From the Heart: 4 Handmade Crafts That Make Great Holiday Gifts

With the holidays come a lot of expenses. This can cause a lot of people stress, diminishing the joy of the season. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to give some amazing gifts this holiday season. Handmade gifts come from the heart, and they allow you to show off some of your creativity. Here are some of the best crafts to make that you can give as gifts.

Pine Cone Christmas Tree Decorations

This is an easy craft to make and very inexpensive. At its most basic, you simply need to paint a pine cone green and give it something to stand on like a wine cork or small piece of wood. However, with a little personalization, you can really elevate this decorative piece for your friends and family. White paint and some glitter at the tip of each cone scale give it an elegant, wintertime look. You can add a star at the top and choose different bases to match different decor styles. Also, you can put sequins, charms, or dots of paint on the pine cone to represent ornaments.

Candles

Candles are surprisingly easy to make, and they are a gift that most people love. Candle making supplies include the wax, wick, and container. You’ll also need a pot and stove or hot plate to melt the wax. Color and fragrance oils are optional but a very nice touch especially in a gift.

To start, place a wick into any candle container that you want to use. You can use nearly any container as long as it is heat resistant, unlikely to crack or leak, and not flammable. Then, heat your wax in a pot on the stove. When it’s added, you can add the colors and scents you want. Finally, pour the melted wax into the candle container. Make sure you leave plenty of the wick exposed so that it can be lit. Let the candle cool completely, trim down the wick if needed. This is another great gift that can be personalized with each receiver’s favorite scent and color.

Personalize Ornaments

Most people would love to get a personalized ornament that they can add to their Christmas tree decorations collection. You’ll need a clear or plain ornament to start with. You can paint the gift receiver’s initials on it, or you can glue embellishments onto the ornament that you think they’d like.

Of course, there are hundreds of ways to personalize an ornament, and dozens of different bases to start from. However, for a simple but elegant ornament, start with a plain, clear bulb. With just some paint, you can add the receiver’s initial to the outside. The great thing about these bulbs is that they’re very customizable. For example, you can swirl paint inside to make the ornament stand out. Alternatively, you can also swirl glue inside and add glitter to coat the sides. You could also put beads or a picture inside the bulb. With as versatile as these are, you can find a style that suits each of your giftees.

Hot Cocoa Spoon

This edible craft is both cute and tasty. These spoons are covered in chocolate that makes hot cocoa when stirred into a mug of warm milk. You can dress the spoons up with a new mug, candycanes, and a recipe card for enjoying their hot cocoa.

To make the spoons, start by placing a handful of chocolate chips in a bowl, and warm them up in the microwave. Stir them every 15 seconds until they are fully melted. Dip the head of a spoon into the chocolate to thoroughly coat it. You can make it a bit fancier by sprinkling crushed peppermint, cinamon, or mini marshmallows onto the chocolate. Let the spoon cool on a piece of parchment paper in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. You can wrap the head of each spoon in a cellophane wrapping before giving as a gift.

There are numerous handmade crafts that you can make this holiday season for your friends, family, and neighbors. The ideas listed above are sure to be a hit with your loved ones this holiday season.

Author Bio

Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.