If you’ve ever watched someone unwrap a gift and immediately throw half of it in the trash – plastic wrap, foam inserts, glittery paper – you know how wasteful the holidays can get. But gift-giving can actually feel good when it supports small makers, uses earth-friendly materials, or is something you can make yourself with things you already have at home.
This year, I’m leaning more into DIY gifts: things made with what I already have, things that feel personal, and things that don’t leave behind a pile of waste. Homemade gifts are super affordable, and honestly, people tend to enjoy them a lot more.
Here are some of my favorite low-waste DIY gifts that people will love, and the planet won’t hate.
1. Homemade Chai Mix or Hot Cocoa Blend
A cozy drink mix feels like a small luxury in the winter, especially when it’s made by hand. You can blend black tea with warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger) for chai, or make a rich cocoa mix with fair-trade cocoa, sugar, and a pinch of sea salt. Package everything in a reused jar or a thrifted tin – it looks adorable and keeps it low-waste.
Add a handwritten note with brewing instructions and your favorite winter ritual. It feels personal and thoughtful without needing anything fancy.
2. DIY Sugar Scrub
A simple scrub made with sugar, olive oil, and maybe a few drops of essential oil (if the recipient uses them) feels so spa-like. It’s one of those things people rarely make for themselves but actually enjoy using. Plus, it’s totally customizable – you can add used coffee grounds for a firm exfoliant or swap sugar for fine salt.
Spoon it into a reused glass jar, tie on a little scrap-fabric ribbon, and you’ve got a beautiful, practical gift.
3. Herb-Infused Olive Oil or Vinegar
Perfect for cooks or anyone who loves good food. You can infuse olive oil with rosemary, garlic, chili, or lemon peel; or make a simple herb vinegar with thyme or basil. It looks beautiful in a clean glass bottle and tastes even better drizzled on roasted veggies or bread.
The ingredients are inexpensive, and the final result feels like something you’d find in a specialty shop.
4. Cozy Evening Kit
Fill a reused jar or basket with things that make for a relaxing evening: a thrifted puzzle or book, a homemade snack mix, herbal tea, and a handwritten list of conversation prompts or journaling ideas. Something that encourages slowing down, especially during the chaos of the holidays.
5. Homemade Scented Candle
A homemade candle is a classic gift that feels cozy and personal. You can make them using soy wax or beeswax, add essential oils for a natural scent, and pour them into recycled jars, teacups, or small tins. It’s also the perfect opportunity to refill old candle jars that you have lying around. Customize with dried flowers or herbs for a little extra charm. It’s a gift that smells wonderful, lasts a long time, and avoids any unnecessary packaging.
6. A Mini Houseplant Cutting in a Thrifted Pot
If you’re a houseplant person (I know you are), this is such a sweet personal gift. Take a cutting from a plant that propagates easily – pothos, monstera, philodendron, spider plants – and put it in water. Once it forms healthy roots, you can pot it in a thrifted cup or tiny pot… and you’ve got a living, growing gift that’s cute and meaningful.
7. Macrame Plant Holder
These are surprisingly easy to make – you can find patterns all over the internet and clear tutorials on YouTube (trust me, my house is now full of little macrame projects). Take your propagated houseplant cutting and pop it in your handmade holder for a gift that’s personal, cute, and completely sustainable.
8. Candied Nuts or Homemade Granola
Food gifts are universally loved because they don’t create clutter. Candied pecans, roasted almonds, or a homemade granola blend are all super easy to make in big batches. They also look beautiful when stored in reused jars or paper bags sealed with a bit of twine.
If you want to really take things up a notch, add a handwritten tag with the recipe so they can recreate it later.
9. A Tasty Baked Gift
Cookies, banana bread, brownies – whatever you love baking. Wrap it in a cloth napkin or a clean tea towel instead of disposable paper. It makes such an easy, delicious gift for anyone with a sweet tooth.
10. Winter Baking Kit
Pick a recipe you love – cookies, banana bread, brownies – and layer the dry ingredients in a jar. It looks beautiful and saves the recipient time. Add a little card explaining what wet ingredients to add, how long to bake, and maybe a note about why you love the recipe.
It’s heartfelt, practical, and fun for families too.
11. A Personalized Recipe Booklet
This is especially thoughtful for friends, partners, or family. Gather your favorite winter recipes – soups, stews, breakfasts, desserts – and write them out in a small booklet. You can print them on recycled paper, tie with twine, or put them inside a thrifted notebook.
It’s so simple but incredibly sentimental, and people tend to keep these for years.
12. Herbal Bath Salts or Shower Steamers
Not everyone has a bathtub, so you can go either direction here. Bath salts made from Epsom salt and dried herbs are lovely, but shower steamers (made from baking soda and water) provide a spa moment even in a tiny apartment shower.
Package them in a jar or a thrifted tin. Add a note with the scent (lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile) and how to use it.
13. DIY Hand Warmers
If you have leftover fabric scraps, sew together some simple squares and fill them with rice or flaxseed. They just need to be microwaved for 20–30 seconds for instant cozy warmth. Great for dog walkers, commuters, or anyone who’s always cold (me!).
14. Thrifted Craft Box for Kids
This is one of the most fun gifts to make. Fill a box or tin with leftover paper, fabric scraps, buttons, cardboard tubes, stickers, beads – anything that encourages open-ended creativity. Kids don’t care if it’s upcycled; they care if it’s fun.
15. A “Home-Cooked Meal” Coupon
Not a physical gift in the traditional sense, but people love it. Offer a homemade dinner, a batch of soup, or baked goods after the holidays when life is quieter. It’s thoughtful, simple, and produces zero waste.
16. Scented Citrus Cleaning Spray
If you want something practical, fill a glass jar with citrus peels, cover them with white vinegar, and let it steep for two weeks. Strain, dilute with water, and pour into a reused spray bottle. It smells fresh and works on almost everything.
17. DIY Seasoning Blends
Taco seasoning, Italian herbs, cinnamon-sugar sprinkle, everything bagel mix… homemade spice blends are so much fun to gift. Put them in tiny jars and add handwritten tags to personalize them.
18. Knitted or Crocheted Items
Another one for the crafty people. A simple beanie, dishcloth, pot holder, or even a little scarf – handmade pieces are fun to make and they feel incredibly thoughtful. You can use leftover yarn or thrifted wool to make it extra sustainable and affordable.
19. Handmade Lip Balm
Mix natural ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter to create your own lip balm. You can add a touch of natural flavor or color with vanilla, cocoa powder, or beetroot powder. Package it in a small reusable tin or jar, and you’ve got a practical, personal gift that’s completely low-waste and made with love.
20. A Mini “Winter Wellness Kit”
You can put this together with things you already have at home: herbal tea packets, homemade lip balm, a few bath salts, a scented candle, and maybe a tiny plant cutting. It feels cozy and personal without having to spend a bunch of money or create waste.
Homemade gifts slow things down in the best way. They’re low-waste, budget-friendly, and made with care. And I think that’s what makes them so loved. Which one will you try this year?