5 Consumable Gift Ideas That Are Easy To DIY

One of my favorite kinds of gifts to receive (and give!) are handmade items. It could be from a small business, or something you make yourself! Either way, those gifts always felt so much more special to me. Consumable gifts are basically gifts that get used up (not necessarily just eaten). Examples of consumable gifts include candles, body scrub, cookies, etc. This year, I’m hosting my first ever holiday party and I’m excited to play a few games with my friends. For the prizes, I wanted to stick to zero waste, but holiday-appropriate gifts. So these are the consumable gift ideas I concocted! I’m so happy with how they turned out. These would also make wonderful White Elephant gifts or Secret Santas. Or, amazing stocking stuffers! If you’re in need of some consumable gift ideas, here are 5 that are easy to DIY yourself.

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5 Consumable Gift Ideas That Are Easy To DIY

What is an example of a consumable gift?

An example of a consumable gift includes candles, homemade bread, body lotion, lip balm, homemade cookies, etc. Basically, anything you can use up (it doesn’t have to be just food!).

I consider consumable gifts zero waste friendly, because they’re designed to be used.

Now, that being said, it’s not impossible for consumable gifts to go un-used. For example, buying someone a perfume gift set when they absolutely abhor synthetic fragrances (aka me). So it pays to know the person you’re gifting to.

My recommendation for consumable gifts is to put some thought into it. And, keep it as natural as possible. DIYs are always great, but you should also be mindful of the person you’re gifting it to: Will they actually use it? What are their favorite scents? Do they even like baths? Etc.

These 5 consumable gift ideas listed below are great for party favors, prizes, and Secret Santas. They’re also very affordable, and you probably have all the ingredients for them in your home already!

1. Bath salts

I made two of these, with both being different scents: One was more woodsy/Christmas-y (pictured left), the other was more soothing (right). These can also be used as a foot soak, or for aromatherapy!

Pine, clove + cinnamon bath salts

• 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
• 5-15 drops each of pine, clove + cinnamon essential oil
• 1-2 TBS of pine needles from Christmas tree (optional – make sure it’s not a sharp/pointy variety!)

Lavender bath salts

• 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
• 5-15 drops of lavender essential oil
• 1-2 TBS of dried lavender buds (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine your Epsom salts, essential oils, and lavender/pine (optional) in a small bowl. Once thoroughly mixed, and you’re happy with the scent distribution, add it to a jar of your choice. I decorated mine with dried citrus, a small pine sprig and twine.

2. Homemade cookies in a stasher bag

There’s something about homemade cookies that just hit different. I think gifting them in a Stasher bag is such a sweet way to make this gift even more sustainable. It’s two gifts in one!

There’s no specific recipe for this, seeing as you can use any cookie recipe you’d like. I went with a simple sugar cookie recipe. But gingerbread cookies would also be cute!

I absolutely love Stasher bag’s Metallic Dots 2-pack for this (which is what I’m using) – they sell out quick tho! Any Stasher bag will do, of course, so use what you have. I upcycled a pretty ribbon from last year and tied it onto the bag in the shape of a bow for decor.

You can also head to a thrift store and find an affordable, secondhand cookie tin instead! My thrift store is loaded with Christmas themed cookie tins this time of year (some are as cheap as $1).

3. Spiced orange honey

This may be one of my favorite consumable gift ideas on this list. I really recommend making this with local, raw honey. I got mine from my farmers market and the taste/quality difference is unbelievable. If someone gifted this to me, I’d be thrilled to get something it!

Ingredients:

• Raw local honey (use as much as you need)
• Citrus of your choice (I sliced 1 medium orange)
• 4-6 whole cloves
• 1 Cinnamon stick

Directions:

1. In the jar of your choice, add the citrus slices, cloves and cinnamon stick (you may have to snap the cinnamon stick in half to get it to fit). If you’re using a bigger jar, feel free to double the amount of ingredients used!
2. Pour the honey over the spices/fruit. Make sure it’s enough to cover all of it, and push some ingredients down if you have to with a spoon. Close the jar and let it sit in the fridge for at least a week, if not two, to infuse.
3. You’ll want to take out the orange slices after 3 weeks because it will turn bitter (so don’t over-infuse it). Make this closer to Christmas/the time you’re gifting it and feel free to attach a note stating when it’s good to use/strain! For decor, I tied on a dried citrus slice and a pine sprig with twine.

Note: You can also make this spiced honey spicy! If you prefer hot honey, consider infusing it with crushed red pepper flakes! Or even fresh, chopped jalapeños.

4. Herbed cooking salt

This is a great gift for someone who loves to cook (aka me). And, it’s easy to whip up in a few seconds. You can also do this with fresh herbs if you have access to them, but please note you’ll have to chop them up and dehydrate them first in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 TBS of dried mixed herbs of your choice (herbs that work well here are basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and/or sage)
• 1-2 TBS of garlic powder
• 1-2 TBS of dried citrus peel (optional)
• 4 TBS of sea salt

Directions:

1. Simply mix all your ingredients together in a bowl, until well blended. You can also blend it to create a finer powder, but that is optional. Add to the jar of your choice and decorate. I used twine and a small pine sprig.

5. Sage infused olive oil

You don’t necessarily have to use sage for this, but it’s what I had on hand. On my patio I have a little herb growing station setup and sage is the only one still going strong in the cold. So why not use it up right? Other herbs, like basil, rosemary, and thyme work too!

Ingredients:

• ~1 cup/handful of sage (or the herb of your choice)
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Wash off your fresh sage (or herb of your choice – you can do a combo if you like too), then dry it thoroughly.
2. Rip up a few piece, then add it to a jar and cover it with olive oil. Seal and store in a cool, dry place for 3-4 weeks. You may want to make a label and attach it with twine so the gift receiver knows when to open/strain/use it. I decorated it with a pine sprig and twine.

Some other easy DIY consumable gift ideas

Not satisfied with these options? Here are a few other DIYs I’ve made in the past that would make nice little consumable gift ideas.

1. Zero waste air freshener
2. DIY Toilet cleaner fizzies
3. Orange peel vinegar cleaner
4. Homemade body lotion
5. DIY dry shampoo
6. Simple perfume blends
7. DIY makeup remover
8. Zero waste lip balm

So, what do you think of these consumable gift ideas? Let me know in the comments, and feel free to share your own!

For more tips on having a sustainable holiday season, check out my ultimate guide to a zero waste Christmas.

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