Oprah Favorite Things: 14 Handmade Christmas Gifts Inspired by Her Famous Holiday List
Oprah Favorite Things is one of the most talked about gift lists of the whole year, and every November people wait to see what made the cut. For years, Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things show was a holiday tradition, inspired by the song My Favorite Things, where she shared items she felt would make a great gift (you can read the story of the segment on Wikipedia). The best part is the feeling behind it: cozy, thoughtful, a little bit luxurious. These are not items from her list. They are handmade gifts in that same warm spirit, and most of them cost just a few dollars to make at your kitchen table. Pick one for your sister, a whole stack for your neighbors, or fill a basket for someone who needs a hug this winter. Let’s make some favorite things of our own..
An Oprah Favorite Things Classic: The Cozy Fleece Blanket
Every great Oprah Favorite Things style list has something soft you want to curl up in, and a fleece blanket with a hand stitched edge is the easiest way to make one yourself. A simple blanket stitch in red yarn turns a plain throw into a gift that looks boutique made. It is the kind of present that ends up on the couch all winter, and that is exactly the point. Who on your list would steal this blanket for movie night..
You will need: 1.5 yards of soft fleece, red worsted yarn, a large blunt tapestry needle, fabric chalk, a ruler.
How to make it: 1. Trim the fleece edges straight and mark dots every half inch, about half an inch in from the edge. 2. Work a blanket stitch all the way around with the yarn, keeping your loops even. 3. Fold it in thirds, tie it with a wide ribbon and tuck in a little tag.
Hand Painted Mugs for Slow Winter Mornings
A hand painted mug feels personal in a way a store bought one never does. Sunflowers, holly, little stars or the initials of the person you love all work. Paint pens made for ceramics make this simple, even if you have never painted before. Make a matching pair for a couple, or one for every person in the family and watch them pick a favorite. Which design would your best friend reach for first?
You will need: Plain white ceramic mugs, oil based or ceramic paint pens, rubbing alcohol, cotton pads, your home oven.
How to make it: 1. Wipe each mug with rubbing alcohol so the paint sticks. 2. Draw your design on the outside only, keeping paint a finger width below the rim. 3. Let it dry for a day, then bake it as the paint pen package says and let it cool in the oven.
Oprah Favorite Things Style Bath Salts in a Pretty Jar
Spa gifts show up on every Oprah Favorite Things style roundup because everyone loves a quiet bath after a busy day. Homemade bath salts look gorgeous in layers, and they take about ten minutes. Pink salt, white salt and a few dried rose petals make a jar that looks like it came from a fancy shop. Add a little wooden scoop and some twine and you are done. Could you make a dozen of these in one evening?
You will need: Coarse sea salt, pink salt, Epsom salt, dried rose petals, glass jars with lids, twine, a small wooden scoop.
How to make it: 1. Mix the Epsom salt and sea salt in one bowl and keep the pink salt in another. 2. Spoon them into the jar in thick layers, adding a few petals between them. 3. Close the lid, tie on twine and a scoop, and add a tag that says to keep it dry.
Embroidered Tea Towels With a Little Holly
Tea towels are the gift nobody buys for themselves, which is why they are such a treat to get. A few simple stitches turn a plain cotton towel into a little piece of Christmas. A tree, a snowflake or a sprig of holly is enough. Even beginners can follow an iron on transfer or a design drawn with a washable pen. Stack three, tie them with baker’s twine, and your hostess gift is ready. Would you keep one set for your own kitchen?
You will need: Plain cotton flour sack towels, embroidery hoop, red and green embroidery floss, embroidery needle, washable fabric pen.
How to make it: 1. Draw a small design near one end of the towel with the washable pen. 2. Stitch over the lines with a simple back stitch and add French knots for berries. 3. Rinse away the pen marks, press the towels flat and tie them in a stack.
Hot Cocoa Kit in a Box, Oprah Favorite Things Style
Food gifts are a big part of the Oprah Favorite Things magic, and a hot cocoa kit is the coziest one of all. A jar of homemade cocoa mix, a bag of marshmallows, a few candy canes and a bright red mug fill a kraft box perfectly. Add shredded paper and it looks like a store window. If you love gifts like this, our Christmas gifts in a jar are full of more easy ideas. Who would you hand this to on a snowy day?
You will need: Cocoa powder, sugar, powdered milk, a pinch of salt, a lidded jar, mini marshmallows, candy canes, a plain mug, a kraft box, shredded paper.
How to make it: 1. Mix one cup cocoa, one cup sugar, two cups powdered milk and a pinch of salt and fill the jar. 2. Nestle the jar, marshmallows, candy canes and mug in the shredded paper. 3. Tuck in a card that says to stir three spoonfuls into hot milk.
No Sew Fleece Scarf in Buffalo Check
Not a knitter? No problem. A no sew fleece scarf is cut, fringed and finished in under twenty minutes, and it is wonderfully warm. Buffalo check in red and cream feels cozy and classic, the kind of thing you see in holiday catalogs for much more money. Make one for each person going to the family sledding day and everyone will match. Which color would you pick for the people you love?
You will need: Half a yard of fleece, sharp fabric scissors, a ruler, fabric chalk, a ribbon for wrapping.
How to make it: 1. Cut a strip about 9 inches wide and 60 inches long along the stretch of the fleece. 2. Mark 5 inches in from each end and cut fringe strips about half an inch wide. 3. Tug each strip gently so it curls, then roll the scarf and tie it with a ribbon.
Painted Board, an Oprah Favorite Things Twist
Kitchen gifts are an Oprah Favorite Things favorite, and a painted wooden board is a lovely handmade version. Paint a holly border around the edge and leave a clean panel in the middle for a family recipe, a name or a date. Treat it as a display and serving board for cookies and cheese, not for chopping, so the paint stays pretty for years. It looks charming leaned against a backsplash. Whose family recipe deserves a spot like this?
You will need: An unfinished wooden board, acrylic craft paint, small brushes, painter’s tape, a clear sealer for the painted area, ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Tape off the center panel and paint the border cream, then add holly leaves and red berries. 2. Paint a name or a short recipe in the panel once the base is dry. 3. Seal only the painted parts, let it cure fully and tie a ribbon through the handle.
Fabric Covered Journal for Big Dreams
A journal is a gift with a lot of heart. It says, I think you have something worth writing down. Wrapping a plain notebook in pretty holiday fabric takes one cozy afternoon and some glue, and it looks like something from a stationery boutique. Tie it closed with a ribbon and slip in a nice pen. It is perfect for a friend starting a new year with big goals. What would you write on the very first page?
You will need: A plain hardcover notebook, cotton fabric, fabric glue or decoupage glue, scissors, a ribbon, a pen.
How to make it: 1. Lay the open notebook on the fabric and cut around it with a one inch border. 2. Glue the fabric to the covers, folding the corners neatly inside like a present. 3. Glue a ribbon to the back cover, let it dry under a heavy book and tie it closed.
Hand Painted Bookmarks for the Book Lover
Every book lover has a pile of receipts and scraps marking their pages. A set of hand painted bookmarks fixes that in the sweetest way. Watercolor flowers, leaves and little bees are forgiving to paint, so even a messy brush stroke looks charming. Make a set of five, punch a hole in the top and add twine or tassels. Pair them with a paperback and a bag of tea. Which reader in your life needs these?
You will need: Thick watercolor paper, a watercolor paint set, a fine brush, a ruler, a hole punch, twine or embroidery floss.
How to make it: 1. Cut the paper into strips about 2 by 7 inches. 2. Paint simple flowers, leaves and berries and let them dry flat. 3. Punch a hole at the top, loop through a short piece of twine and bundle the set with a ribbon.
Pressed Flower Frame Inspired by Oprah Favorite Things
Some of the most loved Oprah Favorite Things style gifts are about memories, and a pressed flower frame holds one beautifully. Flowers from a summer garden, a wedding bouquet or a walk in the woods turn a plain wooden frame into a keepsake. Add a favorite photo or a short handwritten note. It looks lovely on a sunny windowsill all year long. What photo would you put inside for someone special?
You will need: A plain wooden frame, pressed flowers and ferns, decoupage glue, a soft brush, tweezers, a photo or card.
How to make it: 1. Brush a thin coat of decoupage glue on the front of the frame. 2. Lay the flowers and ferns in place with tweezers and press them gently. 3. Brush another thin coat over the top, let it dry fully and add your photo.
Cozy Knit Sock Bundle Tied With Twine
Warm socks might be the most loved gift of winter. Hand knit pairs in bright stripes feel extra special, but you can also bundle soft store socks with a pair of cozy slippers. Roll them, tie them with twine and pile them into a basket. Add a little tag that says cold toes club. It is a sweet idea for teachers, mail carriers and grandparents. Who on your list always has cold feet?
You will need: Hand knit or soft winter socks, a pair of slippers, twine, kraft paper tags, a small basket.
How to make it: 1. Fold each pair of socks in half and roll it up tightly. 2. Tie each roll with twine and add a handwritten tag. 3. Stack the rolls in a small basket with the slippers on top.
Plaid Pajama Set in a Hand Stamped Bag
New pajamas on Christmas Eve is a tradition in many homes, and a hand stamped bag makes the moment feel extra special. Plain kraft bags become snowy little gift bags with a simple snowflake stamp and white paint. Fold the plaid pajamas inside, tie a red ribbon on the handle, and it looks like a boutique package. Make one for every person in the family. Will you start this tradition this year?
You will need: A pajama set, plain kraft gift bags, a snowflake stamp or a carved potato, white craft paint, a sponge, red ribbon, tissue paper.
How to make it: 1. Dab white paint on the stamp with a sponge and stamp snowflakes all over the bag. 2. Let the paint dry completely. 3. Fold the pajamas into tissue paper, tuck them in the bag and tie the ribbon on the handle.
Sweet and Salty Snack Mix in Tins
Snack mix is the gift that disappears first at every party. Pretzels, popcorn and red and green candies look so festive in shiny tins, and one big bowl fills a whole row of gifts. Tie a ribbon around each tin and you have neighbor gifts, teacher gifts and office gifts done in one afternoon. Nobody has to know how easy it was. How many tins could you fill from one batch?
You will need: Popcorn, mini pretzels, red and green candy coated chocolates, white chocolate chips, round tins with lids, ribbon.
How to make it: 1. Spread the popcorn and pretzels on a lined tray. 2. Melt the white chocolate gently, drizzle it over the mix and scatter the candies on top. 3. Let it set, break it into pieces and fill each tin before tying a ribbon around it.
The Oprah Favorite Things Gift Basket Finale
Why pick one gift when you can make a whole Oprah Favorite Things style basket? Fill a wicker basket with a folded blanket, a painted mug, a jar of cookies and a pair of cozy socks, then wrap it in cellophane with a giant red bow. It looks like the grand prize at a holiday raffle, but every piece inside is handmade by you. That is what makes it a true favorite. Who will be the lucky person who gets this one?
You will need: A wicker basket, shredded paper, cellophane, a wide red satin ribbon, and a mix of the handmade gifts above.
How to make it: 1. Fill the bottom of the basket with shredded paper so the gifts sit up high. 2. Place the tallest gift at the back and the smaller ones in front so everything shows. 3. Wrap the basket in cellophane, gather it at the top and tie a big bow.
