100 Best Homemade Christmas Gifts You Can Easily DIY Last-Minute for Family and Friends
Creative and useful handmade ideas for parents, grandparents, teachers and kids alike.
Christmas can be one of the most joyful holidays of the year. But when you consider gift-giving, decorations and party planning, it's no wonder it's also one of the most expensive. If you find it difficult to stick to your holiday budget — especially when the most popular gifts of 2023 are only a click or swipe away — DIY Christmas gifts are the answer. They're thoughtful, creative and can be personalized for that special someone in your life. That's why we're sharing some of the easiest (and best last-minute!) homemade Christmas gifts that you can make for everyone on your gift-giving list this year.
We've sprinkled in an array of Christmas crafts for adults and kids to gift to their loved ones. Some of the ideas, like giant ornament pillows, gold leaf candle holders and name puzzle pieces, double as cherished pieces of decor. Others are edible —the snowmen spoons and the coffee mug mixers are delicious examples. We even have a few Christmas gift basket ideas, including tutorials on how to crochet and knit your own bags and hats (all thanks to the GH Stitch Club and their library of patterns). Plus, when it comes to decorating a Christmas tree, you can't go wrong with homemade ornaments parents, grandparents, teachers and coworkers would love to hang.
So, get ready to be extra crafty this year, all while using our roundup for inspiration. And for more DIY Christmas content, check out our assortment of homemade gift-wrapping ideas and homemade Christmas cards.
Ornament Pillows
Basic sewing skills and blogger Kelly's ornament pillow template will help you DIY these adorable plush pillows. They're festive and can be kept on display long after the holiday season ends.
Brick Neon Sign
Everyone can appreciate a DIY neon sign to brighten an office space. Blogger Alexis started by gluing foam project bricks to a white canvas. After deciding on the word to feature, sketch it out on paper, use yarn to lay it into the board, then pull your lights through.
Personalized Christmas Ornament
For this craft, start by spray painting clear ornaments white. Find letter and holiday-themed stencils to apply to the ornaments before painting them in your desired color. Finish the designs off with a sealer. Then, hot glue ribbon or twine to the top so your gift recipient can hang their new decoration on the tree.
Gold Leaf Candle Holders
Any holiday dinner table can benefit from the glow of candlelight. Paint clear candle jars with adhesive. After waiting 30 minutes for the glue to dry, place sheets of gold leaves over the area. Smooth everything out with your hands before applying a thin layer of sealer on top.
Washi Tape Holiday Cards
Use washi tape to add flair to basic Christmas cards. Take your pick of festive designs and patterns — think Christmas trees, presents, stripes and snowflakes.
Fringe Ornaments
Easily transform glass ornaments into colorful decor by hot gluing tinsel fringe from the bottom to the top. Whoever you gift them to — a friend, coworker, parent or neighbor — will surely find them stunning.
Coffee Mug Mixers
A mouthwatering treat, especially one that involves spoonfuls of chocolate, is always a go for Christmas. Sprinkle candy onto the chocolate of your choice before wrapping the spoons in plastic to give their hot chocolate an extra dose of sweetness.
Christmas Cutout Candle
Use your Cricut machine to print and cut out a winter wonderland scene onto white vinyl. Think fields of snow and white evergreens. Stick the scene around the base of a candleholder for gifting.
Twine-Wrapped Lightbulbs
Don't worry: These "pears" aren't as expensive as they look! Coil twine around light bulbs and hot glue the twine in place. Use twigs as the stems and pieces of paper as your leaves.
Knit Hat
Follow the tutorial linked below to easily knit this cozy hat. You'll need chunky yarn and this simple pattern to start. It's a gift everyone can appreciate to get through the cold winter months in style.
Christmas Tree Drink Picks
Is it even Christmas without a merry cocktail? Here's an easy way to take yours up a notch. Cut drink skewers down to 3" long. Then, attach small bottle brush trees to the top with hot glue. Voila!
Filled Glass Ornament
Spruce up your Christmas tree with clear glass ornaments filled with feathers, bottle-brush trees, miniature figurines (like a snowman) and more!
Hat and Scarf Wine Stopper
They'll love nothing more than receiving their favorite bottle of wine as a gift. Don't stop there, though. Consider hot gluing miniature hats and gloves to the cap and neck for a holiday-ready look.
Alcohol Ink Coasters
They're colorful, cute and oh-so-fun to make! Decorate ceramic, metal or glass coasters with alcohol ink to bring these elegant designs to life.
Christmas Poppers
Use blogger Brittany's template to create candy-filled poppers your gift recipients can let loose right before the Christmas meal! Items needed include Kraft paper, ribbon and an X-Acto knife.
Knot Pillow
Make your own trendy knot pillows with a sewing machine. Once done, gift them to loved ones to place wherever they need a pop of color for the holiday season and beyond.
Air Fresheners
Choose your preferred scent, fabric and shape for your air fresheners based on your giftee's style. Maybe lavender for Grandpa and lemon for Mom?
Patterned Wooden Spoons
Wrap wooden spoons with colorful embroidery thread and use quick dry glue and Mod Podge to keep it in place. They'll make the perfect gift for any home chef.
Vintage Map Wall Art
Know anyone who is fascinated with maps or loves to travel? Then, gift them a DIY framed map, where you've outlined the countries and continents with ribbon or twine. Hot glue will keep it intact.
Succulent Garden Bowl
Plant lovers will adore a DIY green display they can place on their coffee table, bookshelf or kitchen island. Fill a large glass bowl with soil, before creatively placing moss, cacti, succulents, stones and more on top.
Get the tutorial at Inspired by Charm »
RELATED: Best Gifts for Plant Lovers That Will Knock Their Stalks Off
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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