Handmade Christmas Gifts: 12 Easy DIY Gifts You Can Make at Home

There’s something special about giving a gift you’ve made yourself, and it’s even better when it only takes a few minutes. A handmade gift doesn't need to be fancy or take all weekend. A few simple ingredients, a clean bottle or jar and a ribbon are all it takes.

We've pulled together 12 of our favourite recipes for gifting, grouped by who you're making them for. Every one takes 30 minutes or less, and each links through to the full recipe with ingredients, equipment and method. Most recipe pages also have a shopping list, so you can add everything to your cart in one go.

For the face

Pacific Dew Face Oil

15 minutes | Easy | Makes 100 g
A simple blend of tamanu and nangai oils from Vanuatu with fractionated coconut oil for a light, easy-to-apply finish.
Gift tip: pour into a glass bottle with a dropper or pump.

NZ Hemp Seed Face Serum

10 minutes | Easy | Makes 50 g
A light, fast-absorbing serum made with New Zealand ingredients: Hemp Seed Oil, Kiwifruit Seed Oil and Kawakawa Infused Oil.
Gift tip: a lovely pick for anyone who likes to keep things local.

AfterSun Skin Restore Oil Elixir

10 minutes | Easy | Makes 100 g (two 50 ml bottles)
A face oil elixir built around ZeaDerMX CO, an NZ-grown green tea-infused oil, blended with jojoba, raspberry seed and fractionated coconut oils.
Gift tip: the recipe fills two bottles, so keep one and give one.

For the body

Calendula Body Butter

15 minutes | Easy | Makes 100 g
A gentle, nourishing body butter made from a body butter base, calendula infused oil and lavender essential oil. The calendula gives it a soft pastel yellow colour.
Gift tip: swap the lavender for your favourite essential oil, then spoon into a tin and tie with twine.

Quartz Crystal Body Scrub

30 minutes | Easy | Makes 200 g
A sparkly sugar scrub made with shea butter, sweet almond oil and Quartz Crystal Body Exfoliant, tinted with a touch of mica.
Gift tip: the recipe fills two aluminium screw-top tins, so one batch makes two gifts.

DIY Natural Balm

20 minutes | Easy | Makes 100 g
A simple balm of Beeswax, shea butter and the carrier oils of your choice. Make it your own with an infused oil and your favourite essential oil. New to balms? Our beginner's guide to balms walks you through it.
Gift tip: pour into a small aluminium or glass pot, perfect for a handbag

For the bath

Relaxing Bath Salts

10 minutes | Easy | Makes 500 g
A calming blend of Himalayan Pink Salt and Epsom Salts with essential oils and dried rose or lavender.
Gift tip: fill a jar, add a scoop and a handwritten label.

Floral Bath Salts

15 minutes | Easy | Makes 10 jars
Layers of pink salt, Magnesium Flakes, Rose Petals and Lavender Flowers in little 4 oz jars. Originally designed as wedding favours, they work just as well as Christmas gifts.
Gift tip: one batch makes ten, enough for teachers, neighbours and Secret Santa.

Watermelon Soap

30 minutes | Easy | Makes about 10 soaps
A sweet, layered pink and green soap made with melt and pour soap base and Watermelon Fragrance. A fun one for kids to make for teachers and family.
Gift tip: wrap each soap and tie with ribbon.

For hands, hair and beards

Cuticle Serum

15 minutes | Easy | Makes 50 g
A nourishing blend of jojoba, camellia and castor oils with a touch of lavender and rosemary essential oils.
Gift tip: pour into five 10 ml roll-on bottles, ideal for stockings.

Rosemary Scalp Massage Serum

10 minutes | Easy | Makes 50 g
A scalp massage oil made with castor and jojoba oils, plus Rosemary Organic Essential Oil with cedarwood and lavender. It's massaged in, left on for a few hours or overnight, then washed out as normal.
Gift tip: pair it with a wooden scalp massager.

Beard Oil

20 minutes | Easy | Makes two 50 ml bottles
A simple blend of argan, Camellia Oil, broccoli and castor oils to condition the beard and moisturise the skin underneath.
Gift tip: the recipe fills two amber bottles with pumps, so make a pair.

Packaging and labelling

Presentation is half the fun. Glass bottles with droppers or pumps suit oils and serums, while tins and aluminium pots suit scrubs, butters and balms. Add a simple label with the name, the date you made it and the ingredients, and the person you're gifting to will know exactly what's in it.

As with any new skincare product, it's a good idea to patch test on a small area of skin first. Check each full recipe for the method and usage notes.

More Easy DIY Recipes

Fancy a few more ideas? Browse our full recipe collection for more easy projects.

Happy making!