Last-Minute Homespun Christmas Gifts

You can put together a meaningful gift with things you have at home.

Christmas GiftPhoto byKsenia YakovlevaonUnsplash

Christmas parties are in full swing! (and so is inflation).

When you suddenly remember that you need to bring a gift to a Christmas party or gift exchange and it is too late to shop, don't stress. Look around your house for giftable items you can wrap up.

Here are a few ideas for assembling a Christmas gift at home at the last minute.

Framed Photographs

You probably have some very nice frames lying around waiting for the perfect picture. Find a photo on your phone of yourself with your friend, hit print, and place it in one of those frames.

This gift will take the recipient on a fun trip down memory lane.

A Cup of Tea

If you enjoy drinks like coffee or tea that are served in mugs and cups, chances are you have a few lone cups and saucers sitting in the cupboard. They are often still in great shape, they just got left behind by the rest of the set.

Find a pretty one and fill it with packets of tea.

A Bottle of Wine

If you have a nice bottle of wine you've been saving for a special occasion, forego your own pleasure and give it away.

Trust us on this one.

Candles

You probably will never get around to using those mismatched tapers sitting in the drawer. Bundle them up and tie them with a pretty piece of ribbon, and you've got a gift that will be appreciated for both mood setting and emergency light, should the electricity go out in a storm.

Books

You've been meaning to purge your bookshelf to make room for new books. Now is the time to get started, one book at a time. You may have loved that novel, but you know, you will never read it again. Maybe you've outgrown a cookbook that you relied on heavily when you moved into your first apartment.

Give books you have loved away as gifts, and let someone else discover the joy they once brought you.

Spice Blends

Do you make your own taco seasoning or have a cinnamon spice blend you enjoy using for baking? Mix some up, put it in jars, add labels so it will be obvious what's in there, and give them as gifts.

A Potted Plant

Plants that need to be divided or those that send out "puppies" are a great source of gift-giving material. A pretty little pot with a small plant in it makes a lovely gift that brings joy all year long.

The best gifts are those we would buy for ourselves. If you look around, there are probably plenty of things you bought on a whim, but they just haven't become part of your life. These items make great, economical gifts that are practical, often quite thoughtful, sometimes fun, and always appreciated.

Merry Christmas!