Now is the time to start making your holiday gifts

Sixty-four percent of consumers say they prioritize screen-free gifts this holiday season, a preference that rises to 78% among Gen Z. The numbers point to an unexpected change in holiday shopping: as digital tools become more embedded in everyday life, some shoppers look for gifts that feel more tangible, nostalgic and personal. That does not necessarily mean a return to old-fashioned holiday shopping. Instead, it creates space for gifts that feel more considered, whether they are handmade, consumable or personalized. The appeal is less about rejecting retail and more about giving something that feels connected to the recipient. PwC’s 2026 Holiday Outlook also found that 63% of Gen Z consumers say a shared meal matters more to them than a physical present. The findings suggest that this year’s nostalgia is not simply about recreating the past. It is about making room for more tangible, offline experiences during a highly digital holiday season. The homemade gift is having a comeback Holiday shoppers are also more deliberate about where their money goes. PwC expects holiday gift spending to fall 2% from last year despite a significant drop in consumer confidence, while 8 in 10 consumers plan to use some form of budgeting strategy this season. That makes homemade gifts interesting for reasons beyond cost. Making a gift can turn the time spent creating it into part of its value. It can feel less like an item selected from a catalog and more like a small expression of familiarity. The holiday shopping calendar moves earlier Holiday shopping is starting well before the traditional rush, with 2 in 5 consumers planning to begin shopping by the end of October this year, while 29% expect to start earlier than they did last year, according to PayPal’s Holiday Shopping Survey . More than half plan to shop before Thanksgiving. Other recent research points to the same shift. InMarket found that 66% of holiday shoppers expect to have started by October, describing the earlier window as a new “Decision Season” when consumers are already considering what will make it onto their holiday lists. That earlier calendar also changes the role of gift ideas. A homemade present does not have to compete with the speed of an online order or the urgency of a last-minute shopping trip. It can enter the gift list earlier, when shoppers are still deciding what fits each person rather than simply filling the remaining gaps. With shoppers already moving through their holiday lists earlier, waiting until December can put homemade gifts on a compressed timeline. Starting now gives them a place in the season while there is still room to make them part of the gift plan, rather than an alternative to whatever has already been bought. Personal does not have to mean perfect Personalization is becoming a visible part of this year’s gift landscape. Shopify’s 2026 Personalized Gift Guide highlights everything from custom artwork and monogrammed goods to personalized food and kitchen items, which indicate how broadly customization now reaches across the gift market. Mintel’s Seasonal Gifting Trends points to growing interest in distinctive, curated and personalized gifts as consumers look for alternatives to more predictable presents. A homemade gift can answer that desire without requiring elaborate packaging or professional-level presentation. In fact, the handmade quality can be part of the appeal. A jar with a handwritten label, a DIY coffee scrub for a coffee lover, or a batch of homemade cookies packaged specifically for its recipient can communicate more than a perfectly polished gift set. Starting early makes homemade gifting different The biggest reason to start now may have little to do with efficiency. Time changes the nature of the project. A homemade gift made the night before Christmas can still be thoughtful, but an earlier start allows room for experimentation. A recipe can be adjusted, ingredients can be chosen with a particular recipient in mind and packaging can evolve instead of becoming whatever happens to be available at the last minute. It also opens the door to gifts that require several steps. Homemade edible gifts might involve baking, cooling, packaging and labeling. A body-care project may require making a batch, testing its texture and preparing individual containers. Starting early turns those stages into part of the experience instead of one long holiday deadline. The earlier holiday shopping cycle also gives homemade gifts an advantage. Adtaxi’s Holiday Shopping Survey found that shoppers start earlier while remaining selective about value, with 77% saying they expect to maintain or increase their holiday spending. The change matters for homemade gifts because making something adds a step buying does not: time. The new holiday gift does not have to be bought Homemade gifting does not mean rejecting retail shopping. DIY lotion bars can sit alongside a purchased candle, an edible gift can become part of a larger food basket and a jar of homemade elderberry syrup can accompany a book or another small personal item. The homemade element does not have to carry the entire gift. That flexibility may be what makes the trend more relevant now, and consumers don’t need to become dedicated crafters to participate. They simply need to identify something that feels better when made with a little personal attention. The gift is the time behind it This year’s holiday season is already showing a tension between digital convenience and the desire for more tangible experiences. Homemade gifts happen to sit right in the middle. They can be inexpensive or elaborate, practical or sentimental, but they all share one increasingly valuable ingredient: evidence that someone took the time to make something for someone else. That is why starting now matters; it leaves room for the gift to become more than a last-minute project, whether that means testing a recipe, making several batches or simply giving each present the attention it deserves. By the time the holidays arrive, the work is already done, which leaves the finished gift to carry what a quick purchase cannot: time, thought and a personal touch. Kristen Wood is a photographer, recipe developer, writer, gardener and creator of Schisandra and Bergamot , a botanical blog. She is also the author of “Vegetarian Family Cookbook,” “Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook” and “Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners.” Her work has been featured in various online and print publications, including Healthline, Martha Stewart, Yoga Journal, Willow and Sage Magazine, Forbes, Chicago Sun-Times, NBC and more. The post Now is the time to start making your holiday gifts appeared first on Food Drink Life . More from this section Politics Thune and Schumer face questions about Senate leadership in aftermath of elections Updated Nov 9, 2026 Texas UNT aiming to continue growth up front it showed in win over Rice at UTSA Updated Nov 10, 2026 Politics The Latest: Republican Rep. Thomas Massie files resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Updated Nov 9, 2026 News South African police arrest 9 foreigners for trying to join Russia-Ukraine war Updated Nov 9, 2026 Inside Killeen Podcast