Handmade presents that won't go in the bin?

[prezzz]

I'm not working at the moment, so I have more time than money. Christmas and gift-giving is important to me, and I'd love to give people some useful and thoughtful presents that won't bankrupt me. I also love crafting and DIY, but am well aware that a lot of handmade presents can actually be a bit crap.

Is two months too short a time to learn how to crochet or knit something that's actually nice and/or useful? I did a bit of both about ten years ago, so I'm not a complete novice, but definitely still a beginner...

Any other ideas?

I need presents for a range of ages and both for men and women.

Things like jam or marmalade and chutney are good - also biscuits and sweets. It may not work out quite as cheaply as you think, though. I’d avoid knitting - it’s quite labour-intensive and slow, and if you’re not an experienced knitter, you might be disappointed by the results.
I would recommend this recipe for Christmas gifting - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cranberry-clementine-jelly - works very well with frozen cranberries. If you decide to make it, then invest in a jelly bag - this sort is very good - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Calico-Straining-Cordials-Jellies-Sorbets/dp/B01EVIKOCU/ref=sr_1_18?crid=HQERRRRF86I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4x9WHT6q4TfsZ6QOfE9bXvN-An5mOKV8ScBgsIDVy0apOKjDYGtkrQO7VRPmZWrlA17p39g2ZG-gLY7rEqsuxjAldpoF3N4oL7--yrLifwS3K6iKlNKUVf6MmkaVkLO_Kzaw1VcIHLr64C0rZ01nHYyOJuy96CYoYLSMZjT33hUGQvrWP0F1c2OpKdenDT5w210OfKgRx8JG01mblGzXaMLqJCxy7Vya8V8v6BfbfDHYr602LmUkzyw5nE0DcwbtTI9M2q7jl3zE2-mlknOzOHWrXJdBvPFHIGywOy9Ji8U.PWy2Jns5LG4s_TlnUma0elnmKg0r9VPaqjhSA_udyGM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Jelly%2Bbag&qid=1761204969&sprefix=jelly%2Bbag%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-18&th=1
Don’t buy the sort that comes with a stand: they always collapse. I just turn a stool upside down, put the bowl in the middle of it and tie the jelly bag to the stool legs so it hangs over it. You only need small jars, and the jelly is lovely with cold meat, or a spoonful stirred into gravy.

Do you sew at all? Much faster than knitting or crochet. Aprons or wheat bags (put in the microwave and use like hot water bottles) might go down well, depending on your audience.

Food - fudge, tablet type things.

I'm a knitter/crocheter but would hate anything gifted to me using cheap acrylic yarn. E.g a scarf might cost you less than £10 in cheap acrylic (aka plastic) yarn but it won't be warm and feel cheap and nasty. You really need good quality (e.g merino) wool which would turn out to be more like £30 for an adult scarf.

Jam, chutney and biscuits.

Most cheaply knitted items will look cheap unfortunately. Good quality yarn is expensive. But you could try socks. A decent pair of hand knitted socks could cost from about £6 to over £20. Socks are always well received and although they look complicated are a fairly easy portable craft to learn if you can knit stocking stitch neatly. Look at Tin Can Knits or Winwick Mum online for really good tutorials and buy inexpensive Drops Fabel yarn to start with.

@OSTMusTisNT oh wow - definitely more than I expected, thanks for the heads up!

@MrsClausMaybe I do sew, good idea!

@IlovetoKnitandRead thank you, I definitely thought socks were complicated but good to know

I'd always welcome home made preserves or a crocheted tea cosy 😊

Socks are a good shout, but take WEEKS in thin sock yarn. Maybe chunky slipper socks, much faster. Tin Can Knits do have a pattern I think.

A great thread, and reminds me of one a couple of years ago that had great traction, saying all food gifts would and should be binned.

Utter wankers, of course. Most food gifts are full of sugar/alcohol/ vinegar and so have half-life of plutonium.

Sloe gin. Negronis. These are good to go.

Agreed, you can’t go wrong with this.

The best ever homemade gift we got has been outside our front door and well utilised for 15 years... A thing to remove wellies with, which is basically made from a bit of decking board, and works brilliantly

Some gifting ideas here: https://www.twigandtale.com/products/handmade-projects-to-stitch-gifts

Eye masks are easy - what about matching them with silk pillow cases, easy and lush!! Coupons St Pierre have silk which is relatively affordable. I just checked - 3 metres of pure silk satin for 75 euro. Not cheap exactly, especially with shipping, but you could get a bunch of pillow cases and eye masks which would be lovely gifts if they would suit your people.

Socks? No thanks. Unless superb, out to the charity shop.

To be honest, if your budget for a gift is £60 per person I wouldn't want a homemade gift that cost that much. You could buy a beautiful scarf for that price that was created by a skilled person. You could buy earrings that a silversmith had made. Why not support talented individuals by buying their work than trying to create handmade items yourself but less well. Those things are far less likely to end up in a drawer/ corner/ bin.

I say go with edible. I often give people home made lemon curd and that goes down well.

I have a friend like that but I don't like sweet drinks so have half a dozen bottles of sloe gin in my cupboard and that's after those I've managed to give away and the one that got accidentally (genuinely) dropped.

There is nothing universally liked or considered 'thoughtful'. One person's tat is another's treasure.

I also think the people who take pleasure from gift giving need to have a word with themselves for imposing their preferences on other people who'd likely rather not be drawn into exchanging stuff with other people.

For the latter, the best gift would likely be nothing at all so freedom from having to be gushingly grateful for something they don't want and have to use, wear or look at, while wondering how long they have to put up with it before they can quietly donate or bin the item.

There are some lovely cross stitch picture designs/sets around now. Easy to tailr/ find a place for and do in front of the TV without trying to count and follow a knitting or crochet pattern.

Definitely edible treats as others have said. I make Christmas rocky road which is super easy. Or how about sloe gin? Go sloe picking and buy a cheapish litre bottle of gin then decant into nice little bottles. Not super cheap but no more expensive than buying yarn / craft supplies.
My dsis has gone through phases of making handmade gifts and I have many knitted / crocheted / painted items hiding in cupboards. We don't share the same taste and whilst I would feel bad getting rid, they are just taking up space.

Bath bombs?

It is too late to learn to knit or crochet to a standard that would make decent gifts in time for xmas. My mum is an incredibly accomplished knitter and crocheter and makes genuinely beautiful fair isle items (people stop on the street and ask where they came from) but she has been knitting for 60years plus she knits all year. She also takes commissions for her knitted items, so people can ask for a hat/scarf/cardigan, and specify the colour scheme, so they are never unwanted. I don't see you achieving this in 2 months.

If people like fruit cake (sadly few do) an luxurious xmas style cake with tropical fruits is a great gift. At least with edibles, as others have said, they are destined to be eaten/binned so no harm done.

If you sew, cosmetic/wash bags are a great option. I'm currently making cube bags, they're a bit fiddly in places but come together quickly and suit a variety of uses so can be customised to suit the person.
https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/claudia-cubic-bag-pattern?srsltid=AfmBOop7MNEeqmYdYLiVcfcRi8E3vp5XbLDOXFQQVccng98WA9KYXUEW

If you planted me up some bulbs, I would think that was nice. Maybe some paper whites for winter fragrance.
if you aren’t already a good knitter or crocheter I doubt you will be able to become good enough to make a nice gift that quickly.

My mum knits socks for everyone every Christmas and they are amazing, but then she is a very experienced knitter!

Then let him deal with his family and cut the budget (a lot). £20 buys a perfectly lovely gift.

I love a home made gift food or other things. However I am aware that some people consider it cheap. I made some full length aprons one year they seemed to go down well. I am quite quick but they still take an hour plus. I used material that was already in the house. Only outlay was the webbing for ties and cotton etc. I recently got quite a few renaments from a charity shop all new 75p a piece from two of them combined I made 3 aprons for the church bazaar.