There’s always something special about giving homemade Christmas gifts. Besides the obvious money saving component, homemade holiday gifts offer a real heart to heart spirit just perfect for the season.
I love to tap into my creative juices a little in coming up with DIY Christmas gifts for my kids’ teachers, work colleagues and some of our friends. However, it’s also really important to me to keep these homemade recipes as simple as possible so the whole family can join me in making them.
Here are some ideas to DIY your own family's gifts.
Homemade Christmas Gift Idea #1: Rose Strawberry Jam
The first homemade holiday gift idea that’s always sure to be a hit is this simple and tasty Rose Strawberry Jam recipe.
While you may be familiar with the use of rose water for your skin, cooking with rose water also has some remarkable health benefits ranging from mood enhancement to a Vitamin C source to relief of digestive discomfort.
As a recipe ingredient, particularly when added to fruit, it’s a simple way to enhance the flavor and add a slight floral element to many sweet and savory dishes.
Note: This recipe will fill one large mason jar, but can also be packaged in smaller jars for easy gifting!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups strawberries
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons food grade rose water (found in your local farmers market or you can make it yourself by steeping fresh rose petals on low heat until the petals turn white, then straining the petals out of the water)
Instructions:
- First, crush the strawberries in a mixing bowl.
- Add the crushed strawberries, lemon juice, rose water and sugar to the pot.
- Cook on low for about 7-10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat to high and cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Put the mixture in sterilized jars and seal with love.
Homemade Christmas Gift Idea #2: Candy Cane Bath Salts
Another great homemade holiday gift idea are these festive and soothing Candy Cane Bath Salts. There are lots of variations to this recipe idea you can find online, so you can customize the colors and scents to your taste.
Not only are they super cute and simple to make, most of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery or drug store.
Ingredients:
- 12 tall canning jars with lid (The recipe calls for 12 -16 oz)
- 8 lbs of Epsom Salt (approximately 16 cups)
- 4 lbs of kosher salt (approximately 6 cups)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon glycerin, divided. Get this from your local drug store near the skin products
- 16 drops lavender essential oil (or any scent you prefer) You should find these in either a natural foods market or a craft store.
- 20 drops red coloring
Directions:
- In one large mixing bowl, add 8 cups of Epsom Salts and 3 cups kosher salt. Stir well.
- Add in 1/4 teaspoon glycerin and eight drops of essential oil to the salts and mix well.
- In a second mixing bowl, repeat this process with the remaining 8 cups of Epsom Salts and 3 cups kosher salt. Stir well.
- In the second mixing bowl only, sirt in the red colorant until completely blended.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, layer salts in jars, alternating white and red mixtures.
Homemade Holiday Gift Idea #3: DIY Milk Bath Soak with Lavender
While you have the lavender essential oil on hand and you're giving the gift of comfort, another soothing recipe to try is this relaxing DIY Milk Bath Soak with lavender essential oils.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup powdered milk
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup baking soda
- Lavender essential oil (optionally, you can use any essential oil you like)
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and stir.
- Place mixture into a mason jar or any glass container, seal tight and shake vigorously.
Here’s a quick video tutorial to check out also:
Homemade Christmas gifts are always a simple and sweet way to spread holiday cheer to those special people in your life.