Twelve Wishlists of Christmas: Handmade and Personal
- Naomi Tatchell
- Dec 9, 2015
- 4 min read
Buying on a budget shouldn’t have to mean compromising on thought behind the gift, and if you only have a few pennies you want to ensure they go to good use. Whatever your bank balance make sure it’s clear that you’ve really put some consideration into the gift, not just picked up eight lynx sets and handed them out and random. Even if it cost you the price of a few ingredients and some time in the kitchen they will be appreciated. For our half way mark here’s a round of the best handmade and personalised for any budget!
1. As someone who can use body products fine one day and then spring up in a rash the next, I turned to Pinterest to help me make some body scrubs, and man they didn’t disappoint! I made a whole batch of these Gingerbread Sugar Scrubs last year which smell incredibly Christmassy and made my skin silky smooth. I also made this Rosemary and Lemon Salt Scrub in the summer, however substitute the olive oil for coconut oil because olive oil absolutely stinks and isn’t absorbed into the body as easily as coconut oil is. Fill a load of jars and use them as stocking fillers or secret Santas!
2. For any crafty beauty enthusiast, this Make Your Own Lip Balm set comes with everything weighed out so all you have to do is mix the ingredients and pot them up. A great idea for a young make up fan, these can be used by anyone from 6 years old.
3. My fridge is currently home to ten mini pots of this Orange and Cointreau Curd and it’s bloody lovely! Can be smeared over toast or used as cake topping! Once the pot is opened it needs to be used within a week so use smaller pots to extend its life. Once sealed it needs to be eaten within one month but I challenge you to keep it that long!
4. For more of a savoury treat, infuse some Olive Oil with some basil or chilli. Buy the best Olive Oil you can afford (it honestly does make a difference to the flavour) and a cheap Kilner preserving bottle, place a bunch of red chillies or a good handful of finely chopped basil in the jar and pour over the oil. Leave sealed for at least a week, turning a few times to infuse the entire bottle, and then gift!
5. This requires a few tools and a little time, but how about making a cool piece of furniture for someone?! Great for a new home owner who will usually appreciate any help in furnishing their new home. You could start small with decorating a vase to suit their interior theme, or you could go wild and make them a storage bench out of some reclaimed wooden palettes! I’ve gathered some ideas here to suit all skill sets. Don’t forget that most of these will take a bit of time so don’t leave it last minute!
6. My new obsession this year is scrapbooking! You can wile away hours at a time cutting, gluing glittering and pasting and you end up with a book filled with memories at the end. If the person you’re giving to doesn’t have the patience for scrapbooking, why not make one for them yourself? Print some pictures of good times and get pasting, like a photobook from Photobox but with more glue! Guaranteed to make them smile when they flick through!
7. If they are a fan of the crafts, treat them to a subscription from A Beautiful Mess. They do HappyBoxes and MessyBoxes both of which contain a random selection of greetings cards and various scrapbooking materials at a bargain price! I pay roughly £30 a month for mine, which includes both boxes and shipping from America. Do check before signing up though as they are all continual subscriptions so you will be billed each month unless you cancel.
8. This phone case is perfect for anyone who doesn’t put their phone down! I had one made and not only does everyone ask to read and think it’s amazing, it’s a solid case that cushioned many drops and falls! You pick the colour theme and then a few lines to describe your loved one and delivery is super speedy. You can also get iPad cases made which are currently half price!
9. Anthropologie do brilliant personalised mugs which sold out in a flash last year but they’ve brought them back! They do them in the original cream and gold (my fave) and also cream and black. And then these gilded glasses are perfect for a festive Ski Sunday! (cointreau and lemonade with loads of ice!)
10. For anyone little ones in your life, you have to get them a personalised Christmas story! Children now are younger and younger when they’re being told about Santa and this helps to keep the magic alive a little longer. I still have one that my auntie gave me when I was younger which I get out each year and read, as it tells the story of how me, my cousins and my nans dog went all around the world on Christmas eve gathering clues which would eventually lead us to the North Pole to meet Santa, and then tucked back up in bed by Christmas morning. You’ll enjoy reading it to them as much as they’ll love hearing it!
11. This Cheeseboard is perfect for the cheese lovers in your life (surely that’s everyone?!) and is especially great for newlyweds. You can guarantee it’ll be hauled out every cheese and wine night and also looks great on the kitchen work top.
12. For your food lover, how about this Prosecco Panettone for them to enjoy over their festive break? It makes an excellent toast on Christmas morning and there’s enough to go around if there’s visitors staying too! You could get the ingredients for under £10 (the Prosecco will be the priciest) and take a day in the kitchen to get it done, you could always make the Orange Curd and Infused Oils as the bread proves and make up a little hamper!
Comentarios