DIY Holiday Gifts Might Save You Less Money Than You Think
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High prices have Americans looking for creative ways to save on holiday gifts this season. According to Deloitte’s 2025 Holiday Retail Survey, roughly half of respondents said they plan to give DIY gifts this season to save money. Nearly 4 in 10 survey respondents are considering handmade presents, and 3 in 10 plan to make homemade food gifts.
On its face, this seems like a great way to save a few bucks while getting into the holiday spirit. There’s no shortage of Pinterest boards and YouTube tutorials to search for inspiration.
Even a quick Google search turns up a blizzard of advice for DIY sugar scrubs, bath bombs, baskets, coasters, candles, knits, wreaths — the list is seemingly endless, and that's before you even get to a feast’s worth of cooked, baked and canned goodies.
But experts in cooking and crafting caution that it still takes strategic planning to make sure that your homespun holiday gifts don’t unravel your budget.
“People could possibly save money by making their own gifts, but it could get really expensive too,” says Sara Croymans, an extension educator in the department of family, health and well-being at the University of Minnesota Extension. “We really encourage folks to plan ahead so they know what they’re going to do.”
What sets a successful DIY gift-giver apart? Preparation is key, Croymans says. “They have a list, they have a budget and they start early.”
Whether you’re stitching, stirring or stamping, experts say there are a handful of pricey pitfalls that can derail your festively frugal plans. Here’s what the pros say you should avoid — and what you should do instead.
Shopping at craft stores for supplies
“I rarely shop at the specialty stores because they are overpriced, in my opinion,” Marlene Alexander, founder of the Dollar Store Style blog, says via email. Instead, experts recommend hitting up dollar stores, warehouse clubs and big-box retailers.
Another expert tip: You can often get better deals on supplies and ingredients, especially when buying in bulk, if you buy from the same places where the pros shop. “If you look at restaurant supply stores, you can sometimes save a lot of money that way,” says Luci Mosesso, a 4-H agent at West Virginia University Extension.
All of the experts Money consulted also urged DIY gift-givers to hit up local thrift stores for supplies and containers. “Thrift stores are a great place to go to find DIY types of supplies,” Croymans says. “You can find lots of crafty items... and that’s good for the environment, as well."
Buying pricey kits
A crafting kit that gives you everything you need to create, say, a needlepoint pillow or a beaded basket might seem handy, but that often comes at a price.
“Ready-made craft kits are made for convenience, and probably more expensive than if you just gather the individual elements yourself,” Alexander advises.
If this is your first foray into embroidery or beadwork, take note of what an all-in-one kit includes: You can probably buy the individual components more cheaply, she says.
The exception here is about quantity, Croymans says. If you know you’re only going to need a tiny bit of an ingredient or material and have no plans to use the remainder, a kit might be the way to go.
Thinking you have to buy all of your supplies
Cheap supplies are great, but freebies are even better. Take stock of what you already have on hand; you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you can trim your gift budget and clear out some clutter at the same time.
If you do a lot of sewing, for instance, Alex Mathias, an assistant professor and 4-H agent at West Virginia University Extension, suggests repurposing fabric scraps rather than buying new material. If your handiwork involves items from nature, try foraging for branches, pinecones and the like.
On that note, she suggests sticking with projects that involve easy-to-source items. “Be open to something that inspires you as opposed to looking for something specific,” she says.
Falling into the container trap
Mathias says one area where you can get tripped up by hidden costs is presentation and packaging. “The containers you put gifts into can get costly,” she says. “You can use things like Christmas-themed Ziploc bags or colored Saran wrap. That makes it festive without having to do a bunch of fancy ribbons and wrapping, especially for food items.”
Another Pinterest pigeonhole to avoid: making everything match. Sure, a display of identical plates stacked high with treats might make for a pretty picture, but your recipients aren’t going to know if their gift looks like someone else's or not. “They can all look different because you're giving them out to different people,” Mathias points out.
Not having the process down pat
For novice crafters or cooks, botching the execution can be a budget-buster. As people who can roll out pastry dough or sew potholders practically in their sleep know, you have to invest the time and self-education to get a handle on specialized skills.
“If a person is new to crafting, it's always best to read/watch a tutorial to make sure you understand the process so you're not wasting time and money,” Alexander says.
Mathias takes it a step further. “Watch or read several different versions of what you’re trying to do. I always look at several recipes,” she advises. And give yourself enough time that you won’t get frazzled and overlook a critical step, she adds.
“It's always going to take a little longer than you think… Set a manageable goal about who all you're going to give presents to, [to avoid] getting overwhelmed.”
Paying for expensive equipment
If your plans to bake treats for friends and family don’t require any equipment besides a stand mixer that you already own, you’re good to go. But DIY gift-givers sometimes assume they need to buy pricey equipment, Mathias says, even though that's often not the case.
It's possible that there are other methods or equipment you can use that won’t break the bank. Other options include borrowing or renting the specialized piece of equipment you need.
Ask around in local “buy nothing” groups and do some investigating. Locally available resources vary, but you might discover that you live near a commercial kitchen, sewing studio or other "maker space" facility where you can just pay a rental fee or by the hour to access the equipment you need.
Check your local library, as well. At a growing number of them, you can borrow craft equipment along with the latest bestseller.
Trying to make everything from scratch
Like transforming a boxed cake mix into a homemade dessert, you might be able to get more bang for your buck by purchasing and customizing items rather than creating them from raw materials. For instance, maybe you could buy plain kitchen towels from a dollar store and dye them or add stamped designs rather than buying material and sewing them yourself.
“Keeping things simple can help save money. So can choosing projects that are enjoyable within someone's skill set,” Croymans says. Even if you’re not crafty at all, putting together a gift basket doesn't take any specialized skills.
And at the end of the day, she adds, remember the cardinal gift-giving axiom: It’s the thought that counts.
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