In today’s post: Want to make some DIY Christmas gifts for family and friends but not sure you have the time? Today I’ve rounded up 50 easy homemade Christmas gifts you can make in just 15 minutes!
I love making homemade gifts for Christmas, but they can take a long time to make. No one wants to be up late on Christmas Eve trying to finish their gifts (btdt)! Luckily, the DIY gift ideas we’re sharing today are easy to make and won’t take much of your time. Plus friends, family, grandparents, and teachers are sure to love them. Now, a few of these homemade Christmas gift ideas might take longer than 15 minutes to make just one, but if you make them in batches you’ll end up averaging about 15 minutes per gift. With 50 options, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for any recipient. Enjoy!
50 quick, easy homemade Christmas gifts
Below you’ll find DIY food gifts, gifts using photos, gifts made with fabric, pampering gifts, and more fun, unique handmade ideas – these would be great for birthdays too!
For even more DIY gift ideas, visit these posts:
25 gorgeous but CHEAP DIY gifts
Food Gifts
Homemade goodies are one of the best parts of the holidays, and these DIY food gifts will work for just about anyone on your holiday list.
Soup Mixes in a Jar
Put soup mix into cute jars for easy DIY Christmas gift that everyone will love. Gift them individually, or put a couple together in a basket for a really beautiful gift. Find all six recipes at Wholefully.
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Crockpot Caramel Apple Butter
You can make a big batch or caramel apple butter in your slow cooker! This easy recipe only takes a few minutes of hands-on work and has a big yield, so you can get lots of gifts done at once. Recipe from It's Always Autumn.
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DIY Elf Mason Jars
This Elf Mason Jar gift from Polka Dot Chair literally could not be any easier to make! Fill the jar with green candy and add a red felt collar, then tie on the printable tag with some cute twine.
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Christmas Cookie Cans
Wrap empty chip cans in pretty paper and tie it up with ribbon, then fill them with cookies for a quick, easy homemade Christmas gift. From Fun Squared.
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Cookie Mix Gift Sack
Everyone loves cookies, but there are so many treats around during the holidays that giving a cookie mix in a gift sack is a great way to go. That way the person who receives it can make a sweet treat whenever she wants them. From It’s Always Autumn.
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Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Mix
Here’s another cookie mix gift option – this one layered in a jar. Find recipes for Chocolate Peppermint Cookie mix and Double Chocolate Toffee Cookie mix at Crazy Little Projects.
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Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzels
You can make a giant batch of these salted caramel chocolate pretzels in about half an hour, then divide it up into small jars or bags for a gift almost anyone will enjoy. Recipe from It’s Always Autumn.
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Cinnamon Oat Pancake Mix
Cinnamon oat pancake mix in a jar will be a much loved gift, especially when paired with a fancy bottle of syrup from the grocery store. Get the recipe and print the instruction label at An Oregon Cottage.
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Tea Bag Trees
Glue an assortment of tea bags to a styrofoam cone to make this cute Christmas tree topiary as a healthy alternative to sweet treats. Instructions at Thirsty for Tea.
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Peppermint Candy Spoons
Melt crushed peppermint candy in a spoon shaped mold and then dip in chocolate to make cute peppermint spoons for hot cocoa. Princess Pinky Girl shows you how to make the spoons and then combine them with cocoa mix for fun, unique handmade gift idea.
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Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar
This homemade hot chocolate mix is super creamy and delicious! Make a big batch and layer it together with toppings for a cute holiday gift. Printable tags are included in the blog post from Love Grows Wild.
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Photo Gift Ideas
For family members (especially grandparents), photo gifts are always a winner. These thoughtful gifts showcase photos of the people and places we love, and are sure to be loved. Plus they make great decorations!
Personalized Photo Candles
Personalized Photo Candles from It’s Always Autumn are quick, inexpensive, and easy enough for kids to make! All you need is a laser print of your photo and some packing tape.
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Photo Magnets
These DIY photo magnets are so easy to make and cost just pennies each—you can do 100 for around $8! All you need to make your own Instagram photo magnets is a printer, magnetic paper and a pair of scissors. Tutorial from Everyday Reading.
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10 Minute Photo Ornaments
Keepsake photo ornaments only take about ten minutes to make, and allow the recipient to fill her Christmas tree with favorite memories. Learn how to make them from Simple as That.
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Acrylic Photo Block
This might be the easiest handmade Christmas gift idea ever: print a photo onto clear sticker paper and adhere it to a clear acrylic block. Done! Instructions from It’s Always Autumn.
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Mini Photo Calendar
This easy gift idea comes together quickly and only costs a few dollars. Print out free templates and add your own photos! Step by step instructions for making a simple stand are included. From It’s Always Autumn.
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Keepsake Photo Box
This keepsake Photo Box only takes a few minutes to put together, making it a very easy DIY gift idea. You could make one with pictures of all the grandkids for Grandma!
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Photo Coasters
Travel Inspired Living shows you how to make photo coasters in just a few minutes. Use your favorite photos, or grab photos from the recipient’s social media to surprise them.
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Shadowbox Photo Display
An interchangeable photo frame allows the recipient to display a variety of favorite photos. Using clothespins and a large shadow box frame makes this project come together in minutes. Instructions from Inspired By Charm.
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Illustrated Photo
Learn how easy it is to turn your photos into illustrations for about 5 bucks! It only takes a few clicks using an inexpensive app. Makes a great gift for grandparents!
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Pampering Gifts
During the busy holiday season, everyone appreciates a little pampering. These DIY Christmas gift ideas are perfect for friends, sisters, teachers, and more.
Sugar Scrub Cubes
Homemade sugar scrub is a variation on homemade bath salts that has become a popular Christmas gift idea – learn how to make easy sugar scrub cubes at Smart School House.
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Peppermint Milk Bath
Bath bombs are fun, but they can take a while to make, so try mixing up a batch of homemade peppermint milk bath. With no drying time and only two ingredients, this simple gift comes together in minutes. Recipe at Tidy Mom.
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Pumpkin Spice Soap
Whip up a batch of Pumpkin Spice Soap in just ten minutes! It smells absolutely amazing and would be cute in a gift basket along with a new hand towel. Recipe at Happiness is Homemade.
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Coconut Oil Lip Balm
Homemade lip balm is one of the easiest cosmetics to make – this batch only takes about five minutes to whip up using just three all natural ingredients. From The Coconut Mama.
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Whipped Body Butter
This Whipped Lavender Body Butter is full of skin-loving floral ingredients. The main ingredient is lavender butter and the scent is accentuated with lavender essential oil. Learn how to make it at Soap Queen.
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Crocheted Face Scrubbie
If you know how to crochet, these crocheted face scrubbies come together super quickly! And if you don’t know how to crochet, it’s a great beginner project. Instructions from Craftaholics Anonymous.
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Lavender Eye Pillows
These pretty little eye pillows are filled with lavender buds and lavender essential oil and can be warmed or cooled to help you relax. A thoughtful gift for someone going through a hard time, from Tidbits and Company.
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Jewelry Organizer
Place chicken wire in a large picture frame to create a jewelry organizer, perfect for keeping earrings accessible and easy to find. Add hooks on the bottom for necklaces. Get all the details from Lydi Out Loud.
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Sewing + Craft Gifts
If you love crafts, these homemade gift ideas are for you! Use your skills to make great gifts that only take a few minutes each – and you might be able to use up some of your craft and fabric stash while you’re at it.
DIY Sunglasses Case
You can sew up these pretty sunglass cases in just a few minutes for a unique DIY gift. If you have extra fabric or scraps in your stash, this idea is super inexpensive as well. Instructions at A Kailo Chic Life.
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Drawer Sachets
Make homemade drawer sachets and get multiple gifts made in a snap! The instructions use fusible hem tape so you don’t even need a sewing machine to make them. From Craftaholics Anonymous.
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T-Shirt Produce Bag
This produce bag made from a t-shirt is one of the coolest easy DIY projects I’ve seen! Everyone will be amazed at your creativity – they don’t have to know how simple this is to make. From Delia Creates.
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Easy Scrunchie
This is, by far, the easiest method for making hair scrunchies we’ve ever seen. Once you read through the simple tutorial you’ll be able to sew one up in no time (only 2 seams!). Get the pattern, which includes a cute bunny ear bow option, from Threads Monthly.
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No Sew Beanie
Visit the thrift store to find old sweaters with cute patterns and then turn them into beanies! This one is a no-sew version using fabric glue. From The Wonder Forest Blog.
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Stamped Christmas Towels
Use Christmas cookie cutters to stamp designs onto plain white tea towels – genius! The towels turn out so cute, and there’s a printable label you can wrap around them. From Tidbits and Company.
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Fleece Earwarmers
Fleece ear warmers are a quick sewing project perfect for beginners. Great gift idea for kids, friends, and especially anyone who loves to run. Pattern and instructions at Fleece Fun.
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Cozy Hand Warmers
Homemade hand warmers are a gift that's both cute and practical! Learn how quick they are to sew up from Rae Ann Kelly.
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Felt Ball Trivet
This simple craft idea is a fun way to protect your table from hot platters and pans. It’s a simple hand stitched project that teens and tweens could make. Find the instructions at Lia Griffith.
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Embroidery Hoop Organizer
Make a fun gift for a fellow crafter by turning an embroidery hoop and some gorgeous fabric into a hanging organizer for pens, small scissors, measuring tapes and more. Learn how at Sew Crafty Me.
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Fleece Hat + Scarf
You can make a matching hat and scarf from colorful fleece in about fifteen minutes – no pattern needed and it one takes one line of sewing! Choose fleece you know the recipient will love for a personal gift. From It’s Always Autumn.
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More DIY Gifts
Even more easy DIY Christmas gift ideas that you can put together in just a few minutes!
Stovetop Potpourri
Jars of stovetop potpourri are fast and easy to put together, look amazing, and smell even better! Click through for the recipe as well as a free printable tag. From Yellow Bliss Road.
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Stamped Wooden Utensils
These trendy wooden utensils don’t take long to make and look like they came from a high end kitchen boutique. Pair them with a couple tea towels for a gift that looks a lot more expensive than it is. From The Idea Room.
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Wood Tablet Holder
Start with a wood cutting board and add a few small pieces of lumber to create this table holder. It’s so convenient for anyone who loves to cook! From Love Grows Wild.
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Teacup Candles
Making teacup candles is easier than you’d think: you can make three or four in about half an hour (plus drying time). Learn everything you need to know at The Craft Patch.
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DIY Colorblocked Vases
Learn how to make lovely color blocked vases for a modern handmade Christmas gift. This technique uses adhesive wood sheets that can be painted in any color. From Sarah Hearts.
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Customized Coffee Mugs
If you own a cutting machine, you can download the cut files for these funny coffee mugs for a handmade gift your mom friends are sure to love. Get the files at Happiness is Homemade.
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Pineapple Bookends
You won’t believe how easy it is to make these these cute pineapple bookends. You can use any type of faux fruit, or even small plastic toys (dinosaur bookends anyone?) to match the personality of the recipient. Instructions at DIY Candy.
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12 Daytz of Christmas
Print out the 12 Daytz of Christmas for a fun DIY gift for your husband or partner that you guys can enjoy all year long! From Somewhat Simple.
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Embroidered Kitchen Towel
Get the look of custom embroidered towels with iron on embroidery letters! Add fun trims for a cute towel that's perfect for gifting to hostesses. From A Beautiful Mess.
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Chalkboard Dinner Planner
This weekly chalkboard menu planner lets everyone know what’s for dinner. Letter stickers and spray paint make this project super easy. Fro An Oregon Cottage.
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Photo Keychain
Printable Shrinky Dink Paper is the secret to making these durable photo keychains kids can help make. Write notes on the photos before shrinking for extra cuteness. From It's Always Autumn.
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Immy says
Love the festive atmosphere-so excited for another present packed Christmas. Thank you
Laurie says
All of your gift ideas are perfect, especially for people who enjoy personal DIY gifts.
Thank you for sharing with us!
Have a Merry Christmas.
Laurie🎄
Janice says
Thank you for all these neat ideas! I will definitely be trying a few of them! Have a very Merry Christmas!
Judy says
Neat ideas