Do-It-Yourself Stocking Stuffers

2020 has given us several reasons to do handmade gifts this year. The first is that many of us are still at home or not able to go to the “usual” holiday festivities, so we need something to keep us busy. The second is that handmade items are much more personal. One thing this year has not been is personal, between the social distancing and limited gatherings.

To help bring some deep personal connection to your holiday, try a few of these small Christmas gift crafts to fill up your friends’ and family’s stockings.

Sugar Scrub

Everyone loves to be pampered once in a while, so give the people what they want! Make an exfoliating and moisturizing sugar scrub by following this recipe:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 10 or so drops of essential oils

If you need to make more than this recipe makes, just double it and triple it as needed. It’s a simple 2:1 ratio of coconut oil to sugar.

The essential oil choices are endless. Use peppermint to create a candy cane scrub or lavender to soothe.

Soap

We know– soap sounds scary. You usually have to heat this and mold that, and besides– lye is kind of dangerous. But! We promise it’s MUCH easier than you think! You can make excellent, totally professional soap without lye.
It all comes down to a simple “melt and pour” recipe.

First, decide what kind of soap you want to make. Goat’s milk? Glycerin? There are so many options! Once you figure that out, you can go buy a base and find a recipe you like. A simple Google search of ” soap recipes without lye” will pull up about 606,000 results in 0.56 seconds.

Next, pick your shape(s). There are so many molds you can buy, from basic rectangles to intricate swirls, and even the alphabet.

Lastly, choose your scents, and assemble those materials. Essential oils, lavender buds, whole cloves… get creative here!

Once you’ve assembled all of your materials, get to making!

Cozy Hand Warmers

If getting your hands dirty in the natural beauty world is not your thing, maybe a try needle and thread. One very useful sewing project to try is a hand warmer.

First, gather your materials:

Sewing Machine (or needle and thread)
Fabric (flannel is great!)
Dry pinice
Pinking shears or fabric scissors

And follow the steps:

(1) Cut your fabric into 4″ x 4″ squares. One warmer needs 8 squares. We recommend 4 squares of 2 different fabrics.

(2) Layer your squares with the pretty side of the fabric facing outward in both directions.

(3) Sew all 8 together on 3 sides only.

(4) On the fourth side, stitch the layers together until you have about two fingers’-width remaining. This is where you’ll add the rice.

(5) Add the rice in between the layers, so that there are four layers surrounding the rice on each side.

(6) Once it’s full, sew it up.

(7) If you’d like to make them look extra nice, use your pinking shears to cut a cute trim around the edges.

This pattern was adapted from I Dream of DIY.

Mug Cozy

If you’ve never heard of mug cozies, you are missing out! They are basically sweaters for your warm drinks, and the varieties are endless. If you already have some knitting or crocheting skills in your back pocket, there are numerous patterns you can find to hook one out.
For those of you who don’t quite have the know-how for that, you can check out these easy sewing patterns here.
Each design has its own nuances, but it really comes down to a few simple steps:

(1) Measure your mug(s) for size by wrapping a measuring tape around the outside.

(2) Cut 2 strips of fabric to (almost) that length (you need to leave room for the button and the loop)

(3) Cut 2 strips of quilting batting around the same size.

(4) To sew them together, layer them: batting, fabric, fabric, batting. Make sure the pretty sides of the fabric are facing one another.

(5) Sew all around the sides, leave a hole for you to flip it inside out (or rather, right side out)

(6) Iron it flat, tucking the open hole’s edges inside

From here, the attachment will likely depend on the pattern. Some do buttons, some use velcro, and some are even more creative than that!

Hot Chocolate Stirring Spoons

These aren’t just any old spoon. These spoons have a little something *extra.*
That extra touch on the end of the spoon is a rich coating of chocolate and candy.

All you need are:

• Spoon (plastic, reusable, another form of disposable– the choice is yours!)
• Melting Chocolate or Bark (milk chocolate or white chocolate)
• Candy and Other Garnishes (crushed peppermint, caramel, crushed Oreos, walnuts, etc.)

First, melt your chocolate. Quickly dip your spoon into the chocolate, and while the chocolate is still soft, coat it in your desired topping.

Once they’re dry, wrap them up in a bouquet and drop them in the stocking!

When your loved one finally dips the spoon in their hot chocolate to mix it all up, the chocolate other yummy goodies will melt into the beverage.