Homemade Gifts: DIY Ideas That Go Down Well, Plus Handmade One-Offs

You want to give something that didn't come off the nearest shelf. Something that shows you were thinking of that person. Homemade gifts can do exactly that, as long as they tick two boxes: they suit the person, and they get used, eaten or redeemed. The crocheted pot holder that never meets a pot is the opposite. Here are DIY ideas that genuinely go down well, plus handmade one-offs for anyone who hasn't got time to make things themselves.

What makes a good homemade gift

• It's usable: things to eat, things that get used up, and vouchers almost always beat decorations.
• It's personal: one detail only the two of you understand turns a small thing into a real present.
• It looks neat: a nice jar, a clean label, string instead of sticky tape. Homemade can show, sloppy shouldn't.

Homemade gifts from the kitchen

• Granola in a jar with nuts and cinnamon, plus a note with the recipe.
• Herb salt or a spice blend in small jars, matched to their favourite cuisine.
• Candied almonds or biscuits in a tin. They keep well and are always welcome in Advent.

Anything with fresh ingredients, such as pesto or a spread, belongs in the fridge and should be given quickly. Put the date on the label.

Vouchers that actually get used

The classic usually fails because it's too vague. "An evening for you" ends up in a drawer. Better: specific and with a date. "I'm cooking for you on 17 January, just bring an appetite." Or a little voucher booklet with five things you're good at: fixing a puncture, sorting paperwork, an afternoon of babysitting.

DIY with a bottle cap and soap

An idea that feels homemade and still gets used every day: a soap set with a bottle cap that has a story. Keep the cap from a special bottle, the lemonade from last summer's holiday or the beer from your first gig together. Clean it, press it halfway into a nice bar of solid soap, and add a Soapi. Soapi is a magnetic soap holder: the soap hangs by the cap from the magnet on the wall and dries all the way round instead of going soft in a dish. It sticks to tiles, glass or mirrors without drilling, costs €12.95 and comes in ten colours. A bar of soap turns into a keepsake hanging in the bathroom. If you'd like it simpler, the Starter Kit for €14.95 includes a Soapi, a 100 g lavender soap handmade in Marseille and a cleaned bottle cap.

For more craft ideas, from coasters to fridge magnets, see our bottle cap ideas. And for wrapping solid soap nicely in fabric, paper and string, read how to give solid soap as a gift.

Making soap yourself: an honest word

Making soap from scratch sounds romantic, but it involves lye, safety goggles, gloves and some experience. Melt-and-pour soap is easier for beginners: melt a ready-made soap base from the craft shop, add scent or colour, and pour it into moulds. It works well with primary school children too, as long as an adult handles the hot mixture.

Handmade gifts and one-offs when time is short

Not everyone has free evenings for crafts in December. Then the next best thing is something someone else made by hand: pottery from the market, a wooden board from a local workshop, a candle from a small maker. Unique gifts exist in soap form too: stone soaps from Stone Soap Spa are shaped and marbled by hand, so no two are alike. They look like polished stones, weigh 120 g and are based on coconut, rice bran and sesame oil. A brand from Norway, made in Thailand, because that's where the ingredients grow. Charcoal Gold, with coconut activated charcoal and gold leaf, is dark with golden veining, while Rainbow is marbled in bright colours. From €13. More in our article on stone soap.

Half homemade: put it together with Mix & Match

A good middle way between crafting and buying: you put the set together and wrap it yourself. With Mix & Match you choose 5 products, pay €50, and shipping within Germany is free, which works out at €10 per item. An example for three self-wrapped gifts:

• Soapi in Lavender and a soap from Marseille, with your own bottle cap with a story,
• Soapi in Mint and a KLAR shower soap for the friend who'd rather shower than bathe,
• a Skargard shampoo bar to go with a homemade voucher for a weekend away together.

Add a handwritten card and a piece of fabric to wrap it in, and you've got a gift that looks like you.

FAQ

Aren't homemade gifts a bit awkward for adults?

Not if they get used. A jar of good granola or a specific voucher goes down better with most adults than a shop-bought item with no connection to them.

Can I use any bottle cap with Soapi?

Yes, as long as it's clean and not badly bent. Press it halfway into the soap. A cap can occasionally rust, in which case just use a new one. The holder itself can't rust, as the magnet is fully enclosed in the plastic.

Are the stone soaps really all different?

Yes. Because each one is marbled by hand, colour and veining vary from bar to bar. The photo in the shop only shows roughly what yours will look like.

In short

The best homemade gifts are personal and get used: something from the kitchen, a voucher with a date, a soap with the cap from a shared evening. And when time is short, a handmade one-off is just as good. For your own set, put together your Mix & Match bundle now, 5 items for €50.