9 Reasons to Give Homemade Gifts

The winter gift-giving season is coming up fast, and shopping is on many to-do lists. You can skip the crowded shops and surfing the web for that special something, though, and make your gifts instead. There are so many wonderful reasons to make your gifts this holiday season that we couldn’t list them all, but we did pick 9 of our favorites. After you’re finished, we have some recommendations and ways to make your crafting easier, too.

DIY gifts are one-of-a-kind

We all want to give something that’s genuinely special, and it can take a lot of time and thought and work to find the absolute perfect gift for everyone on your gift list. 

But when you make a gift, it’s absolutely unique. You know for sure that nobody else will give them the same thing, or that it’s something they already have, because you made it yourself. Even if you make a batch of soap to give to several people on your gift list, each bar of soap will look just a little different from the others.

That means you’re giving someone something they cannot get anywhere else, which cannot be replicated. It’s unique because it is one of a kind.

Giving your time matters

We can always make more money, but we all have a finite amount of time. That time is precious; you can never get it back.

When you spend time making a gift for someone, you give them the gift of your time. And that’s irreplaceable.

This is one of those things that we all recognize as part of what makes handmade gifts so special, but it’s sometimes hard to explain. The fact that someone spent time and effort making something for you can feel deeply significant.

DIY gifts are personal

When you make a gift for someone, you can personalize it and make it memorable, just for them. Whether adding in some luscious cocoa butter to help with chronically dry skin, or making something in their favorite scent or color, making your gifts a little personal makes a big difference.

Even something as simple as a personalized label or plain wrapping paper decorated with your own doodles can make a difference.

While it’s possible to buy personalized gifts, it’s often costly, and the amount of personalization you can do is limited. When you make gifts, you can make each aspect of the present personal to the recipient, showing that you know and care about them.

Handmade gifts are made with love

If you’ve ever had the experience of making a unique handmade gift for someone, you know how this feels. You have this experience of thinking about the person, reliving memories with them, thinking about their likes and dislikes, and things you love about them.

This consideration and care can result in better quality in the final product, but the time you spend focusing on creating the perfect gift for someone deepens your relationship with them, helps you remember the good times and the hard times, and reminds you of why you’re close to this person. This is a joyful experience all its own, with benefits that go beyond that crafting time.

DIY gifts are perfect for folks who are hard to shop for

Do you have someone on your gift list who’s particularly picky or already has everything they need? DIY gifts are perfect for these folks.

Some folks are just picky about certain things, and this is often the case when it’s something they’re going to put on their skin or in their hair. Whether they’re choosy about fragrances, have sensitive skin or contact allergies, or have hair prone to dryness and damage, personal care products are sometimes complex to pick out for someone.

But when you’re making a gift, you can consider all those things and make the perfect gift for them. 

For folks who already seem to have everything they want, a handmade gift is guaranteed to be a gift they don’t already have. 

What a fun way to care for those hard-to-shop-for people on your gift list.

Crafting gifts is good for you

Handmade gifts are great for the recipient, but these gifts also benefit the giver.

Engaging in a creative activity, like crafting, has been shown to reduce anxiety and provide a mood boost. It’s also good for your brain, keeping all those skills sharp. It also has many physiological benefits, like exercising the joints in your hands and arms, improving your ability to focus, reducing cortisol levels, and more.

We don’t always think about how giving handmade gifts benefits us, too. It’s a win-win situation. We have an article about the benefits of crafting if you’d like to learn more.

DIY gifts may save money

While it’s true that the cost of crafting supplies can add up, a homemade gift can be less expensive than a gift you buy. This is especially true when you make batches of gifts, like bath bombs or soap. 

If you’re already a crafter, making gifts is also a great way to use up some of your craft supplies that most of us have stashed away, and that helps you save even more money.

When you think about whether you’re saving money crafting a gift, you need to make sure that you compare your gift to a reasonable alternative. The soap you make at home isn’t the same as a bar of soap you get off the shelf at a grocery store, and handmade soaps can cost $10 or more for a single bar.

Even if making your gifts isn’t cheaper (and this varies by situation), the work you put in, the time you take, and the unique nature of the present make them priceless.

Spend time doing a craft you love

Some people love shopping for the holidays, but some of us would rather skip the shopping process altogether. Let’s face it: finding the perfect gift can take hours, whether that time is spent looking at options, thinking about what to give, or scouring the web trying to find that perfect something.

Would you rather spend that time doing something you love?

If you’re preparing for the holiday season, you may struggle to find time to engage in your favorite crafts. Crafting time is essential for managing stress and mood, though, so in a way, this is the time you need it most.

Make your time do double duty by taking time out for yourself and making some handmade gifts simultaneously.

Handmade gifts strengthen interpersonal bonds

Gift-giving has always been a way that we create and strengthen interpersonal, community, and family bonds. Sometimes, though, gifts can seem a little impersonal, especially when there are many people to give gifts to.

Giving handmade gifts ensures that the gift is exceptional, and when you give someone a gift that you spent time and effort on, that you put real thought into, it helps to boost feelings of friendship, love, and community on both sides of that relationship and can strengthen those bonds in a way that lasts long after the holiday season is over. In a way, you can think of a DIY present as the best gift for someone on your list and for yourself too.

You can even get together with friends and family to make gifts. Check out our Party Kits and start sending out invitations!

If you’re considering making DIY gifts for the holiday season, here are some recommendations to get you started.

Our DIY kits make handmade gifts easy. They come with all the ingredients you need to create a beautiful gift with your own two hands, all packed into a single box. They also have detailed, step-by-step instructions to lead you through the process. Our kits ship free within the lower 48 states, too. Here are a few of our favorites:

Galaxy Bath Bomb Kit
Natural Soap Kit for Beginners - Energizing Orange
Succulent Melt and Pour Soap Kit
Green Tea Hyaluronic Serum Kit

Remember, if you don’t have the time to make your own unique gifts, our kits can also be given as gifts. When you give a crafting kit, you’re giving the gift of creativity.

If you’re looking for something with some more customization options but still don’t want to have to make a shopping list, check out our projects for recipes and shopping lists. Here are some recommendations.

Natural Whipped Shea Butter Project
Cardamom and Cedar Candle Project
Coconut Cream Soap Project
Rose Clay Face Mask Project