10 DIY Christmas Gift Ideas You Can Make Under $25

Make your loved ones feel special this holiday season, but don’t break the bank. There are lots of DIY Christmas gifts you can make with $25 or less, and I’m here to share my favourite ten homemade gift ideas!

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What are some DIY gift ideas?

Stefani L., YouTube

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10 Budget Friendly DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

Embellished Slippers (Cat or Pom-Pom Ideas!)

Warm, cozy slippers are always a great gift for friends and family during the cold Winter months. Sure you can knit or crochet them from scratch, but I love the idea of embellishing inexpensive slippers with embroidery or pom-poms!

Click here to learn how to embellish cloth slippers with an embroidered cat face pattern, or click here for the tutorial on how to add a fun & fluffy pom-pom to slippers.

How to keep this DIY Christmas gift idea under $25:

• buy the slippers from places like Dollar Tree, Dollarama or Walmart (they should cost you around $5)
• use embroidery floss or scraps of yarn you have on hand to keep the cost even lower!

DIY Hair Scrunchies

Hair scrunchies are a lovely gift for kids, teens, and adults alike! Not only are they practical for tying your hair back, but you can make them in fun colours and patterns to suit your recipient perfectly. The best part about these ones is that they don’t require any sewing! Rather than a sewing machine, hot glue and hand stitching is used. Click here to learn how to make these DIY hair scrunchies for gifts.

How to keep this gift under $25:

• use scraps of fabric left over from other projects, or…
• find fabrics at the thrift store to use for these scrunchies – you don’t need much!

Sugar Cookies in a Jar

I fully admit that this is my go-to DIY Christmas gift when I’m stumped on what to give! Who doesn’t love cookies (or want to bake them for a loved one)?! It’s easy to put together the ingredients for sugar cookies in a mason jar. Then, you can tie the baking instructions around the neck of the jar, add some pretty embellishments, and give. You can add the jar to a baking themed gift basket, or give it as-is! Learn how to make this cookies-in-a-jar gift right here (plus there’s a free printable tag)!

How to keep this gift under $25:

• upcycle a mason jar or pasta jar you already have on hand
• embellish the jar with a scrap of ribbon you already have on hand and a spring of an evergreen from your yard
• buy a pack of cookie cutters, and attach one cookie cutter to the neck of the jar with string. Make multiples of this gift and attach the rest of the cutters to each one.

Dollar Store Gift Basket

It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of creating custom gift baskets as gifts. One way to keep a gift basket under budget? Find the items at the dollar store! I like Dollarama or Dollar Tree for curating items for my gift baskets. Set your budget, and then find items within a theme. You can include anything from lip balm to soap to blankets… the options and price ranges are endless. You can make the items look higher end by customizing them with your Cricut (add monograms or cute sayings), and adding labels and tags to the basket. Learn how to create a personalized dollar store gift basket here.

Need some gift basket theme ideas? I love the idea of a ice cream sundae kit, pancake breakfast kit, or coffee gift basket. Get more ideas here.

How to keep this gift under $25:

• set your gift basket budget before you enter the dollar store and don’t go over
• use either a dollar store container or an upcycled basket you already have on hand to hold everything
• create your own gift tags and labels and print them at home (I have lots of free printables here!)

Beeswax Candle with Bottle Brush Tree Lid

Homemade candles are easier to make than they might look! You can use any sort of heat-proof container you might have on hand, and either beeswax or soy wax works to make the candle. This one is my favourite because of the adorable bottle brush trees embellishment on top! Get the full tutorial for this sweet DIY candle right here.

How to keep this DIY Christmas gift idea under $25:

• use an inexpensive container like a glass jar from the dollar store, an upcyled mason jar or a vintage tin. Teacup candles made with vintage cups are also an adorable idea.
• buy your candle making supplies in bulk and create multiple candles at once to have several DIY gifts ready to go!
• instead of bottle brush trees, hot glue any other vintage or upcycled Christmas ornaments onto the lid of the candle

Christmas Cupcakes in a Jar

You can make anything adorable by simply placing it in a jar! This Christmas cupcake in a jar is no exception. How cute is this DIY gift idea for someone with a sweet tooth?! Bake some cupcakes, decorate them, and then place them individually in a small mason jar. Decorate the jar with a label, a tag, and some scraps of string and yarn. Get the how-to for this cupcake in a jar (plus the free printable files) right here. A stack of homemade Christmas cookies looks so cute in a jar, too!

How to keep this gift under $25:

• buy your small mason jars in bulk and make multiple gifts at the same time
• use free printable files and print your labels and tags at home
• embellish the jar with scraps of ribbon and clippings of greenery that you may already have on hand

Arm Knit Blanket

This DIY Christmas gift idea may sound intimidating, but I promise it’s so much fun to create! Arm knitting is simply knitting on a giant scale, and using your arms instead of knitting needles. The resulting blanket is so cozy, and looks beautiful in any home. Click here to learn how to create a DIY arm knit blanket gift.

How to keep this gift under $25:

• buy your yarn when it’s on sale (Michaels often has huge yarn sales!)
• make a smaller, lap-sized blanket so that you use less yarn

Hot Cocoa Balls

Here’s another food gift idea that will truly amaze your friends! These DIY cocoa balls are a joy to make, and they’re so fun to use too. They’re a great gift for kids. You create a round chocolate shell with baking chocolate and spherical molds, and then fill it with hot chocolate mix, marshmallows etc. When the ball is placed in a warm mug of milk, it dissolves, explodes and creates an amazing hot cocoa experience. Add fun sprinkles, crushed candy canes or edible glitter to these to make them look extra cute. Get the step-by-step tutorial & recipe for these DIY hot cocoa balls here.

How to keep this gift under $25:

• if you don’t want to buy the sphere silicone molds, use old plastic Easter eggs or silicone egg holders as molds. Use your imagination to think of things you have on hand that could work as a hot cocoa ball mold! (If you DO buy the sphere molds, you can use them for DIY bath bombs, too!)
• buy the ingredients in bulk and make several of these to give to many friends and family members

Simmer Pot in a Jar

Another gift in a jar idea? Why not! Gifts in jars are too cute not to share, and I think this one is beautiful and unique. You can dry the ingredients for a festive simmer pot (orange slices, apple slices etc) and place them in a jar. Attach a tag with instructions on how to simmer these on the stove for a beautiful Christmas scent. This is a perfect gift for your neighbours or it makes a lovely hostess gift! Get the tutorial & free printable tag for this simmer pot in a jar here.

How to keep this gift under $25:

• use upcycled pasta jars for this gift – I save all of mine, especially the ones with pretty lids!
• use ingredients that are budget friendly like oranges, apples and pine clippings. Ditch the vanilla bean pods if they’re too pricey and add drops of vanilla extract to the orange dried slices instead.
• use my free printable tags to embellish and print them at home

Chunky Knit Hat (or embellish a pre-made hat!)

Of all the DIY Christmas gift ideas and crafts, hand knits are my absolute favourite to give! Knitting an entire hat from scratch might sound scary, but hear me out. A hat (or beanie, or toque!) is one of the easiest things you can make as a beginning knitter. Get my free DIY chunky knit hat pattern right here.

Don’t want to learn how to knit? You can embellish a pre-made hat with tiny pearl beads for a beautiful DIY gift. Learn how here.

How to keep this gift under $25:

• buy your yarn when it’s on sale (Michaels often has huge yarn sales!)
• find used knitting needles and supplies at the thrift store

I hope you enjoyed these 10 DIY Christmas gift ideas under $25! Homemade Christmas gifts from the heart are always a joy to give and receive, so have fun making yours this year.

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE:

Which of these handmade gift ideas do you like the best? Whether it’s a quick project or a more challenging one, I challenge you to make a DIY gift this week. Let us know what you’re going to make in the comments below!

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