50+ Amazing and Practical Homestead Gift Ideas For 2024
As the holiday season approaches, the best gift for your homesteading friend or family member is a gift that they will use! My daddy always said, the right tool makes the job so much easier, and he was right! As Philip and I prepared for full-time homesteading, we gathered essential, high quality tools that would make our journey just a bit easier. While most modern homesteaders work towards simple living, they aren’t necessarily working towards primitive living! The practical gifts in this homestead gift ideas guide are full of great gift ideas. You’re sure to find the perfect gift idea for your homesteading loved ones! Whether you are shopping for an urban micro homesteader, or a homesteader living on big acreage, these amazing gift ideas are based on our personal experience of tools we use and love!
The Homestead Kitchen
This collection of amazing gifts for the homestead kitchen is a broad collection of kitchen tools. Some of the gift ideas are suitable for the new homesteader building their homestead tool kit, others are more suitable for experienced homesteaders who may already have the more basic tools used by home cooks.
Mason Jars for the Win
Almost all homesteaders need a healthy collection of mason jars! It’s extremely rewarding to see rows and rows of my own food canned and lining the pantry shelves. My personal preference is to always purchase wide-mouth jars. They are easier to fill, easier to remove the contents, and easier to clean. However, I never turn down free canning jars no matter if they are regular mouth or wide mouth! Stick to name brands, I’m a personal fan of Ball Canning Jars, but Kerr Canning Jars are a well-known brand as well. I avoid store-brand jars and jars labeled as water bath only (yes they make them.)
While pint and quart jars are always needed, my favorite size jar is a pint and a half. Often a quart jar is too large, but a pint is too small. These 24-ounce jars are perfect for Philip and I. Half-gallon and gallon-sized jars are also a great option, while not used for canning, they are great for bulk food storage. I have a nice collection of amber-colored mason jars as well. I use these to store light-sensitive foods like my bulk teas and even my homemade vanilla extract (yes a half gallon of it!)
More Canning Supplies
Most experienced homesteaders will already have the basic canning supplies, but those just getting started, may not have as vast of a tool collection. I prefer having both a water bath canner and a pressure canner. While it is certainly possible to water bath can in a pressure canner or any large pot, I miss the jar lifting rack of a water bath canner when I try to make do. My water bath canners are the most basic set, my one wish for my water bath canner is a clear glass lid. When purchasing a water bath canner as a gift, splurge on the clear glass cover!
Pressure Canners for Practical Homesteaders
When it comes to pressure canners, everyone talks about the All-American Pressure Canner as the ultimate pressure canner. Certainly, it has some premier qualities that earn it this distinction. However, an All-American Canner is quite an investment for most families coming in between $400 and $600! While I certainly recommend some kitchen tools at that price point, most families need to choose wisely where to put their hard-earned dollars.
I have been canning with Presto Canners for many years and have processed hundreds of jars of quality home-canned food! My recommendation when it comes to choosing a Presto Pressure Dial Gauge Canner is to choose the 23-quart pressure canner. For years, I spent hours processing just 8 pints at a time! The 23-quart pressure canner makes it possible to double stack pint jars to double your output. My only wish is that I had TWO of them! The 23-quart model is so close in cost to the 16-quart model, go for the larger model for any serious gardener or homesteader! One word to the wise, not all Presto Pressure canners are compatible with glass top stoves, be sure to upgrade to the induction-compatible canner.
When using a Presto Dial gauge canner, I recommend two add-ons. The first is a weighted gauge pressure regulator. This inexpensive, stocking stuffer transforms your dial gauge canner into a weighted gauge canner that self-monitors the pressure inside. It has completely liberated me from watching the pressure canner like a hawk! The second is for use in the 23-quart pressure canner. Per the instructions, the second row of pint jars is stacked offset on the lower row. I have found an inexpensive stainless steel rack that makes this so much easier with absolutely no fuss!
Canning Lids
Canning lids are an easy gift for any homesteader or gardener. This is an area that I recommend sticking to a good brand. When it comes to metal one use canning lids, I really love Denali Canning Lids. These lids are American made and I have had 100% seal rates when using them! Philip likes to stock up, so in full disclosure, I am still working through a healthy supply of Ball Canning lids however Denali is my preferred brand!
Kowalski Mountain Deal
Save 10% with my code on Denali Canning Lids BARBRA-SUEKOWALSKI
Kowalski Mountain Deal
Save 15% with my code on Harvest Guard Canning Lids KMcanning
Over the last few years, I have been making the switch to using Harvest Guard Reusable Canning lids. While they certainly take a bit more TLC, the more I use them, the easier they are to use! I did a complete post on the blog about the difference between metal one-use canning lids and reusable canning lids including a cost comparison. This really opened my eyes to how quickly the cost of canning lids adds up. Over the past two years, I have taken advantage of their bulk packages to really stock up! Introduce your serious canning friend to reusable canning lids or bolster their canning lid supply with various sizes of bulk packs! Tuck this free printable in your Christmas Card as an added bonus that shares instructions on the proper use of reusable canning lids to ensure successful seal rates for first-time users.
Printable Gift Card
Print this FREE gift card to include with your gift of Harvest Guard Reusable Canning Lids. Scan the QR code to watch the instructional video.
Looking for an inexpensive stocking stuffer, a Harvest Guard Jar opener is perfect! Makes it simple to carefully open jars sealed Harvest Guard canning lids so as not to damage the reusable seals.
Cast Iron
Cast iron cookware is a favorite of most homesteaders. They are a useful gift that is a great addition to any homestead kitchen. A cast iron biscuit pan is one of my favorite cast iron pieces! This pan was a gift from my daughter, it makes perfect drop biscuits every time. I was worried it would be hard to clean, but just like any other traditional cast iron cookware, it easily wipes clean with no fuss.
For the person on your gift list who enjoys outdoor cooking, a heavy duty camp dutch oven is a great way to broaden your cooking skills. Dutch oven cooking takes practice, but it’s the perfect way to cook on camping trips, or even during a power outage. Over the past couple of years, I have been working on my dutch oven cooking skills, trying to become more proficient. Even though we live off-grid, we don’t live primitively, still, strong Dutch oven cooking skills ensure that no matter the challenges we might face living off-grid, a hearty meal is never a challenge!
Need More Ideas? Check These Out!
Homestead Mixers
For years I have loved my KitchenAid mixer. It’s a great tool that has served me well for decades. However, as I broadened my baking skills using fresh ground flour, my kitchen aid was really beginning to struggle. I can hear the motor struggling to keep up. Additionally, I watched as other homesteaders made butter and saw the mess that butter making created. As Philip and I were getting closer to making our move to the homestead, I knew I needed the right tools to be able to keep up with the demanding kitchen work on the homestead.
In my research, the Bosch Mixers continually rose to the top. Last year for my birthday, I put a Bosch Universal Plus Deluxe mixer on my wish list. This mixer is a powerful mixer that can mix up to 14 pounds of dough! When it comes to butter-making, the Bosch has a cover that completely contains the buttermilk throughout the entire process. While it’s definitely a generous gift, a Bosch Mixer meets the needs of a modern homesteader! Is the Universal Plus too much of a mixer? Check out the Bosch Artiste, it’s a smaller model with the same powerful features. Add the Baker’s Pack!
Grain Mill
For the person in your life working towards a more self sustainable lifestyle, a grain mill is a great investment! Wheat berries can be stored for the long term, while ground flour has a limited shelf life. The whole-grain goodness of using fresh ground flour just adds to the many reasons that grinding your own flour is worth the extra effort. I will admit cooking with fresh ground flour has a learning curve, but it is worth the extra effort. The Nurtimill Harvest Grain Mill charmed me with it’s stone ground flour and beautiful counter appeal!
Steam Juicer
The Norpro Stainless Steel Steam Juicer is the latest tool added to my homesteading kitchen tool kit. I have been coveting it ever since I was introduced to this powerful juicing system. The three-level steaming system allows me to effortlessly juice fruit and vegetables to make a healthy juice concentrate that can be canned and enjoyed all year long. I’ve juiced grapes, elderberries and tomatoes in just the few weeks that I have owned it!
Wooden Spoons
I love using wooden spoons, especially when it comes to high-heat cooking that will melt plastic spoons and spatulas. When cooking large batches on the homestead, like applesauce or large batches of salsa, a long-handled wooden spoon makes a big difference when it comes to protecting your fingers as you thoroughly stir a large pot. I am fortunate that my dad, Tom Seager, makes hand-carved wooden spoons. He made a custom long-handled spoon to meet my cooking needs. I call it my Caldron Spoon! If you know any local small businesses that can make custom spoons, handmade gifts are a real treasure!
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Homestead Pantry
Many homesteaders have gone back to basics when it comes to the food they eat. Raw honey is an amazing superfood that many people use as a sweetener and a base in some of their holistic recipes. While we are lucky enough to have an abundant supply of honey on our homestead, not everyone desires to keep bees or dabbled that far in their homesteading adventure. A bottle of pure, raw honey is a coveted treat!
Many homesteaders buy in bulk to build their homestead pantries. Several years ago I switched to bulk loose leaf teas for all of our sweet tea. While it’s hard to select a tea variety for a friend or family member, a gift certificate is a great way to share a gift of bulk tea. Be sure to include a tea ball, along with a small bottle of raw honey in your gift basket to complete the tea basket gift basket.
Homestead Garden
The homestead garden not only provides an abundance of food on the homestead, but it’s also a place that is healing to the soul! There are many great ideas for garden-based Christmas gifts that are perfect for the serious gardener or homesteader in your life.
Seeds are an amazing gift! I don’t know a gardener who doesn’t enjoy leisurely flipping through a seed catalog and dreaming of an abundant harvest surrounded by gorgeous flowers, especially in January! It’s hard to know the right gift when it comes to seeds, as the growing season and personal preference for seeds are so unique. The best seed gift for your favorite farmer is a gift card to their favorite seed company.
Why not make a complete seed gift box? One of the easiest ways to organize seeds is photo storage boxes. These inexpensive boxes make it easy to organize seeds by type of seeds. groups of vegetables or different flower types. I also purchased seed envelopes to organize the seeds I keep when doing my own seed saving.
Vertical Gardening System
My daughter told me recently that I could get her a GreenStalk every year for her birthday and she would be perfectly happy with it! Greenstalks make perfect gifts for gardeners who are short on space, vertical gardening multiplies your garden foot-print. GreenStalks makes it super easy with their water system that thoroughly waters the entire stacks. In my experience, the spinners are worth the extra expense. My Greenstalks were flourishing on the sun-drenched side and really struggling on the shady side. This spinning wheel of the spinners makes it easy to rotate the entire GreenStalk with a simple turn. Even though Philip and I have the acreage to create a large in-ground garden, my GreenStalks will still be used for not only flowers, and strawberries, I plan to fill them with herbs for a small kitchen garden close to the RV.
Food Dehydrator for Preserving the Harvest
Another great gift idea for a fellow homesteader is a food dehydrator. While this certainly could have been featured in the Homestead Kitchen section, I chose to add it to the gardening section. A food dehydrator is useful for drying herbs, flowers even fruit! I have used a Nesco Food Dehydrator for decades! They are easily expandable with the purchase of additional trays. I purchased it years ago when I made my own dehydrated backpacking food. If I were to choose one now, I would choose one with square trays. I feel that not only is the footprint of the appliance easier to work with and store, but the square trays are easier to load fully.
I highly recommend adding the jelly roll trays, these make it easy to make pureed fruit leather and even make cleaning up for beef jerky so much easier. Not to mention the small pieces of herbs won’t fall through the trays.
Living Gifts to Last a Lifetime
Another excellent gift for the homesteader on your gift list is fruit trees. Philip waited 7 years before making the permanent move to the homestead at Kowalski Mountain. During our time of waiting, we planted fruit trees every year! We learned a lot in those years of waiting, some of the earliest trees didn’t fare well with our lack of protection from the deer, but slowly we built a small orchard on the homestead. Fruit trees are another area that a gift certificate might be most appropriate, however, we have had a lot of success with locally purchased trees in our local farm stores.
Lovely Gifts for Hard-Working Homesteaders
While I imagine there are some people who don’t enjoy lovely gifts, I think most enjoy a thoughtfully chosen gift that makes life more comfortable. Even Philip and I are pretty selective when it comes to purchases, living in an RV means that space is a major issue! The good thing is there are plenty of lovely gifts that are equally useful!
Gifts of Luxury for Hard Working People
Luxury personal care products are a nice gift for fellow homesteaders. Homemade gifts like sugar scrubs, or homemade soaps are a useful gift that is healing to the skin, especially during the winter months. I am a huge fan of Toups and Co Organics Vanilla and Almond Tallow Balm! This luxurious moisturizer is made with quality tallow that smells heavenly! Tallow is so nourishing to your skin! I use it daily as a facial moisturizer, but I also use it for chapped lips and hands.
Kowalski Mountain Deal
Lamplight Oil Lamps
While we are building an off-grid homestead, lamplight oil lamps are a great backup plan for times when our solar system isn’t getting enough light. The gentle glow of lamplight is so romantic and homey! Oil lamps are perfect for those who live in states that are susceptible to heavy storms such as hurricanes, winter storms, and ice storms.
Custom Personalized Art Work
Another great personal gift for your favorite homesteader is custom wall art. Transform their favorite photograph of their farm, barn, tractor, or even their favorite cow into a custom canvas art print. There are so many options to order custom canvas art prints online. Show your favorite homesteader that you are paying attention to their favorite memories by transforming one into a custom canvas for their home.
One of our favorite gifts we ever received was a real street sign with our farm name on it. This reflective street sign helps visitors find our driveway any time day or night!
Gifts for the Farm
I think one of the most commonly used tools on the farm that there are never enough of are ratchet straps. While I’m ratchet strapped challenged, Philip uses them for everything! Not a day goes by that we don’t strap something to the 4-wheeler, trailer, or ranger as we move around the farm working on projects. Ratchet straps come in a variety of colors and weight ratings that meet the needs of every homesteader on your list!
The magnetic hive tool holder keeps our metal hive tool close by right where we need it. While we use it exclusively for beekeeping, the magnet is strong! Try it with other small metal tools that you need to keep close by that are easily accessible!
Hard Working Gifts for Tuff Farm Work
I’ll admit some of the gifts for the farm are on the pricey side. However, I’m including just a few of them because they are our absolute favorite tools that REALLY make the work on the homestead not only easier but often times safer.
Another tool that is especially useful on the farm is a good-quality multi-position ladder. These ladders are perfect for working on uneven terrain!
One of our favorite gifts that Philip received is the Gas Powered T Post Driver. This is certainly a luxurious gift, however, this thing is completely amazing! We are in complete awe of how easy this is to use! We walked the fence line fixing fence posts just for fun because it makes the entire process SO much easier. Consider this gift for yourself or a new homesteader who has a lot of fencing ahead of them, it’s a complete game-changer!
Homestead Education
As a homesteader or homesteader dreamer, the best thing you can do is educate yourself. Homesteading requires a broad skill set to accomplish the challenges and daily tasks on the homestead. Every homesteader should be a lifelong learner! Here are a few of our favorite books.
The Independent Farmstead is written by Beth and Shawn Dougherty. This amazing couple is inspiring, sharing a true self-sustainable farm maintenance program that encourages homesteaders that they can grow and raise what the farm needs.
Everything Elderberry is a complete book about foraging and using elderberries on the homestead. Includes recipes.
Keeping a Family Cow is a must-have book for any homesteader insterested in keeping a family milk cow! A complete guide to choosing and keeping a milk cow.
Sweet Maple is a gorgeous book written by fellow homesteader Michelle Visser. Full of recipes and information for an aspiring sugarmaker!
Complete Guide to Home Canning is my absolute favorite canning guide. You can trust that you are following the safest canning practices in every recipe you select.
Seed to Seed is a great reference book on seed saving and vegetable planting guide.
The Art of Natural Cheesemaking is a book that stretches me a bit. In our modern world, we have been removed from the process of natural foods. I purchased this book as a reference book regarding rennet. I will admit, that I have not yet dabbled in cheesemaking, but it’s on the horizon!
The Biggest Little Farm is a documentary movie about a barren farm that was transformed into an amazing biodiverse farm that was intentionally designed into a gorgeous and productive farmstead. It is an inspiring story for anyone wanting to transform their lives.
Tried and True Gift Suggestions.
While there are many more gift ideas that are appropriate for homestead gift guides, the gift ideas shared in this guide are products that are tried and true! Each one is a product that we use and love! While we have chosen a simple life, great quality tools that make the hard work on the homestead easier get daily use. He hope that this list inspires you as you shop for the special homesteader in your life!
About the Author: Barbra-Sue Kowalski grew up on a small hobby farm. She was always drawn to farm life, however, she was stuck in an urban life far from her roots. Barbra-Sue was a single mom for 13 years, raising her 3 children on her own. She met Philip in 2018 and they married in 2021. Between the two of them, they have 5 grown children and 5 grandchildren. These empty nesters are following their dreams! As they both turn 50, they are building their off-grid homestead to live the life that they dream about. Learn more about Philip and Barbra-Sue here. Contact them here. To leave a comment on this post, please scroll down.
