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20 Easy Homemade Birthday Gift Ideas

homemade birthday gift
Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Pexels

Homemade birthday gifts are not only more personal but usually work out cheaper too. Here are 20 easy DIY gift ideas and tutorials for any celebration. 

There’s nothing quite like a homemade gift – the thought you put into them is always worth more than any store-bought gift. We’ve listed some easy homemade birthday gift ideas you can usually make out of common household items. They don’t have to just be for birthdays, you can use them for any celebration or occasion. 

1. DIY Beeswax Wraps

DIY beeswax wraps are a great homemade birthday gift for those who spend time in the kitchen.
DIY beeswax wraps are a great homemade birthday gift for those who spend time in the kitchen.
(Foto: Utopia / Annie Granger)

Searching for a way to charm the zero-waste aficionado in your life? DIY beeswax wraps are the ideal choice and in just a few easy steps you can make your own at home.

Instructions:

2. Body Butter

Treat the hard working hands of your loved one to some body butter.
Treat the hard working hands of your loved one to some body butter.
(Foto: Utopia / Annie Granger)

What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. This is why the gift of a homemade body butter using all-natural ingredients is the perfect way to say “I care about you”. Follow one of our tutorials for simple, nourishing DIY body butter recipes.

DIY Guides:

3. Bug Hotel

A great homemade birthday gift is a bug hotel, as it is a gift for the recipient and the planet!
A great homemade birthday gift is a bug hotel, as it is a gift for the recipient and the planet!
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / MrsBrown)

Anyone with a green thumb understands the importance of keeping good creepy crawlies happy in their garden, even throughout the winter. To bolster the survival chances of these critters, build your keen gardener a cute little bug hotel. Bees and other insects can adopt this as a snug corner to hide away and spend the colder months.

Gift idea:

4. Butterfly Feeder

DIY butterfly feeders make a great homemade birthday gift for loved ones.
DIY butterfly feeders make a great homemade birthday gift for loved ones.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / lobyslo0)

Constructing a DIY butterfly feeder is the perfect gift for your favorite garden enthusiast. Attract butterflies into your loved one’s garden and bring them the gift of more color and beauty to their outdoor space.

Instructions:

5. Cookies

Cookies are one of the easiest homemade birthday gifts to make if you're into baking.
Cookies are one of the easiest homemade birthday gifts to make if you're into baking.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / StarFlames)

Cookies invariably make a delicious snack or dessert. There’s no finer gift than a batch of home-baked cookies to get someone feeling extra special. Baking doesn’t have to be arduous, but the effort you put in is always worth more than any store-bought treat. All the same, it’s actually quite simple to make cookies that are both healthy and appetizing by following any one of our recipes.

Recipes:

6. Homemade Cosmetics

DIY cosmetics make good low waste gifts.
DIY cosmetics make good low waste gifts.
(Foto: Utopia / Sarah Gairing)

Creating homemade cosmetics is easier than you might think. Using natural ingredients ensures that your loved one doesn’t have to risk using harsh ingredients on their face to look their best. All of our DIY cosmetic guides make fantastic low-waste gifts.

DIY Guides:

7. Crochet a Reusable Produce Bag

Surprise loved ones with a homemade birthday gift by making a crochet produce bag.
Surprise loved ones with a homemade birthday gift by making a crochet produce bag.
(Foto: Utopia / Annie Granger)

This is an excellent gift for your beloved market shopper and loose produce fanatic: a functional, green substitute for plastic produce bags. We have an accessible, step-by-step tutorial and video which will help you do this in just one day, even if you’ve never crocheted before!

Instructions and Video:

8. Dried Home Grown Herbs

Dry some home grown herbs and give them away as gifts.
Dry some home grown herbs and give them away as gifts.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / gate74)

Garden herbs spring up fast – and in considerable amounts. Sharing them with friends and family as dried gifts is the perfect way to make sure none of it goes to waste. Our guides will teach you how to dry herbs naturally and give you some tips on how to preserve their aroma, ensuring you’ll be keeping everyone’s herb supply fully stocked for months to come.

Instructions:

9. Dried and Preserved Flowers

Preserve the summer with the gift of dried flowers.
Preserve the summer with the gift of dried flowers.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / CallyL)

Flowers handpicked and preserved from your garden are a more thoughtful and longer-lasting gift than traditional cut flowers. Your gift recipient will be able to enjoy the elegance of summertime year-round. Follow our tutorial with three easy methods for drying flowers.

How to Guide:

10. Homemade Vegan Truffles

A little box of these is sure to cheer anyone up!
A little box of these is sure to cheer anyone up!
(Foto: Utopia / Lorna P)

Fancy vegan chocolate delights with a lush, creamy center make an ideal homemade birthday gift. These delectable truffles will always leave your lucky person wanting more.

Instructions:

11. Face Mask

All natural face masks are easy to make.
All natural face masks are easy to make.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Engin_Akyurt)

DIY face masks are the quintessential gift for anyone who loves self-care. Smooth, luminous, and moisturized skin are only some benefits of these all-natural homemade facemasks.

Step-by-step Guides:

12. Face Scrub

Homemade exfoliants make great homemade birthday gifts.
Homemade exfoliants make great homemade birthday gifts.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Monfocus)

Exfoliation boosts the skin, keeping it looking renewed, fresh, and vibrant. However, store-bought scrubs can be expensive. Our guides will walk you through how to prepare your own easy DIY scrubs for the body and face, which will make the perfect homemade birthday gift. Most of the ingredients you can find are already in your home, including your leftover coffee grounds from your morning brew!

DIY Guides:

13. Knitted Head Band

A knitted headband is a quick and easy DIY gift.
A knitted headband is a quick and easy DIY gift.
(Foto: Utopia)

Draw on your creativity or learn a new skill to make a knitted headband to keep your loved one’s ears warm. With our straightforward guide on how to knit a woolen headband and personalize this charming accessory, you can’t go wrong.

Instructions: 

14. Homemade Liqueur

Homemade liqueur is a unique present.
Homemade liqueur is a unique present.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Bru-nO)

A handcrafted liqueur is an excellent means of using foraged or homegrown fruit in a flavorful and innovative way. This boozy refreshment will impress anyone as a thoughtful and unique homemade birthday gift. Follow our simple recipe below and enjoy!

Instructions:

15. Personalized Candles

Everyone loves a homemade candle as a birthday gift.
Everyone loves a homemade candle as a birthday gift.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / PublicCo)

It’s difficult to find anyone who doesn’t appreciate the gift of a candle. Be that as it may, most candles aren’t without ecological headaches. Since eco-friendly candles can be hard to find and quite costly, why not try making DIY candles yourself from candle wax scraps or soy wax and fully customize the scents? Follow any one of our tutorials for an outstanding way to make personalized, long-lasting candles that won’t cost the earth.

Instructions for DIY gift:

16. Propagated Plant

Propagations from your own plants are a free way to gift your friends some greenery.
Propagations from your own plants are a free way to gift your friends some greenery.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / minhtri8725493)

Indoor plants come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes and can be both decorations and hobbies. Most houseplants are also incredibly easy to propagate if you know what you’re doing. These little baby plants make the perfect housewarming gift. Take a look at one of our step-by-step guides for propagating plants from leaves and cuttings.

Propagating Guides:

17. Preserved Home-Grown Produce

Share and enjoy your homegrown produce.
Share and enjoy your homegrown produce.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / congerdesign)

Preserving fresh garden produce which tends to grow in abundance, such as tomatoes, means you not only cut down on wastage, but can also share and enjoy their incredible flavor all year long. Anyone would enjoy receiving jams, jellies, and sauces as a homemade birthday gift. 

Instructions for preserving fresh produce:

18. Homemade Soap

Adjust the soap scent to your loved one's preferences.
Adjust the soap scent to your loved one's preferences.
(Foto: Utopia / Evan Binford)

DIY soap calls for a few household ingredients and equipment, as well as a bit of patience. This homemade birthday gift is 100% customizable and, with some research into the benefits of different scents, can be tailored exactly to your intended gift receiver.

Instructions:

19. Watercolor Paints

Watercolour paints are easy to make.
Watercolour paints are easy to make.
(Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Pexels)

A fabulous gift for children, make them some watercolor paint. Pair this with the gift of a day spent together creating your masterpieces, and you’re sure to have smiles all-round.

Instructions:

20. Wild Yeast

Show you care with wild yeast.
Show you care with wild yeast.
(Foto: Utopia / Pascal Thiele)

Cultivating wild yeast for use in sourdoughs and other leaven breads is the most ancient method of making yeast, and it also just happens to be insanely easy. Sharing a live culture with the budding baker in your life is an excellent way to show you care. Our step-by-step guide will give you everything you need to get started.

Instructions:

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