Practical Christmas Gifts to Make: Ideas for Teachers to Neighbors

Your children’s hardworking, dedicated teachers. Your dear longtime neighbors. These are the special folks you’d most want to send actual, physical presents to this Christmas. And of course handcrafted gifts are the most heartwarming!

So we’ve put together this roundup of gift ideas from our own Bellenza styled sets. Ideas that are practical—both for the recipients who can use them and for YOU, the crafty DIYer! You can turn these into family craft projects while the kids are on winter break, too. Come, take a look!

DIY Holiday Gifts You Can Craft with the Kids

Make the most of materials you already have on hand and repurpose Christmas decorations into package trimmings. And you’ll see how our ideas below would make festive accents for your recipients’ holiday tables—sending yuletide cheer from your home to theirs!

Treats in Fancy Wraps

Home baked goodies, fruits, packs of winter potpourri, assorted ornaments, and mini gift items look extra-special in festive wraps. 

One idea would be to bundle up a mug in holiday fabric (1), pop a fruit on top, then tie everything up in sheer tulle. Use our ready-made organza wraps in crimson red (2) to package Christmas candies, berries or nuts; or in elegant green (3) for giving holiday candle gifts. Or tuck little gift items, cookies or mini soaps into our ivy-embroidered bags (4).

Handmade Table Accessories for Holiday Entertaining

Teachers definitely deserve some Christmas revelry, even if only entertaining family at home. And neighbors, especially the elderly or those who live alone, could use a dose of the holiday spirit. So here are some crafty gifts you can make for them to live it up a bit this Christmas! 

Make sets of homemade beaded votive holders (5) to brighten up a holiday table.

Send over a pair of wine glasses decked out for the holidays with jingle bell glass charms (6), wrap-around wires with colorful beads (7) with matching felt-strip woven coasters (10), or candy cane and tinsel trimmings (9). (Note: All these would be just as charming given on cocoa or coffee mugs!)

And if you’ll be giving bottles of wine, apple cider, or sparkling juice, dress them up for Christmas, too, in "mufflers" made from sweater scraps (9). So cute and cozy!

How’s that for ways to keep the kiddos busy this winter, while sending some handcrafted holiday love to their teachers and your neighbors!