Partypieces) lined with coloured paper tissue (£1.99 for 20 sheets, Hobbycraft).

4. Personalised beauty hamper

Steer clear of expensive beauty box sets and make up your own, picking smellies your family and friends will love.

Take a wicker storage basket (£1.99 - £7.99, Dunelm)

Fold in a linen towel (£4.99, TK Maxx)

Fill with toiletries selected specially for your loved one (check out Boots offers)

Pop in baubles or a ribbon for extra decoration.

Source: Easy homemade Christmas gifts and craft ideas - How to make simple DIY Christmas gifts for free