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A good Christmas list is one you can hand to your family without feeling silly. The best things to ask for are the ones you will really use, a pot that makes better bread, a canner that lets you put up the garden, or an apron that finally fits.
Below are 18 Christmas list ideas for homesteaders, bakers, canners and gardeners. Each one says what it is, why it earns a spot on your list and how to use it once you have it. Some are small enough for a stocking and a few are big gifts to share among the family. If you are shopping for someone else instead, try our Christmas gifts for wife, Christmas gifts for dad and homemade Christmas present ideas.
1. A red enameled bread oven
SaveCredit: Country Roads Sourdough
If you want crusty bread with a crackly top, ask for a bread oven. It is a heavy lidded pot that traps steam around the loaf, which is the same trick bakeries use.
Preheat the pot with the oven, drop in your dough on a sheet of parchment, bake with the lid on for the first half, then take the lid off to brown. Look for one with a lid that sits snug and a size that fits your usual loaf.
2. A pair of proofing baskets
SaveCredit: Country Roads Sourdough
Proofing baskets give a loaf its shape and those pretty flour rings on the crust. A round one and an oval one cover most of what you will bake.
Dust the basket well with rice flour, set the shaped dough in seam side up, and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Tip it out onto parchment and score the top just before it goes in the oven.
3. A wooden dough whisk
SaveCredit: Country Roads Sourdough
A dough whisk looks odd but it mixes a sticky dough faster than a spoon and cleans up easier than your hands. It is a small thing to ask for and you will reach for it all the time.
Use it to stir flour and water into a shaggy dough, then let the dough rest before you stretch and fold it. Rinse it in cool water right away so the dough does not harden in the loops.
4. A manual bread slicer
SaveCredit: Homestead and Chill
A bread slicer is for the baker who is tired of slanted slices. It holds the loaf steady and guides the knife so every piece comes out even.
Let the loaf cool all the way before you slice it, since cutting a warm loaf squashes the crumb. Slide the guide over the loaf and saw gently with a serrated knife.
5. A digital kitchen scale
SaveCredit: Country Roads Sourdough
Weighing flour is the quickest way to make your baking the same every time. A flat stainless scale is cheap, takes up almost no room and works for bread, jam and portioning dough.
Set your bowl on the scale, press the tare button to zero it, and add each ingredient by weight. Keep spare batteries in a drawer, since a dead scale always dies mid recipe.
6. A set of good kitchen tools
SaveCredit: Melissa K Norris
A few well made tools beat a drawer full of flimsy ones. Think measuring cups, a bench scraper, a solid spatula, wooden spoons and a cast iron skillet that will outlast you.
Pick pieces that match how you really cook, and skip the gadgets that only do one job. Wash wood by hand and dry it right away, and keep the skillet seasoned with a thin coat of oil.
7. A linen apron with pockets
SaveCredit: Melissa K Norris
A sturdy apron is the thing every cook uses and almost nobody buys for themselves. Linen softens with every wash and the pockets hold a phone, a towel or a pair of clippers.
Look for crossback straps that sit on your shoulders instead of your neck, and a length that covers your knees. Wash it cool and hang it to dry so it keeps its shape.
8. Flour sack tea towels
SaveCredit: Melissa K Norris
Cotton tea towels are a quiet little luxury. They dry glasses without lint, cover rising dough and look sweet tucked into an apron string.
Ask for a stack of plain white ones with a simple print, since they go with everything and bleach well. Wash them before first use so they get more absorbent.
9. A water bath canner
SaveCredit: Grow a Good Life
A big speckled water bath canner is the first thing a new canner needs. It handles high acid foods like jam, pickles, applesauce and tomatoes with added acid.
Fill it with enough water to cover the jars by an inch or two, bring it to a full boil, and time the batch from there. Always follow a tested recipe, and ask for the rack too so jars never sit on the bottom.
10. A pressure canner
SaveCredit: Grow a Good Life
A pressure canner is a big gift, but it is the only safe way to can low acid foods like green beans, carrots, corn and meat at home. Put it on your list if you grow a big garden.
Pick a trusted brand with a pressure gauge and spare parts that are easy to find, and read the manual start to finish before the first batch. Have the gauge checked every year, and use tested recipes only.
11. A canning starter basket
SaveCredit: Grow a Good Life
A basket of canning tools is a thoughtful wish for a beginner, and it is easy for a family member to buy. Everything you need besides the canner and the jars fits inside.
Look for a jar lifter, a wide mouth funnel, a magnetic lid wand, a bubble remover and a ladle. A kitchen thermometer and a colander are handy extras for jam and sauces.
12. A jar lifter and funnel set
SaveCredit: Simply Canning
Hot jars are slippery and heavy, so a good jar lifter is worth asking for. A wide mouth funnel keeps jam off the rims, which means fewer seal failures.
Keep the tools in one drawer by the stove so they are there when the pot is boiling. Wipe each rim with a damp cloth before you set the lid.
13. A stack of canning books
SaveCredit: Grow a Good Life
A tested canning book is the best gift for staying safe and trying new recipes. The classic Blue Book is on most kitchen shelves for a reason.
Ask for one general guide and one book on a single food, like jams or pickles, so you get both the basics and some fun ideas. Check that the book was published recently, because safety guidance gets updated.
14. A mason jar fermentation kit
SaveCredit: Simply Canning
If you want to try sauerkraut, pickles or kimchi, a fermentation kit takes the guesswork out. It fits regular mason jars and gives you weights and lids that let gas escape.
Pack shredded cabbage with salt, press it under its own brine, and keep it at room temperature for a week or two. Taste it along the way and move it to the fridge when it tastes right.
15. A set of heirloom seed packets
SaveCredit: Rethink Rural
Seeds are the best Christmas wish for anyone who gardens. A mix of heirloom packets means you can plan next spring while it is snowing outside.
Ask for varieties that suit your zone, like leeks, eggplant, squash, carrots and a pumpkin or two. Store the packets in a cool dry box and mark the sow dates on a calendar.
16. A garden kneeler seat
SaveCredit: Homestead and Chill
A kneeler that flips into a seat saves your knees and your back in the garden. It makes a good wish for anyone who weeds, plants or picks all summer.
Pick one with handles to push up on and a sturdy frame, and give it a pad that wipes clean. Store it in the shed so it is ready for the first warm day.
17. An automatic chicken coop door
SaveCredit: Homestead and Chill
If you keep chickens, an automatic coop door means no more dashing out at dusk to shut them in. It opens in the morning and closes at night, which keeps predators out.
Mount it on the coop pop door, set it to open at sunrise and close at sunset, and check the batteries or power every few weeks. Count the hens in at night for the first week to make sure everyone is using it.
18. Pure beeswax candles
SaveCredit: Homestead and Chill
Beeswax candles burn clean, smell faintly of honey and are lovely on a winter table. Votives are cheap enough to ask for a box.
Burn them in a glass holder away from drafts and trim the wick to a quarter inch. Keep them on a flat surface and never leave a flame alone in the room.
How to build your Christmas list
Start with the jobs you do most, like baking, canning, gardening or keeping chickens, and ask what would make each one easier. Put a few small things on the list, a few mid sized things and one big wish, so everyone in the family can find something in their budget.
Write the size, brand or color next to each item so nobody has to guess. If a gift is something several people could chip in on, like a pressure canner, say so and let the family split it. Add a few things you would use up, like seeds or candles, because those never go to waste.
Christmas list ideas FAQ
What should I put on my Christmas list if I love to cook? A bread oven, a kitchen scale, a dough whisk and a good apron are all things you will use every week. Add tea towels and a stack of tested recipe books to round it out.
What are good Christmas list ideas for a gardener? Heirloom seed packets, a kneeler seat and a pressure canner for the harvest are all good choices. Seeds are cheap and make a nice stocking gift.
How many things should be on a Christmas list? Five to ten is plenty, with a mix of prices. A short list with sizes and details is easier to shop from than a long one with none.
