10 DIY Gifts to Make That Your Friends Won’t Believe You Made

1. Sculptural Air-Dry Clay Candle Holder

I love a DIY gift that looks considerably more expensive than the materials used to make it, and this one absolutely qualifies. It’s fancy!

This sculptural candle holder was inspired by a West Elm version and is made with air-dry clay—which means no kiln and no actual pottery experience required.

And don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth or symmetrical. I actually think the slightly imperfect shape is what makes it look like handmade pottery rather than a craft project.

I’d keep mine a chalky warm white and add two beautiful taper candles.

Make it: DIY Clay Candle Holder Inspired by West Elm — My Sweet Savannah

Gift it with: Two taper candles tied together with velvet ribbon.

2. Homemade Infused Finishing Salts

This may be one of the easiest DIY gifts on this entire list, but packaged properly it looks like something from a little gourmet food shop.

Make a trio of different flavors and put them into small glass jars with simple labels. Rosemary, citrus and lemon basil are a beautiful combination, but you could experiment with your own too.

I particularly like this for the person who’s difficult to buy for because it’s consumable. It doesn’t become another thing they have to find somewhere to put.

Make it: Infused Salt Trio — Our Salty Kitchen

Gift it with: Three tiny glass jars and a little wooden salt spoon.

3. Linen Cocktail Napkins

These might be my favorite.

Cocktail napkins are one of those little luxuries most people don’t think to buy themselves, which is precisely why they make such a good gift.

The basic linen napkins are incredibly simple to make. I’d take them one little step further and embroider a tiny motif in one corner—an olive, bow, star, flower, initial or even a little martini glass.

And don’t worry if the embroidery isn’t perfect.

That’s sort of the point.

Make it: 15-Minute DIY Fabric Cocktail Napkins — Paper & Stitch

Gift it with: Make a set of four and tie them together with thin velvet ribbon.

4. DIY Sculptural Twisted Taper Candles

This is exactly the kind of DIY I love: take something completely ordinary and make it look considerably more expensive.

These sculptural candles start as basic taper candles. After soaking them in hot water until the wax becomes pliable, you can gently flatten and twist them into those beautiful irregular shapes you see in design shops.

I’d choose candles in cream, dusty rose, olive, ochre or deep burgundy and make two or three in slightly different shapes.

The trick is not making them too perfect. They should look a little handmade.

Make it: How to Make Twisted Taper Candles — Better Homes & Gardens

Gift it with: A pair of vintage brass or glass candlesticks or wrap with a velvet bow

Image alt: 

5. Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup

This is such a good gift for a coffee person.

Homemade vanilla syrup uses only a few ingredients, but pour it into a pretty glass bottle with a handwritten label and suddenly it looks like something from a specialty café.

You could also make a little set with vanilla, brown sugar cinnamon and cardamom.

And this is an easy one to make in batches if you suddenly realize you need gifts for six teachers and three neighbors.

Make it: Homemade Vanilla Coffee Syrup — Pink Owl Kitchen

Gift it with: A bag of locally roasted coffee.

6. Air-Dry Clay Trinket Dishes

If you bought air-dry clay for gift number one, don’t put it away yet.

Little ring and trinket dishes are incredibly forgiving because they actually look better when they’re not perfectly symmetrical.

Make a scalloped or wavy edge, press a botanical shape into the clay, paint a tiny design on top or personalize one with an initial.

I’d make several at once.

Make it: Air-Dry Clay Trinket Dish DIY — Thrifty and Chic

Gift it with: A tiny pair of earrings—or just wrap it beautifully on its own.

7. Pressed Botanical Glasses

Floating one or two beautiful botanicals at the bottom of glass is so pretty and easy! 

Keep the composition really simple. One fern, a delicate flower will look much more modern than filling the entire bottom.

This is also one of the DIY gifts on this list that can become genuinely personal. You could press flowers from someone’s garden, a wedding bouquet or a place you visited together.

Make it: DIY // pressed flowers decanter & glasses Tutorial — Jojotastic

Gift it with: Nothing. This one is enough on its own.

P.s if you are like, um I was not pressing flowers all summer? You can find some beautiful ones on Amazon here.

8. Homemade Chili Crisp

For the person who doesn’t need another candle.

Homemade chili crisp is one of those gifts people will actually open and start eating. I can’t get enough of this1

The Serious Eats version combines dried chilies with shallots, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, peanuts and spices. It’s a little more involved than the finishing salts, but it’s also probably the gift someone will ask you to make again next year.

Make it: Homemade Spicy Chili Crisp — Serious Eats

Gift it with: A pretty jar and a handwritten tag that says, Put this on everything.

 

9. An Upcycled Wool Sweater Hot-Water Bottle Cover

This one feels very old-fashioned Christmas in the best possible way.

Take a wool or cashmere sweater you no longer wear—or find one inexpensively at a thrift store—and turn it into a soft hot-water bottle cover.

I’d look for oatmeal, camel, charcoal, cream or a classic Fair Isle knit.

It’s also a great way to save a beautiful sweater that has a stain or hole somewhere else.

Make it: Sweater Hot-Water Bottle Cover Tutorial — Make it Shabby

Gift it with: Put the hot-water bottle inside before wrapping it.

 

10. Handmade Beeswax Food Wraps

I wanted at least one project on this list that was incredibly practical.

Beeswax wraps can replace disposable plastic wrap for covering bowls and wrapping things like sandwiches, cheese and produce. They’re surprisingly easy to make using cotton fabric and beeswax.

The secret here is choosing beautiful fabric.

Skip anything that screams craft store and look for a tiny floral, gingham, stripe or block print instead.

Make three different sizes and you’ve got an actual little gift set.

Make it: How to Make Beeswax Wraps — Natural History Museum

Gift it with: Fold three different sizes together and wrap them with a simple paper band.

 

Bonus #11: My DIY Floral Bath Salts

Okay, technically I said ten. But I had to sneak in one of my own.

I’ve been making these DIY floral bath salts for years, and they’re still one of the easiest handmade gifts I’ve made. They take about 15 minutes and somehow look considerably more expensive than they are.

They’re made with Epsom salts, lavender essential oil and dried rose petals, then tucked into little sheer bags.

For Christmas, I’d change up the packaging slightly—simple cream or kraft tags, velvet ribbon and maybe a little sprig of rosemary.

These are especially good when you suddenly need to make quite a few gifts at once without spending a fortune.

Make it: My DIY Floral Bath Salts Tutorial — MammaMode

Gift it with: A beautiful bar of soap or make a few bath-salt sachets and bundle them together. Also, check out my tutorial for a Microwave heating pad with pom-poms here!

How to Make DIY Gifts Look Expensive

Looking back at the DIY gifts I loved ten years ago and the ones I’d actually make today, I’ve realized the trick really hasn’t changed.

Keep the project simple and put almost as much thought into the presentation as you put into making it.

A homemade finishing salt dumped into a plastic container looks homemade.

Put exactly the same salt into a little glass jar with a beautiful label, tie a sprig of rosemary around it and suddenly it looks like something you’d pick up in a specialty food shop.

• Use glass instead of plastic.
• Linen instead of novelty fabric.
• Natural materials instead of glitter.

Most importantly, don’t overdecorate a gift, the best handmade gifts are usually the simplest ones.

Ten Years Later…

When I published 11+ DIY Gifts your Friends will NOT BELIEVE you made! back in 2017, I was sharing projects I’d found around the internet that made me stop and think:

Wait—you can actually MAKE that?

Ten years later, that’s still my test.

Except now I’m probably even pickier… I want something useful. Something beautiful. Something that doesn’t cost a fortune to make. And preferably something the recipient won’t immediately have to find storage for on December 26.

Ten years later, I still think the best reaction to a homemade gift is “Wait—you MADE this?”

Frequently Asked Questions About DIY Gifts

What are the best DIY gifts to make for friends?
The best DIY gifts are things your friends will actually use and that feel special enough to give as a real gift. Think beautiful homemade food gifts, bath and body products, candles, glassware and small home accessories. The presentation makes a huge difference too — a simple handmade gift can look surprisingly expensive with the right packaging.

What are some easy DIY gifts that look expensive?
Look for projects with simple materials but a polished finished result. Homemade syrups, bath salts, decorated glassware and beautifully packaged edible gifts are all relatively easy to make without looking overly crafty.

Are homemade gifts cheaper than buying gifts?
They can be, especially when you make several gifts from the same batch of supplies. Many DIY gift projects become much more economical when you’re making gifts for several friends, teachers, neighbors or family members at once.

How can I make a DIY gift look more expensive?
Keep the presentation simple. Glass instead of plastic, natural materials, linen or cotton ribbon, restrained colors and a beautiful handwritten or printed label can completely change how a homemade gift feels.

How far in advance can I make DIY Christmas gifts?
It depends on the project. Nonperishable gifts and crafts can usually be made well ahead of Christmas, while edible gifts and anything made with fresh ingredients should be prepared closer to the date you’ll be giving them.