Homemade Christmas presents: 3 ideas for making your own Christmas presents
The best Christmas gifts come from the heart. Homemade Christmas presents are very special and also thoughtful. They show your effort and creativity which have gone into making a fantastic present. They are great as gift ideas for family and friends as they are very unique. In this article we will show you three ideas for making homemade Christmas presents that are guaranteed to go down well. We will also show you some last-minute homemade Christmas gifts.
Contents
Ingredients needed to make your own homemade vanilla biscuit mixture in a jar
Step-by-step instructions on how to make your own homemade vanilla biscuit mixture in a jar
What you need to make homemade Christmas scented candles
Step-by-step instructions on how to make your own scented candles
Making your own Christmas presents: a homemade Christmas hamper
Making homemade Christmas presents: making homemade biscuit mixture in a jar
The Christmas season is full of sweet temptations like biscuits, gingerbread or stollen. This is one of the reasons why your loved ones will be more than delighted to receive a small homemade gift, which they can use in the kitchen. For this festive gift we have chosen a delicious recipe for vanilla biscuits to match the occasion and we will show you how to make your own vanilla biscuit mix in a jar.
Making homemade Christmas presents: ingredients needed to make your own vanilla biscuit mix in a jar
What you will need for the mixture:
A clean glass or bottle with 500 ml capacity (e.g. used glass or a bottle with a swing top)
Funnel
Label or a gift tag with the recipe on it
Ingredients:
100 g spelt flour
65 g brown sugar
1 small pack of vanilla sugar
½ tsp baking soda
50 g ground almonds
40g ground hazelnuts
To be added by the recipient:
1 egg
55 g butter
Around 20 g of icing sugar
Step-by-step instructions on how to make your own homemade vanilla biscuit mixture in a jar
1. First pour the brown sugar into the jar using a funnel. Push the first layer lightly together with a spoon to make it compact.
2. Next, add half of the spelt flour and push it down lightly. Now add the baking powder and then the ground almonds. Now press the baking mixture together again with a spoon in the jar.
3. Now add the rest of the spelt flour, which you can push down again. Finally, add the ground hazelnuts and finish off your homemade baking mixture in a jar with some vanilla sugar.
4. Close the jar tightly and then add a label or a gift tag. On the label or gift tag make sure to write down the baking instructions:
5. Pour the biscuit mixture into a large bowl and mix everything together. Next add 1 egg and 55 g chilled butter and knead into a dough. Now divide the dough into smaller pieces and make them into croissant or half a moon shape and then bake them in a preheated oven at 180 °C for around 8 - 10 minutes. Allow the vanilla biscuits to cool briefly and then sprinkle them with some icing sugar while they are still warm.
Voilà your homemade biscuit mixture is now ready to be given as a gift to family and friends.
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Would you like to try a different recipe?
In the following article on ‘’Baking biscuits with children’’ you can find other biscuit recipes, which you can use for this homemade Christmas present.
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Homemade Christmas presents: making your own Christmas scented candles
Homemade scented candles are very popular at Christmas time as they can make your home feel cosy and Christmassy. The best thing about this homemade Christmas present is that you can be environmentally friendly and avoid creating any waste by reusing leftover candles or old wax. By doing so not only are you giving family and friends a fantastic and meaningful gift, but you are also being environmentally friendly at the same time.
Homemade scented candles: what you will need to make some wonderful homemade scented candles
A clean glass (e.g. old used glass jars or an old candle jar)
Old candles or pieces of wax
Candle wick e.g. a wooden wick
Essential oils such as: orange or vanilla
2 toothpicks
Optional- decorations such as cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks or orange slices to decorate.
Optional- ribbon and a small tag or pendant for decorating
Step-by-step instructions on how to make your own scented candles
1. First, chop up the candle and pieces of wax so that they are easier to melt afterwards. Make sure to remove the remains of the wick if you are using old candles.
2. Put the crushed wax into a metal bowl or a small pot. Heat some water in a large pot and place the bowl or small pot over it. The steam from the boiling water will heat the bowl or small pot and the wax will begin to melt.
Important: make sure that no water gets into the wax.
3. Once the wax has melted you can add a few drops of essential oils and then turn off the hob.
4. Place the wick in the centre of the jar and then shorten it to the appropriate length.
5. Pour in the wax and place some of the decorations (cloves, star anise, etc.) on the candle and then leave the candle to cool.
Once you have finished making the candle you can then add some ribbon and a gift tag to finish it off. This fabulous smelling scented candle is a really good idea for a Christmas present.
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Did you know….
you can also make a candle by using an old yoghurt pot? Simply put some wax in a washed out plastic pot and remove it as soon as the candle has cooled down. This way you can be more environmentally friendly at Christmas time.
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Last-minute idea for a Christmas present: a homemade Christmas hamper
During winter the days become shorter, but Christmas is still a magical time of year and putting the lights on your Christmas tree can help to create a warm and cosy atmosphere. To match the Christmas and wintery theme why not put a fantastic homemade Christmas hamper together full of cosy Christmassy things such as snacks and a Christmas flavoured tea blend. This is the perfect last-minute gift for your loved ones. Below we have put together an example of what you could put in the homemade hamper as well as how to wrap everything up.
Get inspired and make a homemade Christmas hamper for your loved ones
Warm winter clothes such as woolly hats or scarfs
Thick jumper or a cardigan for example made out of cashmere
Fluffy blanket
A tasty tea blend
A nice cup or a reusable water bottle
A (homemade) scented candle
A basket
Optional- ribbon for decorating the gift basket
Start by putting all the items into the hamper basket and arranging them in a nice way. You can tie individual items of clothing or the blanket together by using some ribbon or you can also wrap everything up. Finally use a gift tag to finish off your homemade last-minute Christmas gift. This is the perfect gift for a cosy night in.
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Do you need more inspiration?
You can find more great gift ideas for homemade Christmas presents in the following article: "Upcycling DIYs for Christmas". You can also find great craft ideas that are also suitable as small Christmas gifts in the following article: "Christmas crafts for kids".
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Conclusion: easy homemade Christmas presents are thoughtful and quick to make
Christmas presents don't have to be expensive or extravagant as its more the thought that counts. The different Christmas present ideas in this article are easy to make and you can also get creative and add your own personal touch to them. Homemade Christmas presents are meaningful, but they also show creativity and thoughtfulness, which will show your family and friends how important they are to you.