Us homesteaders are known for our resourcefulness and our tendency to do all things handmade. Christmas is, of course, no exception. But we can’t do it all either. So this year I’ve put together a list of my favourite handmade Christmas gifts, as well as a curated list of one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted goods from a variety of different sellers on Etsy.

You’ll notice pretty quickly that most all of my homemade Christmas gifts are things that can be whipped up in the kitchen. This is my form of “craftsmanship”; If I can mix it, whip it, pour it, cook it or cure it, it’s probably in my wheelhouse!

But for all the things that aren’t in my wheelhouse, I head to Etsy to find other, more talented artisans to make things for me. 

This year I’m doing even more of my shopping on Etsy as I strive to stay home and stay safe while still supporting small businesses and artisans, who are struggling more than ever this year thanks to the pandemic. And I encourage you to do the same!

So whether you’re making all of your Christmas gifts yourself or outsourcing your handmade talent to someone, um, more talented(??), here’s my handpicked list of favourite handmade gifts to give (or receive!) this year.

* The House & Homestead is a member of the Etsy Affiliate program. For more information, pease read my full affiliate disclosure here.

Handmade Gifts, Made By YOU

From whipped body butter to hand-poured candles and more, here are my all-time favourite handmade gifts to make at home each holiday season. 

Homemade Whipped Body Butter

This Homemade Whipped Body Butter is made with all natural shea butter, coconut oil and essential oils to moisturize skin fully without any chemicals, preservatives or synthetic fragrances. Great for moisturizing seriously dry skin this winter (especially after 9 months of hand-washing and sanitizing your hands raw! Make a batch for yourself and a batch for the ones you love this holiday season!

DIY Bath Salts with Essential Oils

These DIY Bath Salts with Essential Oils are an all-natural, quick and easy homemade gift that you can throw together in just a couple minutes. Great for last-minute gifts (or a frugal way to pamper yourself!)

Homemade Scented Soy Candles

The very first handmade gifts I ever made for Christmas were these Homemade Scented Soy Candles. Not only are they surprisingly easy to make, they’re also a safe, healthy and all-natural alternative to store-bought candles for your own home or for loved ones on your list. 

DIY Christmas Room Sprays with Essential Oils

My favourite homemade gifts are the ones that call for simple ingredients and minimal effort, like these DIY Christmas Room Sprays with Essential Oils. All you need to do is mix a few drops of essential oils with some distilled water and witch hazel (or vodka) to a spray bottle and shake them up. Then stick a pretty label on them and call it good! (I’ve even got you covered with free printable labels, which you can find in my Free Resource Library. Not only do they make a quick and easy gift, they’re also an all-natural way to make your house smell great for the holidays!

DIY Hair Pomade with Rosemary Essential Oil

A few years ago I found out that my husband was spending around $30 for professional hair styling pomade and I knew right away I could make something that was just as good but with better ingredients for a fraction of the price. After a few trials with different ingredients, I landed on this recipe for All-Natural Rosemary Hair Pomade and have made it for him as a stocking stuffer pretty much every year since. Made from all-natural ingredients including beeswax, coconut oil and essential oils, this pomade makes a great homemade gift for the men (or short-haired ladies) on your list!

Handmade Gift Guide: My Top Etsy Picks for 2020

You don’t need to have a talent in your hands to give the gift of handmade this holiday season. This year, I highly encourage you to support artisans, small businesses and purveyors of handmade goods whenever possible!

Etsy is a great place to begin your search, but with over 2 million sellers and countless handmade and one-of-a-kind products to choose from, it can be hard to know exactly where to start! So why not start here with this handmade gift guide, curated for the homesteaders, gardening enthusiasts, home cooks and lovers of all things handmade on your list this year. From heirloom garden seeds to personalized cutting boards, these are my top 10 picks for handmade gifts on Etsy this year.

Fresh Baked Bread Scented Soy Candle

Nothing gets a homesteader going more than the scent of fresh baked bread wafting from the oven. But you don’t need to be a baker (or a homesteader) to fool people into thinking you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day. All you need is this Fresh Baked Bread hand-poured candle made with all-natural soy wax and packaged in a reusable Mason jar with a black farmhouse style lid. Other scents like Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Bun, Christmas Tree and Gingersnap Cookie available from Meyberry on Etsy.

Pressed Foliage Botanical Jewelry

I’ve been obsessing over pressed botanical jewelry lately. Not only did this make my personal Christmas list, I also couldn’t help but order another one for someone who shall remain nameless (since I sincerely HOPE she reads my blog;) If you have a plant lover in your life, this Terrarium Bracelet makes the perfect gift! Plus, this Etsy seller has a whole line of pressed botanical jewelry, including bracelets, necklaces, earrings and more to choose from.

Salsa Garden Seeds Gift Set

I never even thought of saving seeds to gift at Christmas time! But this garden seed gift set has given me all sorts of ideas for next year:) If you’ve got your own seeds to spare, consider putting together a gift set for the gardener in your life. And if you don’t have your own seeds to give, then this Salsa Garden Seed Gift Set is a great alternative. As an added bonus, all of the seeds are heirloom seeds, which means they can be saved and replanted over and over again. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

DIY Embroidery Kit

With all of the time spent at home this year, people are picking up all sorts of DIY hobbies of their own. In the spring it was sourdough bread and gardening, in the summer and fall it was canning and food preserving and now that we’re headed into winter, needlework is gaining popularity. If you’ve got a crafty person on your list (or someone who just really needs a hobby!) then this DIY Embroidery Kit is just the thing to keep idle hands busy this winter! The seller has many patterns to choose from, but the pattern pictured above is so symbolic of 2020 that I couldn’t help but share it (and order it for myself… As if I need another hobby to keep me busy!)

Craft Beer Soap Sampler

I know I’m not the only one who finds the men in my life hard to buy for. I find this to be especially true when it comes to handmade gifts. But then I stumbled upon this Beer Soap 6-Pack Sampler from Craftsman Soap Co., who also make all-natural beard oil, aftershave and cologne oil for the rugged men in your life.

Made with all-natural ingredients and craft beer, this sampler set includes the following scents:

• Eucalyptus Brown
• Angeles Forest IPA
• Golden State Hefe
• Hops & Barley Scrub
• Coastal Sage Lager
• Citrus & Spruce Saison

Great for the craft beer lover in your life, male or female:)

“I Raise Tiny Dinosaurs” T-Shirt

If you’ve got a chicken keeper on your list, then this “I Raise Tiny Dinosaurs” t-shirt will definitely speak their language! Available in multiple sizes and colours.

Mismatched Chicken Socks

These cute Mismatched Chicken & Rooster Socks from Friday Sock Co. make the perfect stocking stuffer for the homesteader or chicken lover on your list! 

Personalized Family Recipe Cutting Board & Tea Towel Set

Do you or does someone you know have a cherished family recipe that’s been handed down through generations? Those old handwritten recipes are some of the most treasured family heirlooms (even if they are a little hard to read!) Now you can preserve your family recipes in the most beautiful way with this Personalized Family Recipe Cutting Board & Tea Towel Set. Just send this Etsy seller a copy of your handwritten family recipe (or anything else handwritten that you’d like to have engraved or printed) and she’ll engrave it on this beautiful wooden cutting board and print it on a kitchen towel. A beautiful way to preserve handwritten family heirlooms of all kinds!

Personalized Wooden Recipe Binder

Another great gift for anyone who likes to spend time in the kitchen, this Personalized Wooden Recipe Binder is the perfect place to store favourite recipes. The cover is made from high-quality plywood and comes in Pear, Cherry, Walnut or Ebony colours. It also includes 70 customizable pages, including recipe cards, lined and blank sheets. Choose from 3 different sizes and personalized engraving. Other cover designs are also available.

Personalized Engraved Christmas Tree Ornaments

When all else fails, you can’t go wrong with these beautiful Engraved Wood Slice Ornaments that you can customize and personalize in many different ways. From family names to “Baby’s First Christmas” and more, these make a great handmade stocking stuffer or hostess gift for anyone on your list.

More Handmade Personalized Gift Ideas

One of the best things about handmade gifts is that they’re unique and one-of-a-kind, and nothing’s more unique than personalized handmade gifts. Check out Etsy’s wide range of personalized gift ideas here.

Support Small this Holiday Season

Small businesses are struggling more than ever this year thanks to the pandemic. But if we all choose to do even a percentage of our Christmas shopping with small businesses, we can make a huge difference in so many people’s lives.

This year, I encourage you to shop small and shop local whenever possible (Etsy’s location search tool makes it easy to find and support local artisans and small businesses in your area). We might not have control over everything, or even most things that have happened this year, but we do have control over where we spend our dollars, and who benefits from that. 

* For more tips and inspiration, check out the December 2020 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine.. Etsy’s own resident trend expert, Dayna Isom Johnson shares her take on the pandemic’s impact on small businesses and what the future (and present) looks like for shopping and selling small. Plus, I’m sharing the one (and maybe only) homemade gift we’re making for our friends and family this year: the cutest DIY Mason Jar Snow Globes you ever did see! I’ll teach you how to make your own to keep, gift or even sell! Click here to subscribe for FREE and get the latest issue delievered straight to your inbox:)

P.S. What are some of your favourite handmade gifts that you’ve given or received??