Any items that are produced at the household level rather than in mass-producing factories can be called homemade. These are usually easy to produce and are usually meant for private consumption or for sale in niche markets.
Usually homemade refers to foods produced at home or foods that are canned at home. For example most people can fruits and vegetables in season to be used in winter or in times of shortage. It is common for wine lovers to make their own homemade wine. We can then talk of homemade bread, or a very nice homemade chocolate cake hum it is so good. Often people produce their own homemade birthday gifts to give away to friends, like a nice homemade soap which is more personal and original that going out to buy a gift that thousands other people will receive. Next time you are faced with a birthday or mothers day or fathers day you might want to consider homemade gift ideas. Homemade foods are usually healthier as we can control what goes into them and it is getting more popular in the face of all the incidences involving food. Also they may contain less preservative.