DIY Gift Boxes for Christmas, Cheap and Original

Affordable Christmas Gift Basket Ideas, Homemade, Themed, Unique

© Helen Smeaton

Nov 7, 2009
DIY Christmas Gift Box, Jill Clardy on Flickr
Save money this holiday season by giving unique, themed DIY gift boxes. Ideas for homemade wine and food baskets, personalized photo gifts, sports and gardening boxes.

Christmas gift baskets need not cost a fortune; simply use the ideas in this article to create themed gift boxes for friends and relatives according to their hobbies or personal tastes. Receivers will love opening a box of goodies and the contents of a homemade present are sure to be original.

Four or five small items are usually enough to make up a DIY gift box; some items like food can be made at home, some are simple accessories available in specialty shops and the rest can be purchased online. Either package them beautifully in a suitably sized box or arrange them in an open basket, wrap with cling film and attach a gift card and ribbon.

DIY Food and Wine Gift Baskets

These suggestions are sure to please wine and food lovers:

  • Chilli giftbox – Homemade chilli oil, homemade chilli sauce, packets of unusual chilli seeds, jars of dried or fresh chillies, a small chilli plant.
  • Wine gifts – Corkscrew, wine breather, wine aerator, cute wine glass charms, bottle stoppers, drip collars, wine thermometer.
  • Dried fruit and herb basket – Choose from figs, dates, apricots, pineapple and prunes to oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme and mint.

Personalized Photo Gifts

Photo gifts are very cheap to order online, especially when companies like Vistaprint offer free items to newsletter subscribers. Pull together some favorite photos and start creating original gifts. Choose from products like personalized desk calendars, fridge magnets, pens, mugs, return address labels, rubber stamps or sticky notes, all perfect for work at home individuals.

Themed Gift Baskets – Cycling and Golf

  • Cycling gift boxes – Choose cheap cycling items like water bottles, inner tubes, gaffer tape, puncture repair kit, mini homemade medical kit, fingerless gloves or handlebar grips.
  • Golf gifts – Cheap accessories are always useful: tees, golf balls, ball markers, plastic practice balls, club cleaning cloth, indoor putt return or golf keyrings. All items can be personalized but this will cost a little more.
  • Home Fitness gift box – Skipping rope, mini dumbbells, hand grips, rubber mat, dynabands, thigh toner or a fitness towel.

Gift Baskets for Gardeners

Keen gardeners love any plant orientated gifts so make up a present including some new gardening gloves, packets of unusual seeds, hydrating gel crystals (perfect for dry climates as they help soil to retain water), a small plant like a miniature rose or a new pair of garden clogs.

Unique Gift Baskets

DIY gift boxes offer the perfect opportunity to make an original gift that won’t break the bank. Whether the recipient loves food or wine, sports or gardening, use the above affordable suggestions to create a unique present that is sure to be appreciated.

Related Articles

Also of interest may be Homemade Christmas Gifts for Chilli Lovers or How to Create a Custom Photo Calendar.


The copyright of the article DIY Gift Boxes for Christmas, Cheap and Original in Holiday Entertaining is owned by Helen Smeaton. Permission to republish DIY Gift Boxes for Christmas, Cheap and Original in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


DIY Christmas Gift Box, Jill Clardy on Flickr
Original Gift Boxes, Innerobot on Flickr
Wine Gift Baskets, Karschsp on Flickr
Gardening Gifts for Christmas, Photooptik on Flickr
Personalized Photo Calendar, Helen Smeaton


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