handmade holidays
A note to my family: Please stop reading this post or you will spoil your Christmas. Unless you don’t mind potentially knowing what your gift will be. And in that case, you’re a fruitcake. (But I love you anyway.)
A few posts ago I mentioned hand-made gifts for the holidays and Jacqueline prompted me to share some ideas I’ve been toying with. I think hand-made gifts are especially good in this craptastic economy. Plus, when making gifts, I love to focus on whoever it is I’m making it for. It’s like a little meditation on the people I hold dear. I wonder if they can feel/taste the love that went into them…
Added bonus: avoiding the mall/shopping (which is one of my own personal versions of hell.)
So handmade. I haven’t settled on anything yet (or have I?!)… but I’ve been gathering ideas. Below are just a few. (I must also note that I am not a very crafty person… in fact I stink at crafty things, so these are probably super basic to those of you who are craft-superheroes. My apologies.)
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- Banana bread
My mother in law, a few years ago, gave her recipes out in little photo albums and in there is a killer recipe for banana bread. It’s super easy to make and is oh-so-delish. Here it is:
1 C sugar
1/4 C Crisco
2 eggs
1 C mashed bananas
2 C Bisquick
Grease and flour one loaf pan. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (till you can stick a knife in and have it come out clean).
You can tie it up with pretty strings or with tissue paper, like these:
photo from Martha Stewart.com
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- Speaking of recipe books. That would be a great hand-made gift, huh. Good thinking MIL!
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- No sew fleece blankets. I haven’t done this before, but it looks really easy and I love soft fleece. (The teddy bear pattern, not so much.)
photo from craftelf.com
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- Bath salts. I would probably leave out the herbs though because they stick to the bath tub, pretty as they are. I did bath scrubs one year and they were well received I think. I had a lot of fun designing the labels, too, which I made with a peppermint theme.
photo from Martha Stewart.com
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- Snow Globes. I made these a few years back, too. Turned out pretty well. That was probably the craftiest I’ve ever gotten, too, which made me feel proud. :)
photo from Martha Stewart.com
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- Knitting scarves. I was a knitting fool last year and knit scarves for my whole family. I enjoyed it and I love to see them worn this winter. :)
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These are just some ideas. And like I said, I’m not a crafting expert. Here are several other links I’ve bookmarked for ideas: Sew Mama Sew, Instructables, Martha Stewart.
Do you have any more ideas that you’ve tried (and were easy) and loved the results? I’d love to hear them!
Also, another question: what do you do for people you know who wouldn’t appreciate a hand-made gift (or say, a gift from Etsy, an artist’s shop, or a donation to Heifer in their name?) Do you concede and just get them something store-bought?
Happy friday, friends!
All lovely gift ideas – I’ve wanted to make those snow globes before – always nice to have an excuse to buy things in miniature!
I just made one of those no-sew fleece blankets for my baby-to-be in 2 shades of gray (I couldn’t find any patterned fleece I cared for either!) Cutting the two squares was actually the hardest part – I’m 31 weeks and it was great for giving me a backache. If I had a rotary cutter I’m sure it would have been MUCH easier. The rest was a breeze and I love how it turned out.
I always make homemade marshmallows too – not too hard to make, and just messy enough to be fun! Plus the extra sugary bits leftover from cutting keep you going and make a nice stash for hot cocoas.
might I add that so many people love note cards for thanks yous and quick birthdays since you have such artistic talent a set of those I am sure your family would love. Also calendars, those have always been a hit with my family.
This year, I’m making caramels. I figure I can wrap them up tightly and they’ll mail well to friends and family in other states.
In the past, I’ve made coasters (by decoupaging tiles and gluing felt on the bottom), magnets (by gluing images in between a glass half-marble and a magnet), mosaic photo frames, baking mixes (like pancake or scone mix), and lots of things I can’t think of right now.
For folks that aren’t into the handmade stuff, I usually try to buy them a meal out or tickets to something. I avoid malls and crazy holiday shopping like the plague. :)
P.S. Go Heifer!
I have done the following…
Baked goods (biscotti, cookies, breads)
Homemade vanilla extract (great for bakers)
Bath tea (herbs mixed into empty tea bags to hang over the faucet – the girls loved these)
Stationary (with your talents, these would be great)
Earrings (super easy)
Therapy wraps (flannel rectangles filled with flax seed to microwave – they guys loved these. You can also make small ones for hand and toe warmers.)
I am making sock monkeys. They are easy and fun and they’ve got some really cool socks out there to use.
Kids love ‘em.
Thanks for all the great ideas :)
I really like that recipe book one – especially with a fun illustrated cover.
Coal for the ones that won’t appreciate a handmade gift!
For food – caramel corn is always a huge hit, as is the means to make mulled wine or cider.
I also think that making seasonal ornaments is fun, we’re making little knitted animals for our extended family and friends this year. Very us, but a cute, fun thing for their tree or mantle. And non-denominational too!
I like giving experiences to people who may not appreciate the handmade – something fun and novel and participatory. This can be as cheap or expensive as you want to make it.
I am going to try to make some Pomegranate Jelly this year, I need to find some cheesecloth to strain the seeds
I made the snow globes for the twins’ first/Sophie’s second combo birthday party. Just think – by next year, you’ll have lots of baby food jars to use! (http://www.frenchtoastgirl.com/weblog/2005/02/snowglobe-favors-for-big-all-inclusive.shtml)
Good luck, and have fun with it! I’m also making the presents this year, and while it’s way more work than shopping from Amazon, I am way more happy with the results. :)
Great ideas! I’m sure your loved ones will really enjoy whatever you make. My dad hates getting presents. We adore him, but he is Bah Humbug. However, I bought him a flock of chickens through Heifer one year, and he could not stop talking about it. He loved it!
I say do what is easy for a person who would not like a handmade gift. Gift cards for books are always great too!
I am making calendar’s with this simple template : quick, easy & cheap! I did the same last year so now I’m making it a tradition :) http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18179169
hi p!
it’s handmade here, every year. we do the calendar thing as far away relatives love the photos, sometimes we do terrariums for local gifts and etsy fills in nicely too. mmm banana bread is always good! thanks for sharing the recipes.
Thank you, thank you! Nice ideas!
Hello there – lovely blog : )
Ooh your family members are lucky! I’m sure they’ll enjoy their gifts.
I find home made truffles go down a treat! :)
I’m having trouble coming up with secret ideas for handmade stuff, as I just started selling my stationery and calendars this year — everyone I would give them to has already seen them! So I’ve found a few Etsy and craft-fair-finds for those friends and family members who will appreciate them, and the rest might get something like banana bread, good idea!
I tried making the snow globes from Martha a few years back… They didn’t turn out so great. Maybe the snow (glitter, I think) that I used wasn’t the right kind? Maybe I should try again, because I had high hopes and they were fun to make!
I have never met a person who doesn’t appreciate a handmade gift. This is probably due to my family and choice in friends. This year’s stellar gifts to give is homemade cherry jam made with cherries I grew and the melt-in-your-mouth caramels my daughter makes.
The only non-homemade gifts I tend to give are books and wine. I can make the actual book, but writing a novel…? And wine, well, I won’t even try. My last experiment in beer making didn’t turn out too well.
Hey Mamasita!
Got some good ideas. Here are some I find that are good too.
1- Dough Ornaments.(I make cinnamon. THey are awesome and smell good everytime I open the boax each year to decorate.Make great gifts)
2- Gifts in a Jar (THese are my Fav. Because it is a no-baker deal. I Heart THEM! ‘Cause I am lazy. HA. I bet with your artisitc skills you could make an awesome label)
I have the links on my blog under links to site. I am too lazy to cut an paste. I know pretty bad!
- Kimberly