Homemade Christmas Gifts – 6 Easy Ideas, No Artistic Skills Needed

A homemade Christmas gift shows that you have put time into it. It doesn't need artistic skills: a numbered canvas or a canvas marked with symbols tells you which colour goes where, so you'll succeed even the first time. Here are six ideas – some you make yourself, some the recipient makes.

Quick picks:

• A project for a few evenings: a small paint by numbers, painted by you
• The most personal: a painting from your own photo
• A small gift: homemade diamond painting Christmas cards
• If you run out of time: an unpainted kit

6 homemade Christmas gift ideas

1. Paint a small picture yourself

A finished painting is the most striking homemade gift. If you are short of time, choose a small paint by numbers: a 20 × 20 cm picture usually takes just a few evenings. It comes pre-stretched on a wooden frame, so the finished painting can go straight on the wall.

2. A painting from your own photo

The most personal homemade gift is a painting of a photo that means a lot to the recipient: a wedding photo, a holiday memory or the family pet. Paint it yourself or give the kit for them to paint. Read more on our page paint by numbers and diamond painting from your own photo.

A large painting isn't done in one evening: a 40 × 50 cm picture usually takes 25–45 hours. If time is short, give the kit unpainted. For more ideas, read Christmas gifts for parents.

3. Christmas cards with diamond painting

With diamond painting cards you can make your own Christmas cards. The Christmas packs include cards, envelopes, drills and tools. The finished cards sparkle, and they also make a nice small gift to attach to a present.

4. A Christmas diamond painting

If you enjoy precise work, make a Christmas diamond painting. Round drills are easier for beginners. You can finish the picture with sealant so the drills stay in place – see our sealing guide.

5. A Christmas paint by numbers

Christmas paint by numbers work both as your own project and as a gift. A winter landscape or a festive scene is a picture you can bring out again every Christmas.

6. An unpainted kit – a gift the recipient makes

If you don't have time to paint, give the kit unpainted. Then the gift is a new hobby and some calm evenings. You can also plan a painting night together and each paint your own picture.

Will I finish it before Christmas?

A small painting or a set of Christmas cards usually takes just a few evenings. A larger painting takes several weeks, so start early. If you are painting for the first time, read our paint by numbers instructions before you begin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest homemade Christmas gift?

Christmas cards made with diamond painting, or a small paint by numbers. Neither needs experience, and both are done in a few evenings.

Do I need painting skills?

No. In paint by numbers every area is numbered, and in diamond painting the symbols tell you which drill goes where.

Can I give the kit unpainted?

Yes. Then painting it is part of the gift, and the recipient gets a new hobby.