Handmade gifts for her from UK makers: Murano glass jewellery, hand-painted silk scarves, small-batch soaps and garden gifts, sorted by what she loves.
Handmade gifts for every woman on your list
A handmade gift tells her you looked for something with a person behind it. This guide works for a wife, a mum, a sister, a best friend or the colleague whose name you drew in Secret Santa.
Craft is a mainstream buy in the UK. The Crafts Council’s Market for Craft research found that 73% of UK adults bought craft in 2019, and around 10.3 million people bought it online. We have grouped our picks by what she enjoys, from jewellery and pampering to tea, gardening, reading and making things herself. Nearly every gift comes from a named maker or small UK workshop, and we explain what to check before you buy.
- Our top handmade gifts for her
- Ideas for your wife, mum, sister or friend
- Jewellery, pamper, home and garden gifts
- Scarves, journals, craft kits and chocolate
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Who is she to you?
The same scarf can be a perfect gift for a sister and a slightly odd one for a colleague. Start with the relationship, then narrow down by what she enjoys.
Your wife or partner. Choose something she will wear or use daily, such as fine jewellery or a leather bag, and add a personal detail if you can. Our guide to handmade gifts for your girlfriend has more romantic ideas, and our handmade personalised gifts guide covers engraved and made-to-order pieces.
Your mum or grandmother. Family names and birthstones on a necklace, or a hand-painted bowl with the grandchildren's names. Gifts like these become heirlooms.
Your sister or best friend. You know her taste, so buy for it: bold Murano glass earrings, or a hand-painted silk scarf in her colours.
A colleague, teacher or Secret Santa. Keep it small, useful and safe for any taste. A veg-tan leather bookmark, lavender bags, hand-poured tea lights or a tiny silver bee all come in under £15.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Thoughtful gifts for mum
For the jewellery lover
Handmade jewellery is the most popular handmade gift for women, and quality varies a lot. Three checks will help you avoid disappointment.
Look for a hallmark on heavier silver. In the UK, any item sold as silver that weighs more than 7.78 g must carry a hallmark from an assay office (The Assay Office). Most earrings and small pendants fall under that weight, so a missing hallmark on a light piece is normal. On a chunky bangle it is a warning sign.
Check the metal if she has sensitive ears. Allergy UK notes that nickel allergy often develops after ear piercing and from metal jewellery, and that 18 carat gold or more, solid silver and platinum are usually safe alternatives (Allergy UK). Sterling silver hooks are a sensible default.
Buy from a named maker. Every piece below comes from a maker who puts their name to the work, from ORTAK in Orkney to Lesley H Phillips in Dorset.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Handmade jewellery for her compared
| Made in | Metal | Stone or glass | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Diana Ingram Murano heart Best overall | UK, with Murano glass | Sterling silver | Murano glass | £23.95 | View |
Lesley H Phillips hammered hoops Everyday earrings | Dorset | Sterling silver | None | £31.99 | View |
Bovira moonstone drops Best value | Handmade | Sterling silver | Rainbow moonstone | £20.00 | View |
|
Hand-forged stacking rings Most versatile | Staffordshire | Sterling silver | None | £39.00 | View |
More handmade jewellery for her
For dozens more styles, see our full guide to handmade jewellery gifts, and our handmade glass gifts for Murano and fused glass.
For the woman who needs a night off
A pamper gift is a kind way of telling someone to stop for an evening. Handmade soaps and bath salts are usually made in small batches with plant oils and essential oils rather than synthetic detergents.
One rule matters here. Any cosmetic sold in the UK, including soap, bath salts, bath bombs and lip balm made at a kitchen table, must have a safety assessment and a cosmetic product safety report before it goes on sale (legislation.gov.uk). Good makers list every ingredient and will confirm their safety report if you ask. Skip any listing that has no ingredient list.
With candles, look for the wax type and a stated burn time. Soy wax burns cooler and more slowly than paraffin. Never leave a lit candle in a room on its own.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Twelve small handmade soaps from a North Wales maker, packed in a box slim enough to post through a letterbox. The bars are made with olive, almond, coconut and castor oils plus shea butter, and each is labelled with its scent, from Berry Blast to Peppermint and Vanilla. It is a clever gift to send by post when you cannot be there in person.
More pamper gifts
For the tea lover and homemaker
Handmade homeware gets used every day, which makes it a good choice when you are unsure of her taste in jewellery. A hand-thrown mug sits differently in the hand from a factory one, because the potter shapes the handle and rim by eye. If you buy pottery for drinking or eating from, check that the listing says the glaze is food safe or lead free.
Fused glass is made by layering cut pieces of coloured glass and heating them in a kiln until they melt together. Each piece comes out slightly differently, so expect small variations from the photos.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Handmade gifts for her home
For the gardener
A keen gardener rarely needs another trowel, but she will always find room for something that brings birds in or holds another plant. If you choose a bird feeder, the British Trust for Ornithology advises moving feeders around the garden from time to time and keeping them clean, so disease does not build up in one spot (BTO). Willow and untreated wood feeders are easy to scrub and look natural on a branch.
For planters, wheel-thrown terracotta and hand-built timber boxes both age well outdoors. Check for drainage holes and, for pots, a frost-proof rating if they will stay outside over winter.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Handmade gardening gifts
For the woman with her own style
A hand-painted silk scarf is a small piece of wearable art. The painter stretches the silk on a frame and applies dye by brush, so the colours blend in ways a printed scarf cannot copy.
Harris Tweed has legal protection. Under the Harris Tweed Act 1993, the cloth must be handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, from pure virgin wool dyed and spun there, and only cloth that meets that definition can carry the Orb mark (Harris Tweed Authority). Look for the Orb label on any bag or purse sold as Harris Tweed.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Scarves, bags and wrist warmers
For the reader and writer
For a reader, a bookmark she will not lose is a better gift than another novel she may already own. Vegetable-tanned leather starts firm and darkens gently with handling, so a bookmark used for a year looks better than a new one. A hand-bound journal suits anyone who keeps a diary, sketches or writes lists.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Gifts for readers and writers
For the woman who makes things
If she knits, crochets or crafts, the best gift may be the materials for her next project. Pair a pattern with the yarn it is written for so she can start straight away. Stylecraft Special DK is a popular acrylic double knit that washes well, which suits hats and scarves.
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Gifts for knitters and crafters
Something sweet
We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Check delivery times and any import charges at checkout.
Chocolate gifts for her
How to choose a handmade gift for her
A gift linked to a hobby or habit gets used. Think about how she spends a free Sunday.
Good makers say exactly what they use.
A real person or workshop behind the listing is the best sign of genuine handmade work.
Engraved and made-to-order pieces often take one or two weeks.
How we picked these gifts
We searched Amazon Handmade, eBay and our partner shops for handmade gifts for women and cut several hundred listings down using four rules.
-
Made by hand
Every finished gift is forged, painted, thrown, sewn, knitted, woven, poured or blended by hand. Where something is a kit or a seed set, we say so.
-
Named makers
We favoured makers who say who they are and where they work, such as ORTAK in Orkney, Lesley H Phillips in Dorset, FW Silk Art in High Wycombe and Loxley Chapel in Sheffield.
-
Trusted eBay sellers only
On eBay we only included new, fixed-price listings from UK-based sellers with at least 98% positive feedback.
-
A spread of budgets
Picks run from a leather bookmark and lavender bags under £10 to Orkney silver earrings for a big birthday.
Handmade stock sells out quickly. If a piece has gone, browse our full handmade gifts for her shop for alternatives.
Handmade gifts for her: your questions
What is a good handmade gift for her?
A piece of handmade jewellery she can wear every day, such as a Murano glass necklace or hand-forged silver rings, suits most women. If you are unsure of her taste, a hand-thrown mug or a set of small-batch soaps is a safer choice.
What handmade gift can I give my mum?
Something with the family in it works well, such as a hand-stamped necklace with her children’s names and birthstones. A wooden recipe book for her best dishes is another good choice.
What is a good handmade gift under £15?
A veg-tan leather bookmark, handmade lavender bags, hand-poured soy tea lights, a mini soap pack or a small solid silver bee pendant all cost under £15.
Does silver jewellery need a hallmark?
In the UK, items sold as silver must be hallmarked if they weigh more than 7.78 g. Most earrings and small pendants are below that weight, so they do not need one.
What jewellery is best for sensitive ears?
Allergy UK says 18 carat gold or more, solid silver and platinum are usually safe alternatives for people with nickel allergy. Sterling silver hooks are a sensible default.
Are handmade soaps and bath salts safe?
UK law requires every cosmetic sold to the public, including handmade soap and bath salts, to have a safety assessment and a safety report before sale. Buy from makers who list full ingredients.
What makes Harris Tweed genuine?
Genuine Harris Tweed is handwoven at home by islanders in the Outer Hebrides from wool dyed and spun there, and carries the Orb mark. The Harris Tweed Act 1993 protects the name.
Our recommendation
- Best overall: Diana Ingram Murano glass heart necklace
- Best for her style: hand-painted silk scarf
- Best for mum: names and birthstones necklace
- Best under £15: Bristol Soap Company mini soap pack
For most women, a small piece of handmade jewellery is the safest choice, and the Diana Ingram Murano glass heart necklace is our pick. It pairs genuine Murano glass with sterling silver and is easy to wear every day. If jewellery feels too personal, a hand-painted silk scarf or a box of small-batch soaps gives the same handmade feel without the guesswork.
More ideas: handmade gifts for your girlfriend, handmade jewellery gifts, unusual handmade wooden gifts and handmade Christmas gifts.