5 Affordable DIY Christmas Gift Basket Ideas
During the holidays, I like to give gifts to all of the people who have touched our lives throughout the year, not just family. I want my sons’ teachers, our housecleaner, the postal workers, my hairdresser and others to know how much they mean to me. I realize that everyone’s gift list can grow at a rapid pace and sometimes it’s not in your budget to give gifts to everyone. And that’s okay! I think even writing a small thank you letter or note inside of a Christmas card can be just as meaningful. But, if you are looking for a fun, inexpensive and thoughtful holiday gift, I’m going to share some of my favorite ideas today. I’ve put together five affordable DIY Christmas gift basket ideas under $25. These gift baskets make the perfect gift to give to a variety of people on your holiday list. For additional Christmas gift ideas, be sure to check out my 2022 holiday gift guides.
DIY Christmas Gift Baskets Under $25
Each year I like to sit down and make a list of everyone that I want to buy Christmas gifts for. First, I list all of our family members. Next, I create a list of people outside of family that I would like to buy for. These recipients might include teachers, neighbors, co-workers, babysitters, postal workers, hairdresser, housekeeper, secret Santa and others. Obviously, it’s easy for your holiday list to get very long, very fast. Therefore, I like to come up with inexpensive, but thoughtful Christmas gifts for these recipients. If you’re in a pinch, you can always gift a small gift card (even $5) and a personalized Christmas card. But, if you plan a little in advance, I think it’s fun and meaningful to put together an easy and inexpensive gift basket for others. Today I’m sharing my top five affordable DIY Christmas gift basket ideas.
Hot Chocolate Gift Basket
A hot chocolate gift basket is quick and easy to throw together and oh-so-sweet! It’s easier than ever to make a hot cocoa basket look exceptionally cute because there are so many adorable options available. This year I grabbed some of these snowflake marshmallows, these snowman marshmallows, these Belgian hot cocoa bombs and this adorable reindeer hot cocoa mix. Arrange all of these items inside this sage green coffee mug for an affordable DIY Christmas gift basket under $25!
2. Spa Gift Basket
I feel very confident stating that everyone on your Christmas list could use a little rest and relaxation. A spa-themed gift basket is easy to make and sure to be enjoyed! Simply pair together a calming bath salt, a relaxing essential oil candle and a luxurious bath bomb bar for the ultimate gift of relaxation under $23. This would also make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift idea, just be sure to also gift mom a free day to herself!
3. Sugar Cookies Gift Basket
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, cookies simply taste sweeter during the holidays! I love making all of my favorite cookie recipes during our family cookie exchange each Christmas. I think homemade cookies make a perfect gift for teachers, neighbors, postal workers and more. Additionally, sugar cookies can make a fun and affordable DIY Christmas gift basket. This might be a little easier to throw together than homemade cookies (depending on your baking skills!) Simply pair together your favorite sugar cookie mix, some fun holiday sprinkles, some yummy white icing and a cute holiday spatula and viola! You could even throw in this festive Christmas kitchen towel and the entire gift basket will still be under $14!
4. Relaxation Gift Basket
A relaxation gift basket is the perfect holiday gift for teachers, babysitters, hairdressers and housecleaners. At the end of a long, hard day, these women deserve to kick back and relax! A fun DIY Christmas gift basket idea is to buy a pair of slippers and stuff them with small items. This way you don’t have to purchase a separate basket and the recipient will have fun pulling the gifts out of the slippers. These crossband shearling slippers look so comfy and are extremely affordable. You can stuff them with a small stress relief lotion, a few collagen eye masks and a couple of bottles of pretty nail polish. I’m loving this sage green nail polish and you won’t believe the price! This gift basket can be made with these products for under $22. It would also make a great gift idea for teen girls.
5. Pancake Gift Basket
Everyone loves a yummy, fresh batch of pancakes. This affordable DIY Christmas gift basket makes a wonderful gift for postal workers, neighbors, co-workers or as a secret Santa gift idea. Simply pair together a classic pancake mix, a bottle of delicious maple syrup and a whisk and you’ve got the gift of deliciousness for under $23! For an extra-sweet gift, substitute with this chocolate chip pancake mix or add in a bag of mini chocolate chips. They even have gluten-free pancake mixes available if the recipient has food allergies.
DIY Christmas Gift Basket Supplies
A lot of the affordable DIY Christmas gift basket ideas I shared are made using the actual gift items as “the basket”. For example, you can place the hot chocolate mix and marshmallows inside of the coffee mug for the hot chocolate gift basket. And you can place the nail polish, lotion and eye masks inside of the slippers for the relaxation gift basket. But, sometimes you will want or need to use an actual basket or gift wrap. This clear gift wrap and this shredded paper filler are both extremely affordable and great to keep on hand. This white basket will be reusable and is only $3! I also love gifting items in woven storage baskets. They are a little more expensive, but the recipient will be able to use them in their own home or as decor. This small woven basket, this rectangular woven basket and this small round woven basket are perfect for holiday gift baskets and all $17 and under.
Easy and Inexpensive Christmas Gift Basket Ideas
Whether you’re shopping for a neighbor, friend, teacher or co-worker, I hope you’ve found this list of affordable DIY Christmas gift basket ideas to be helpful. Which idea is your favorite? If you put one together I’d love to hear about it! Do you have any recommendations for other affordable Christmas gift basket ideas? I always think it is so fun to create holiday gifts like these, so I would love to hear your suggestions! If you leave them in the comments below you might also be helping other shoppers this holiday season! And if you’re still Christmas shopping, be sure to check out my 150 gift guides for everyone on your holiday list. Happy holidays!
