As the holidays get closer, now is a good time to think about the gifts you want to give. I’m a big fan of homemade gifts. I especially love to give gifts from my garden. This year, if you’re going to make gifts for family and friends, then you need to decide what to make and start creating.

I’ve been searching for good gift ideas, and I’ve found several I want to share with you. These easy diy gifts are ideas that I’ve made myself or am planning to make.

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Chalkboard Tray

Here’s a fun gift to give to a gardening friend. Paint an old tray with chalkboard paint to give as a gift. You can find the directions here… DIY Garden Chalkboard from a Tray. Write a seasonal message on it to spread a little holiday cheer. You can also give it as a cheese board or appetizer tray and write the food names on it. It would make the perfect gift when you need to bring food to share or a thoughtful gift for your hostess.

Purchase new trays to use or go thrifting and find an old tray. This is a great way to re-purpose items and save some money.

Supplies:

• Serving Tray
• Chalkboard Paint
• Sponge Paintbrushes
• Painter’s Tape

Neck and Hand Warmers

My husband struggles with back and neck pain. After working in the garden, he often enjoys the soothing heat of a neck warmer. Recently, at our cabin, he needed some pain relief but his regular neck warmer was at home… this called for improvising.

I scrounged around and found a large bag of dried beans. With some further digging, I came up with a pair of old heavy-duty socks… instant neck warmer. You can use beans wrapped in socks as a neck warmer. But a word of warning… microwaved beans smell. Bad! And after about 2 dozen uses, we started smelling burned beans.

I decided it was time to make a good neck warmer. I found this neck warmer pattern from An Oregon Cottage… How to Make the Best Flaxseed Pillows. My husband loved it. I made several more for ourselves and to give away. You can also make smaller sizes for hand warmers. And the best thing about it? No more stinky bean smell hanging around the cabin.

Botanical Soap

If you’re growing flowers or herbs in your garden, then this is the perfect gift idea. Use your lavender, chamomile, rosemary, and nasturtium flowers to make these lovely botanical soaps from Garden Therapy… DIY Botanical Soap Bars. This is a pretty gift to make from your garden.

Crocheted Dish/Cleaning Cloths

I’ve been making these lovely dishcloths all summer long. I plan to give them along with a bottle of homemade cleaning spray to family members and as hostess gifts this holiday season.

The dishcloth is quick to make and does a great job washing dishes and cleaning surfaces. The ruffled edge adds some charm to a kitchen staple. The pattern is easy to make, and it doesn’t take long to whip out a new cloth. The pattern is from Miss Mustard Seed… Ruffled-edge Farmhouse Crocheted Dishcloth Tutorial (for beginners).

DIY All-Purpose Cleaner

Here’s a great recipe if you want to give a bottle of cleaner to go with your crocheted dishcloths. Just a few ingredients and you have an effective and fragrant cleaner. I love this recipe from Live Simply… DIY Herb-Infused All-Purpose Cleaner.

Food From Your Garden

Now is a great time to use some of your garden’s harvest for holiday gifts. If you’re growing herbs, fruits, and vegetables you’ll have a lot to choose from. If your garden is done for the season, you can purchase your supplies as well.

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Herbal Tea Mix

Use some of your dried herbs to make an herbal tea mix. Camomile, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lavender, and mint can be used to make herbal teas. Here are directions for making several dried herbal blends from Country Cleaver… DIY Tea Blends 5 Ways. For your gift, fill a jar with the dried ingredients. Add a tea strainer and directions for a soothing cup of tea. And if you need dried herbs in a hurry, you’ll find directions here… Easy Ways to Preserve Fresh Herbs from Your Garden.

Supplies:

• Dried Herbs
• Tea Ball
• Glass Jar

Note: If you purchase pre-dried herbs for tea making, be sure they are edible and not just decorative.

Homemade Pickles

If you’re giving a food gift this year, add these fresh refrigerator pickles into the basket. These pickles aren’t canned, so they will need to stay refrigerated. Making them now and storing them in your refrigerator enhances their flavor. This is a great way to use your end-of-season cucumbers. One of my favorite fresh pickle recipe is from Stonegable… Easy Garlic Refrigerator Pickles.

I used apple cider vinegar in my pickles instead of white vinegar. That’s one of the nice things about making your own gifts. You can alter them according to what you have on hand.

Zucchini or Pumpkin Bread

Here are two of my favorite quick bread recipes. One is for Raspberry Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze, and the other is for my family’s all-time favorite Pumpkin Cranberry Bread.

To give these as gifts, wrap them in saran and tie with a ribbon. For extra thoughtfulness, wrap with a seasonal dishtowel. You could also include some of your favorite holiday tea to go with the bread.

Vintage Seed Box

If you’re looking for a new gift idea for your favorite gardener, then consider making this Antique Wooden Seed Box from Hearth and Vine. This is such a fun idea for gardeners. It’s a great place to store small tools, twine, seed packets, and more. Fill it with some home-made seed packets and other goodies for the perfect gardener’s gift box.

This gift is still on my To-Do list. I have purchased the supplies to make it and just need a quiet afternoon to put it together.

Do you need some cute seed packets to fill your seed box? Get my free templates to use with your home-grown seeds… Seed Packet Envelopes.

Homemade Hand Salve

I don’t know about you, but after spending a day in the garden, my hands need help. Although I do wear gloves, many times they come off when I’m doing detailed work. So I end up with dry, scratched up hands. This Homemade Hand Salve from Dogwoods and Dandelions has helped to soothe my dried hands.

I’ve also found this salve useful for my feet. I just smooth it on and slip on socks when I go to bed. I find my feet are softer in the morning.

If you’re creating a gardener’s gift box, then add in this salve. Your gardening friends will thank you. It would also make a nice stocking stuffer for your gardening family members.

Fire Starters

As the holiday season rolls around, many of us are using our indoor and outdoor fireplaces. If you have family and friends who struggle to light a fire, then they might find these fire starters helpful. Not only do they help to get the fire going, but they smell great as well.

These fire starters from Thistle Cove Farm couldn’t be easier to make… Fire Starters- Fast, Inexpensive, Small Gifts. Package your fire starter bundles with a fancy packet of matches and maybe even the fixings for s’mores to enjoy along with the fire.

My husband is definitely getting a set of these. He’s usually in a hurry when building our outdoor campfires, and his favorite starter is the magic juice (aka… gasoline). These firestarters might help prevent singed hair the next time he lights logs in our firepit.

Mason Jar Luminaries

Here’s a simple way to create luminaries your friends can use all year long. They can add a glow to the porch or deck. Or tuck them into a window box or planter for some added sparkle. Whether indoors or out, with our shorter days, having some glowing lights can help perk up our loved ones.

I love mason jars and I use them in so many ways. These candleholders are easy diy gifts to make. You can find this original gift idea from Mason de Pax… Christmas Mason Jar Luminaries.

It’s so rewarding to give gifts you’ve made yourself. Especially when you put some thought into what the recipient will find useful. Delight your gardening friends and family members with gifts that can make their lives easier.

You can also combine many of these items together. For example, you could create a basket filled with things to help your friend relax… soothing tea, a neck warmer, and the gardener’s salve. Or create a gift of several types of foods from your garden served on a chalkboard tray. Put together a basket of cleaning products including the dishcloths, botanical soap, and the all-purpose cleaner.

These easy diy gifts are as fun to make as they are to give. You might have to make a few for yourself as well. With the holidays looming, it’s time to get crafting and creating.