Inexpensive, Original,
Hand-Made Christmas Gifts
by Gail Miller
How many times when Christmas comes along do
we end up spending a fortune on gifts for
friends and family, which are not the least
bit personal, and regretting it afterwards?
These days we often seem to get caught up in a
rush to spend as much as possible on
commercialized products when in fact we could
save money and give much better presents if
only we applied ourselves to hand making them.
Here I bring you a selection of lovely gifts
which are easy to make and will certainly not
break the bank. The recipients will love the
fact that you have put your own time and
effort into making the gifts and will treasure
them.
Personalized Recipe Book
If one of your recipients is a vegetarian or
has a penchant for curry, loves anything with
tomatoes in or is a sucker for chocolate, make
use of the fact by making a personalized
recipe book. Start collecting appropriate
recipes from books or magazines and purchase a
small, inexpensive book to write them in. Copy
them out in your neatest handwriting or use
calligraphy if you are talented. If you have
artistic flair, you can also include
illustrations! What a delight this would be to
the avid cook or food lover.
Homemade Stationary
You need ordinary envelopes and cheap
cartridge paper or newsprint. Now go through
all your magazines and cut out decorative
pictures or illustrations. Stick them to the
fronts of the envelopes down the left or
across the top. If possible stick matching
borders or motifs on to the paper too. If you
cannot get them to match, not to worry, just
try to get illustrations with a matching
color.
Chocolate spoons
Buy a pack of plastic picnic spoons. These are
very cheap and you can get literally dozens in
a pack (enough to make all your presents!)
Melt some chocolate with a knob of butter in a
dish stood in a pan of boiling water. When the
chocolate is runny dip the spoons up to where
the handle starts into the chocolate. Place on
greaseproof paper to dry then wrap with
cellophane wrap and finish with a pretty bow.
To add flavor you can add liqueurs, mint, or
coffee, orange or vanilla flavoring to the
melted chocolate mix.
Dress Up Box For Kids
You have to start this present halfway through
the year as you can add to it as you go along.
Obtain a large cardboard box from your local
supermarket and cover it with pretty wrapping
paper. If desired stick a large label on the
front with the name of the recipient on it.
Every time you go into town, browse round the
charity shops and pick up cheap hats, scarves,
veils, tutus, jewelry, gloves and small size
dresses or jackets. Kids will go mad for
something like this and you can tailor the
clothing to a girl or a boy.
Santa's Sweeties
Instead of buying the kiddies selection boxes
which are just a collection of chocolate bars
packed together and grossly overpriced, why
not build up a store of regular chocolate bars
or packets of sweets throughout the year.
Every time you visit the supermarket add a
couple to your basket. Come Christmas time,
divide the sweets between how many children
you are catering for, into pretty bags made
out of wrapping paper. Decorate with ribbons
and bows. You will save a fortune!
Calligraphy
Get a book on calligraphy from the library and
make personalized gifts by writing a poem, or
if you are not that confident, the
recipient’s name on delicately colored paper
or card. Add a pressed flower or two and mount
in a bargain frame.
Personalized Towels
A set of cheap white hand towels can be made
unique by the addition of colored ribbon or
braid sewn approx. 3 inches from each end.
Make them extra special by attaching the
initials of the recipients with some scrap
fabric. Practical and customized!
Decorated Coffee Jar
Don’t throw out your coffee, jam or pickle
jars, especially if they are those really
beautifully shaped ones that you get nowadays.
All you need are some sequins or diamantes,
which cost literally pennies from
haberdashers. Stick them on at random and glue
a label to the front with "coffee",
"spice", "pasta" or
anything else which the jar might be utilized
for storing. Tie a silver or gold bow round
the neck of the jar.
Hand Decorated Ceramics
If you are artistic, why not purchase a set of
plain white ceramic egg cups, tea cups or
plain glasses which are extremely inexpensive.
Using a bottle of ceramic paint decorate by
hand or stencil or stamp on each one to make
them unique. If possible find out before hand
the color scheme preferred.
Flavored Cooking Oil
Save empty oil or vinegar bottles throughout
the year, or buy the plain corked ones you can
by extremely cheaply at thrift stores. Half
fill with peanut or olive oil. Add twigs of
Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Parsley etc.
If desired also add some peppercorns for
decoration and further flavor and then fill
bottle with more oil. Lid or cork and add a
pretty ribbon to the neck of the bottle. Not
only will these look great on any
recipient’s kitchen shelf they will also
enhance their cooking!
Giant Cookies
Instead of making lots of ordinary size
biscuits, why
not make one or two giant personalized ones?
Make a large batch of biscuit mix using a
recipe from a book, but instead of using
regular size cookie cutters, use an 8 inch
cake tin to make the shape or make a paper
template of a heart can cut the shape round
that. Cook and cool, then decorate with icing
using the recipients name. Wrap in cellophane.
A Set Of Fridge Magnets
Decide who you are going to give fridge
magnets to earlier on in the year and take
some photos of either the person or their
children. Make small squares or circles out of
cardboard and stick the photos onto the card.
Finish by attaching small magnets to the
backs.
Home Made Honey Bath Oil
Mix together a cup of light baby or olive oil
with 1/2 a cup of honey, 1/2 a cup of liquid
soap and a drop each of your favorite
essential oil. Mix together gently and decant
into a pretty a squirt bottle.
Home Cooked Delights
When you make your traditional Christmas Cake,
double or treble the quantities of
ingredients. Make extra cakes which you can
decorate with gold or silver ribbon round the
outside, and give to relatives.
Personalized Photo Album
Photograph albums can be picked up very
cheaply, especially when sold together in
bulk; i.e. three or five sets cello'd
together. Cover the albums with pretty fabric
or lace and stencil the recipient’s initials
on the front to personalize it.
Home Made "Throw"
Throws, which are very much in fashion these
days are very expensive to buy. A large
remnant, or a number of them patch worked
together and edged with fringing, makes an
excellent and unique throw. A delightful and
unique present!
Merry Christmas!
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Gail Miller is a writer and artist.
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