8 Easy DIY Christmas Gifts

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—holiday season. Partaking in festive activities isn’t even a question, it’s something you’ve long been waiting for the past 12 months: the ice skating, Christmas tree decorating, peppermint latte drinking, fire toasting, and Christmas movie watching.

But with all the holiday hoopla, it’s easy to lose track of time, and before you know it Christmas is days away and you haven’t secured any presents. Or, perhaps you’re more responsible than that and you simply have a tight budget and need to save some money. Whatever the case may be, here are eight easy DIY Christmas gifts that are perfect for mom, dad, siblings, friends, party hosts—and your bank account.

Makeup

Who doesn’t love easy-to-use makeup products? Now you can give the gift of beauty and convenience with these two great DIY gifts. With coconut oil as the star ingredient in both, they’re not only super hydrating, but they’re also all-natural and work well with many different types of skin.

1. DIY Kylie Lip Kit

Kylie Jenner, the 18-year-old reality TV star and entrepreneur, teased the launch of her lipstick kits on social media to millions of followers late last year, a few days before the products went live. Her short Snapchat videos and Instagram close-ups worked—a lot better than traditional marketing ever could. When the Kylie Lip Kit finally hit online shelves, it sold out in minutes. And, the very next day, the chic $29 lipstick and liner duo were going on eBay for upwards of $1,000!

The good news is, you don’t have to fight your way online to get your hands on it. Instead, make a Kylie-inspired lip kit with all-natural ingredients that’ll moisturize and protect. You can even add a few drops of peppermint or vanilla essential oil to add a subtle flavor and scent. It’s the perfect gift for a fan, a makeup connoisseur, or both.

What you need for the liquid lipstick

• 2 teaspoons liquid concealer
• ¼ teaspoon melted coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon vegetable glycerin
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon brown mineral eye shadow
• ¼ teaspoon mineral blush
• 1 to 3 drops peppermint or vanilla essential oil (optional)

For the liner

• 1 Mineral Hygienics lip liner in Vex
• Translucent mineral powder (optional)

2. DIY Cream Blush Stick

Makeup doesn’t get more low-maintenance than cream blush—especially when it’s in stick form. You don’t need any special tools or brushes to apply. Just swipe it on, blend with your fingertips, and toss the tube in your bag for touchups throughout the day.

What’s even better—it can be made with just two ingredients: soothing coconut oil and a smidgen of your favorite lipstick to add color. (We also carry natural lipsticks you can use for this).

What you need

• Candle
• Metal spoon
• A sliver of any lipstick; we used Mineral Hygienics Matte Lipstick in Wild One
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Small funnel
• Empty chapstick tube (or small jar if you don’t have one)

Spa

Package these two gifts together to provide a relaxing spa day at home. After all, the holidays can be hectic but with a present like this, your recipient will be feeling rejuvenated and reenergized.

3. DIY Floral Bath Bombs

These bath bombs are floral-shaped and packed with ingredients that fizz when dropped into hot bathwater. Once they submerge you get foaminess, fragrance from essential oils, and sometimes even a little color.

What you need

• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup citric acid
• ½ cup Epsom salt
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 teaspoons geranium essential oil (or other essential oil of your choice)
• 2 ½ teaspoons almond or olive oil
• 2 to 3 drops natural food coloring (optional)

4. DIY Scented Holiday Candles

Sugar cookie, warm apple pie, gingerbread, and candy cane—they don’t just make great holiday flavors but also scented candles for the chilly winter months. This year, skip the store-bought options and whip up your own for a great holiday gift. It’s super easy!

What you need

• 6 ounces of soy wax beads
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 pack of tea lights with wicks or candle wicks

Gingerbread scented candle

• 10 drops cinnamon oil
• 2 teaspoons dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg

Pumpkin pie scented candle

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Hot toddy scented candle

• 20 drops orange oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 10 drops of clove oil

Candy cane scented candle

• 10 drops peppermint oil

Lip care

During the winter months dry, chapped lips are fairly common due to cold temperatures and blustery winds. These DIY lip care products are perfect to give this time of year and are great to pair together.

5. DIY Peppermint Lip Balm

A soothing, hydrating lip balm is a necessity for winter. Although, a lot of lip balms contain ingredients like petroleum and mineral oil, two byproducts that aren’t good for the skin, especially when absorbed by the lips.

Now you can give the gift of a hand-made and trustworthy balm that only take minutes to whip up. It’s made with all-natural emollients such as coconut oil and shea butter, as well as food-grade peppermint oil for a festive touch and minty-fresh flavor. If you think peppermint isn’t their thing, vanilla extract also works.

You can also make a few extra tubes or jars for a creative, homemade stocking stuffer everyone on your list will love.

What you need

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon shea butter
• 8 drops food-grade peppermint oil or flavor extract
• Eyedropper

6. DIY Sugar and Spice Lip Scrub

This DIY lip scrub is great for renewing the lips and can can be made up with only four ingredients—all of which are probably already in your pantry. Brown sugar gently exfoliates, while coconut oil and raw honey moisturize, and the fragrant combination of cinnamon and sugar smells good enough to eat.

You can also create a cute note card telling your recipient how to use it: Take a dime-size scoop out of the jar and spread on the lips. Then gently rub in circles for 30 seconds to a minute and wash off with warm water to get baby soft lips all season long.

What you need

• 6 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons raw honey
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil or almond oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• Small glass jar or container with lid

Treats

Delicious, homemade food brings family and friends together over the holidays, and also makes a tasty gift. Here are a couple of our favorite dessert recipes that work perfectly for the holidays—package them in tins with bows for an unforgettable DIY gift.

7. 5-Ingredient Fudge

Nothing says Christmas quite like delicious, chocolatey fudge wrapped up and tied with a ribbon. These are great to bring to a holiday party, family dinner, or work gathering. Best of all they can be cut into festive shapes by using cookie cutters, making them that much more jolly.

Note that this decadent fudge is also Paleo-friendly due to its short list of ingredients: coconut oil, cacao powder, almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract. If you know the person receiving the gift is allergic to nuts, swap the almond butter for a seed butter of your choice—it will still taste just as amazing.

What you need

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8. Triple Ginger Cookies with Pomegranate Molasses

These little molasses cookies hold two secrets that make their hot, gingery bite even better. One is the fruitiness and subtle, dark edge of pomegranate molasses and the second is that they’re completely gluten-free.

This batch makes 12 to 15 cookies, so if you’re giving them to the host at a Christmas party, double the recipe because these bad boys will for sure fly off the plate. To take their presentation to the next level, use holiday-themed cookie cutters and wrap them in clear paper with a big red bow.

What you need

• 1 1/3 cups almond meal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, or another neutral oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 packed cup chopped crystallized ginger

After making the perfect gift, use our guide for wrapping them up with eco-friendly touches. Happy holidays!

Photo credit: Paul Delmont