Bigger is not always better when it comes to gifts, so if you’re into the heartfully homemade and handmade, try these DIY gift ideas that make ideal stocking stuffers.

ACCESSORIZE WITH HEARTFULLY HANDCRAFTED JEWELRY 

With some fine wire, jump rings, and earring posts or danglies, silver or gold chains, ring backs, and barrettes, you can turn little treasures into earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and hair pieces. Dried cranberries, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, pinecones and gingerbread cookies may be popular for their culinary uses in holiday bites and sippables, but they become a fun surprise when you pull out your jewelry talents and turn them into show-stopping accessories to wear.

AROMATHERAPY ANTI-BACTERIAL SPRAY

With colds, flu, and COVID still lurking, it’s important to amp up your arsenal and combat bad bacteria in natural ways that can improve your health, instead of harsh chemicals that can detract from it. Antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties banish bacterial baddies, yet are gentle enough to use on hands and skin and to spray in rooms, on countertops, door knobs, sinks, tables, and appliances.

Ingredients:

7 drops peppermint/eucalyptus essential oil

7 drops rosemary essential oil

7 drops orange/lemon essential oil

7 drops tea tree essential oil

3/4 cup distilled water

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons witch hazel

8-ounce spray bottle

Instructions:

Fill the spray bottle with ingredients and shake to mix well.

Recipe adapted from https://www.lovingessentialoils.com/blogs/diy-recipes/disinfecting-spray-with-essential-oils

‘MAZINGLY MOISTURIZING MISTLETOE MAGNET KISSABLE LIPS

Ready to pucker up, mistletoe magnet? Forgo the harmful, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and opt for the organic. For hydrated and healthier lips, try this two-step scent-sationally simple lip care routine with only the healthiest organic and natural ingredients:

1. Slough off those dry flakes, smooth and soften by exfoliating with a quick-fix mixture of a plant-based oil, like jojoba, avocado, olive, apricot kernel, argan, or coconut oil combined with natural exfoliators like coffee grounds, sea salt, or sugar.
2. Mix together, then very gently, scrub a dub dub to condition, hydrate, and soothe lips with this DIY lip balm.

GILEAD’S BALM TO SOOTHE, SOFTEN, AND SMOOTH

“Balm in Gilead,” according to Wikipedia, was a rare perfume used medicinally as a universal cure in the Hebrew Bible. There’s nothing as soothing and restorative as a balm to nourish, condition, and moisturize those lips. This recipe makes 5-6 tubes or 3 metal tins of homemade lip balm.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon beeswax

2 teaspoons shea butter

1 teaspoon cocoa butter

1 teaspoon almond oil

1 teaspoon jojoba oil

5 drops vitamin E

12-18 drops essential oil(s) of choice

Instructions:

1. Measure beeswax, shea butter and cocoa butter and put in the top of a double boiler.
2. Melt the butters and waxes over low heat in a double boiler until completely combined.
3. Add the almond oil and jojoba oil and stir.
4. Remove from heat and add Vitamin E and essential oils.
5. Pour into lip balm tubes or tins.
6. Allow to cool completely for at least 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from https://ecolivingmama.com/diy-lip-balm-recipe/

SANTA’S SWEET SIPPABLES TO SAVOR

Ingredients: Choose among these flavor options:

• Combine matcha green tea powder, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, powdered cloves, and stevia powder.
• Combine carob powder/hot cocoa mix, powdered sugar, any combination of small pieces of peppermint bark, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or crushed peppermint candies/candy canes, and mini marshmallows.
• Combine carob powder/hot cocoa mix, powdered milk, stevia powder or powdered sugar, and instant coffee grounds or ground coffee for French press with crushed peppermint or peppermint bark, and a few drops of peppermint extract.

Instructions:

1. Spoon into a decorative packet/envelope, cellophane bag, or mason jar and tie or glue on red bow(s) and candy cane.
2. Print or handwrite labels. Hole punch and tie on with ribbon, raffia, jute or yarn.

May these gifts bring you joy, both in creating and also giving. There’s nothing quite as special as homemade and from the heart. Thanks to these smaller scale stocking size DIY gifts for you and your loved ones, Santa’s satchel will not cause him (or his reindeer) any back problems. He can travel light this year!