Tag: Month December Week 2

50+ Last-Minute DIY Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen – Garden Therapy
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These last-minute DIY Christmas gift ideas are practically guaranteed to be gobbled up by the recipient! Each of these thoughtful DIY gifts is created in the kitchen and makes for perfect hostess gifts, teacher gifts, or stocking stuffers. There is something for everyone on this list. Plus, grab my go-to crowd-pleasing Italian bread dip mix at the end of this post.

Want to know my secret to last-minute DIY Christmas gifts? It all begins in the kitchen! Making unique and heartfelt gifts can easily be done with ingredients you already have on hand.

In fact, I wrote a whole book about gifts that you can whip up right at home in the kitchen. Sugar and Spice: Handmade Gifts from the Kitchen is full of last-minute DIY Christmas gifts, and I wanted to share a couple of those recipes with you here today!

Your Kitchen: The Perfect Spot to Make Last-Minute DIY Christmas Gifts

As hard as I try, every year there is always a last-minute panic before Christmas to finish up shopping. Even if you plan it out and start getting gifts months in advance, there are always last-minute gifts that pop up for neighbours, teachers, postmen, party hosts…you name it!

That’s why it is SO important to have a ton of last-minute Christmas gift ideas at the ready. No one likes feeling unprepared, but at the same time, it’s hard to have a lot of presents at the ready. That’s exactly why I turn to the kitchen! It is always packed full of ingredients at my disposal and never fails to disappoint in the gift sector. After all, food is universal and something everyone loves and appreciates.

My book, Sugar and Spice, is perfect to have on hand anytime you need a gift ASAP. I wanted to share with you one recipe from each chapter. There are over forty recipes in Sugar and Spice that are easy to make and are basically guaranteed to be loved.

Herbs and Spices

If you have a stocked spice cabinet, chances are you already have most of these ingredients on hand and ready to go in your kitchen. We all know that good spices are the key to making tasty dishes. By creating spice blends and other easy condiments, you’re encouraging your giftee to create their own tasty meals with your help.

In Sugar and Spice, my first chapter is dedicated to the art of herbs and spices. I share recipes for walnut garlic scape pesto, soup mix in a jar, BBQ spice rub, and so many more herbalicious recipes. My first recipe, which I wanted to share with you, is the first one you’ll find in the book.

Italian Bread Dip Mix

Good quality herbs mixed with oil and balsamic vinegar is the tastiest bread dip out there. This Italian bread dip mix is a dry-ingredient herb mix that stores well until ready to be eaten. Simply combine with olive oil and vinegar, warm up a loaf of bread, and you’re ready to dip.

Trust me, this dip mix is a winner! Grab the recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Recipe blend:
- ½ cup oregano
- ½ cup basil
- ½ cup parsley
- ½ cup rosemary
- ½ cup dehydrated garlic
- ½ cup dehydrated onion
- ¼ cup kosher salt (or according to your taste)
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red pepper flakes
More Herby Goodness

These are some of the easiest recipes to whip up last minute. To really sell it, you need cute packaging! Make homemade labels and place these herb and spice-inspired recipes in cute containers.

Love in a Mason Jar

Only good things come in mason jars. They are known for jams and preserves, but they can also be used for a ton of other recipes and gifts. Mason jars are great for last-minute DIY Christmas gifts because they are easy to decorate. Throw on some jute twine and a label, and you’re good to go!

From peach brandy preserves to blood orange and raspberry marmalade, I have a ton of recipes featuring mason jars in Sugar and Spice. For this chapter, I wanted to share with you the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

Here are some great Mason jar-inspired gifts:

Refreshing Sips

With all the food being consumed during come holiday season, we’re going to need some refreshing sips to wash it all down. While I love eggnog and cinnamon-spiced drinks, I like to have a little variety when it comes to holiday drinks. Drinks are a sure-fire way to ensure your last-minute DIY Christmas gifts are a hit with whoever receives and enjoys them.

My drink recipes in Sugar and Spice include different syrups to make alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, as well as special recipes just for adults.

Here are a few drinks and syrups you can gift!

Oven-Baked Goodness

What would the kitchen be without an oven? Warm and toasty, some of the sweetest and most savoury food comes from the oven. Christmas baking is a staple between gingerbread and shortbread, but there are a ton of other oven-baked goodies that are waiting to be made.

The baking chapter in Sugar and Spice features some holiday recipes you may not have thought of, including puff pastry lollipops, sweet compound butter, pumpkin apple bread, and more.

Here are a few oven-baked recipes on the blog that I think would make great gifts:

‘Tis the Season

Most of these recipes could actually be made and gifted year-round, so I wanted to come up with a few last-minute DIY Christmas gifts specifically for the season. In Sugar and Spice, I have a few recipes that you can make to eat, drink, and be merry.

Here are some holiday-inspired recipes from the garden to gift:

Beauty From the Kitchen

I have many plant-based beauty product recipes that you can make at home, but they often require specific ingredients you might not already have on hand. However, some recipes are super simple to create using ingredients from the kitchen, or that can easily be found at a natural grocery store.

Here are some easy, last-minute beauty gifts you can make:

More Homemade Christmas Gifts

If you’re looking for more inspiration beyond the kitchen, here are some more guides to check out!
Italian Bread Dip Mix

A dry herb ingredient mix, combine with oil and vinegar and dip with warm bread.

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time5 minutes

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: bread mix, dip, edible gifts, italian

Servings: 4 bags

Calories: 28kcal

½ cup oregano

½ cup basil

½ cup parsley

½ cup rosemary

½ cup dehydrated garlic

¼ cup kosher salt (or according to your taste)

Freshly ground pepper

¼ cup red pepper flakes

Serving: 0.25bag | Calories: 28kcal
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
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Stephanie Rose

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December 8, 2025
Gorgeous Lavender Oatmeal Soap Cupcakes (That Anyone Can Make) – Garden Therapy

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This lavender oatmeal soap is soothing and calming for your skin. And any recipe that uses my garden-grown lavender rates especially high in my books! Using melt and pour, this recipe is super easy to make for beginner soap makers.

Lavender is my favourite ingredient, especially when it comes to natural beauty recipes, a slight addiction which can be seen in a simple search for lavender crafts. But along with being one of my favourite scents, dried lavender buds make this soap as beautiful to look at as it feels when you lather up.

To make this soap as a gift for holiday gift-giving or for someone special, make it in cupcake moulds and then wrap it in a cupcake wrapper.

Who wouldn’t want to get a lavender oatmeal soap cupcake as a gift? I can imagine even the burliest person out there would want to suds up with these!

This post will cover…

Dried lavender buds are used to decorate the soap.

How to Make Lavender Oatmeal Soap Cupcakes

Making these lavender oatmeal soap cupcakes can work with both cold process recipes and with melt and pour. If you choose to make cold process soap, please follow the recipes and the instructions in this article on how to make cold process soap. Cold-process soap is my go-to skincare bar, but it does take a long time and a lot of equipment to make.

Today, I’ll demonstrate a speedier soap-making project using melt and pour soap. Melt and pour soap kits are very easy to work with and simply require you to cut up the block into cubes, melt it, add your scents, and pour it into moulds.

Materials

I used melt and pour to create the soap pictured in this post.

Make It!

The melt and pour soap base should come as a block and have a list of the ingredients. You can choose from a number of different formulations, such as glycerin soap, milk soap, and fat and/or butter-based soaps.

I chose a natural soap base that had shea butter and oatmeal in it. If you would like to add oatmeal separately, then grind a few teaspoons of organic oats and add them to the melted mixture when you add the lavender buds.

Cut your soap into small chunks to make it easier to melt.

Use a sharp knife to cut your soap base into 1-inch cubes or smaller. Put the cubes in a heatproof container like a Pyrex measuring cup and put that in the microwave.

Stir your soap mixture every minute in the microwave until fully melted.

Melt the soap base on medium-high in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Stop the microwave occasionally and check the soap base. It should be melting but not steaming. Take the soap base out of the microwave before it’s completely melted and use a metal spoon to stir it until it has no lumps.

Use dried, not fresh lavender buds.

Add one teaspoon of lavender essential oil and 1-2 tablespoons of dried lavender buds.

Pour your soap into 12 equal “cupcakes.”

Stir the ingredients well and pour the soap into silicone cupcake moulds. I chose a cupcake mould that was quite tall, but I only filled each cupcake section halfway so that the soap was a nice, manageable size when finished.

Use a sprig of lavender when wrapping your soap cupcakes for a little extra pizazz.

Add a few extra lavender buds on the top of the soap if you think it needs it, and allow the soap to dry undisturbed for at least an hour. When the soap is hard, you can unmold it and use it right away or wrap it up for gifts.

A simple parchment paper cupcake liner makes a great wrapper for these lavender oatmeal soap cupcakes. I like the natural look of parchment paper, but you can use any cupcake liner that you think would add to the presentation. Use a bit of garden twine to tie it up, and if you have a stem of lavender, add that as well.

Use a parchment paper cupcake liner and twine to wrap these soaps as a gift.

Lavender Soap FAQ

Should I use dried or fresh lavender buds for soap?

Use dried lavender buds only. Fresh lavender buds are more likely to spoil in the soap and may turn brown or mould.

What kind of lavender should I use?

English lavender is typically used for crafting since it holds its colour and scent well. Some of my favourite varieties for crafting include Purple Bouquet, Royal Purple, and Folgate lavender.

Won’t the lavender turn brown in the soap?

Yes, the lavender buds will eventually turn brown after a few months. To prevent this, you can add some purple dye to the soap so the brown discolouration doesn’t show as much. I like to use ratanjot as a natural deep purple colour, and if you add it as a swirl it will work with the brown and lavender buds. You can also try swapping the lavender buds for centaurea (cornflower) petals.

For more beautiful recipes inspired by the garden, pick up a copy of my Natural Beauty Recipe Book. It comes as an instant download that is filled with 5 chapters of over 40 natural beauty recipes for the whole family.

More Soap Recipes to Try

A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.

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Stephanie Rose

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August 26, 2025
A Small Tree With a Big Message: How to Make a Grinch Tree
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A mini Grinch tree is quick and easy to make, and it will instantly fill your home with Christmas cheer. Exactly what the Grinch would hope for! Here’s how you can make your own tabletop Grinch tree, and perhaps a few extras to spread some more holiday joy.

While it’s lovely to have classic holiday decor, like elegant Christmas trees decked in traditional ornaments and holly-adorned wreaths, I also like to inject the Christmas season with a little quirkiness and whimsy.

Queue this little wonder! Not only is it adorable and brings back happy childhood memories of Dr. Seuss’s Beloved How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but this miniature Grinch tree is also a table-top reminder of the spirit of the holidays.

Learn how to make one and, more importantly, why you should!

The Magic of the Mini Grinch Tree

In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss perfectly explains what the holidays mean to me:

I wrote about how a Grinch tree saved Christmas for me many years ago, and ever since, I have been making many different versions to celebrate the season (like this 9-foot Grinch tree!). This year, my Grinch trees are smaller, portable, and GIVEable.

So when I hear about someone feeling a bit blue and could use a little holiday warmth, a tabletop Grinch tree will show up at their door to put a smile on their face.

For this project, you can use any mini evergreen tree, but I used a lemon cypress. Lemon cypress trees are easy to find for sale around the holidays. They have a great scent and are a vibrant yellow-green colour.

They do need a lot of humidity, though, so if you choose a lemon cypress, be sure to water it often (twice a week or so) and spritz it with water regularly.

Want to make a mini Grinch tree or three for the people in your life? Here’s how!

How to Make a Tabletop Grinch Tree

I’ve seen quite a few variations of the mini Grinch tree. Notably, many grocery stores, like Trader Joe’s, are now selling their own versions of them.

The Trader Joe’s Grinch tree is much skinnier and has a little less pizazz. I like making my own because I can customize the decorations and the type of plant I use.

But if there’s a part of the Trader Joe’s Grinch tree you don’t like, you could easily disassemble it and follow these instructions to customize the tree with their materials.

I’ve also seen other variations where the tree isn’t living and is instead constructed out of cedar boughs. I prefer this method of making a mini Grinch tree as it’s much simpler to do, and you get a living plant afterward!

With the right care, you can use the same plant next year to create another tabletop Grinch tree.

Floral wire helps to keep all the branches tight and in place.

Materials

Make It!

Take your evergreen out of its nursery pot and plant it in a colourful pot with good potting soil. Position the tree in the pot so it is closer to one side and sticking out at an angle.

Planting at an angle already gives the tree a Grinch like shape.

Add some decorative moss on top of the soil.

While technically optional, the moss makes it much more visually appealing.

If you want to add string lights, do that next. Starting at the bottom and working your way up, wind the string lights around the tree. If the string of lights is long enough, start winding back down to the bottom of the tree after you reach the top.

Add the ribbon and/or floral wire for a garland. Wind it around the tree like the lights, beginning at the bottom and working your way up. Tuck the loose ends in to keep it in place.

You can also use green wire if you want it to be more hidden.

Next, you will need some ornaments. There are many possibilities for what you could use to adorn this little tree, but for this one, I left it plain except for my wire garland and one large topper ornament.

If you want to add more to yours, try using glittery mini pom-poms. To make the pom-poms into ornaments, thread single pom-poms onto straight jewelry pins, then bend the pins into a hook shape and hang them all over the tree.

The big ornament ties it all together.

For the top, attach your large ornament to the top of the tree so that it bends down toward the center of the pot.

Add a festive bow around the pot, and you’re done!

The bow really makes a difference!

More DIY Holiday Decor Ideas
DIY Mini Grinch Tree

This mini Grinch tree can be made using your evergreen of choice, turning a living tree into a festive decoration for the holidays.

Plant your mini evergreen tree into a colourful pot with potting soil. When planting, position the tree to one side and slightly at an angle.

Top off the soil with decorative moss.

Optional. Add string lights by starting at the bottom and winding your way up and down.

Use ribbon or floral wire as a garland and to wrap the tree. Begin at the bottom and work your way up. Tuck in the loose ends and slowly bend the top of the tree into a curved shape as you wind.

Decorate with ornaments of choice. Add a large round ornament at the tree’s end for the signature Grinch look. This also helps your tree curve and hang.
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Stephanie Rose

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November 20, 2023