As the holiday season approaches, DIY Christmas gifts are a great way to save money while giving a unique, heartfelt gift. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a family member, best friend, teacher, or even your Amazon delivery guy, my easy homemade gift ideas are just what you need to make this season even more special. In this post, I’m focusing on super easy homemade gifts like specialty balms, candles, and bath salts. They are easy to make and make great gifts!
If you’re looking for a way to break away from the usual gift card default and want to put a little more TLC into your gifts, but don’t want to overspend or overextend, I have some great ideas for simple handmade gifts that anyone can make.
DIY Balms & Salves:
One of my favorite gift ideas is balms and salves. They are incredibly easy to make and all but one of the natural ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. Walmart has 4 oz mason jars which make great containers for balms (and candles too!). Get some raw coconut oil and organic olive oil as well. Beeswax can be found all over Amazon, but I recommend it THIS one and THIS a. Balms make a great handmade gift if you’re in a hurry but still want to give a gift with a personal touch.
Some balm ideas are a heel balm, lip balm, hand balm, sleep balm, healing balm, stuffy nose balm (steam rub), perfume compact, homemade petroleum jelly, beard balm, multipurpose beauty balm, body butter , muscle pain balm, tattoo balm, stress relief balm and headache balm. There are so many creative ways to make a balm that suits the gift recipient. Homemade balms can be a very useful gift.
As you can see, balms are so customizable and make beautiful gifts.
What you’ll need to make a basic homemade balm:
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon. Honeycomb
- 20 drops essential oils *optional*
- 4 oz glass jars
- Medium sized pot
- Glass bowl or glass measuring cup
- Shuffle the sticks
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Gift tags or Tags *optional*
- Ribbon *optional*
Materials
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon. Honeycomb
- 20 drops essential oils *optional*
Tools
- 4 oz glass jars
- Medium sized pot
- Glass bowl or glass measuring cup
- Shuffle the sticks
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Tags or gift tags *optional*
- Ribbon *optional*
Instructions
- Fill a medium-sized saucepan 1/2 full with water.
- Place a glass measuring cup or bowl with a pyrex mouth into the water.
- Add the coconut and olive oil and beeswax to the glass cup or bowl and allow the beeswax to melt thoroughly.
- Remove from heat and add essential oils if using.
- Pour the mixture into 4-ounce glass jars.
- Let the balm cool. You can refrigerate the balm to speed up the process.
Notes
Customize the balm into lip balm, hand balm, sleep balm, heel balm, steam rub, healing salt, muscle rub, etc.
Be sure to include a tag or label that explains what the balm is and how to use it. I would also include the ingredients included. A cute ribbon to tie the tag is a nice addition.
You don’t have to use both coconut oil and olive oil, you can use one or the other, but I recommend both because they work (and smell) so well together. Coconut is an incredible healer and olive oil is full of antioxidants and fatty acids to replenish the skin. Beeswax is essential because it is the ingredient that thickens your oils into a balm consistency.
Related Post: DIY Coffee Body Scrub for Cellulite
DIY Bath Salts:
Bath salts are a super easy gift that can be customized to a person’s specific needs. They can be as simple as a jar filled with epsom salt and a few drops of essential oils. You can also add ground oatmeal, powdered milk, seaweed, spirulinadried herbs, baking soda, dehydrated citrus peels, dried flowers, etc.
As the base of your salt, you can use Epsom salt, dead sea salt the pink Himalayan salt. Epsom salt can be found in large inexpensive bags at most grocery stores and is just as effective as other more expensive salts. When making bath salts in bulk, Epsom salt is the easiest way to go. I wrote an entire post on everything you need to know about bath salts. You may also enjoy my Mermaid Bath Salt recipe.
The benefits of bath salts are amazing. We’re talking reduced water retention, relaxation, better sleep, pain relief, enhanced skin hydration, accelerated wound healing and increased circulation. Not to mention, promoting self-care to the one you love is a great message of love.
Aromatherapy and salt baths go hand in hand. The use of essential oils in homemade bath salts is essential. Below are some suggestions for customizing your bath salts…
- Lavender oil-relaxation
- Peppermint oil– muscle and joint pain
- Eucalyptus oil-congestion and cold symptoms
- Citrus oils-strengthens the capillaries, tightens the skin and reduces water retention in the cells. They increase circulation and prevent the accumulation of lymph.
- Juniper and rosemary oils-Increases circulation and decongests sluggish and under active tissues.
- Grapefruit oil-Reduces water retention and can help reduce the appearance of cellulite.
You can also consider a DIY Foot Soak. The nice thing about foot soaks is that they require a lot less soaking and you can use a smaller jar. Last year I made footstools for several of my daughter’s teachers.
What you’ll need for a basic bath salt recipe:
Materials
- Epsom salt
- Essences
- Additives (seaweed, dried herbs and flowers, milk powder, etc.) *optional
Tools
- 8-16 oz mason jar
- Film
- Tags or gift tags
Instructions
- Fill the jar 3/4 full with Epsom salt if adding extras. If not, fill the jar with Epsom salt.
- If you’re adding plugins, add them.
- Add essential oils.
- Replace the cap and shake well.
Notes
Use 1-2 cups in a warm bath. Soak for 10-30 minutes.
How to use bath salts:
-Add 1-2 cups to a warm bath and relax for 10-30 minutes.
As with a homemade balm, cute gift tags are essential so that whoever receives this gift understands how to use bath salts and what is in the bath salts.
Related Post: DIY Bath Bombs & Himalayan Oatmeal Bath Soak Recipe
Homemade candles:
Homemade candles are an easy homemade gift idea. I have an easy tutorial explaining how to make soy candles as well as an easy tutorial on how to make beeswax candles. For gifts, I would suggest using small containers, like the 4 oz mason jars (Walmart) mentioned above when talking about DIY balms. There are often tunneling issues where the wax burns through the center of the candle and never reaches the sides of the container. This is a common problem, but the smaller you make your candles, the less you will experience this problem.
Aromatic oils work best in soy candles, but you can use essential oils. Just don’t expect them to have a strong scent. If you choose to make beeswax candles (my favorite candles) I do not recommend using any fragrance or oil. Beeswax itself has a distinctive sweet smell.
What you will need to make candles:
For an in-depth picture tutorial, read my post on DIY soy candles as well as my post on DIY beeswax candles.
have used 4 oz glass jars which I use for balms and solid cleansing oils for candles and they work great. They are narrow enough to avoid tunneling, easy to buy in bulk on Amazon and have a lid. They also have a smooth space for a 2 x 2 label if he wanted. I found it too THESE beautiful 4oz tins that would be so perfect for candles!
On your label, you can advise the user to burn the candle down to the sides of the container the first time the candle is lit. This is important for any candle user to know in order to get the most out of your candles.
Some more easy DIY gift ideas:
Holiday packing tips:
- Using a pine or cedar branch is a lovely touch when tied to the ribbon around the brim of the lid.
- Tags can be frustrating if you’re in a pinch, so a handmade gift tag can be made from a note card by cutting it to size and using a hole punch to attach it to the gift. If you want to make tags, go HERE for some of my tags.
- I love using brown craft paper, even if it’s crumpled. It makes a great wrapping paper and can easily be jazzed up by adding colorful ribbon.
These are my favorite handmade gift ideas. Not only are they perfect for the holidays, but they make a special gift for any special occasion especially Mother’s and Father’s Day! Making your own handmade gifts is not only a lot of fun, it’s an easy way to make your loved ones feel special. Adding your personal touch to each of your gifts not only saves money, but also shows a special effort and consideration that you put into each of your gift recipients. It’s the perfect way to express yourself and a great creative outlet.
Happy Holidays Jenny
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