Got some time on your hands? Feeling crafty? Check out these homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas!
By Lora O’Brien
Christmas is undoubtedly a seriously wasteful time of year, with its discarded wrapping, single-use greeting cards, food scraps and unwanted presents. But it needn’t be that way – half of Britons said they would be happy to receive unwrapped Christmas presents, for example, to slash the amount of waste generated during the festive season, according to a recent poll.
What’s more, 46% said they would rather receive a digital Christmas greeting such as a text, email or social media message, than a paper card, and 84% of consumers voiced concerns about the amount of plastic packaging used on gifts.
But despite that concern, a quarter of people surveyed said they were too busy during the holidays to try to curb the amount of plastic they were using. And 22% even claimed there was too much waste in their homes over Christmas to be able to recycle it!
Luckily, there are some easy solutions. You can make your own Christmas tree decorations, ban straws and plastic bottles from your dinner table, and make your own customised gifts and wrapping paper. A great idea, folks, since most wrapping paper is, in fact, at least partly plastic and cannot be recycled.
But maybe the best idea is making your own gifts. Not only does this reduce plastic packaging waste, but when you customise presents to suit what you know the recipient will love, they’re far less likely to stuff the gift in a closet. Or worse, throw it away!
Here are a few homemade plastic free Christmas gifts you can easily whip up yourself. And it won’t cost much to do so, either!
10+ Homemade Plastic Free Christmas Gifts To Make
1. Bath Bombs
One of the easiest homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas you could make is basic bath bombs. You can create bombs with all kinds of different vibes, too!
For example? You could make romantic bombs that contain jewellery or other small gifts at their core. If someone has had a totally ‘crap’ year, why not go for the poop Emoji bath bombs, below? (Um, don’t worry – they smell like cocoa!) Or you could just make some ‘regular’ bath bombs, like these super festive Christmassy ones, above.
No matter which ones you choose to make, they’re great for the skin, and are a welcome gift for anyone of any age. It’s an easy-to-make at home recipe that allows for you to add any essential oils you like. And when you gift them in little punets from the grocery store, they look fresh and ‘good enough to eat’!
Best for: Anyone with a bathtub, obviously. (But seriously – make sure they have a tub!)
Get the recipe here.
2. DIY Gingerbread Scrub
Sweet smelling and rich in natural goodness, this scrub is soooo easy to make! It easily helps slough off rough skin and is wonderfully festive thanks to the gingerbread scent. It looks great gifted in a simple Mason jar, with a painted lid and decorated with a bit of string or ribbon.
Best for: Gifting to colleagues and neighbours
Get the recipe here.
3. Homemade Vegan Lip Balm
Totally necessary for winter, this balm doesn’t take long to make at all. Add a few drops of essential oil to personalise the scent. If you want to make a lip scrub instead, all you need to do is add a spoonful or two of coffee grounds or brown sugar. Source tiny jars or little tins to store, and these will be just as well-received as anything you could buy!
Best for: Stocking stuffers
Get the recipe here.
4. Decorative Spice Jars
This is one of the easiest homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas to make!
Find some spice mix recipes here, then add them in pretty layers to an interestingly shaped, clear glass jar, and tie with a bit of ribbon. Alternatively, find some minimalist spice jars, type up some labels with a label maker, and keep the look cleaner.
Recipient not into spices? You could also make your own tea blend to gift, using green or black tea and a mix of dried fruits.
Best for: The cooks and foodies in your life
Image credit: abeautifulmess.com
5. Non-toxic ‘PlayDough‘
This is one of the best homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas for the kiddies! The amount of fun they’ll get from building with this is fabulous, plus it gives parents a little break to enjoy their coffee while it’s warm. Making your own means you can be sure it’s non-toxic, and by adding in some food colouring and scents, you can make them all kinds of Christmassy colours and smells.
Bonus! You can also use this recipe to make your own Christmas tree decorations. Just cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, punch a hole at the top of each piece so you can tie a string in it, bake at a low heat for an hour, and you’re done!
Best for: Wee ones, of course!
Get the recipe here.
6. Gemstone Wine Stopper
Over the festive period, many a bottle of fizz is popped! And what better way to keep wine and champers fresh than with a quirky bottle stopper? These are fun to make and are a pretty way to keep your alcohol stored in the fridge before you’re ready to finish it off. They’re also really cheap to make, and are a great way to upcycle using drawer knobs.
Get the tutorial here.
7. Wood Slice Snowflake Coasters
Whether you’re a tea or coffee drinker, a fan of hot chocolate or like the occasional glass of fizz to celebrate, these coasters are perfect for the winter months. They’re super easy to make. You pretty much buy some eco-friendly wooden slices and use stencils to create an image. Want them to be used all year? You could just leave them plain! I also think initials are a cute way to personalise them for the recipient.
Best for: Your friends and family who have rustic interiors
Get the tutorial here.
8. Coffee Syrup Trio
Christmas calls for a little something special. And there’s nothing more indulgent than a freshly made, steaming cup of coffee – with a sweet kick!
These homemade syrups will be one of the best received homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas. They really do make a great gift, and I highly recommend making all of them – maple-vanilla, caramel, warm spice and peppermint. It’s so easy!
You can, of course, look for the fancy spouts for the bottles, but it’s not really that necessary. All you need is any decent (recycled!) bottle and a nice label to make a sweet gift for any coffee lover.
Best for: The caffeine addict in your life
Get the recipe here.
9. A Movie Night Snack Platter
Why not bring the fun of the cinema home with a movie night, complete with an epic snack board?
All you need to do is collect lots of snacks, such as chocolate, candy, popcorn – you name it! And then you just pack it prettily into a box, and voila! All that’s left to do is draw the curtains, grab the blankets and hit play.
Best for: This is definitely the best of the homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas for movie buffs
Get the recipe here.
10. Chocolate Coconut Date Truffle Bites with Sea Salt
These sound and look utterly decadent. But these truffles are actually refined sugar-free, using the natural sweetness of organic dates instead. Pile them into a Mason jar or pack them into a gift box with little paper wrappers. They look super expensive, but are made with love.
Looking for more edible gift ideas? Click here for some great ones!
Best for: Chocoholics, of course. But these will be well-received by anyone, from your family members to your doorman.
Get the recipe here.
11. Homemade Beard Oil
Why a beard oil, you may ask? They’re surprisingly useful! Not only do they condition the hair of the beard, but they also encourage hair growth, depending on what’s in them.
It may look fancy, but this is another of the easiest plastic free Christmas gift ideas to make. You can easily customise a homemade beard oil with just a few ingredients. It will save you a small fortune – these retail for quite a bit! Plus, it will come with all the love of a homemade Christmas gift, of course.
Best for: The men in your life, no matter how feeble or fecund their beard may be
Get the instructions and free labels to print out here.
12. Hot Chocolate Boxes
If you are or know someone who’d love their own hot chocolate station, then this is one of the best homemade plastic free Christmas gift ideas for them! All you need is a box or wooden crate, some jars of toppings like marshmallows, cocoa dusting and a festive mug. Add some stirring spoons, and you’ve built the perfect box.
Bonus: why not bake some delicious cookies to add to the box? We’ve got some of the best cookie recipes to choose from here.
Best for: Making someone feeling all warm inside
Get the instructions here.
13. DIY Heating Pads
Heating pads are basically the gift of warmth! And who wouldn’t want that? All you need to make a super eco-friendly heating pad is some rice, cloth, and essential oils. You can make these small, to heat your hands in mittens, or super large, to bring to bed.
Heat these babies up in the microwave, and you’re good to go!
Best for: This is one of the best plastic free Christmas gift ideas for those living in cold climates
Get the instructions here.
14. Handmade Embroidery Artwork
Love crafting, or wanting to try a new skill? Embroidery is a really great way to start. There are lots of free patterns available online, including this super cute (and easy!) Christmas tree, below. Or you can hit up places like Etsy for inexpensive patterns if you’re after something specific. Then frame, package and gift to someone you love.
Best for: Gifting something with a really personal touch
Get the tutorial here.
15. Don’t Forget the Wrapping!
Christmas wrapping can be seriously wasteful. It’s downright depressing when you see the bags and bags of waste after all the presents are open. Instead, recycle newsprint to make some beautiful wrapping yourself! Embellish with natural evergreen boughs or ribbons, brooches, hair jewellery or other objects that will be re-used, not trashed.
Or, use some recyclable kraft paper and use stampers to add your own print. You could even make your own paper Christmas lights and attach them to ribbons, to make this adorable design, below!
Best for: All your Christmas presents
Get the tutorial here.
Image above: designmag.fr Main image: Itsalwaysautumn.com
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This looks so good! What a great way to bless the planet while you bless others!
Well said! 🙂