There is just something special about a homemade gift, especially when it is something the receiver can really use and love.
A few Christmas’s ago we did a totally homemade Christmas (minus candy and a few books and movies). It was really fun to get creative and help cut costs. And the toys we made for the kids are still used and loved today.
So if you want to give something extra special this year, I have compiled a few of my favorite DIYs for these great homemade gift ideas.
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Table of contents
Amazing Handmade Gift Ideas
Homemade gifts are extra special!
Whether you are looking for gifts for birthdays, Christmas, anniversary, Mother’s and Father’s Day or more, this list will help you find the perfect DIY gift they will love and use for years.
Inexpensive DIY Gift Ideas
DIY gifts do not have to be expensive to be amazing. Build these handmade gifts from wood scraps or just a few supplies.
Easy to Build DIY Cookbook Stand
Anyone who enjoys cooking will love getting this collapsible cookbook stand.
The easy to build stand uses just a few pieces of wood, perfect way to use up scraps. And it will hold any book open to make cooking easier.
DIY Headphone Stand
The perfect gift for the gamer or techie in your life.
This unique headphone stand sits on the desk and keeps the headphones protected and within reach. And it is super easy to make from scraps of plywood.
Tabletop Cornhole Game Build Plans
Everyone’s favorite yard game in a smaller tabletop version! This fun indoor game is sure to become a family favorite and makes the perfect gift for anyone on your list.
Easy DIY Breadboard
You can make a simple breadboard with just a few basics tools in about an hour. Perfect for a last minute hostess gift.
Pair the breadboard with some fun cheeses, a loaf of homemade bread, or a bottle of wine for a truly special gift.
DIY Wood Cake Stand
Turn scraps of wood into stunning cake plates, Makes a fun gift for a baker or entertainer. Create fun designs by mixing woods.
Nightstand Valet Docking Station
This beautiful gift will organize all the things on the nightstand.
With a spot to hold and charge a phone, earbuds, and a watch it will quickly become a favorite. And it’s quick and easy to build!
Tiered Serving Tray Build Plans
This beautiful serving tray is made from just a few boards.
The two-tiered tray is a great gift for the entertainer or for a house-warming gift idea.
Easy DIY Nightstand Tray
Help organize their nightstand with this easy to make tray.
Has three compartments for a phone, change and more. And the inside of the tray is elevated with leather from worn out boots.
Easy Farm Fresh Eggs Trays that Stack
Anyone with backyard chickens will love these cute trays. They hold 18 eggs per tray and can stack all those fresh eggs on the countertop for easy use.
You can make 3 trays from just 5′ of 1×6 board and an afternoon in the shop.
Easy Wood Game Board
Turn a thrifted game into a fun gift by making a wood game board.
This simple tutorial will show you how to create a game board for your favorite games.
Easy Organizing Tray from Scraps
This super simple project not only used small scraps of wood, but leftover tiles too!
Turn those scraps into fun little trays that you can use to organize anywhere: in the kitchen, int he bathroom, in your office, and more.
Easy DIY Cheese Slicer from Scrap Wood
Turn any small scrap into a beautiful cheese slicer with this easy tutorial.
I used a scrap of butcher block and an inexpensive cheese slicer mechanism to make a stunning handmade gift.
No Carve Wood Cooking Utensils
Beautiful wooden utensils can be made with just a jig saw, trim router and sander.
These 4 different shaped utensils are perfect for cooking and baking. Pair them with your favorite recipe, a tea towel, or cookbook for a beautiful gift.
Nesting Plant Stands Build Plans
For the plant lover on your list, build them some simple plant stands.
The two stands nest together to take up less space when not in use. They can be used together to create a tiered stand or alone.
Easy DIY Sliding Letter Board
A modern take on the classic letter board.
This fun letter board is built from inexpensive 1×2 boards and is perfect for displaying fun sayings on the wall.
Easy Folding Cookbook Holder
This fun build is the perfect gift for the chef in your life.
Just a few scraps of wood and you will have a cookbook stand that can fold flat to slide next to the cookbooks when not in use.
DIY Book Rest and Nightlight
This simple to build book rest has a hidden feature: a strip of inexpensive LED lights inside for a nightlight!
It’s a fun gift for kids and book enthusiasts.
DIY Pasta Rack from Scrap Wood
If you know someone who loves making their own pasta, they will love a pasta rack!
This rack is easy to make from just a few pieces of wood, and it will fold away when not in use so it doesn’t take up space in the kitchen.
DIY Round Wood Trays 2 Ways
These beautiful wood trays are easy to make in any size. And bonus, you can make a second tray from the center of the first!
Gorgeous DIY Necklace Holder from Wood Scraps
With just a few tiny scraps and some metal rods you can create a beautiful necklace stand.
This modern stand will be the envy of anyone you make it for. Add a special necklace to make the gift even better!
The Easiest DIY Wood Signs
You can use any printable art and turn it into a beautiful wood sign!
These easy wood signs make great neighbor or teacher gifts. Or add them to a basket with mugs, tea, skin care and more to make a special gift for anyone.
DIY Tortilla Press Plans
Nothing beats homemade tortillas, unless those homemade tortillas are made on a homemade press!
This is the perfect gift idea for the taco lover in your life.
Hanging Air Plant Holder DIY
Air plants are the easiest plant to keep alive and make great gifts.
You can make these simple air plant holders with scraps of wood and macrame cord.
DIY Clipboard Picture Frame
You can never have too many picture frames so they make great gift ideas! This one uses a clipboard clip which makes swapping out photos or art quick and easy.
Easy DIY Monitor Stand from Wood Scraps
A monitor stand will bring up your computer or laptop to a more comfortable height.
Save someone’s neck with this scrap wood computer stand as a fun DIY gift.
15 Minute Wooden Start Bowl
These star bowls are so quick and easy to make, you can make them in about 15 minutes!
Have some fun making other shapes as well. Perfect little bowls for gifts that you can fill.
Scrap Wood Cake Plate with Dome
This beautiful cake plate is made from lots of really small wood scraps.
They are glued together to create a unique cake plate. And the dome is made from an inexpensive bowl.
Easy DIY Picture Frames in 20 Minutes
These easy to make picture frames are perfect gifts. Make them any size you want and fill them with a fun picture for a sentimental gift idea.
Easy DIY Bookends from Wood Scraps
These modern bookends look like they came from a high-end designer, but are easily made from wood scraps.
They make the perfect gift for a book lover.
Charming Plant Stool from Scrap Wood
Plant stools are perfect for keeping your plants off the floor. This simple plant stool is the perfect gift for the plant lover.
Retro Wooden Speaker for Phone
No batteries required for this speaker. The design is made to amplify the sound from the phone speaker.
And it is made to look like a fun retro speaker. Perfect gift for teens.
Easy DIY Earring Stand
You can make this simple earring stand with just a few pieces of wood and some decorative metal.
The simple design makes it easy to hand all types of earrings.
15 Minute Countertop Plant Stand
This easy to build countertop garden is made from inexpensive cedar fence pickets and terracotta pots.
It’s the perfect gift for growing herbs in the kitchen.
Easy DIY Comic Book Display Shelf
Make a simple comic book display to store and hold comic books or magazines.
The easy to build shelf will make it easy for the comic lover to find his favorite volumes.
Handmade Marble Cheese Board
A marble cheeseboard might sound expensive, but no one will know the marble is from a simple marble tile! Add in some scraps of wood for a great gift idea.
Easy Beginner Cutting Board DIY
Make a simple edge grain cutting board without any fancy tools with this easy tutorial.
And cutting boards make amazing and practical gifts for just about anyone!
DIY Gift Ideas for Kids
Making something special for the kids will make any birthday or Christmas extra special.
All these fun homemade toys will be sure to put a smile on their face.
Easy DIY Toddler Bookcase
This small bookcase is perfect for little kids. And it will help instill a love of reading!
They can easily see their favorite books and it has handles so they can move it around.
DIY Horse Stable Dollhouse for 18″ Dolls
If you have a child with an American Girl or Our Generation doll who loves horses, they will love this dollhouse.
Made from a sheet of 1/2″ plywood, it will foster hours of creative play.
Small MDF Dollhouse Plans with Furniture
This small dollhouse is made from inexpensive 1/4″ MDF.
Have fun decorating it yourself, or gift it unpainted so they can enjoy making it their own.
Wooden Toy Barn Build Plans
This beautiful toy barn is designed to fit Schleich 4 1/2″ tall horses.
The inside has 6 stalls with gates and hinges for many hours of fun! The ultimate gift for a little cowboy or cowgirl.
Art Easel for Kids from 1 Sheet of Plywood
Turn a single sheet of plywood into the perfect art center, including a stool.
This fun build has a spot for storing art supplies and holds a roll of paper for endless creativity!
Handmade Dollhouse Plans
This 4′ tall dollhouse will make any kid smile! It is 3 stories tall with 6 rooms and a balcony, sized to fit 11″ dolls like Barbie dolls.
This dollhouse will hold up to year of play, unlike plastic dollhouse options.
Hair Accessory Organizer with Mirror
This fun hair organizer is a great for teens and tweens.
There is room for storing all their favorite scrunchies, clips, and more. With a mirror to help them get ready every morning.
Dollhouse and Toy Barn Totes
These fun wood totes are perfect for play on the go.
One side opens for play time, then closes when it’s time to clean up. Fill them with some dolls or animals for a perfect gift.
Colorful Yard Dice Tutorial
These easy to make giant dice are great for outdoor games and family fun!
Use them to play any dice games you love and watch the kids get creative making their own games too.
DIY Treasure Chest Toy Box
Who doesn’t want to find a buried treasure? The kids will love having a treasure chest as a toy box to fill with all their own treasures.
Easy Lap Desk with Storage
This lap desk has a slide out top with store underneath, perfect for storing paper, crayons, markers, pencils and more.
Keep it in the car for making trips more fun.
Easy DIY Kids Patio Chairs
The kids will love having their very own chair. These wooden patio chairs are perfectly sized for kids and are light enough they can move them around as needed.
Paint them their favorite color for a special gift.
How to Build an Outdoor Playhouse for Kids
Get the kids outside by building them a playhouse!
This small scale playhouse only has a footprint of 5’x7′ (not including the slide) so you can fit it into any backyard. It’s the ultimate DIY gift that they will use for years.
Nautical Picnic Table Build Plans
This boat shaped table will make easting outside and playing fun. Or you can use it in a playroom for creative time.
Best DIY Gifts for Men
Homemade gifts for dad, husband, boyfriend, or other men in your life is the perfect way to give them something unique.
It’s especially helpful for the men that have everything.
Rolling Grill Side Cart with Storage
Turn your grill into an outdoor kitchen with a grill side table.
With space to hold a spare propane tank, this is the perfect gift fro the grill master in your life.
Easy DIY Wooden Cornhole Boards
Nothing beats a game of cornhole with friends. So give them a set of their very own cornhole boards so they can play all the time.
Outdoor Scoreboard for Summer Games
Do you know someone who love playing outdoor games like corn hole, horseshoes, ball, etc?
This beautiful score board will help them keep score and fold away for storage.
Ultimate DIY Horseshoe Pit Build Plans
These amazing horseshoe pits are big, but easy to make!
The tiles on the side make the perfect throwing platform and back stop is perfect for holding your beverage.
Rotating Spray Paint Storage Cabinet
For the handy man, make him this sleek spray paint storage.
The small cabinet rotates making it easy to find all your paints. And it only takes up a tiny space.
Rolling Bench Top Router Table
Give the gift of getting things done with this router table cabinet.
Having everything organized and in reach will make it easier to work on projects.
Amazing DIY Gifts for Women
Surprise you mom, wife, girlfriend, or any women in your life with one of these beautiful DIY gifts.
They will love that you took the time to make something special for her.
Large DIY Jewelry Box
This stunning jewelry box will be her favorite gift. It has lots of room to organize all her precious necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more.
DIY Entry Storage Ladder with Mirror
This beautiful ladder is the perfect accessory. She can place it next to the door so she can have everything she needs ready to go.
Easy Wood Rolling Cart Build Plans
Anyone will love getting this handy and beautiful cart for a gift.
The simple to build rolling cart is perfect for a craft cart, beauty cart, kitchen cart and more.
DIY Wall Jewelry Organizer
This popular jewelry organizer hides away your jewelry in the wall and looks just like a fun wood sign on the front.
The inside has room for necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more.
Modern Rolling Kitchen Cart
Create more workspace and storage space in the kitchen with this amazing rolling cart. The side folds up for added counter space.
We use it as a baking cart that is easy to pull out when cooking.
Easy DIY Tapered Planter Build Plans
Planters make great gifts. This one is built with inexpensive cedar fence pickets. Fill with a fun plant to make the best gift.
Beautiful Ladder Planter Vertical Garden
For a larger planter, make this beautiful ladder planter. The 5 planter boxes are perfect for growing flowers, herbs, and small vegetables in any space.
Vinyl Roll Storage Rack
The perfect gift for a crafter is a way to store all their vinyl.
This wall mounted storage rack holds tons of vinyl making it easy to see what you have on hand.
Tall Corner Plant Stand Build Plans
For the plant enthusiast, give them a space to store loads of plants!
This tall plant stand sits in the corner and has 6 shelves to fill with beautiful plants.
Wall Mounted Ladder for Blankets or Towels
This simple wall ladder is the perfect place to hang blankets or towels.
The ladder mounts on the wall so you never have to worry about tripping on it or knocking it over.
Modern Display Cabinet Build Plans
This stunning display cabinet is the ultimate homemade gift. The cabinet is perfect for storing and displaying your favorite treasures.
DIY Vertical Garden with Drip Watering System
The most popular planter is this vertical garden. It is a great gift for anyone with a green thumb even if they are do not have a ton of space.
Small Console Table with Drawers
Console tables are super useful and can make great gifts.
This one is a small console perfect for entry or hallways. The two drawers and two shelves offer storage and room to decorate.
Happy gifting!
Would you like to save this tutorial?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ms. J.
Friday 23rd of February 2018
Thank you for sharing your creativeness, I'm truly grateful.
Kati
Monday 5th of March 2018
Thank you so much :)
Ms. J.
Friday 23rd of February 2018
How do I get the instructions for the upcycled Jean picnic blanket? I think it's beautiful. I can't figure out how to get to the instructions. I'm kinda new at learning this computer stuff still.
Kati
Monday 5th of March 2018
There should be a link to the tutorial in the post (the underlined words are links that will take you to another post). But just in case here is the link for you: https://housefulofhandmade.com/easy-water-resistant-upcycled-jeans-picnic-blanket/.
Megan
Tuesday 20th of December 2016
Sign me up for most (ok, all) of these!) Love all of them! Thanks for joining #MerryMonday!
Kati
Saturday 24th of December 2016
Thanks Megan!
Carol
Monday 19th of December 2016
Nice collection of ideas and so pretty!
Kati
Saturday 24th of December 2016
Thank you Carol.
Roseann Hampton
Sunday 18th of December 2016
Great ideas - love the large dice!
Kati
Saturday 24th of December 2016
Thanks Roseann. The large dice are so much fun!