When I was dating my husband — and before we moved in together — I made him five, full-sized spicy lasagnas as his Christmas gift. I’m no Martha Stewart and had never made a lasagna, but I Googled “the best lasagna ever” recipes, quickly discovering Ree Drummond’s version named exactly that.
Years later, he still talks about how the lasagnas remain his favourite gift from me, and believe me, I have given him some nice presents; a jacket, a watch, hiking boots, a tent … two beautiful children!
It’s become a Christmas tradition for us; every December, I batch-cook five to 10 full-sized lasagnas, but we give most of them away over the holidays, with a bottle of wine and a homemade card, rather than eating them.
If you’re interested in do-it-yourself gifting but are a four out of 10 on the craftiness scale like me, try these simple gifts, or any version of them. Don’t forget to take into account that DIY gifting still costs money for the supplies. The batch of lasagnas I whipped up last week were not cheap, but hands-down the best version I’ve made over the past decade, and still way less money to make than the cost of purchasing gifts.
Please, someone give me a homemade rum cake!
Consumables are such a hit and consist of baking, drinks, ready-to-serve meals, homebrews, candies and sometimes spices or key ingredients like cookie mixes, infused olive oils or spiced sugars.
Personalizing these gifts is how you can showcase your thoughtfulness to make the recipient feel special and loved. For example, choose flavours or scents they’ll love and tailor the recipes to dietary needs — gluten-free cookie mix or a vegan “cheese” ball. Of course, if they don’t drink, you shouldn’t give them your homemade wine; save that for someone else!
I’m trying my hand at making pickles right now, and my husband is attempting pickled eggs. It’s been fun, and a tad smelly, while we experiment!
You can really elevate the look and feel of these creations with a handwritten tag or even by handwriting the recipe itself, and by gifting it in a beautiful thrifted container or Mason jar. It doesn’t take much to make your gift look like it came from an artisan holiday market, not that there is anything wrong with it looking like it came from your kitchen counter.
Foolproof for the modestly crafty folks
It’s got to take less than an hour or I simply won’t do it.
Flavoured sugars and salts in a tiny jar: Mix granulated sugar with real vanilla bean, citrus zest or culinary-grade lavender. Or combine sea salt with herbs like rosemary, smoked paprika or chili flakes. (I collect tiny jars for this purpose all year, and buy them second-hand if I’m short).
A collection of second-hand books: Curate a handful of titles you know they’ll enjoy. Many second-hand books can be picked up for free or for less than a buck. Bind them together with twine and a note about what makes them special. This is an especially cute idea for kids.
Infused honey or olive oil: Warm olive oil with herbs or chili flakes (do not overheat!), or infuse honey with cinnamon or ginger. Pour into small bottles and tie with ribbon. Simple, elegant, delicious. Make sure to wipe down the containers; things can get messy.
Baking and hot chocolate mixes: By layering cocoa, sugar, chocolate chips and marshmallows in a jar, it becomes a hot chocolate kit. Cookie mix in a jar is the same idea, but with things like flour, baking soda and sugar. Just don’t shake the jars like my six-year-old recently did!
Easy homemade candles: Just melt down old candles, pour them into a jar or tea cup, then add a few drops of essential oil to make them smell great. You can do the same thing with crayons, and pour them into super fun shapes kids will enjoy.
Write a special story: This can be a letter (handwritten or not), a homemade photobook or a portfolio, or however else you want to create it, the idea being to capture a special story about them that’s memorable and can be stored somewhere special.
Bath salts: Take a bulk bag of Epsom salts (a perfect opportunity to cash in your rewards points), add a bit of essential oils, and place it all in a nice container. It’s like giving a spa treatment to someone special. You can do the same with sugar to create a body scrub.
Second-hand mash-up with something crafty
I mean … who doesn’t like a drawing from a four-year-old? Especially when it’s in a beautiful second-hand frame you found at a flea market.
I love incorporating a little second-hand with something crafty and sometimes an element of something new. A few days ago, I made a holiday arrangement from a second-hand vase with some faux garland, and it’s really sweet. I was motivated once I saw the price of holiday arrangements at the store was topping $70! You read that right. My version cost $8.
Looking across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, I see so much traction with content about DIY gifting as a way to save money while reducing waste. I love this trend and think it has the potential to carry on into the new year while Canadians cut back and focus on their financial health.
