It’s the season for giving, and nothing beats giving hand-crafted gifts. If you’re in to hipster gifts, here are some bespoke DIY items that you can add to anyone’s kitchen. They are practically what you’d call gifts that keep on giving…
Make Your Own Tofu
If you’ve got a friend who loves making their own food, and loves tofu, then Roaring Brook Dairy’s DIY Tofu Making Kit is the perfect gift. The kit includes organic tofu beans, and the kit (cheese cloth, tofu press, etc) that can get anyone started. All you need is a blender (or food processor) and a lemon, and you’ll be on your way to making true homemade tofu. Other than tofu, the company also sells DIY cheese and butter kits.
Mason Jar Herb Terrarium
If you love going to cafes to enjoy its hipster atmosphere, you can recreate it with mason jars, fresh herbs and organic soil. You don’t even have to be green-thumbed: the Mason Herb Garden Kit from MakersKit comes with 4 herbs (Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, and Mint), mason jars and a special blend of perlite, pea pebbles and organic soil which creates a self-watering system; all you need to do is water up to the rock line once a week.
Tonic Water Kit
You’ve probably come across a few craft drinks at trendy cafes, but what about creating your own tonic water ? Oaktown Spice Shop’s Tonic Water Kit lets you create your own natural tonic water – it contains all the spices and botanicals (cinchona, citric acid, lemongrass, cubeb pepper, and Jamaican allspice) you’ll need. It tastes wonderful with soda water; add a liquor of your choice (optional) to make your perfect cocktail.
Make Your Own Bitters
For folks with a more serious interest in cocktails, there’s a DIY kit that allows them to make their own craft-made batch of bitters. Easy & Oskey has a range of flavours – naked (plain flavour you can customise), cherry vanilla, grapefruit, habanero, and orange – and their kits include mason jars, some tools and the dry ingredients you need to get started. All you need are sugar/honey and some spirit (the alcohol kind).
DIY Hot Sauce
If you love spicing up every meal but think that regular chilli sauce doesn’t cut it, then you might want to check out Grow and Make’s Deluxe Hot Sauce Kit. Equipped with everything you need to make 6 unique hot sauces, this DIY Hot Sauce Kit contains the peppers, vinegars, tools and instructions to get your tongue dancing. Naturally, you can customise them to your own tolerance level.
Make Your Own Pickles
If you love pickles – be they spicy or sweet or sour – then why not make your own? Best part is that you can pickle pretty much any vegetable you like – each pickle kit from Saffron + Kumquats Pickles Kit comes with pickle seasoning, recipes and a canning jar that lets you make over 5 batches. Just add veggies (cucumbers, beets, beans or carrots) and vinegar and you’ll have your pickles in 30 minutes!
Make Your Own Almond Milk
Why drink store-bought milk when you can make your own almond milk? It’s healthier and lactose free. Teresa’s Nut Milk Kit lets you make 2 batches of almond milk (3 cups per batch), and contains a glass jar (for storage), reusable nut milk bag for straining, plus all the ingredients you’ll need, including almonds, dates, cinnamon or dark cocoa powder (there’s an option for Chocolate Almond flavour).
Cold Brew Coffee
No hipster would start the day without a cuppa, especially a cold brew coffee which is lower in acidity. Corina and Robert Guillory’s Cold Brew Gift Set comes with a packet of ground Brazilian/Guatamalan blend coffee, mason jar and reusable cloth filter. Simply put the coffee in the filter, put the filter in the jar, and soak overnight in the fridge. Then top the portable jar with fresh water to your desired strength.
Grown Your Own Shiitake
Forget shopping for shiitake mushrooms – with this log from 2FunGuys (get the pun?), you can actually grow your own! The 12″ log is drilled with holes which are embedded with mushroom spores. Just soak the log for 24 hours in cold water, mist it occasionally and watch as your mushroom garden comes to life. The log, which can be laid sideways or upright, will give you shrooms for the next 2+ years!
