4 Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas using Honey

The holidays are a great time for sweet treats and cherished memories. The following four homemade gift ideas are ideal for anyone who loves honey. Each gift is easy to make and will let the recipient know how special they are to you. Handmade gifts mean that you put in that little bit of extra effort and adding sustainable New Zealand honey to the mix makes the gift all that much sweeter and more sincere.

1. DIY Mānuka Honey Lip Scrub Recipe

Mix a little of our Mānuka honey with organic coconut oil and a small amount of brown sugar and you have a healthy lip scrub that will leave your lips soft, smooth, and very kissable. You can use any type of granulated sugar, but brown sugar is our favorite. Apply it to your lips on a daily basis and let it soak into and nourish your skin. The scrub helps to repair and rejuvenate the skin as well as boosting your immunity and providing antibacterial properties that can help heal infection. Mānuka honey is also known for promoting good oral health.

2. Hot Tea Kit

Choose the perfect mug or cup for your recipient based on their personality and then add a variety of different flavors of tea. Add a jar of Taylor Pass Honey and you will have the perfect combo for a relaxing cup of hot tea! You can also add a cinnamon stick or two, a honey dipper and tie a ribbon around the cup to bring it all together. We suggest including a small tag with a handwritten note for the perfect gift for your teacher, neighbor or tea lover in your life. 

3. DIY Mānuka Honey Lavender Soap

Making homemade soap is not as hard as you may think! Start with a mix of a regular soap base and goat's milk soap base that is melted down. Then add a few drops of lavender essential oil, Mānuka honey, and dried lavender. Combine the ingredients with the melted soap base and blend well. Pour the melted soap into soap molds and allow time for it to set up. You can cut the soap into smaller pieces or leave the cakes whole. This makes the perfect gift for your friends and family members who are under stress or just love to relax in the bathtub. The soothing blend of lavender and honey is perfect for taking a long, hot bath and letting the tension slip away.

4. Baked Goods with Cinnamon Honey Butter

If you want to pamper your family with a flavorful gift on Christmas morning, you can make Cinnamon Honey Butter. It can be made in less than five minutes and only takes five ingredients. Blend softened, salted butter with Mānuka honey, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a little sea salt and you have a sweet treat that can be used on toast, pancakes, bagels, or any other bread. It's so good, you may want to make extra and store it in the freezer for future use. It also makes a great hostess gift or pairing with baked goods for the neighbors.

There is nothing like a homemade gift to show someone you care. Be creative and show those you love how special they are to you by giving them something you made yourself.