Christmas on a Budget? 5 Ways to Save Money with DIY Crafts

Christmas crafting is a rewarding and meaningful way to prepare for the season of merriment, and it can also save you some much-needed cash.

Experience the joy of a homemade Christmas on a budget this year through thoughtful handmade gift-giving, fun-to-make DIY decorations and festive crafting that’ll fill your heart and space with sparkle.

Pour yourself a mulled wine (it’s not too early!), grab a mince pie and welcome in some Christmas magic with these five ways to save money with DIY crafts this winter…

1. Warm their hearts with handmade Christmas gifts

Not many things beat the special feeling of seeing your loved one’s face light up as you hand them a thoughtfully made handmade gift. There’s something extra heartwarming about a homemade pressie, and as an added bonus, it can be a cost-effective way to make your nearest and dearest smile.

Wrap up and head out to the inspiring studio space of Nam, pottery tutor, legend of The Great Pottery Throwdown and owner of Cernamic. Learn to throw pottery on a wheel and gain some practical hand-building skills at this creative workshop as you create a DIY gift for someone special. 

Escape the hustle and bustle of the high street, experience the thrill of sinking your hands into cool ball of clay and bring to life a beautiful selection of bespoke pottery to wrap up for Christmas. From £50, you’ll get three hours of unbridled joy, a new skill to use for future gift making and your beautiful pottery to put under the tree.

There are some lovely pottery items for sale in the shops but for the same price, you can make yourself something equally as beautiful with the added bonus of it being unique to you (no one in the world will have the same piece). The added value of hours of creative joy, new life skills and the warm feeling you’ll experience when someone asks where you bought your pottery *and you can tell them you made it* will be priceless!

Thrifty tip: Keep Christmas on a budget this year by treating a loved one to this crafty activity as a Christmas gift experience and double-up the delight – a wonderful few hours of making and a physical gift to take home to treasure forever.

Stay home and keep cosy with some embroidery this Christmas and learn to hand-sew an embroidery hoop as a special DIY gift. For £25, you’ll get a lovingly-packed craft kit sent to your door packed with all the goodies you need to embroider a gorgeous wall decoration for a friend. 

No need to head off to the shops, just put on a Christmas film, wait for your delivery and get sewing. The result will be so much more personal than a shop-bought gift and the love and care you put into making it will fill your recipient with festive cheer that’ll last the whole year.

Thrifty tip: Re-use your needle and spare threads for unlimited future gift making!

2. Deck the halls with budget-friendly DIY Christmas decorations

Luxury Christmas decor can really set you back with prices up to £75 for shop-bought luxury baubles. But you don’t need to spend big to make your home a unique winter wonderland this year — make your own for less and swap mass-produced luxury items for personalised homemade treasures that you can pass down through the generations. You’ll relish the added (and priceless!) joy of creating something bespoke with your own hands…and you’ll save some money too.

Wrap up and head out to this Christmas bauble making class and absorb yourself in the mindful craft of painting. Guided by an artisan tutor, you’ll discover how to paint a beautifully decorated bauble to hang on the tree this year. 

For £48 you’ll get a one-of-a-kind festive decoration to enjoy yourself or gift to a loved one.

Thrifty tip: If you’re keen to enjoy Christmas on a budget this year, don’t shell out for secret Santa and a work Christmas party – suggest combining the two by choosing this festive making experience for your annual shindig. You’ll have a merry time with your workmates and you’ll all have something to take home too!

Stay home and keep cosy with a festive ornament-making workshop with a difference from the comfort of your sofa. If you’re a plant lover, this online air-plant bauble making class is the one for you! 

Sip on a snowball as you sit back and wait for your craft kit to land on your doorstep. For £20 you’ll get an adorable airplant, an open-topped glass bauble, some life-giving substrate and some wooden tweezers to help with the making.

Gather your friends far and wide and connect online to create your sweet living bauble with support from an expert teacher. You’ll have a little green pal to adorn your Christmassy home within less than an hour.

Thrifty tip: Create more plants by propagating from the original plant from your craft box. Just wait for the plant pups to sprout, use a sharp knife to separate them from the mother plant and grow them on. Add them to your house-plant collection for free or save them for future gifting.

3. Welcome Father Christmas with a show-stopping handmade wreath

Wrap up and head out to this London wreath making class with Make Your Own, and enjoy a few hours of pure creative indulgence as you make your own Christmas wreath with natural dried materials. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the cost of fresh luxury Christmas wreaths so keep things steady this year and learn to make this everlasting dried wreath that’ll see you through this Christmas and beyond. 

For £60, this yuletide workshop offers some creative respite during the busy Christmas season, and you’ll head home with a stunning piece of door candy to welcome in those special Christmas visitors. Soak in the scents of natural pinecones, chestnuts, cinnamon sticks, and dried fruits as you create something beautiful.

Thrifty tip: Commit to your wreath for life and store it carefully after the twelfth night. Give it some love and you won’t need to buy a new one for years to come.

Stay home and keep cosy with this wreath making craft kit. It’s £30 and is full of dried grasses, blooms and sumptuous velvet ribbon to help you make your own wreath to display in your home.

Thrifty tip: Rather than splashing out on a costly dinner and night out this year, keep this Christmas on a budget by gathering your friends and family at your place instead — get the mulled wine warming, dish out some festive nibbles and celebrate by making wreaths together.

4. Sprinkle some festive spirit with handmade Christmas cards 

Sending a Christmas greeting in the post is a wholesome annual tradition that really shows you care. Why not post an extra special handmade card this year that can be kept and treasured by your recipient? 

Wrap up and head out to this one-of-a-kind Christmas cyanotype printmaking workshop and craft some alternative Christmas cards using botanical pieces and extraordinary printing techniques. For £65, you’ll have fun, learn skills for life and head home with a set of unique Christmas cards and a gorgeously different box of ornaments. 

Thrifty tip: These Christmas cards and accompanying ornaments will double up as gifts in the form of wall art and home decor to be kept forever by your lucky recipients. 

Stay home and keep cosy with some Christmas brush lettering at home. You’ll learn some modern calligraphy skills using a gorgeous calligraphy kit and sparkly pens and you’ll be shown how to make a gorgeous Christmas card. A wonderfully creative experience to treat yourself to this year, with the added bonus of a handmade stack of cards and gifting accessories to give your Christmas presents a beautiful handmade touch.

Thrifty tip: Turn your new skills into a side hustle and make a small selection of cards to sell at your local craft fair. You’ll love putting your calligraphy kit to use and the extra cash you’ll make will buy a few more specially-chosen stocking fillers for loved ones.

5. Embrace the season of peace with some mindful making

All is calm all is bright…or is it?! Christmas can be a pretty hectic time of year – make sure you welcome in the joys of the season with a peaceful heart this year by carving out some quiet moments for yourself. No need to splash out on expensive spa days to seek out the chill, we have some soothing ideas to create that same sense of relaxation without breaking the bank.

Wrap up and head out to a soothing candle making workshop and learn to hand pour gorgeously scented soy wax candles under the guidance of a talented local tutor. This warming experience is £52. It’ll leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the festivities and you’ll have a lovely candle to take home to gift or enjoy.

Thrifty tip: Once your candle is gone, buy some sustainably-sourced soy wax and some essential oils (both readily available in craft stores or online), clean up your glass jar and use the skills you gained in your class to make a new candle. It’s a more sustainable way of enjoying candles at home, and it will most likely be much cheaper than buying afresh.

Stay home and keep cosy with an at-home candle making box from artisan candle makers, Yougi. Beautifully packaged, this candle-making experience is a real treat for the senses. Listen to some soothing choral Christmas music as you blend essential oils with eco-friendly soy wax and pour your candle into a cool glass jar. Ideal if you’re looking for easy Christmas crafts for adults, this is a beautifully simple candle-making kit that can be enjoyed by absolute beginners. Fill your home with wonderful scents and fill your heart with a blissful sense of calm.

Thrifty tip: Trim your wick to ¼ of an inch after every use. If you leave it any longer, you’ll end up with a large flame that’ll soot up the side of your jar and burn down really quickly. Trimming your wick regularly will ensure your gorgeous candle lasts right the way through the Christmas season.