When generations of family gather in one place, there’s no doubt the event will be an unforgettable experience. It goes without saying that any amount of planning and coordination is well worth the lifetime of stories and memories.
Whether you’re hosting the big weekend or traveling to loved ones across the country, finding the right family reunion gift is a great way to mark the occasion. Perhaps you’ve planned a white elephant style gift exchange or want to find a personalized favor for your guests to take home.
No matter the family event, handmade gifts add an extra touch of personalization and sentimentality. It’s a time to share family photos, your children’s art or preserved heirlooms of the past. Explore these 31 DIY family reunion gifts to add an extra touch of care to your next family gathering.
1. Building Block Photos
Source: A Joyful Riot
Print your favorite family photo onto a construction of blocks, cut with a utility knife, and reassemble into a fun puzzle for kids and adults alike!
2. DIY Wine Labels
Source: Dream Green DIY
Greet your arriving loved ones with personalized wine bottles! Press fresh flowers and wrap up your favorite bottle of red, white or rose. Complete the gift set with a customized wine glass etched with your family name and reunion date.
3. Handknitted Tea Cozies
Source: All About Ami
Ideal for the new knitter, choose your favorite color yarn for these buttons tea mug cozies. Pair with a photo mug for an extra-personal touch!
4. Family Initial Flower Pot
Source: Shutterfly
Set in a classic floral wreath, add your family initials or name on a ceramic flower pot. Pair with wildflower, herb or sunflower seeds as a family reunion souvenir.
5. Embroidered Napkins
Source: Boxwood Avenue
Create a modern family heirloom by stitching a sweet message onto a napkin or handkerchief. Customize the loving note for each family member.
6. Mini Art Prints
Source: Bugaboo City
A great kid-friendly family reunion favor, use finger paints on a mini canvas for one-of-a-kind pieces of family art.
7. Jar of Brownie Butter
Source: Club Crafted
Combine brownie bites, butter and rainbow chocolate chips for the ultimate treat. Pack it up in a mason jar for your family reunion gift bag.
8. Mason Jar Terrarium
Source: Shutterfly
Add a personalized glass etching on the front of a mason jar before filling it with rocks, moss, soil and herbs for an easy home herb garden to take home.
9. Scented Sachets
Source: Decor Hint
This delicate family reunion favor idea fills fabric sachets with essential oil-infused rice. Loved ones can keep them in their purse, car or drawers at home.
10. Handmade Notebooks
Source: A Beautiful Mess
Bind together a leather cover and collection of quality paper into personalized journals. Pass the books around the reunion for notes and messages.
11. Coffee Soap Sticks
Source: Fall for DIY
Liven up your family’s homes with a pop of coffee and coconut in this handmade soap. Cut into stylish sticks and gift in a small jar.
12. Chalkboard Ornament
Source: Fireflies and Mudpies
Perfect for holiday family reunions, create this DIY ornament idea by adding a circle of chalkboard paint and your child’s favorite drawing to the center of a small, rustic wood slice.
13. Blackberry Chia Jam
Source: Grateful Grazer
Enriched with chia seeds and rosemary, this homemade blackberry jam stores neatly in decorative gift jars and acts as a perfect, cozy winter gift or family reunion favor.
14. Dried Flower Test Tube
Source: Hearth and Vine
A lovely addition to the outside of your family reunion gift bags, fill test tubes with alternating colors of dried flowers and herbs, perfect for a touch for stylish decor in the home.
15. Confetti Candle
Source: Home Baked Bliss
This celebratory candle combines natural sox wax and rainbow sprinkles for a fun and festive family reunion gift that doubles as DIY home decor.
16. Rosemary Olive Oil
Source: Kumi Dreams
This easy-to-make infused olive oil recipe stores beautifully in a sealable bottle and pairs well with homemade bread or a collection of family recipes.
17. Family Luggage Tags
Source: Shutterfly
Hitting the road for your family reunion? Adorn luggage tags with family photos or personalized message of love to commemorate your reunion.
18. Colorful Koozies
Source: Lulu the Baker
Keep everyone’s beverages cool and fresh with these felt handmade koozies. Personalize with the initials of each family member.
19. Cozy DIY Throw
Source: Make and Do Crew
This beginner-level blanket uses two colors of thickly gauged wool to crochet a throw blanket that will stay in the family for generations to come.
20. Personalized Growler
Source: Shutterfly
Send your loved ones home with your favorite local beer or even one you’ve brewed by hand in these customizable stainless steel growlers.
21. Family Terrarium
Source: Making Things is Awesome
Pair up with your little one to design this garden of family and friends. Line the base of the terrarium with rocks and moss while shaping each loved one out of modeling clay.
22. Seeded Flower Pots
Source: Playground Park Bench
Gift a mini garden to your family with small pre-planted flower pots. Package up with decorative cellophane and a loving note about caring for their new plant.
23. Wildflower Seed Bombs
Source: Salty Canary
Kick off the spring by gifting these elegant wildflower seed bombs. Plant in a pot or garden to grow colorful bursts of flowers for the whole season.
24. Spring Tattoo Mugs
Source: Sarah Hearts
A quick and easy last-minute gift, spruce up a ceramic mug with a floral temporary tattoo and pair with your family’s favorite tea or coffee.
25. Hand-Lettered Gift Boxes
Source: Story Piece
Incorporate your own art into the gift box itself by wrapping a small box in burlap, decorated with your own hand-lettered message of love.
26. Family Recipe Book
Source: Sweet Paper Trail
Celebrate each generation by compiling this crisply organized recipe binder. Include great-grandma’s marinara right now to your favorite holiday cookie recipe.
27. Infused Salt Collection
Source: Homemade Banana
Enhance your family’s home cooking with hand-infused herb and spiced salts. Package in small glass jars, sealed with classic wax for an elegant look.
28. Mini Pies
Source: The Party Girl
For the avid baker, bake and box up these mini hand pies as excellent family reunion favors. Hand-letter the top of each box customized to each loved one.
29. Essential Oil Bracelets
Source: Crazy Inspired Life
Infuse semi-precious or lava stones with a calming combination of essential oils, and string together into stylish bracelets and necklaces.
30. Gemstone Lip Balms
Source: Twinspiration
These modern, DIY lip balms include handpicked gemstones with as little as four ingredients. Pair with homemade soap to complete a spa gift bag.
31. Handwritten Tea Towel
Source: Mad in Crafts
Keep your family recipes close with this sentimental family recipe tea towel. Iron heat transfer paper to imprint a simple tea towel with a handwritten family meal.
As the weekend comes to a close, send everyone home with a loving family reunion souvenir. Handmade gifts create one-of-a-kind reminders of your family history and incredible memories. Whether you choose to share your knitting skills or showcase your children’s artwork, each item will be cherished for generations to come.
