20 Gift Ideas For Gardeners [GARDEN GIFT GUIDE]

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Most gardener gift guides are written by someone who has never had dirt under their nails, and you can tell within the first three items. It honestly makes me cringe, so this year I built my own gift ideas for gardeners from scratch with the simple rule that nothing goes on this list unless I've used it, want it, or would hand it to my own mother without a disclaimer.

Contrary to popular belief, the gardener on your list is not that hard to shop for. They're hard to shop for well, because most of what gets marketed at them is either a novelty they'll use once or a tool they already own three versions of. What they actually want is something that makes the parts of gardening that are hard a little easier, or something that lets them be a little more ridiculous about a hobby they already take too seriously.

Under $30 garden gifts

1. Veggie and herb seed variety collection.

Start here if you don't know the gardener on your list that well. A curated collection of seeds says "I know you like growing things" without requiring you to know which sixteen tomato varieties they already have opinions about. The best part is this isn't a one-season gift. It's the start of whatever they grow for the next decade, if they save seed the way most obsessive gardeners eventually do. This bundle comes in thoughtfully designed packaging perfect for gifting. Tap to shop the collection.

2. A garden journal worth keeping.

Every gardener starts the season certain they'll remember which bed the beets went in. None of them do. A dedicated journal isn't boring stationery, it's the difference between guessing and knowing what worked, and gardeners who actually use one will tell you it changed how they plan. Tap to shop the garden journal.

3. Garden gloves that don't fall apart by July.

The cheap garden gloves tear at the seams before the tomatoes even set fruit. A really good pair, the kind with reinforced fingertips and a fit that doesn't bunch, is the sort of upgrade a gardener will never buy for themselves because it feels indulgent for a glove. Tap to shop garden gloves.

4. Ergonomic hand cultivator.

Small, unglamorous, and the thing that saves a wrist. If the gardener in your life deals with any joint pain, chronic or seasonal, a properly weighted, ergonomic hand tool changes whether an afternoon of weeding is possible at all. Tap to shop the garden cultivator.

5. Copper plant markers.

Plastic tags fade to blank by August. Copper ones age into something that actually looks better with time, and feel like they belong in a garden instead of a hardware aisle. Small, but the kind of small that gets noticed every time they walk the beds. Tap to shop copper plant markers.

6. A rain gauge worth reading.

Every gardener thinks they know how much it rained and almost none of them are right. A simple, well made rain gauge answers a question that actually changes watering decisions, which makes it more useful than most gifts twice its price. Tap to shop the rain gauge.

garden Tools

7. Hand pruners.

If you only spend real money on one tool for a gardener, spend it here. A quality pruner with a rotating handle and true bypass blades will outlast a decade of cheap ones, and the difference shows up in every cut, especially on anything woody. This is the tool I recommend more than any other, and I don't say that lightly. Tap to shop pruners.

8. retractable hose reel.

The gardener on your list has, at some point, nearly cried over a tangled hose. This one retracts itself, mounts anywhere, and comes with frost protection built in, which matters if they're gardening anywhere that gets a real winter. It's not a glamorous gift. It's the gift that removes a specific, recurring annoyance, which is a better kind of gift than most people think to give. Tap to shop hose reel.

9. Garden herb snips.

A second pruner pick, because there's a real difference between a full size pruner for woody stems and a compact one for deadheading and everyday cuts. The handle design reduces the repetitive strain that adds up over a season of small snips. Tap to shop snips.

The Bigger garden Gifts

10. Original vertical planter.

This is the gift for someone who insists they don't have room to garden. The tiered design lets a surprising amount grow in a small footprint, and the built in watering system means one pour at the top waters every level below it through gravity, not a hose running to six separate pots. I recommend this constantly to people who think their patio disqualifies them from gardening. Tap to shop vertical planters.

11. Farmstand tower.

A hydroponic tower is the gift for the gardener who wants to grow something even when their body, their yard, or their season says no. No soil, no bending to ground level, no weeding. It's a different way to grow food, and for anyone managing fatigue or limited mobility, that difference can be essential. Tap to shop tower planter.

12. mushroom garden blocks.

This is the gift that makes people say "wait, you can just do that?" A pre-inoculated block that fruits actual mushrooms indoors, no garden required, no experience required. It's satisfying in a way regular vegetables aren't, mostly because most people have never grown food that wasn't a plant before. Tap to shop mushroom blocks.

13. canned seed vault.

A long term seed storage collection built around preservation, not panic. The appeal here isn't doomsday prepping, it's the same instinct that makes a gardener save seed from a good tomato in the first place: the plants you love are worth keeping around. This is that instinct, professionally packaged. Tap to shop seed vault.

14. seed binder.

For the gardener who has more seed packets than pockets to put them in. A proper binder system turns a shoebox of loose envelopes into something they can actually find things in come planting season, which is a bigger gift than it sounds like until you've dumped an entire seed collection on the floor looking for the zinnias. Tap to shop seed binder.

15. Organic plant food.

Good fertilizer isn't glamorous, but the difference between a fed plant and an unfed one shows up in everything from bloom size to fruit set. This is the kind of gift a gardener will use up and quietly be grateful you thought of, long after the wrapping paper is gone. Tap to shop plant food.

For the Body, Not Just the Garden

16. acupressure mat.

Gardening is a physical hobby that most people don't treat like one. A weeding session is closer to a workout than most gardeners admit, and the ache that follows is real. An acupressure mat isn't a garden product on paper, but it's a direct answer to the part of gardening nobody mentions: the sore back at the end of the day. Tap to shop acupressure mat.

17. ceramic pan.

The unspoken second half of growing your own food is cooking it, and a gardener with a good harvest and a mediocre pan is missing half the payoff. This pan is non-toxic, non-stick and holds heat the way a good harvest deserves, whether that's a quick sauté of whatever came out of the garden that morning or something slower. Tap to shop ceramic pan.

18. sustainable meal delivery.

For the gardener who spends every ounce of energy they have outside and has nothing left for dinner. This isn't a replacement for cooking what they grow, it's a bridge for the nights growing it took everything out of them. Anyone managing chronic fatigue or a demanding season will recognize exactly what this gift is for. Tap to shop meal delivery.

Something to Read

19. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Not a how-to book, and better for it. A short, quietly radical meditation on abundance and reciprocity that reframes gift giving itself, which makes it an unusually fitting book to give as a gift. It'll land with gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Tap to shop the book.

Just Because

20. Wildflower seed bombs.

The least practical thing on this list, but the most whimsical by far. The coolest part about planting these is there is no planning, no bed prep, you just toss and walk away. It's gardening reduced to its most joyful, least serious form, and every obsessive gardener needs a reminder that it's allowed to be that simple sometimes. Tap to shop seed bombs.

If you're shopping for someone who already has everything a garden could need, start at the bottom of this guide instead of the top. The best gifts for gardeners aren't always the ones that solve a problem. Sometimes they're just proof that someone was paying attention to what they love.

Eco Friendly Gift Ideas

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Holiday waste is a huge problem, both for our budgets and the environment. Americans spent around $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday gifts in 2019, and 4% of them ended up in the trash. Think about it - how many trash bags have you probably filled with just wrapping paper in your life? A lot of it can’t be recycled or composted even if we wanted to because it uses shiny plastic coatings or glitter that won’t break down. This is a huge problem that we can easily avoid by simply changing some habits and using fabric or kraft paper wrapping instead. The plus side is fabric wrapping can be reused year after year and kraft paper is totally recyclable and compostable!

That number doesn’t even include all of the wasted packaging and wrapping materials that end up in landfills. Each year Americans alone use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper valued at over seven billion dollars. Fifty percent of that wrapping paper ends up in a landfill. That's 2.3 million pounds of used wrapping paper clogging up landfills.

I know I’m not the only one who struggles after the holidays are over to try and absorb all of the generous gifts into our home and our lives. As much as I’m grateful for the thought, and know that I am privileged to be loved by so many people who want to express that love through gifts, it is a challenge when the gifts themselves don’t fit into my life. An eco-friendly gift, however, will always bring me joy and be a useful addition to my home.

For a truly zero waste eco friendly gift idea, consider an experience instead. This can be anything from paint night to skydiving, a museum membership, massage or a baking class. Experience gifts allow you to deepen your bond with the gift recipient and create lasting memories that you can look back on for years to come.

Whether you’re looking for green gifts for your teenager, sustainable gifts for your parents or eco christmas gifts for your spouse, this guide has all the best eco friendly gifts you could need for everyone on your list.

Upgrade their disposable plastic water bottle to a metal water bottle that will last.

Upgrade their disposable plastic water bottle to a metal water bottle that will last.

Did you know roughly 2,480,000 tons of plastic bottles and other containers are tossed out (and not recycled!) every year. Plastic bottles make up a significant portion of this waste. They are also one of the main sources of pollution and pose a serious threat to our environment and the animals we share it with.

A reusable water bottle makes a great sustainable gift you can give to anyone on your list, since we all need to stay hydrated! You could pair this gift with a wellness journal and your favorite playlist for your friend or family member who likes to work out. My favorite water bottles are these black metal reusable bottles from Package Free.

Stock up their pantry with reusable glass food storage containers.

Stock up their pantry with reusable glass food storage containers.

Know someone who just moved into their first home, or is in the process of eliminating plastics in their kitchen? Reusable glass food storage containers are the perfect functional eco friendly gift idea! Make your green gift extra special by filling up those containers with a nice home cooked meal to get their gears turning on what sorts of things they could cook up to store themselves. I like these glass rectangular containers because they stack really well and utilize space in the fridge efficiently, plus they look great.

A zero waste drink kit you can make yourself

In the US alone, people discard 500 million straws every day, or more than 180 billion a year. That’s about 1.4 million kilograms of plastic sent to landfills (and the ocean) every day. Why not make a cocktail or mocktail kit that celebrates sustainability by including reusable straws, a travel tumbler and your favorite drink mix?

Help them carry their haul with ease

Help them carry their haul with ease

Did you know that plastic bags are used for only 20 minutes on average, but take hundreds of years to decompose? In that time, they can poison or kill countless wildlife. Grab some of these open market bags and a membership to a local CSA for a foodie gift that keeps on giving.

Tea is always the answer

Tea is always the answer

‘Paper’ tea bags almost always contain some plastic, and can be full of pesticides, toxins, and dioxins. Epichlorhydrine is the pesticide most often found in tea bags. It’s known to cause cancer in animals exposed to it. So why not introduce your friends and family to the magic of loose leaf tea with a gift mug full of your favorite herbal blends and a metal tea ball?

Make laundry time more pleasant with wool dryer balls

Dryer balls are a better option all around than toxic-rich fabric softener and wasteful, one-time-use dryer sheets. Not only are these products bad for the environment, their contents are also absorbed by your clothing, towels, and bedding, and then transferred to your skin.

Felted wool dryer balls are available here.

Clean up their act with Swedish dishcloths

Clean up their act with Swedish dishcloths

Single use paper towels are not the best option for cleaning up messes because they create a significant waste problem. 254 tons a year in the US, to be specific! One Swedish dishcloth can replace 17 rolls of paper towels.

I use these Package Free Swedish dishcloths, which are made of 70% sustainably forested wood cellulose and 30% organic cotton. They are 100% natural, biodegradable - and they’re much cheaper than paper towels!

Make mealtime more eco-friendly with cloth napkins

Cloth napkins make even a pb&j feel a bit fancy, and they don’t have to cost a fortune to make an impact. Get your family a stack of these cloth napkins along with copies of your favorite recipes and they’ll be set for meal planning too!

Help them reduce their water bill with self care that helps you skip the shower

Help them reduce their water bill with self care that helps you skip the shower

Dry shampoo like this one from Package Free allows you to wash your hair less frequently, lowering water consumption in the shower and allowing you to use less shampoo overall. Spending just 3 minutes less time in the shower can help save over 6 gallons of water. If you buy a dry shampoo, look for one like this that does not come as an aerosol spray. Add this to a self care themed bundle with your favorite essential oils, moisturizer and washable cotton face cloths. Somewhere around 20 million pounds of disposable wipes are thrown away every DAY in the US. Most end up in landfills, and despite claims to the contrary, most are not biodegradable and do not rapidly break down.

Make spring cleaning a breeze with a reusable steam mop and cleaning pads

Swiffer mops are convenient and user-friendly, but have you ever thought about how much trash those single use pads generate? Not to mention the chemicals in the cleaning solutions or the plastic bottles that contain those solutions.

Disposable Swiffer pads are made from polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels, which are, of course, contributing to the degradation of our ecosystems and wildlife.

A great replacement is a steam mop. I find them so much easier to use: just add water and you’re good to go. Steam removes dirt and bacteria, and leaves my floors looking and feeling much cleaner. Plus, every time they clean their floors they will think of you! Click here for the steam mop we use at home.

Keep their food fresh for longer with reusable beeswax wraps.

Keep their food fresh for longer with reusable beeswax wraps.

You can make beeswax wraps at home using fabric, beeswax, resin, and jojoba oil, but in my experience it’s a bit of a messy and time consuming project. Regardless of whether you shop or make, they are great for wrapping sandwiches or snacks and cover bowls. They should last for about a year, and most are compostable. Here’s a link to the beeswax wraps that we use at home.

Is wrapping paper eco-friendly?

There’s no point in negating any positive impact you might see from buying green gifts by wrapping your sustainable gift in traditional wrapping paper. Every year Americans use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper. A good bit of that ends up in a landfill. Wrapping paper with glitter, foil, plastic, texture, bows, tape, or sticky tags on it cannot be recycled.

What To Use Instead of Wrapping Paper

It used to be common to use the comics from newspapers, and that’s still a fun option. Any part of the newspaper will do, really.

Save the brown paper that comes in the cardboard boxes shipped to your house. Everyone loves a brown paper package tied up with string! Brown shopping bags are also perfect for this look.

Sheet music, book pages, posters, and magazines can all make pretty wrapping.

Using fabric as wrapping is a fun option.

A pretty tin is a great way to package a present. You can often find them at thrift stores.

If you do use disposable wrapping paper, be sure it’s paper only. Use paper bows and tape and don’t forget to recycle!

Mason Jar Gift Ideas

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Mason jars can serve so many purposes. They’re the perfect blank slate for food, crafting, and gifts. Below you’ll find mason jar ideas for Christmas, Chanukah, birthday, or just-because gifts.

The History of the Mason Jar

Back when Mason jars were invented, they were made from a transparent, aqua glass. You can still find aqua mason jars at yard sales and antique stores. Because of their age, it’s probably best not to use them for canning, but they have lots of other uses. I like to use them as vases and oil lamps, or to hold dry food or craft supplies.

John Mason, who invented the jars in 1858, didn’t get a patent on the rubber ring he used to seal them until 10 years later, by which time lots of people were producing mason jars. In 1880, five brothers began producing them under the name of Ball Brothers Manufacturing. The rest, as they say, is history.

Antique Ball jars were made in a variety of colors and shapes, some of which are very valuable to collectors today.

As more and more jars became available, the American diet changed pretty dramatically, as people could eat canned fruits and vegetables year-round. Canning as an activity goes through periods of boom and bust, but Ball jars themselves are never out of style. They are a timeless staple.

Mason jars are made of tempered glass, making them not indestructible, but quite durable, which is why so many very old jars are easily found. While the antiques have their own charm, newer mason jars retain the mix of simplicity and usefulness that made the jars the instant hit they were.

At our house, we use antique Ball, Kerr, and Atlas mason jars as drinking glasses, fill them with leftover soup, arrange pretty things in them, and do lots and lots of canning.

DIY Mason Jar Gifts

Whether you want to craft a mason jar gift or create the perfect mason jar food gift, there are truly endless possibilities. Here are a few ideas to inspire your own creations.

Spa Mason Jar Gift

I recommend using a wide mouth canning jar for this gift, to better fit some fun and pretty self-care products.

These shampoo and conditioner bars from the Package Free shop would make a great foundation in the bottom of the jar. As would this Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar, also from Package Free. Add a refreshing peppermint lip balm, non-toxic nail polish and some reusable cotton face rounds for a DIY spa gift in a jar that will make a gift everyone can enjoy!

To top off your spa mason jar gift, consider using a natural loofah sponge on top of the lid.

Love Notes Mason Jar Gift

It is indeed the thought that counts. Come up with as many things as you can – big and small – that you love about your gift recipient, write them down, and stuff that mason jar tight. You could use handmade recycled paper, cut out into fun shapes, or even take it one step further with seed paper they can plant later for a garden gift that keeps on giving.

Snow Globe Mason Jar Gift

Here’s what you’ll need to make a dry mason jar snow globe:

• Pint-sized mason jar and lid

• Winter miniatures such as pinecones, repurposed old wooden ornaments, trees, snow-people, or other figurines

• Non-toxic glue

• Ribbon

Instructions:

• Glue your collected miniatures to the inside of the mason jar lid. Once dry, screw your lid onto your mason jar. Turn the mason jar upside down and embellish the ring of the lid with your ribbon of choice.

Terrarium Mason Jar Gift

You can make a terrarium with a mason jar in its regular standing position, but I think the upside-down look is more interesting.

What you need to make a mason jar terrarium:

• Mason jar

• Moss

• Very small plants (When purchasing plants, bring a mason jar lid with you to help in choosing the right size.)

• Spray bottle with water

• Optional additions are pebbles, acorns, tiny pine cones, shells, or other small materials found in nature

Instructions:

• Wash your jar thoroughly and be sure to rinse it very well.

• Remove your plant very carefully from its pot and moisten the soil with your spray bottle to prepare it for planting in the mason jar lid.

• Compact the plant’s root ball with your hand. You may need to remove some soil. Your goal is to be sure it will fit on the inside of your mason jar lid and that all the roots will be covered in soil.

• Place the plant on the inside of the lid. The soil should not overflow, and there should be a tiny bit of space around it for other materials.

• Press moss around the edges of the soil, filling the space to the edge of the rim.

• Add pebbles, an acorn, tiny pine cones, or shells if desired.

• Now comes the hard part – placing the jar over the plants. Use one hand to hold the plant upright and guide the branches into the jar. With the other hand, lower the jar over the plant.

• You can just place the jar on top of the lid, but if you’re a bit more daring, you can try to turn the jar onto the lid’s threads. This would make it easier to move around, but if you don’t screw it in you can just hold the lid and jar separately when moving the terrarium, and it will be a bit easier to lift the jar when the soil needs moistening.

• Include a small card with these care instructions with your terrarium gift: “Terrariums do best with bright but indirect light, so they shouldn’t be kept in direct sun. The soil should be checked every few weeks, and should be kept moist, but not wet.”

Sugar Scrub Mason Jar Gift

Mix up a batch of your favorite sugar scrub and fill a mason jar with it! My personal favorite recipe is this Lavender Oat Scrub.

Candle Mason Jar Gift

Who doesn’t want a warm and cozy candle to keep them company through the long winter months? This is more of an advanced gift in a jar project since it requires a fair amount of supplies, but once you have everything you need it’s a fun weekend project that will leave your home smelling amazing! Choose a natural soy wax and phthalate free scents for a non-toxic gift.

Mason Jar Recipe Gifts

Soup in a mason jar

There are tons of incredible recipes for ready to cook soups you can serve your friends and family in the form of a mason jar food gift. Personally, I think an edible gift is one of the best kinds of gifts since it is zero waste and creates a personal experience for the recipient. Layering your ingredients creates an appealing visual effect that is sure to impress! Just be sure to include a tag (either printed or handwritten is fine!) attached to your gift with cooking instructions.

Cookies in a mason jar

If there’s anything better than soup in a mason jar, it’s cookies in a mason jar! The same guidelines apply here. You’ll want to find a recipe that is specifically made to fit inside of a mason jar so the ratios are correct. These mason jar food gift recipes only include the dry ingredients, so the recipient will just need to add whatever milk, eggs, butter or other perishable ingredients can’t be included in the recipe.

Wrapping Your Mason Jar Gifts

You can package your mason jar gift in a reusable gift bag, but here are some prettier options if you feel like getting creative:

Burlap:

Use a Burlap Ribbon to tie a simple bow around the mason jar, or use it to create a sleeve by securing a length of it around the jar with glue.

Tissue paper:

Place your jar on top of a piece of tissue paper, right in the center.

Bring the 4 corners of the tissue paper together above the jar, then gather the excess tissue paper in towards the jar and up.

Use ribbon or raffia to tie the tissue paper to the space between the jar and the lid.

Fabric:

Fabric can be used in just the way I described using tissue paper above, or can be used in the most classic of mason jar decorating methods by covering or replacing the flat part of the lid, underneath the lid’s ring.

To accomplish this, use pinking shears to cut a piece of fabric into a 5 ½ “ square.

Remove the ring from your mason jar, lay the fabric over the lid, and then twist your ring back onto the jar over the fabric. If you’d like to add a bit of dimension, simply place a bit of batting between the lid and the fabric before you secure it.

You can embellish this with a bow tied just below the ring of the lid.

Raffia:

Raffia and mason jars are made for each other. I like to wrap it around multiple times before tying it off.

Ribbon:

Natural, plastic-free ribbons are a great alternative. Use any ribbon or jute twine you like to secure a sprig of evergreen branches to the outside of the jar for a timeless gift accessory.

Homemade Gifts For Everyone on Your List

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Most everyone loves a handmade gift, and in these times of over-consumption it is more important than ever to be mindful in your gift giving this holiday season.

Holiday waste is a huge problem, both for our budgets and the environment. Americans spent around $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday gifts in 2019, and 4% of them ended up in the trash. Think about it - how many trash bags have you probably filled with just wrapping paper in your life? A lot of it can’t be recycled or composted even if we wanted to because it uses shiny plastic coatings or glitter that won’t break down. This is an issue that we can easily avoid by simply changing some habits and using fabric or kraft paper wrapping instead. The plus side is fabric wrapping can be reused year after year and kraft paper is totally recyclable and compostable.

That number doesn’t even include all of the wasted packaging and wrapping materials that end up in landfills. Each year Americans alone use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper valued at over seven billion dollars. Fifty percent of that wrapping paper ends up in a landfill. That's 2.3 million pounds of used wrapping paper clogging up landfills.

I know I’m not the only one who struggles after the holidays are over to try and absorb all my presents into our home and our lives. As much as I’m grateful for the thought, and know that I am privileged to be loved by so many people who want to express that love through gifts, it is a challenge when the gifts themselves don’t fit into my life. A handmade gift, however, will always bring me joy and be a useful addition to my home.

And who really enjoys the stress of holiday shopping? Dealing with shipping delays or crowded shopping centers isn’t my idea of a good time.

You can even take it one step further and choose to do experience gifts instead - this can be anything from paint night to skydiving, a museum membership, massage or a baking class. Experience gifts allow you to deepen your bond with the gift recipient and create lasting memories that you can look back on for years to come. 

Whether you’re looking for DIY Christmas gift ideas, Chanukah gift ideas, zero-waste gift ideas, food gift ideas, or just the best homemade gift ideas out there for anyone on your list, you’ve come to the right place.

50 DIY gift ideas for everyone on your list

1. Candles - Making candles is as simple as melting wax, adding scent if desired, and setting a wick into the wax before it hardens. Throughout the year, collect containers suitable for candles. This could include jars or tins, things you bought food in or found at a thrift store. Candle Science is a great source for purchasing candle-making supplies. I like to use their Golden Bran 464 soy wax when I make candles. 
   
   

2. Coasters: You can make coasters out of tiles or slices of wood. For instructions on making tile coasters with Mod Podge and paper, check out It All Started With Paint
   
   

3. Vanilla: To make homemade vanilla, simply slice vanilla beans down the middle and let them sit in vodka for a month. Distill into a pretty jar and tie a ribbon around the top.
   
   

4. Ornaments: You can make ornaments by doing small embroideries and framing them with mini embroidery hoops like these circles or these oval ones. Other ideas for ornaments are painting wood discs, or using colored air dry clay. 
   
   

5. Calendula balm: Use homemade calendula oil to create a balm. Package it in an attractive tin.
   
   

6. Playlist: In the old days, making a mix tape for someone was a big deal, and the same is true these days of making a playlist. Take time to choose meaningful songs, and the recipient will feel the love.
   
   

7. Wreath: With a wreath form, some floral tape, and dried flowers, you can put together a beautiful wreath for any season.
   
   

8. Tea: Make your own teabags using cloth drawstring sachets and homegrown or purchased dried herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs is my first choice when buying herbs. If disposable tea bags aren’t for you, mix your desired herbs and gift them in a Ball mason jar with a pretty reusable lid. 
   
   

9. Cookies: Who doesn’t want to get cookies? No one, that’s who. Package them in a compostable paper box or a reusable tin.
   
   

10. Plants: Take cuttings from your own houseplants, root, and pot up in a bowl, cup, or pot from the thrift store.
    
    

11. Cloth napkins: Use fabric scraps or repurposed fabrics to create cloth napkins
    
    

12. Beeswax wraps: Mountain Rose Herbs has instructions for how to make the very best beeswax wraps.
    
    

13. Rope baskets: Check out Happiness is Homemade for step-by-step instructions on making rope baskets, without sewing a stitch.
    
    

14. Hand warmers: Simply sew two pieces of fabric together to form the shape you want, then fill it with rice to make hand warmers that can be heated in the microwave.
    
    

15. Sugar scrub: Mix ½ cup coconut oil with ¼ cup sugar for a simple sugar scrub. Package it in a glass jar, like these from Mountain Rose Herbs.
    
    

16. Jelly: Homemade preserves are always appreciated! Get your Christmas gift-making done in summer and have more time for fun in December.
    
    

17. Granola: Follow my recipe for homemade granola.
    
    

18. Peanut brittle: Peanut brittle can be made in the microwave, making it a great gift idea to do with kids.
    
    

19. Write a story or poem: Give a little piece of yourself by writing something just for them.
    
    

20. Bind a journal: Binding paper can be done by beginners. Check out Skill Share for instructions. 
    
    

21. Knit a mug cozy: Ravelry hosts endless options of styles that are free to download.
    
    

22. Homemade game: Make a homemade board game. Think creatively – pretty pebbles make good pieces to move around the board, and sturdy cardboard can be used for the board itself.
    
    

23. Pendant: Make a pendant with polymer clay, and hang it on a pretty ribbon.
    
    

24. Macramé: A macramé hanging plant holder is a classic, and doesn’t need to be too complicated. Check out Sarah Maker’s simple tutorial.

25. Affirmation cards: Everyone could use some good thoughts to brighten their days. Use colored, blank index cards or pretty bits of decorative paper to share some.
    
    

26. Marbled greeting cards: Marbling paper is simple, fun, and only slightly messy.
    
    

27. Soap: You can make cold processed soap using lye, or create bars of soap with the melt and pour method, which uses a premade soap base.
    
    

28. Bookmarks: Use decorative or marbled paper and add ribbons, tassels, or other pretty bits and bobs.
    
    

29. Keychains:  Drill a hole in a good-looking, small rock or a sanded tree branch to make your own keychains.
    
    

30. Scrunchie: Scrunchies are a great beginner sewing project.
    
    

31. Stenciled tote bag: A simple white tote, some paints, a stencil and a sponge are all that’s needed to make a custom tote bag.
    
    

32. Ring bowl:  Make a small ring bowl using white air dry clay. Once it’s dry, paint it however you’d like.
    
    

33. Decorated glass: Use glass markers to decorate vases, glasses, or bowls.
    
    

34. Walking stick: Search out a stick of the right length, with a bit of a curve on one end. Sand until smooth and apply mineral oil.
    
    

35. Washi tape headbands: Check out The Crafting Chicks for instructions to make washi tape headbands. 
    
    

36. Bath tea: For a relaxing gift, make Pumpkin and Princess’ bath tea.
    
    

37. No-sew flannel scarf: This no-sew flannel scarf is simple enough for anyone to make.
    
    

38. Lavender eye pillow: Sew two pieces of fabric together and fill with lavender buds for a soothing, sleepiness inducing eye pillow.
    
    

39. Seeds: Save seeds from your summer garden and package in homemade paper envelopes. 
    
    

40. Pressed flower tray: Use craft glue to carefully apply your pressed flowers to a wooden tray. Arrange them in the way you’d like, then pick each flower up one at a time, brush it with glue, and put it back in position. When everything is placed, use Mod Podge to give it a clear finish.
    
    

41. Terrarium: Use a glass container and small plants and mosses to create a terrarium.
    
    

42. Recipes: Create a box of hand-written recipes to share.
    
    

43. Mittens: Use felted sweaters to make mittens by cutting to shape and sewing.
    
    

44. Chocolate covered spoons: Make delicious chocolate-covered spoons using this Betty Crocker recipe
    
    

45. Peppermint bark: All you need for this project is chocolate melted in the microwave and crushed up candy canes. Spread the melted chocolate on parchment paper and sprinkle with candy.
    
    

46. Butter: Impress someone with homemade butter. No one needs to know all you had to do was use a mixer to beat cream and add a little salt.
    
    

47. Decoupage soap: Count on Mod Podge to think of every possible item that can be decoupaged! 
    
    

48. Hot chocolate bomb:  Throw some chocolate their way with this recipe from One Good Thing.
    
    

49. Jersey knit bracelet: This is a neat way to repurpose t-shirts
    
    

50. Chalkboard coffee mug: Martha Stewart has a very simple idea for adding some individuality to a coffee mug.