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You know, sometimes you look at the Christmas budget you’ve managed to stash away…

…then you look at the list of people you have to buy for, and you can’t help but wonder…

how is this supposed to work??

Well, all it takes is a little creativity!

Now, if (like me) you are NOT exactly a creative type of person, that might make you sweat a little.

But don’t worry!

I’ve found a list of good things you can DIY for people.  Things they’ll actually love to have.  And that are really hard to mess up.

Because I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan to knit any sweaters this year. 😉

(This post is part of the 7 Ways to Pile Up Christmas Money series.  If you missed any of the previous days in the series, you can find them at the bottom of this post.)

7 Ways to Pile Up Christmas Money: Way #6 Simple DIYs that even the non-DIYer can handle!

Give these Do It Yourself Christmas Presents a Try!

Let’s start with food ideas.  If you enjoy baking or cooking, these ideas will be perfect for you!

9 Ideas for totally doable DIY Christmas gifts for family. A variety of do it yourself Christmas presents that just about anyone can handle making on their own!

Your Supplies

Before you get started, stock up on a few of these supplies.

A set of these nice bottles.  (You can do so much with these!)

 

In the Kitchen DIYs

Homemade Coffee Syrups

You don’t even have to be good in the kitchen to make this one work! 

If you need the best bargain on glass bottles, try the dollar store, thrift shops, and yard sales.

Homemade coffee syrups

Homemade Coffee Syrups

A Few Shortcuts

Infused Olive Oils

Similar to the simple syrup idea, you can make a variety of infused olive oils.  This would be great for friends who love to spend time in the kitchen!

 

DIY Infused Oils

DIY Infused Olive Oils

Just Putzing

Hot Chocolate in a Jar

There are so many options for “In a Jar” types of gifts.  

If you or your loved ones aren’t crazy about hot chocolate (we tend to drink it daily in the winter here!), look for other ideas like cookies in a jar or soups in a jar.  Pinterest is just chock full of ideas!

Layer this Hot Cocoa recipe with marshmallows, chocolate chips, peppermint (if you like to mix mint with chocolate), or any other fun additions to Hot Cocoa for a pretty and fun gift.

homemade-hot-cocoa-bulk-mix

 Hot Chocolate in a Jar

The Thrifty Couple

Homemade Mints

These cute little mints are simple to make (only 4 ingredients!).  

They taste so amazing that…well, none of them made it into gift jars in our home.  Whoops!  Make extra!

Mints

Cream Cheese Mints

Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub in a Jar

Body scrubs can be made in all sorts of scents, and most women would adore this self care gift.

I have put them in mason jars, but that does get tricky for using in the shower!  

Next time, I’d probably put it in a container like this.

DIY-Vanilla-Pumpkin-Spice-Sugar-Scrub

Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

 Happiness is Homemade

Related:  Host a super frugal cookie exchange party this year!

Non-Cooking Do It Yourself Ideas

If you aren’t much of an “in the kitchen” type of person, there are plenty of other options out there.  Here are some to consider.

Wrapped Up Candy Bar

If you just need something very small, here’s a really cute (and frugal!) idea for jazzing up a simple candy bar.

Magazine-wrapped-candy-bars-1

Magazine Wrapped Candy Bars

Cha Ching on a Shoestring

Microwaveable Heating Pad

The stitch lines on this gift are pretty simple, so even a beginner could pull it off.  And who couldn’t use a pretty heating pad?

 

DIY-Microwavable-Heating-Pad-from-The-Happy-Housewife-682x1024

Microwavable Heating Pad

The Happy Housewife

Sundae in a Box

This one is so much fun, I’ve gifted it to people several times.

You can start shopping now for sundae toppers.  Try Pioneer Woman’s caramel sauce or this 5 minute chocolate sauce for a delicious (but affordable) topping.

Put them in bottles like this.

Break up extra candy canes that you have, save a small bag of nuts when you are making cookies, etc.  There are many ways to make this into a frugal gift!

Christmas Sundaes

Christmas Sundaes

Bloom Designs Online

A Box of Teas

I’ve made this one myself, and it’s a great gift for the tea lover in your life!  Look for coupons and deals on tea to collect a variety.

Frugal Gift Idea: A Box of Teas

 Frugal Box of Teas

Medium Sized Family

Diorama In A Jar

Here’s a simple idea for a cute diorama in a jar.  What a fun gift idea!

This really only scratches the surface of the do it yourself Christmas presents ideas out there.

It really is possible to craft a gift yourself that your loved one will actually enjoy.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, where I will be pinning more totally doable (even for non-DIY types!) gift ideas.

Visit Medium Sized Family’s profile on Pinterest.

Do you make homemade gifts for people each year or do you prefer to leave it to the professionals?