I'm writing this blog from my own Black Friday sale recovery. Hot tea in hand, sitting on my couch with my favorite weighted throw and feeling very accomplished for getting most of the people on my gift-buying list crossed off in Novemeber- albeit slightly overwhelmed with the frenzy of it all.
Online shopping definitely has its place (hello convenience) but my favorite part of the season is looking for ways to slow down, be extra thoughtful and foster a bit of creativity for myself, and my kids too.
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We enjoy crafting quite a few Christmas gifts each year, but today I am going to share with you all our favorite crunchy, natural, low-tox, good-for-you handmade items that will not only be a cinch to pull together but make you feel really good about what you are giving.
Why bother with handmade gifts?
Handmade gifts are the ultimate treasure because they showcase the love and effort put into each creation. Knowing that someone has invested their time and effort solely for you makes the gift even more meaningful.
Handmade gifts are totally customizable, so you can tweak details to make it just right for the recipient. They reflect the giver's thoughtfulness and make your loved one feel truly special.
Handmade gifts are responsible. The production of handmade goods generally involves fewer resources and creates less waste than mass-produced items. They are better for the planet, but also good to have control over the ingredients in the items you make.
Handmade gifts are more fun! Getting to work with raw materials, use your creativitiy and spend time thinking about who you are going to give it to while you're making it is a great experience for the maker too.
Handmade gifts are reproduceable. Get an entire assemlyline together and make a batch of natural gifts for teachers, friends, youth leaders, co-workers or neightbors. You can tackle a whole gang of people you want to appreciate, and do it thoughtfully!
If this is all sounding like a bit more than you bargained for, you'll propably prefer our delightfully organized Natural Gift Guide, where you can click a couple times and get a midwife-approved crunchy gift sent straight to your door, already made by... someone else!
But if all this talk about making natural gifts by hand this year is getting you excited, let's just jump right into this thing together!
Jump right to the handmade Christmas gift tutorial you need:
New to crafting and handmaking? Not to worry, I've currated the four of the most easy, practical, and impressive natural gifts you can make. I'll tell you exactly what to do, where to get your supplies, how to put each gift together like a DIY expert and how much time and money you can expect to spend on these gifts. (Spoiler: they only take 2-20 minutes and only cost $2-8 each!)
We even have some amazing Printable Gift Tags + Instruction Cards to include in your gift bags to make the hand off and use of your natural gift seamless, and personal.
Handmade Natural Bath Salts Gift: Recipe + Instructions
The perfect gift to encourage a little extra pampering and relaxation. Bath salts are great for stress relief, muscle recovery, better sleep or sore feet. We have also recommended it to our pregnant clients with carpel tunnel, a nice hand soak in a bowl can bring needed relief to inflamed wrists.
Supplies Needed:
How to Make it:
To make one 12 oz sized bath salt gift: In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup of epsom salt, 1/4 cup of himalayan salt and 1/4 cup of baking soda.
Add 8-10 drops of essential oil and mix until well incorporated. (You might try lavender for relaxation, eucalyptus for respiratory support or orange for sore muscles.)
Spoon mixture into jar and seal tightly.
Time + Cost:
It takes about 5 minutes to make one bath salt, but additional bath salt gifts could be made in less than a minute once all the supplies are prepped.
With the links from the supply section above, you could make 8 bath salts for about $6 per gift.
Handmade Natural Relaxation Tea Gift: Recipe + Instructions
Loose leaf tea is a gift that works well for men, women, young, old- it's so universal and yet so simple. Warm beverages are wonderfully seasonal, and herbal tea is nourishing and gorgeous in glass. You can easily make this gift into a happy little bundle by providing a mug and tea infuser too.
Supplies Needed:
How to Make it:
To make one 12 oz sized relaxation tea gift: In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup of chamomile, 1/4 cup of lavender and 1/4 cup of peppermint.
Spoon mixture into jar and seal tightly. (Seriously, that's it.)
Time + Cost:
It takes about 3 minutes to make one relaxation tea, but additional tea gifts could be made in less than a minute once all the supplies are prepped.
With the links from the supply section above, you could make 8 relaxation teas for about $7 per gift.
Handmade Natural Aromatherapy Roller Gift: Recipe + Instructions
These essential oil rollers have the ability to delight like no other. Easily transportable, easily applied, great for all ages and for so many circumstances (read more about that here), it's the perfect natural gift. And EASY.
Supplies Needed:
How to Make it:
To make one aromatherapy roller, remove the roller top (a tool for this is provided in most roller kits, or a butter knife gently wedged under the rim works too)
Count 20-30 drops of the essential oil blend of your choice (lavender, orange, peppermint and rosemary are well-loved scents and mix nicely together). Try some of these blends:
Calming: 15 drops lavender, 10 drops orange
Focus: 20 drops rosemary, 5 drops peppermint
Digestive: 20 drops peppermint, 5 drops lavender
Uplifting: 15 drops orange, 10 drops peppermint, 5 drops lavender
Fill the rest of the roller with fractionated coconut oil (a small funnel is provided in most roller kits).
Replace the roller top and secure the cap. Gently shake, affix your label and voila!
Time + Cost:
It takes about 2 minutes to make one aromatherapy roller, but additional roller gifts could be made in less than a minute once all the supplies are prepped.
With the links from the supply section above, you could make 25 aromatherapy rollers for about $2 per gift/ sets of 3 rollers for $6 total (not bad!)
Handmade Natural Magnesium Body Butter Gift: Recipe + Instructions
Everyone needs more magnesium in their everyday life. Seriously, everyone. (Learn more about why, HERE.) Topical magnesium uptake is 5xs faster than oral routes, yay! Plus, using magnesium body butter makes getting the benefits of magnesium feel luxurious and delightfully soothing, too.
Supplies Needed:
How to Make it:
To make two 8 oz body butters, mix 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup cocoa butter in a double broiler over medium heat until melted and well-incorporated.
Once cooled slightly, but not hardening yet, mix in 1/8 cup magnesium oil and 10-20 drops of essential oils. (Lavender is a great choice since magnesium is often applied before bed.)
After the oils have cooled and hardened (time in the fridge can expedite this), use a hand or stand mixer to whip into a butter. Keep mixing on high until light and fluffy.
Spoon or pipe into container and seal with a lid
Time + Cost:
It takes about 20 minutes split (plus cooling time) to make two magnesium body butters, but a batch of body butter gifts could be made with a few additional minutes per butter once all the supplies are organized and prepped.
With the links from the supply section above, you could make 8 magnesium body butters for about $8 per gift.
TA-DA!
And there you have it- a natural handmade gift for every person on your shopping list this year! You are now a handmade gifting queen, and the sky is the limit on what you can create from here.
I was very tempted to give you all the variations that these basic recipes can spin off towards, but I wanted to keep it as simple as possible for any beginners trying to jump into handmade gifts for the first time. However, use your imagination to create more complex scents, select more interesting containers or elevate the label-making part of this too! And most of all, have fun and savor the joy of giving a handmade gift this year!
Although we are licensed midwives by profession, we are not YOUR midwives. All content and information on this website is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice. For more information, click here.