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27 Semi-Homemade Gifts That'll Win Everyone Over
BuzzFeedsHalf bought + half homemade = one perfect and thoughtful gift.
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A kit with everything (plus a few extra kicks) you need to make six flavors of hot sauce for the Beyoncé in your life.
The kit includes: cayenne, ancho, curry, and New Mexico chili powders, brown sugar, guajillo, chipotle, and arbol peppers, apple cider and white vinegar, six bottles with lid and dashers, six customizable labels, a funnel, gloves, sanitizer, and an instruction booklet with recipes.
Promising review: "Got this as a Christmas gift for my hot sauce-loving beau and it was a hit! Really fun to make together. Just a forewarning: the boiling step creates steam that may sting the eyes if yours are sensitive, so I'd recommend opening a window or wearing glasses/goggles during that step. The hot sauce was delicious, and even though we used all the ingredients it came with, we still use the bottles, funnel, and recipes because we loved them so much!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $39.95.
Melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate truffles for the friend whose sweet tooth rivals that of Augustus Gloop's.
Just try not to fall into any chocolate rivers, OK?
The kit also comes with instructions, a thermometer, organic 55% dark chocolate chips, organic cocoa powder, organic coconut flakes, sea salt, organic peppermint extract, and organic vanilla extract! All you need to buy yourself is cream or coconut cream. Makes ~36 truffles.
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $34.95.
DIY lip balm made from Fair Trade cocoa butter and organic spearmint essential oil, among other nourishing ingredients — cracked lips, you've met your match!
The kit includes: organic sunflower oil, ethically-sourced beeswax, organic spearmint essential oil, metal tins, glass bottles, compostable cellulose bags, recycled paper labels, and information cards.
Promising review: "New Mexico is a dry state so the lip balm was a hit for my daughter. She was able to make quite a bit with this kit that she had plenty for herself and several to give to her family and friends as well. Her friends all wanted to know where she purchased her kit." —Bella
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $40.
You can get a slightly cheaper one from Amazon for $29.95.
Or a pair of real succulents and planters that are so easy to assemble, you could do it in your sleep.
The kit includes: two seasonal four-inch rosette succulents potted in soil, two rustic wood boxes, and instructions — a short and sweet list!
Get them from Food52 for $45.
A cabernet sauvignon kit for a full-bodied red that they'll sip in really small portions in order to make it last.
Note: it does take a month to complete, but cool gifts are worth waiting for! Plus, it makes a whole gallon of wine. The kit includes: a glass carboy, funnel, racking cane, rubber stopper, transfer tubing, tubing clamp, airlock, a guide, Cabernet Sauvignon juice with yeast, oak and additives, five zork closures, and sanitizer.
Promising review: "I was very unsure of the process but the instructions were pretty easy for us to follow and everything was included except the clarifying vessel and wine bottles. The end result was as nice a Cabernet Sauvignon as I've ever had. Nice legs, aroma, and taste. You will need a large pot or container at two weeks to transfer the wine for clarifying and then it goes back into the jug after it's been cleaned. After two more weeks you can bottle the wine or let it age longer. Now looking for more grapes to do the process again." —MB
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $60 (also available in merlot, pinot grigio, and chardonnay).
A mosaic kit to create a snazzy glass vase that's the furthest thing from ordinary — hello, dinner party centerpiece!
The kit includes: glass mosaic tiles (six colors), a glass vase, gloves, protective mask, mixing sticks and sponge, and a plastic container with grout mix.
Get it from Aterno on Etsy for $38. And stick in a Christmas Cheer Bouquet from From You Flowers for a flourishing final touch!
Check out all the other DIY kits here!
A lovely tassle-fringed mirror that will surely declare whoever looks into it to be the fairest in all the land!
Check out the full tutorial at Sugar and Cloth here!
Get a round seven-inch mirror from Amazon for $5.61, yarn for $2.88 (lots of color options), gold chain for $8.26, and gold metallic paint for $4.61.
Erin Francois / Via sugarandcloth.com
A very merry scratch-off tree advent calendar that coordinates with the boatload of gifts resting underneath.
The ~scratch-off~ effect is created by mixing one part dish soap to two parts paint and painting three or four coats over your stamped circles. Check out the full tutorial from A Beautiful Mess here!
Get paper snowflakes from Amazon for $2.35 and up, circular punch for $7.52, stamps + ink set for $15.70, and metallic paint from Amazon for $3.83.
Katie Shelton / Via abeautifulmess.com
Freshly-cut greenery ornaments for quick and easy Christmas tree decor or general ~wintery~ merriment.
Check out the full tutorial from The Merrythought here!
Get a 12-pack of clear glass ornaments from Amazon for $12.95.
The Merrythought / Via themerrythought.com
A goof-proof kit for making and gifting four quarts of wonderfully pungent and supremely fresh kimchi.
The kit includes: a glass jar, Red Boat fish sauce, Korean red chile pepper flakes, and recipes/instructions.
Promising review: "I have been making my own kimchi for many years when I received this kit as a present. It is goof-proof and makes a wonderfully pungent batch of this awesome probiotic. The kit introduced me to Korean gochujang spice; I had previously been using cayanne pepper. Much more authentic flavor. Follow the directions the first time and then experiment with your own ideas as you progress. The jar seals well. Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned (no pun intended) veteran of epicurean delights, you won't be disappointed with this kit." —Michael D. Ciolek
Get it from Amazon for $23.95.
A hearty one-gallon jug of home-brewed beer your giftee will promptly chug (in good cheer)!
The kit includes: beer mix (grain, hops and yeast), one-gallon reusable glass fermenter, glass spirit-filled thermometer, vinyl tubing, racking cane and tip, chambered airlock, Brooklyn Brew Shop cleanser, and screw-cap stopper.
Promising review: "This was for a friend who is a beer guru of sorts and won't drink anything that isn't to their taste. I was kind of hesitant getting this at first because of that, but it proved to be a very fun experience for them and they loved making the beer and tasting it afterward. I was pleasantly surprised that the gift went over so well that I bought a similar kit for myself!" —JC
Get it from Amazon for $34.99 (seven varieties).
Refreshingly simple eucalyptus soap bars to add a ~sprig~ of relaxation to someone's day.
Check out the full tutorial from Burkatron here!
Get clear soap base from Amazon for $10.69 and up, a silicone soap mold for $8.99, and eucalyptus oil for $9.72.
Caroline Burke / Via burkatron.com
A beautiful gold-plated necklace that, despite its composition, will be 100% precious to its wearer.
The kit includes: gold-plated brass chain, cords, semi-precious stone pendant, muslin storage bag, and instructions. All you need to provide a lighter and scissors.
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $45.
Dreamy constellation coasters to give your friends' coffee tables some extra extraterrestrial (say that five times fast) flare.
Check out the full tutorial from Crafting Fingers here!
Get constellation fabric from Thinx Shop on Zazzle for $24.25 per yard and bottomweight denim fabric from JoAnn for $10.19 per yard.
Anna Simmonds / Via craftingfingers.co.uk
Adorable handcrafted wooden dolls that your parents will proudly display on top of your living room mantle.
The kit includes: five unpainted dolls (two parents, three children), six non-toxic paint colors: black, white, red, yellow, blue, and green, one pod of varnish, one round brush, one flat brush, tips and instructions, a toothpick for dotting the eyes, and a piece of sandpaper for mistakes.
Get it from Goose Grease on Etsy for $30.
Be prepared to hear your friends bragging to other people about how amazing your gifts are!
Broadway Video / SNL
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