Looking for ideas for homemade Christmas gifts? Save money and reduce waste by giving practical presents from the heart, everything from baking bread to a night of stargazing.
Between frantic shopping for a long list of flash-in-the-pan gifts at big-box stores that’ll likely get used once and tossed in the trash, and calendars packed so full we forget to enjoy the winter wonderland around us, we as a society can forget there’s so much more to the holiday season than how much money we can spend.
During the 2024 holiday season, over a third of Americans took on holiday debt (on average $1,181), and 60 percent reported that taking on this debt brought them stress, according to a survey from LendingTree. That’s not good for our bank accounts, ourselves, our collective mental health, or the Earth.
There’s a better way. The saying “presence over presents” undoubtedly has value, and if you do decide to give gifts this year, we hope you seek ones that bring joy and practical value to the recipient – and are fun for you to put together and give! Here are some ideas.
Gifts That Feature the Farm
1 Seeds you’ve saved from a favorite cultivar in your garden, or a bundle of seed packets from a favorite seed catalog, perhaps early spring greens or flowers for pollinators.
2 Plants for when the ground thaws: seed potatoes, sunchokes, or dahlia tubers.
3 Perennials to last a lifetime: apple scion wood, a fig or lemon in a pot, a horseradish plant.
4 Livestock for the livestock-ready people in your life: six geese a-laying, three French hens (Copper Marans are a great choice), and a partridge. Perhaps some Beveren rabbits (see “Heritage Breeds for Beginners”), or a coupon for hatching eggs of the giftee’s choice of breeds.
5 A pear tree for the partridge. You might need a second pear tree for good pollination. And a couple of peach or apple trees for a diverse orchard. Bare-root trees are a less expensive option.
6 Locally grown storage vegetables, including sugar pie pumpkins, winter squashes, beets, or carrots.
7 A jar of honey from a local beekeeper, a skein of yarn from a local shepherd, or a wheel of local cheese.
8 A bag of compost, perhaps from a local vermicomposting system.
9 A community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription for produce or flowers, or a meat bundle from a local farm.
10 A cutting from a favorite houseplant with instructions on how to care for it.
11 An aloe plant to soothe burns. Every home apothecary should have one, and they’re easy to care for.
12 A hand-knit or crocheted hat, scarf, or cowl. Source local yarn to make it even more special.
13 A tractor, hoop house, solar array, egg incubator, compost tumbler, raised bed, grain mill, pressure canner, skid steer, or a barn to house livestock. Because if you’re getting or gifting stuff, it might as well be good stuff!
Ideas for Homemade Christmas Gifts
14 A loaf of bread; a crock of sauerkraut (we promise yours will be the only one at the holiday party if you’re after a unique gift!); or a jar of jam, pickles, or chutney.
15 Kefir grains or a sourdough starter, freeze-dried for shipping or ready-to-use if local. Include directions on how to use it.
16 A garland made of dried orange or lemon slices. Slice your citrus of choice about 1/4 inch thick, and then sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Dry completely in a dehydrator or in your oven on its lowest setting, and then string on twine.
17 Simmer some mulled wine or spiced cider for a warm holiday drink. Also consider kombucha, tepache, or a jar of Fig Cardamon Shrub.
18 A couple of quarts of homemade chicken soup. A nourishing meal that’s easy to heat up is always appreciated during a busy season.
19 Gifts in Jars: Gingersnaps in a Jar.
20 Gifts in Jars: Goat Milk Cajeta.
21 Gifts in Jars: Herbal Salt.
22 A jar of herbs for tea. Chamomile, lemon balm, and peppermint are all refreshing.
23 Simmer-pot ingredients: cinnamon sticks, clippings of white pine or spruce, a few dried orange or lemon slices, and directions to simmer everything on low on the stove to make the recipient’s home smell cozy without artificial scents. If your recipient has a gas stove with a vent that sucks the smells up, a slow cooker on low with the lid off is a good alternative.
24 A windowsill herb garden: Assemble some small flowerpots, a bag of potting soil, and seeds for basil, chives, dill, or other popular kitchen herbs.
Gifts That Won’t Gather Dust
25 Two tickets to an upcoming event. Support local theater!
26 A class at a local folk school, art studio, or technical college (spoon carving, pottery, timber framing, photography, welding – the possibilities are endless).
27 One editor’s most cherished gift was handwritten by her kid in crayon on construction paper squished into a ball and tied with yarn. It read: “I will help you clean your chicken coop 3 times.” He did, and it was a perfect gift. Offer to help build a fence, weed a garden, plant trees, or sort through a cupboard and take the excess to the thrift store. Follow up so they know you really mean it.
28 A promise of an adventure: a new trail to hike, a picnic, a canoe ride down the river, a fishing trip, a rafting trip, a bouldering trip, or a midwinter date to learn the constellations.
29 One of our editors used to be a first-grade teacher. Three holiday gifts from parents stick out in her memory: a pound of dried figs in a simple bag, a basket with all the ingredients for chicken tortellini soup, and a simple handwritten note that said, “Thank you for making my child feel special, and thank you for supporting her as she learns how to read.”
30 A donation in the recipient’s name to a local food pantry, library, humane society, or anything else they’re passionate about.
31 A practical item from the secondhand store. One editor’s 4-year-old once chose a cast-iron deer candleholder from the thrift store for the whopping sum of $2. Paired with a hand-dipped beeswax candle, it was gifted to his grandfather with so much pride. The entire family smiles when it reappears on the table each holiday season. It can still gather dust, but it’s more meaningful dust.
More Gift Ideas from Our Readers
We asked our community on Facebook and Instagram for gift ideas that are inexpensive, handmade, and won’t end up in the landfill. Here are some of the gift ideas you shared.
32 The best handmade gift I’ve ever received was a plain box, which my four (grown) children covered with decoupaged pictures of us. Inside were numerous strips of paper on which were written favorite memories of their childhood and reasons they were thankful for the things I’d done for them. – Phoebe
33 For decades, I’ve collected vintage ceramic and wood beads along with vintage mid-century ceramic planter pots. With my collection of macrame cord, I make macrame plant hangers as gifts. I love the art of macrame and love to spread ’70s-style macrame to a whole new generation of plant lovers! – Cherie
34 I made checkerboards when I had a bandsaw. Add a little curve on the top, and drill a small hole there to hang it. Paint it whatever colors, and make a small bag for the checkers. I cut the checkers from a large wooden dowel. – Jan
35 We’re doing “Thriftmas” … gifts must be secondhand, from a thrift store, etc. – Christina
36 Last year, our gift to all our kids was a Sunday of skiing together. We all had so much fun and made lots of memories! I also gift soup mixes that I make, scones and fruit baskets using baskets from thrift stores, homemade quilted table runners and pot holders, hot cocoa mixes, fun flannel scarves that are super popular, and mittens out of wool sweaters that I get from thrift stores. – Patricia
37 Nothing. The ingrained urge to “gift” is interesting and complex. In America, the advertising industry has concreted a need to gift into our national psyche. – Chazz
38 I went to the holiday farmers market and bought eggs and fresh winter veggies to gift. – Cynthia
39 I’d love it if someone gifted me any kind of housecleaning. – Josie
40 All year, I collect remnants of pretty fabrics and make them into gift bags. They become part of the gift, and after the presents are opened, there’s no mess of pretty and pricey paper to throw away. – Christine
41 Build a bird house, bat house, or owl house. – Christiane
42 I grew luffa gourds this year. I’m going to put together gift baskets of luffa sponges, homemade soap, and lotion for gifts. – Mary
43 Gifts of good health: Homemade Elderberry Syrup.
44 Gifts of good health: Original Fire Cider.
We hope you have fun making and putting together some of these gifts with and for your favorite people. Together, we can reduce the burden of holiday waste. May your season be full of the things that really matter!
Need more inspiration? Check out our “DIY Holiday Gift Guide” and learn how to create a tray of fresh microgreens, chocolate sourdough bread, pomegranate jelly, limoncello, goat milk caramels, herbal salve, beeswax wraps, a harvest basket, crochet dish scrubbies, felted wool soap, and more!
Originally published as in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
