• Homemade gifts are often the most cherished.sachet image by BVDC from Fotolia.com
  
  Most people purchase pre-made gifts for their family and friends during the holidays. Unfortunately, manufactured gifts can often lack meaning or sentiment. One alternative is to create handmade gifts that will show your loved ones that you truly care. These gifts are easy to make, even by the most novice crafter.
  
  

Homemade Bath Fizzies

• Women who love to take baths will be thrilled if you give them a set of homemade bath fizzies as a gift. To create bath fizzies, you will need baking soda, witch hazel, essential oil, citric acid and individual soap molds. Pour 3 cups of baking soda into a bowl and add in 2 cups of citric acid. Drop in 20 drops of an essential oil of your choice, mixing it in with your fingers. Spray witch hazel over the mixture until it starts to stick together. Press the mixture into the soap molds, then pop them out of the molds and set them aside to dry.
  
  

Homemade Soap

• Handmade soaps have become a luxury item, and are as simple to make as they were hundreds of years ago. You will need lye, 48 oz. of oil, essential oil, water and soap molds. Combine 7 oz. of lye with 16 oz. of water in a glass container. While the mixture heats, pour 48 oz. of oil into a pot. Heat the oil until it is 110 degrees. Test the temperature of the lye water with a meat thermometer. Once it reaches 110 degrees, pour it into the oil. Stir the mixture well. Add in 1 tsp. of an essential oil of your choice. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes thickened. Pour the mixture into soap molds, and place them into a dark room for six weeks. Pop out the soap and give them to your family and friends as gifts.
  
  

Homemade Sachets

• Sachets can keep the clothing in your closet and drawers smelling fresh and clean. People love receiving handmade sachets, which they can use for months to scent their clothing. To create sachets, you need dried lavender buds, essential oil, dried rose petals and buckwheat hulls. Pour 1/4 cup of lavender buds, 1/4 cup of rose petals and 1/4 cup of buckwheat hulls into a small drawstring bag. Drop in 10 drops of essential oil and tighten the drawstring. Tie a ribbon around the drawstring, then give the sachet to a special person as a gift.