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.

Home made seedballs? I've just bought a kit to make some with my grandson. £15 from Seedballs Ltd makes 40-60. We're going to put them in little organza bags (and remind everyone in spring to plant them!)

I made limoncello last year. It was so delicious. Got small bottles with the leverage lids from Ikea.

Flavoured cooking oils
Chocolate coated honeycomb
Rocky road

Get out there picking sloes then make a load of sloe gin/brandy. It can be given in any old clean jar with a ribbon wrapped around, cute as anything and delicious.
Or cantuccini.

I'd say there is very little you could make that would replace your normal £60 MIL present.

The problem with crafting, baking etc is that the effort you put in and the materials you pay for are rarely equalled by the value of the item to the recipient. Another crafter or baker might appreciate the effort you've put in but they will have their own makes and bakes.

I speak from experience having helped my children make artisan level chocolate truffles from expensive ingredients one Christmas and finding them in the back of a relatives fridge months later.

I wouldn't ever make an unsolicited gift for a relative again.

Might be just my relatives but I suspect not.

I wouldn’t like any home made food or crafty items but would like a photo in a frame or a Christmas card with a nice message or best of all nothing if the person was struggling with money.

Home made chocolates are pretty easy - especially the dark chocolate covered ginger ones that DH loves. Our kids make him some every Christmas - it is silly money to buy ready made in boxes.
Get a big bag of crystallised ginger (Grapetree's is cheap). Rinse off the sugar it's been dusted with and let it dry. Melt chocolate, dip bits in. Let it set on lightly oiled foil so it won't stick.
Like a PP I was going to suggest knitting hot water bottle covers too.

Something else I was given years ago which I use regularly that had been (partially) handmade was a mesh food dome - the sort made of metal mesh to keep flies off food. We were wandering around Liberty's in London and they had some beautifully decorated but very expensive ones - like this, but much nicer aolcookshop.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/EpicureanBumbleBeesFoodCover_1800x1800.jpg?v=1718876532

For a surprise DH bought an ordinary one from a hardware shop, spray painted it and decorated it with cheap little brooches of butterflies, bees etc which he'd found in charity shops.

They're not vulnerable. It's not that sort of job. These are mostly educated professionals 😂

If you can knit, hats go down well. Hunt around online for knitting yarn bargains. You only need 100g for a hat and you can mark it a pure wool hat for a fraction of what it costs to buy.

@ChocolateCinderToffee Why would I want a home made knitted hat I had not chosen for myself?

Cranberry sauce to compliment the Xmas dinner?

I saw some bottles the other day in Home sense that had dried fruits/herbs and spices inside with a small sieve. You could do something similar and then the recipient adds there fav alcohol to it to mix it and infused?

I wouldn’t or home made ginger chocolates.

I’ve seen some very dubious kitchens of places with 5* and never seen a my friends kitchens in such a state

Another vote for edibles here! I think knitting will end up too expensive as you are looking to save money.

I also think it fine for you to give family a heads up that you are giving homemade presents this year as things are a bit tight and you just to want to give them advanced notice so they can cut back on their side too if they want to.

I struggle if I’m given things intended for display or visible use in my house as I’m quite fussy.

5* as in the environmental checks not the status of the establishment

I was going to suggest Christmas Decorations! I have some that a friend made for me years ago and they take pride of place still.

I am a massive fan of food but honestly I would avoid home made food gifts.

To be fair, I'd be hesitant to eat a chocolate truffle made by my own children, and I am not one of the hygiene freaks who don't eat anybody else's home baking.

Go onto Pinterest as see what they have there’s homemade Christmas decorations etc .

I always find these comments odd. People must have very weak constitutions or touching faith in commercial kitchens. And do you never go to friends ' houses for dinner or just tea and cake? What do you really think is the health risk in homemade cake? Is very likely less risky than shop bought full of preservatives.

That said I do think homemade gifts are almost always going to come across as token gifts. Lovely for people only expecting a token gift or no gift eg Secret Santa but probably not really pulling their weight in terms of gift appreciation value.

Maybe just agree in advance token gifts?

I would be careful with food though , if anyone knows your kitchen!!

https://foodaciously.com/recipe/turmeric-honey-roasted-cashews

The joke in my house is that every christmas I decide I am going to make some handmade gifts. I go out and buy all the items I need and then they never get touched. :)

That wrapping paper is fantastic !

Jam, chutney, truffles etc are all easy and cheap to make and the sort of thing I love to receive at Christmas 🎄

You can then decorate with nice labels and a circle of festive fabric on the jars or a pretty ribbon on the truffles.

Also you could knit tiny festive jumpers and sew the recipients initial on as a lovely gift tag that can become a tree decoration. I have a super easy pattern I can dig out of you fancy a try.

This is really easy and makes a great gift.

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/white-chocolate-and-cranberry-fudge.html

If you have access to a sewing machine and know how to work it then cushions can make a nice easy gift. You can do a simple envelope fold which won't require zips and you could do simple squares patchwork or even get photo transfer paper and include photos.

Far better to do something edible - fudge, sweets, biscuits, jams, chutneys, homemade liquors, flavoured oils.