23+ Unique and Inexpensive Handmade Gifts From The Homestead

Holidays, birthdays, special events, or “just because”.  There’s nothing better than receiving handmade gifts, except to gift them yourself!

Search Pinterest and there are dozens of gift ideas for the homesteader, but nothing from the homesteader.

Sure, there are the typical DIY bath and body items along with some cookies in a jar recipes but there’s a completely untapped gift idea treasure hole here.

These inexpensive, unique ideas straight from your homestead are great for those last minute gift ideas or to plan ahead and make the cutest themed gift bundles.

Furthermore, these are super unique handmade gifts people would LOVE to receive. Heck, people would even pay to buy handmade gifts like these!

These are also a great way to add another source of income to your homestead.

Don’t have much of a homestead yet or aren’t looking to stretch your skills? Many of these are perfectly safe for a beginner, or you can find a friend or local farm who’s skills you’d love to support.

Ideas for Handmade Gifts

1. Honey – extract your own or find a local apiary to support. Buy local! Packaged in a cute jar with a wooden spoon and some homemade crackers, baked goods or tea blend.
2. Vanilla extract (or any flavour extract) – add a fun label to your bottle, pair it with ingredients and recipe to make your favourite treat, or make the goodies yourself!
3. Wool dryer balls – a must in every home. Package with a little card about the reasons to ditch dryer sheets, a bottle of Christmas Spirit or Citrus Fresh, and a few safety pins for static cling.
4. Salves, tinctures, ointments – give the gift of natural remedies! A quick little guide on what its used for and how to use it.
5. Knitted socks or scarf – everyone loves a pair of warm wool socks to keep your toes warm in your boots, or even just to slide through the kitchen hallway!
6. Jam or (dandelion!) Jelly – paired with some fresh bread, scones, biscuits, or just on it’s own. Making jams or jellies from your handpicked goods is a timeless (and delicious!) thoughtful gift. Don’t forget to add some tea too!
7. Sourdough or fresh bread – who doesn’t love fresh bread? If you have a sourdough starter that would also be a great gift with instructions and even some flour! Bread pairs well with any kind of topping: honey, jam, flavoured butter, cheese.
8. Eggs – if you have chickens, you have eggs! Probably more than you can keep up with some times. Fresh eggs pair well with herbs, cheese, salsa, bread and tea. The perfect morning omelet!
9. Yarn – have a crafter on your gift list? Gift some of your yarn or support a local fiber mill or farm that produces their own. Pair with a homemade tea blend, some cookies, and a DIY bag to store their yarn projects.
10. Dried herbs – conventional, store-bought spices are grown with toxic pesticides and herbicides which end up on the end product. Treat your loved one’s bellies to good, wholesome grown spices from the homestead. A sprig of rosemary makes a great wrapping adornment! Pair with fresh eggs, pasta sauce, Epsom salts, or favourite recipe.
11. Soaps – homemade soap is so divine. It makes the sweetest gift to adorn your loved one’s bathroom. Wrap with simple twine or paper. Pair with embroidered linens or knitted scrubber.
12. Pasta sauce – can a few extras of your favourite sauce recipe. Not a canner? It’s ok to give frozen gifts! Pair with fresh pasta, or recipe.
13. Fresh pasta – tastes so much better than store-bought and can be made into such fun flavours and colours. Plus the dried nests look so cool! Pair with pasta sauce, fresh bread and homemade wine.
14. Apple butter or apple sauce – Apple butter and apple sauce are abundant and easy to make. Don’t have an apple tree? Find a local fruit share program or ask your neighbours if they have any extra you can pick. Pair with fresh bread and homemade tea blend.
15. Houseplant that keeps having babies (ie. aloe) – a great way to bring some healing greenery into another’s home. A simple harvest and use or care instruction card and pair it with anything else! A simple dollar store pot or mason jar makes it ready for any decor.
16. Ingredients + recipe to make (ie. Pasta) – have a favourite recipe you know your friend will love? Gift the ingredients and recipe card for their family recipe book. This is a great family tradition for wedding and baby showers.
17. Homemade wine/komboucha – got a knack for fermenting? A perfect pairing for just about any gift. Add a simple family label and you’ve got yourself the makings for some budding clientele.
18. Garlic + onions – staple ingredients for just about every household. Homegrown always means better flavour. Pair with additional seeds, fresh eggs, linens, and a fun quote.
19. Seeds and instructions to plant – seed security is paramount. Gifting heirloom seeds with instructions and future recipes is an easy way to strengthen food security.
20. Embroidered towels from kids – get the kids practicing their hand-eye coordination with this fun project. Everyone needs kitchen towels! Use them as wrapping for any other gifts.
21. Tea packets – make your own tea blend or ready-to-use herbal infusions. Use this easy tea bag tutorial or package your blends in a simple brown bag or mason jar. Pair with delicious jam or baked goods.
22. Flavoured herb salts or butter – there’s such an array of flavours that would be loved by any home cook. Use your homegrown herbs and spices to make a delectable treat. Shape butter into moulds or cut into disks. Pair with bread or recipe ingredients.
23. Freezer meals – the gift of not having to make dinner! What’s not to love. Pair with literally anything and they will love you. Ensure to be considerate of any dietary needs.

Homemade Gift Wrapping

Homemade zero waste wrapping is a must from the homestead! Frugality and thriftiness are part of the homesteaders motto. Plus, it looks so dang awesome!

• Linens – 100% cotton linens are amazing for so many things. From keeping your greens fresh to wrapping gifts. An easy, zero waste alternative to traditional wrapping.
• Old newspaper – so simple, yet so overlooked. Fun to read as its unwrapped (horoscopes anyone?) and it looks so inviting.
• Book or music pages – copy your favourite sheets or use from a book that is damaged and no longer readable.
• Recipes – have a favourite recipe? Copy it and use it as wrapping!
• Quotes – or jokes, comic strips, whatever you fancy. Its always nice to have a good laugh or be inspired.

• Drawings – painting, doodles, even the simplest of tracing or stenciling can make a standout wrapping job. Be inspired by nature and use crayon to shade different foliage like you did as a kid, or get the kids to do it!
• Fabric bags – no need for wrapping paper anymore! These versatile bags can be reused over and over again and can be made with gorgeous and fun fabrics. You can even wrap with straight fabric scraps!
• Saved boxes and metal tins – you can spray paint the tin if you’d like, or set the kids up with a painting project. Save those boxes of various sizes to use for gifting all year long!
• Tie with twine or yarn – there’s just something about a present tied with simple string that increases the elegance and intrigue of it.
• Add sprigs of herbs or branches (with or without berries) – use nature as your decor. Cut branches into discs for reusable gift tags.

These gift ideas are not only cost effective, but they’re also a great way to bring a little bit of homestead life into another person’s home.

They work well for holidays gifts, housewarming, and even fundraisers.

Handmade Gift Theme Ideas

Get creative and have fun sharing your homemade joy to make others feel valued and loved.

Use these ideas as a jumping off point to make the perfect gift for the people in your life.

For the Chef

For the person in your life who loves to cook! Fresh, homegrown foods full of flavour and love. If you’re lucky, they might even invite you to dinner!

Package suggestions: Cradle each item with crumpled (or shredded) paper. Add eggs, butter and pasta last. Wrap with wrapping of choice.

• Garlic
• Onions
• Pasta Sauce and pasta
• Vanilla Extract
• Honey
• Dried herbs or herbed butter or salt
• Eggs
• Beeswax wrap

For the Food Lover

Got a foodie in your life? Mmmmm… nothing says love like delicious homemade food!

• Pasta sauce and pasta
• Apple butter
• Fresh bread
• Jam or jelly
• Flavoured butter or salt

Welcome Home

A new home needs honey things! Set your loved ones up with such a thoughtful gift they’ll be appreciating your homemaking knowledge for years to come.

• Linens
• Wool dryer balls
• Houseplant
• Cloth paper towels
• Cloth napkins
• Pasta and sauce

New Baby

A new mom needs the basic survival kit which will have payoffs for months (and years) to come. You can make her transition easier with this great care package.

• Freezer meals + nutrient-dense handheld snacks
• Cloth paper towels
• Wool dryer balls
• Calendula ointment
• Mother’s tea

The College Student

Off on their own a little love from home never hurts. This is a great send-off or “just because” package.

• Cloth paper towels
• Jam
• Pasta sauce and pasta
• Granola/granola bars
• Scarf
• Soap

Steal-Worthy Income Ideas From Handmade Gifts

There are many different ways you can turn your handmade homesteading skills into a profit.

You can dream up and create gift baskets for people to buy whenever they need. Or open your shop around particular holidays.

How about offering a subscription basket for monthly or quarterly goodies from the homestead?

RELATED: How to Earn a Full-Time Income (and More) From Your Homestead

Whether it’s gift ideas or a creative and unique way to earn an income, use these ideas as a jumping point and showcase your skills and passions to your loved ones.

Now you can plan ahead (or last minute if you’re like me!) and gift something unique from your homestead!