Here’s how you can get crafty with your Christmas gifts as a Liverpool student on a budget

Left it a bit too late with presents this year? Spent all your student loan on Raz Bombs and can’t afford to splash the cash for secret santa anymore? We’ve all been there, don’t you worry.

Those few days before the 25th normally consist of rationing the heating because of your capped bills, fighting with your landlord about the family of mould spores above your bed, and avoiding the Christmas markets because you know full well you’ll be tempted to buy a yorkshire pudding wrap and a hot chocolate for the low price of £45.

Your weekly budget starts to run thin over the festive period, and when you’ve already sold half your wardrobe on Vinted and begged your grandparents for a tenner, it starts to feel like the run up to Christmas is actually just hell on earth as a uni student.

We’ve got you covered though, with 10 budget-friendly Christmas gifts that you can make last minute with items that you probably already have tucked away in your student house somewhere. And if your parents have always said that homemade gifts are miles better than shop-bought, then you’re in luck this year.

A photo album

All you need is a printer, old card or paper, glue, and some cute stickers for decoration. Compile a load of pictures of you and that special someone, print them out and stick them onto the paper – done. This present seems really thoughtful, even though it took about an hour to make and minimal effort was put in.

A framed photo of a loved one

Most Read

Lily Phillips shares four gross mistakes she made while sleeping with 100 men in one day

From Taylor Swift to Hailey Bieber: All the celebrities named in Blake Lively’s lawsuit

Current record holder for sleeping with most men in a day issues stark warning to Lily Phillips

Maybe you don’t have enough photos of the person you want to give a present to, but still want to tug at their heartstrings by gifting them personalised photographic evidence of your love for them. You can repurpose an old frame by painting or paper-maché it, and then pop the photograph in – voila!

Fancy hot chocolate mix

It’s Christmas – you’re bound to have lots of chocolate lying around the house. Even if you take a spoonful out of each of your flatmate’s tubs of hot chocolate to get this one sorted, they’ll never know. Grab yourself an old jam or pasta sauce jar, fill it with some hot chocolate powder and add some crumbled chocolate, and maybe a couple of marshmallows if you can find them. Add some pretty ribbon to the jar and you have yourself a quick and easy gift that your secret santa or second cousin is bound to love, and actually use.

Knitted or crocheted gift

Imagine knitting your secret santa recipient a skinny scarf so they truly fit in with the Liverpool campus aesthetic? This will definitely be easier for those who can already knit or crochet, or are willing to spend Christmas Eve watching tutorials ahead of the big day. However, it’s not too hard to knit a simple scarf – if you have enough time. You can claim that the skinny scarf is a fashion choice rather than it taking half the time to knit as a normal one. This idea is sentimental and practical – a perfect combination if you ask me.

Food hamper

Hopefully your local supermarket is still open today, otherwise, this one is going to be a bit difficult. If you’re feeling brave enough to step foot into the deli section of Tesco or Asda, you can pick up some of your loved ones’ favourite items and put them in an old shoe box or hamper that you have decorated to fit the festive vibes. A little bit on the pricier side, but so demure and so mindful.

Frozen meals

Do you know someone who’s always really busy and rushed off their feet? Well, you can cook them some meals that they can put in their freezer to have when they can’t be bothered to cook. You’ll have to come up with something other than chicken nuggets and chips, or pesto pasta, but this gift would be really great for that special someone in your life who spent half their student loan on UberEats this year.

Paint or draw something

Okay, this one is more specifically for those who have some artistic bones in their bodies, as I can’t imagine any family members are going to want a drawing from me which resembles some kind of festive accident. This one is perfect for those who are naturally gifted – just select a photo that you think the person would like and draw it. You could also put this in an old frame instead of a photograph.

Regift the old books you didn’t read

Do you have loads of books lying about in your room that you’ve already read – or not even touched? Well, here’s your opportunity to use them as last-minute gifts and give them to a loved one! Just wrap them up in some nice wrapping paper and you’re good to go, with bonus points if you add some fancy string and bows to really amp up the festivities.

Book an activity to do in the new year

Have a quick think about what your loved one loves doing or has said they want to try out in 2025, and book a session with them. This might not work for the friend in your life that only leaves the house to go out on AU night, but a few ideas might be a cinema date, climbing, dance classes or pottery painting. You could print the receipt and present it in a nice card, so you have something to physically gift them on Christmas Day – so wholesome!

Literally just cash

I don’t know any uni student who would turn down money on Christmas Day. With all of us in our overdrafts and desperately waiting for the loan to come in, this present would be a great last-minute option if you can’t find the time to knock up a quick handmade gift.

It’s safe to say that as soon as you leave home for university, your festive gifts get worse and worse every year – as long as you follow our guide, your family and friends won’t be opening free shot cards for The Hatch on Christmas Day. Or they might be, we won’t complain.