Resourceful mum saves £1,200 on Christmas gifts for family

When Hannah Deez found herself spending nearly £1,000 on Christmas gifts each year, the resourceful mum-of-two decided to take a more cost-effective approach. Last year, the 32-year-old Warwickshire resident crafted more than 100 food, beauty and craft items for her extensive network of friends and family.

The homemade presents were such a success that everyone has requested them again this year, leading Hannah to continue making all her gifts herself, saving hundreds of pounds in the process.

"I have a big family and I love to be generous especially at Christmas, but I was spending between £20 to £50 per person. It was quickly adding up to £1,000 before I had bought for my husband or two children," she explains.

"I have always been a crafty type and I knew I could make much of what I was buying at home for a lot less, so I thought I'd give it a go. It's actually really easy. I make Christmas cards with the kids. And I've made soaps, chutneys, bath bombs, candles. My bank account now thanks me - and I love doing it!"

With four great-grandparents, four grandparents, six uncles, five aunts, nine cousins, two siblings and two siblings-in-law, Christmas was never a budget affair for Hannah. She used to purchase luxury soaps from farmers' markets, costly candles, hampers and festive sweet treats, spending up to £50 on relatives, reports the Express.

For her own children, Oscar, four, and Fliss, two, Hannah buys some toys which she cannot make, as well as homemade gifts.

And she never fails to pick up the latest video game for her husband Chris, a university administrator, who is equally fond of her homemade sweet treats.

Last year, Hannah embarked on her inaugural crafty Christmas by making soap at home, which saved her £15 after purchasing all the necessary ingredients.

"I was so shocked at how quick and easy it was. It's all done in the microwave so a good one to try out with children too. All I use is food colouring, skin-safe fragrance oils, melt-and-pour soap base, any decorative extras, and mica powder. I pour the melted soap, add the colouring, mica and fragrance then pour into the mould.

"I use an old cake tin lined with clingfilm and add any decorative touches then I set it in the fridge. Once it's solid, I chop it into shapes - or even use a cookie cutter if I want to get really inventive.

"It's such a simple craft so I then wrap them in parchment paper and maybe find a pretty soap dish and hand cream to go with them too as I love making little sets for people like that."

For the food enthusiasts in her life, Hannah decided to whip up something special, so she crafted her own chilli jelly and hot honey.

She spent mere "pennies" on the components and opted to repurpose empty jars instead of splurging £20 on store-bought versions.

Hannah has already prepared her first batch of Christmas chutney this year to ensure it has ample time to mature, and she's also planning to try her hand at pickling vegetables from her own garden.

"I plan early. I keep jars all year for making jams and chutneys. I am always noting down an idea I think someone will love and working out how I can make it.

"Both my brother-in-law and my uncle are real foodies and they love spicy food, so I make my own chilli jelly. They loved it and have requested it again.

"It's a Christmas staple in our house - it's good in a brie sandwich on Boxing Day after possibly one too many mulled wines the night before. It's a tweaked Nigella recipe and she has never once let me down.

"Loads of the people on my nice list have a sweet tooth so a batch of fudge is something I always make this time of year.

"Not only does it keep costs down, a jar of homemade chutney costs me less than a pound to make, I can recycle things we don't use and give old items a new life, saving me pennies and the planet."

Hannah gives her own children a mix of homemade and shop-bought presents as she jokes that making a plastic Spider Man figure is "beyond" her to make.

They get homemade cosy bears (rice filled microwaveable teddies), DIY felt play food for the play kitchen and her homemade fudge and chocolate.

Hannah is also making bath bombs as they are obsessed with "fizzy baths".

Meanwhile, Chris already has Hannah's homemade men's beard oil in his stocking.

"So far this year I have made chutney, men's beard oil, Christmas cards with the children, botanical ornaments, a body scrub, gingerbread granola and a DIY Potion kit for the children.

"Crafting is my self care, no matter how busy the world is, I always find that taking time to make something with my hands makes me feel so much better. Even more so if I'm crafting with a friend over some good coffee and a sweet treat.

"I have made everything from foodie gifts to hand sewn projects, soap, photo frames and even candles.

"I have had such an overwhelming positive reaction, I'm so lucky that my family and friends know it's the thought and effort that goes into a gifts not the cost, I have even had requests for the same gifts again for my foodie gifts, and a few friends have offered to buy gifts off me to give to their children's teachers."

Hannah keeps costs down by recycling old jars, upcycling items and sticking to charity shops for decor like wool and crochet hooks.

She picks up acrylic paints and plain pillar candles from the pound shop, and is able to create something beautiful that would have cost so much money if she had bought it from the high street ready-made.

Hannah estimates that she saved more than £500 by crafting Christmas presents last year - and she presents them all in handmade snowflake gift bags which she makes using plain brown paper bags, glue, scissors and pages from an old paperback.

She also shares her Christmas crafting journey with her 14,700 followers on Instagram at @MamaHollywood_, offering tips, tricks, and how-tos for creating the perfect festive homemade items.

"I can make things really personal, with people's favourite colours, fragrances and flavours. I can match things to people's homes and styles perfectly," she explains.

"Plus it helps my mental health - let's face it this time of year is hectic and I would much rather spend a few hours at home in the calm than racing round the shops or endlessly scrolling for the perfect gift, crafting is definitely my therapy."