1

2

DISCLAIMER .................................................................................................................................................... 3

Why Gifting Homemade Christmas Presents Makes Sense ........................................................... 4

Make Mittens From An Old Sweater ...................................................................................................... 5

Making Homemade Soap .......................................................................................................................... 7

Make Pasteli (Nut And Seed) Bars ........................................................................................................ 10

Dried Soup Mixes ........................................................................................................................................ 12

Flavored Salts ................................................................................................................................................ 14

Porcini Salt ................................................................................................................................................. 14

Smoked Paprika and Ancho Chili Salt ............................................................................................. 15

Celery Salt .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Lime-Ginger Salt ...................................................................................................................................... 15

Herbs de Provence Salt ......................................................................................................................... 15

Curry Salt .................................................................................................................................................... 17

Arm Knit Blanket .......................................................................................................................................... 18

Pine Cone Fire Starters .............................................................................................................................. 21

Draft Stoppers .............................................................................................................................................. 24

Sweater Slippers .......................................................................................................................................... 27

Fingerless Gloves From Socks ................................................................................................................. 29

Final Words .................................................................................................................................................... 31

Useful Links And Sources ......................................................................................................................... 32

3

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN “10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS” IS MEANT TO

SERVE AS A COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF TIPS AND TRICKS THAT ARE ONLY

RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE AUTHORS, AND READING THIS EBOOK DOES NOT GUARANTEE

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4

Making your own Christmas presents has several benefits. First and foremost, people

love it when you take the time to make something for them. Some people are even

touched more by the effort that you put into the gift than the actual gift itself!

Making DIY Christmas presents is often cheaper and you get to exercise your creativity

in a way that makes both you and your loved ones happy.

Just because you’ve never made gifts for Christmas before doesn’t mean that you can’t

start now. Every single project on this page is easy enough that you can do it right now

with excellent results.

As with everything though, the first couple projects that you complete may be a bit

rougher than later ones. If so, just consider them your warm-up and move on.

The fun thing about crafting is that the more you do it, the better you get!

Let’s get started!

5

Do you have a favorite sweater that’s made

of awesomely soft, pretty material but is

misshapen or maybe has a hole?

Don’t throw it away – make mittens out of it!

Here’s how.

1. Start by turning your sweater inside

out and laying it on a flat, solid

surface.

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2. You’re going to be using the

hem of the sweater as the wrist

cuffs of the mittens so place

your left hand on the sweater

so that the hem is on your wrist.

Keep your fingers together but

separate your thumb a bit.

3. Depending on the size of the

sweater, you may be able to get

two pairs of mittens from one

sweater.

4. Trace around your hand with chalk, leaving an inch or so all around so that you

can sew it. Remember that it’s better to measure them a bit too big than too

small.

5. There are now two ways that you can proceed: You can either cut through both

layers of the sweater (front and back) using the chalk line, then sew them up, or

you can just sew around the chalk line then cut them out.

6. Tip: When we made these, our first pair was too big at the wrist, so you may want

to sew them so that the wrist area is a bit small.

7

There are 4 basic ways to make soap but only 1 of them is really simple enough to do

without worrying about chemical reactions or a bunch of cooking and stirring.

The melt-and-pour method simply involves buying pre-made clear, unscented blocks of

soap, then melting them and adding scents and colors. The main problem with this

method is that you don’t have much control over what goes in the actual soap.

However, unless you want to get complicated and learn about lye calculations, you’ll

probably want to stick with melt-and-pour.

Also, this soap is ready pretty much as soon as it’s set and doesn’t require any “cure”

time like the second easiest method, cold pressing, does.

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Here’s what you’ll need:

Melt and pour wax, available at

your local craft store

Scents, colors and additives

such as buttons, sea shells or

other items that you want to

use to make the soap pretty

A microwave bowl

Measuring spoons

Soap molds or a cake pan

A metal whisk

A knife to cut your soap with

And here’s what you need to do:

1. If you’re using soap molds,

measure out enough wax base

to fill it, as indicated. Place it in

a glass container. If you’re

using a cake pan, you may

need to guess at the amount.

2. Place the wax in the microwave

and melt according to

directions.

3. Add the indicated amount of

essential oil or scent based on

how much wax you have. A

good rule of thumb is to start

with about .4oz of oil per pound of soap, or 2-3% of the weight.

4. Next, add in your color if you want. You don’t have to; it’s just an option. Start

with about 10 drops of soap-safe color per pound of soap.

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5. Whisk well to ensure that it’s blended.

6. Pour the soap into your molds or pan.

7. As soon as it’s hard you can pop them out of the molds and enjoy!

Tip: If you can’t get a bar to release from the mold, just run the bottom under a

bit of hot water for a minute or so.

Now you have soap and you can decorate it however you’d like. Tying ribbon around it

is really pretty yet simple.

10

This is a Greek tradition but because it only requires two basic ingredients (though

we’ve added lemon to this one) it’s managed to survive the test of time. It probably

doesn’t hurt that they’re delicious too.

You can always add nuts or dried fruit to them if you’d like.

Not only are these bars delicious, they’re also nutritious. Honey purportedly has many

health benefits and sesame seeds have protein, omega 3 oils and amino acids. It’s a

great energy bar base, too!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup toasted sesame seeds

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3/4 cup honey

1 t lemon juice

And all you have to do is follow the steps below:

1. If you haven’t already toasted the sesame seeds, toss them in a pan and heat on

low until they’re just starting to brown. Remove from heat and put them in a

small bowl until step 3.

2. Add honey and lemon juice and stir to blend. Bring to a simmer and stir

constantly for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add sesame seeds and any nuts or fruit that you’d like to

add.

4. Empty mixture onto a

parchment-lined baking

sheet.

5. Flatten with a spoon or

spatula. If you spray the

spoon with cooking

spray, it won’t stick.

6. Refrigerate until it’s

nearly hardened then

slice with a knife.

7. Wrap in cellophane or

store in a plastic lidded

container.

12

Everybody loves some type of soup and with this project, you can put together most of

the ingredients in an attractive, easy-to-fill quart jar.

This is just one recipe that you can use but feel free to get creative. You can also do this

with brownie, cake or cookie mixes.

When you put it together, make a cute recipe tag that tells your friend how to prepare

the soup. Just print it out on nice paper and then cut it out and tie it to the container

with a ribbon.

This is a recipe for traditional turkey noodle soup and is great because of all the extra

turkey that’s going to be around.

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Layer the ingredients in a jar in the

order listed.

1/2 C red lentils

4 T dried minced onion

3 T chicken bouillon powder

1 t dried dill

1/4 t thyme

1/4 t celery seed

1/4 t garlic powder

1 bay leaf

3 C dry egg noodles

Make your recipe card with these

instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, bring 1

gallon of water to a boil over

high heat.

2. Add contents of jar and 1 lb.

bag of baby carrots.

3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer

for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in 4 cups of turkey chunks.

5. Boil for 5 more minutes and remove from heat.

Enjoy!

14

This DIY Christmas present idea is for the foodies on your list. There’s nothing that a

kitchen doodler loves more than a cool ingredient and this one really tops the list.

The best part? They’re quick, easy to make, and will be a sure-fire unique gift.

This recipe makes 4 gift tins with 6 types of salt each.

24 two-ounce jars with good lids

4 tins big enough to hold 6 of the jars

Porcini Salt

4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

15

1 C fine sea salt

Grind porcinis in a spice grinder until finely ground. Combine in a bowl with the salt

then divide among the jars.

Smoked Paprika and Ancho Chili Salt

4 dried ancho chiles

1/4 C smoked paprika

3/4 C fine sea salt

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers. Break into pieces and grind finely in

spice mill or food processor. Combine in a bowl with the paprika and salt, then divide

among jars.

Celery Salt

4 heads celery, leaves only

1 C fine sea salt

Grind the celery leaves in a spice mill until finely ground. Combine with salt in a bowl

and divide among the jars.

Lime-Ginger Salt

Zest of 6 limes (about 1/2 cup)

3 T ground ginger

1 C fine sea salt

Spread lime zest across a baking sheet and let it dry for several hours or overnight.

Combine with the ginger and sea salt and divide among the jars.

Herbs de Provence Salt

1/2 C herbs de Provence

6 T dried lavender

16

3/4 C fine sea salt

Pulse the herbs de Provence with the lavender in a spice mill or food processor then

combine with the salt and divide among the jars.

17

Curry Salt

12 medium dried bay leaves

1/4 C garam masala

1/4 C curry powder

2 t ground cumin

1/2 C fine sea salt

Break the bay leaves into small pieces and pulse in a spice mill. Combine with other

ingredients and divide among the jars.

Make sure that the jars are well-sealed.

Make a pretty label for them and pack them with confetti into the tins.

18

This blanket is extremely easy to do even if you can’t handle knitting needles.

Your arms actually act as the needles because you’re using super big yarn and the

blanket is pretty big – about 4 feet by 3 feet or so.

You really can do it in under an hour and as long as you keep your “stitches” tight, the

blanket should turn out beautifully.

It’s a bit complicated to explain using written steps so we’re just going to show you a

photo tutorial!

19

20

You can use the same technique to knit a chunky scarf, which will take much less time

and effort.

21

This is the perfect gift for friends with fireplaces or those who like to camp. Pinecones

themselves are great kindling but when you dip them in beeswax, they really get the fire

going in a hurry.

As a bonus, you can add pretty colors or luscious scents to the wax make them look and

smell good.

Adding salts to your wax will change the color of the flame, too. Epsom salts will make it

white, table salt will make it yellow and salt substitute will give you pretty purple flames.

Finish the gift off with attractive homemade boxes or scalloped gift tags and you’ve

made a gift sure to bring smiles.

Here’s what you’ll need:

22

White Beeswax

Dry Pine Cones

Candle Wick or cotton string

Large Tin Coffee Can

4-quart Sauce Pan

Drying Rack

Tongs or oven mitt

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Put a couple of inches of water

in the bottom of your saucepan

and place it on the stove.

2. Put the beeswax in the coffee

can and then put the can in the

saucepan. Bring the water to a

slow simmer over medium heat

so that the wax melts.

3. While the wax is melting, tie

the candle wick or string

around the top of each

pinecone so that there is a wick

at the top of each one.

4. When the wax is melted, add

the scent and color if you’re

using any.

5. Remove wax from heat and dip each pinecone in it so that the whole thing is

covered. Use the tongs or oven mitt to tilt the can to make the wax easier to get

to if necessary.

23

6. Set each pinecone on the drying rack and dip once or twice more in order to get

a good coating of wax.

7. If you’re going to add salt, sprinkle it on when the wax is still wet.

8. Make a tag or box for each one that says what it is along with your name or

whatever else you’d like to add.

24

Nobody likes to have cold feet in the winter time and drafty doors or windows are a

tremendous waste of energy. The US Department of Energy reports that drafty doors

account for 5-30% of your energy waste and usage – that really adds up and detracts

from your shopping budget!

These attractive draft stoppers are easy to make and will keep that cold air from blowing

under the door to steal the warmth and comfort from the house.

You can either use old socks that you have laying around or you can buy new ones.

Here’s what you’ll need for this DIY Christmas present project:

2-3 socks, depending upon how big they are – you just need enough to stretch

across your doorway.

25

Stuffing. You can use quilt batting, polyester fill or old stuffing from pillows or old

stuffed animals that you have around the house. You could even use cut up old t-

shirts if you’d like.

Popcorn kernels or dried beans

Plastic disposable cup with the bottom cut out or a funnel

And this is what you need to do:

1. Place the cup or funnel

in the top of the first

sock and about a cup of

popcorn or beans.

2. Add a couple of

handfuls of stuffing on

top of the popcorn or

beans.

3. Repeat until the sock is

almost full, finishing with

a layer of stuffing. Leave

enough room to join

each sock together.

4. Repeat with the other

sock(s).

5. Once the socks are full,

join them together by

stitching them up or

gluing them together.

To do this, slip the

opening of one sock

26

over the toe of the other, like you’re putting a sock on your sock! I personally like

glue because I’m not a big fan of needle and thread.

6. Try it out by placing it in front of your door – you won’t feel even the tiniest draft

now.

7. Make another one, because you’re going to want to keep the first one for

yourself

Tip: If you don’t want to use socks, you can also use a piece of fabric that you buy

or that you have around. Just measure it to be a few inches longer than the door,

cut it to be about 10 inches wide. Fold it in half lengthways inside out. Sew (or

glue) each end together. Sew or glue the long seam but leave about 6 inches

open in the middle – that’s how you’ll stuff it. Turn it back right-side-out and stuff

as directed above. Sew or glue the opening and voila!

27

Here is another use for that old, soft sweater that’s seen better days – turn it into warm,

fuzzy slippers.

These are cute and the extra warmth will make anybody feel pampered on a cold,

blustery day. You may want to gift these with a pack of hot chocolate and a mug.

Warning: you’re going to need to know the approximate foot size of the person that

you’re making these for, then use either their foot measurement or your own foot (if

you’re about the same size) for the pattern.

It helps make these cuter if you know how to sew a chain stitch.

Here’s what you’ll need:

28

An old sweater

Yarn in either the same color or

a complimentary one

Craft foam to use as the insole

And here’s what to do:

1. Slide your foot into the arm of

the sweater and pull the sleeve

up so that it forms a nice cuff

around your ankle.

2. Leave a couple of inches extra

at the bottom and trim around

your foot. Repeat with the

other foot.

3. Using either your own foot or

the measurement from the

person that you’re making it

for, draw the pattern onto the

craft foam for the insole and

cut it out. Make one for each

foot.

4. Lay each foam cutout on the sweater and cut around them to make the bottoms

of the slippers.

5. Using a chain stitch or overcast stitch to join the upper and the sole of the

slippers. You may want to stitch around the ankle too, just for looks.

6. Insert the foam sole and you’re done!

29

These are absolutely adorable and will help keep hands warm on chilly winter days.

They’re also fashionable right now, so dress them up according to the style of your

loved one and they’ll be an instant hit. Our guess is that you’re going to be making a lot

of these!

The big plus to this DIY Christmas present is that you get a really cute pair of “knitted”

gloves without having to actually knit.

Big plus in our books because we don’t have the patience or the skill to pull that off.

Both the Dollar Store and your local Wal-Mart or Target will have good deals on wool

socks as well as the decorative ribbon, fabric or whatever you want to use to decorate

the gloves with so I’d start there.

30

Here’s what you’ll need:

One pair of wool socks – the

length will be based on how

long you want the gloves to be

– you want the heel of the sock

to be roughly where your

thumb is, so the rest of the sock

is going to come up your arm.

Matching thread and a needle

(yarn is really cute too, if you

want to add a rustic, colorful

look to the gloves)

Fabric cutouts, buttons, ribbon

or whatever you want to

decorate the gloves with.

Scissors

And here’s what you need to do:

1. Put your hand inside the sock

with your thumb in the heel.

Mark the outline of your hand

with chalk, leaving a 1/4-1/2-

inch sewing allowance.

2. Turn the sock inside out and fold the seams that will be around your fingers and

thumb back.

3. Stitch the hems as well as the area where your thumb joins your hand.

4. Turn the sock back right-side-out and add any decorations that you want.

31

There are many crafty projects that don’t require a ton of time or an expert skill level. As

preppers, we’re pretty good at repurposing items, so use that way of thinking to your

advantage.

Figure out what your friend or family member needs or would love, then think of a way

to make it yourself!

DIY Christmas presents are economical and show that you care enough about the

person to take the time to make them something.

Plus, it gives you something to do when the weather outside is frightful! When you have

these types of crafts to do, you can gladly just say, “Let it snow” while you sip hot

chocolate and watch it from the comfort of your living room.

Happy holidays!

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A special thank you goes to all the wonderful people who put their ideas and effort out

there for us to be inspired by and share. We hope they know how much we appreciate

their work and we’d like to give proper credit where credit is due.

http://www.abeautifulmess.com/

http://heidistock.blogspot.com/

http://betzwhite.com/blog

http://myhealthygreenfamily.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/forresto/

http://realfoodrealdeals.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reid-bee/

http://www.killerbdesigns.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/minimallyinvasivenj/

http://www.stylemepretty.com/

http://www.craftsunleashed.com/

http://www.evermine.com/

http://hellonatural.co/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/70495809@N00/

http://www.stonegableblog.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/69685371@N08/

http://craftideas.bitchinrants.com/

http://www.lilblueboo.com/

http://drawingsunderthetable.blogspot.ca/