FESTIVE DIY: Skip the shops this year and try these charming garden-to-gift ideas instead (Image: Evgeniia Siiankovskaia via Getty)
Looking to save money and give more meaningful presents this Christmas? You have a treasure trove in your backyard as you can turn to your gardens for inspiration.
Homemade, garden-inspired gifts are growing in popularity, with people opting for thoughtful, low-cost alternatives over last-minute retail purchases. From scented herb pouches to jars of chutney, experts say homegrown presents carry more sentiment – and can be surprisingly easy to make.
Kim Stoddart, editor of Amateur Gardening magazine, says crafting gifts from your own garden brings joy to both the maker and the recipient. “There’s so much to be gained from taking time to look at your garden and creating something to give to others,” she said. “To receive something handmade and hand-grown is just a beautiful thing.”
FESTIVE PREP
Kim has shared a range of simple, creative ideas for homemade Christmas gifts:
1. Preserves
A bumper apple harvest this year means chutneys and jams are an easy win. Apple chutneys can be made in a few hours, and decorative jars with homemade labels add a personal touch. Frozen currants, strawberries and gooseberries can also be quickly turned into jams with minimal effort.
GIFT IDEAS: These easy DIY ideas help you save money, cut waste and give something truly personal this Christmas (Image: Getty) 2. Herb vinegars
A simple option for beginners, herb vinegars look impressive but require minimal effort. Fill sterilised bottles with apple cider vinegar and add sprigs of herbs such as rosemary, sage or thyme, plus spices like peppercorns.
“You could go with one of the varieties that still has the ‘mother’ (a live, fermented culture) which is probiotic and good for your healthy gut bacteria. Just put a few sprigs into the vinegar, you don’t have to overdo it,” Kim explained. The vinegars can be used in winter salads, marinades or casseroles.
Make jams, chutneys and vinegars
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3. Plant displays
Bringing the outdoors inside makes for beautiful seasonal gifts. Winter blooms such as pansies, hellebores and cyclamen can be arranged in vintage teacups or charity shop vases. Supermarket herb pots can also be divided into smaller planters. Bush chilli plants can be cut back and brought indoors to keep growing over winter with a little seaweed feed.
4. Bath salts
Fill an attractive jar with Epsom salts and add dried herbs or flowers from your garden. Kim recommends drying sage, rosemary and mint on a warm windowsill for several weeks to reduce some of the oil content before mixing them into your bath salts.
5. Seed gifts
Seed saving is on the rise and homemade seed packets make thoughtful presents. Decorate envelopes with dried leaves or seedheads – but ensure seeds are fully dry before gifting.
6. Cut-and-come-again planters
Grow easy salads like pea shoots, Chinese greens and lettuces in a decorative container for a windowsill-friendly edible gift. Keep plants away from radiators and check the compost regularly to avoid overwatering.
7. Winter herb pouches
Chop dried rosemary, thyme, and sage, then fill small fabric pouches to create aromatic herb sachets. These can be used to scent drawers or as an addition to potpourri.
8. Wooden coasters
If you’ve had a tree cut back, slices of hardwood can be sanded and varnished into rustic coasters – a quick, eco-friendly gift idea.
9. Simple decorations
Pressed winter leaves and flowers can be turned into decorative cards, name tags or festive table settings. Kim suggests pressing them between tracing paper in heavy books for a few weeks. You could also make place settings for the Christmas table with evergreen sprigs such as holly, offcuts from your Christmas tree, or decorative seedheads.
NATURE’S TOUCH: Pressed winter leaves and evergreens can be transformed into simple, beautiful handmade cards and festive table decorations (Image: Alamy/PA)READ NEXT
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