Homemade/Handmade gift ideas

I started early this year. My brother's house has many little problems.

The wood stove is a behemoth. The 40 lb of ashes and nails show here, occupied enough space to block the air intake.

It took 3 minutes to replace the clogged shower head that regularly jumped out of the saddle to smack bathers on the head or foot.

His heavily loaded cupboards made of shit board, were sagging because the support pins were missing.

Personally, I know some people who are very much NOT into Valentine's Day. They think it's been turned into another holiday of consumerism, materialism and otherwise unhealthy things.

THIS, however, turns that on its head, IMHO. Not as much a really handmade thing (unless you're crafting the box yourself, or saving your own seeds) but rather creative and very cool, if you ask me.

From http://www.motherofahubbard.com/say-i-love-you-with-seeds/

It makes a cute photo, but very impractical as all those seeds can get mixed up in no time. If they would be packed in tiny bags and then put into the box now that would be much better.

This year for gifts I did all local bought food.We live in Maine so maple syrup and whoopie pies were among the gifts. I hope that once our homestead is established we can make all the gifts we give. I like to give food because it doesn't end up on a shelf taking up space. And everyone eats!

Yeah- this year I couldn't take it anymore either. The consumerism, plastic chachkas. My husband did some of that stuff, and I did a lot of home-made. I was happy to see some family also doing home-made, but I want to kick it up a notch for next year so I'm not going to be over-whelmed, pressured into getting chach, or feeling guilty that I didn't get as much as the next person. On top of all that, why not give people gifts that will encourage their own sustainability? Okay, yeah- not everyone would love a jar of seeds, and I give those away for free when I have extras anyway, since seeds are meant for sharing.

So, here's some gifts "normal" people might enjoy from a permie (according to my calculations), though this is just current brain-storming:

Adults:
-herbal balms made with home-grown herbs and natural oils, placed in a re-usable glass jar.
-Liqueurs: surprisingly easy to make from sugar and hard alcohol plus garden produce. Place in a fancy re-usable bottle.
-Tea blends from garden fresh herbs, along with a tea ball, also in a re-usable glass jar.
-bonsai-ed or small fruit trees in decorative pots.
-indoor herb gardens in a decorative pot, maybe with a fairy or two.
-Flavored vinegars, in a reusable glass jars (of course). (can be made with SCOBY)
-flavored oils (more decorative jars).
-mini garden: tomatoes, onions, and some other plants can live a long time in-doors and then be transplanted successfully outside. It can be set to a landscape so it will look pretty, regardless of the long-term survival chances.
-Bread mix (just add warm water)
-canned stuff in a home-made basket from your prunings.
-bees wax candles or honey (if you have bees)
-fruit basket (basket from prunings or recycled or re-used stuff)
-fancy garlic braid or a variety pack of heirloom garlics or other alliums in a fancy box
-roasted pumpkin and squash seeds, a variety of flavors
-winter-squash variety basket with simple recipe cards (basket of recycled wood)
-gourd bowls/bird houses
-candied or caramel covered nuts (from your nut trees)
-hat, scarf, or other clothing they have a lack of from natural fiber sources
-card from ground paper plus seeds

Kids:
-wands, or drill a hole in the wand and make a wand-pen.
-colored lip or skin balm (with natural good stuff and herbs + natural dye).
-box in a box in a box (from scrap wood) with chocolate in the center, for the age where boxes are treasure chests.
-bow and arrow set.
-wooden kid garden tool set.
-mini-flower or faery garden made from spare seed, scrap wood and sticks, and a little potting soil.
-doll log cabin.
-miniature blue berry bush with alpine strawberry plants.
-drum made from scoby leather and scrap wood, raddle made from a gourd, mini "guitar" made from gourd, flute made from bamboo
-"Lincoln logs" made from real sticks.
-mushroom growing kit.
-pet baby fish/frog (from your pond) in a nice glass container with a water plant on top.
- real fruit leather variety pack (from garden fruit). you can make this in fun shapes too.
-headband, scarf, or other clothing they have a lack of from natural fiber sources
-diary made of ground-junk mail paper with a wooden or cloth cover.
-bookmark, handmade.

More adults:

-bath "tea" bags and infused salts
-purse, phone holder, or wallet made of recycled materials or home-grown fibers
-popcorn/popped seeds from your garden
-shaped cookies
-coasters (weaved, crocheted, knitted, or wood cuttings)
-pickled stuff
-dried fruit
-home-made potato chips


Kids:
-popcorn from your garden
-natural dye water color set with home-made paper.
-archeology kit with some buried shells or gems or whatever stuck in heavy clay. Make tools to dig it out from sticks, etc.
-popsicles (fruit garden pops, or herb pops) or lollipops (flavored from your garden) or candied apple with a natural stick (make sure it's edible) instead of a popsicle stick.
-shaped cookies
-stick horse
-fake coins out of branch slices
-home made potato chips

To continue the incomplete brainstorming list:

Still more adults:

-serving utensils made from sticks
-dream catcher or wreath made from prunings. I could imagine even taking a rogue branch with fruit still on it, bending it in a circle around a flexible bit of prunings, and wallah! Unique and delicious
-home-made recycled paper fire logs with some cinnamon or other spices put in it.
-candles (if you have bees or oils)
-wooden napkin rings and black cotton napkins

And from off-site but still encourages sustainability:
-permies playing cards or the food forest game or others like it
-Reusable water bottle and purifier (for those still toting plastic-not-fantastic throw aways) and water-bottle holder/purse
-decorative reusable containers/coffee to-go cup (for those using plastic bags in their lunch)
-multifunctional tool with silverware in it. (for those who have plastic at work or on the go)
-heated blanket/keyboard
-bicycle/scooter
-apron (to keep clothes stain free)


Still more kids:
-utensils for a fake kitchen made of wood/sticks
-dream catcher
-scented paints (add highly scented herbs to natural paints)
-miniature wooden furniture
-seed necklace (made with unusable seed)
-wooden or clay dice
-pick-up sticks with real sticks, cleaned, sanded, colored, and nicely boxed
-angora baby bunny with how-to make yarn kit.
-quail chick or two in a bird cage with egg recipes
-easy pickler kit & appropriate veggies from your garden

And from off-site but still encourages sustainability:
-permies playing cards or the food forest game or others like it
-Reusable waterbottle and purifier (for those still toting plastic-not-fantastic throw aways) and water-bottle holder/purse
-decorative reusable containers (for those using plastic bags in their lunch)
-heated blanket with cover that is "fashionable"
-bicycle/scooter/skateboard
-hydroponic/aquaponic herb garden

The other thing about all this gift giving besides ideas to get is matching them to people, and having enough time to get them/make them. This time of winter and the dog-days of summer are perfect "gift making" seasons, but it requires a life style of continually preparing gifts or something like that, as far as I can tell rather than waiting for "the season".

More kids:
-butterfly raising kit/praying mantis eggs or other native beneficial wildlife. Thus, once mature they can be safely released into areas with low populations but plenty of food, water, and shelter, maybe even into a butterfly garden created by the additional gift of the appropriate seeds/plants.
-nature craft book
-pass to a wildlife conservation center or botanical gardens etc.
-clear glass worm farm

Two years ago for Christmas I made an insect hotel for my Sis-in-law.  It seemed to be a big hit with everyone and no one had ever seen one before.

Home made wand pen. Yard waste stick, saw, pocket knife, cheap pen, drill, stain or paint, shellac.

Hawthorn Ketchup was a hit with everyone last year.

But also the usual hats.  The ones that get commented on most are my new born baby boob hats.  

For a duala friend I made a birthing staff. Inspired by this:
http://www.orgasmicbirth.com/birthing-pole/


I of course decorated it with positive affirmations used generally during birth. I guess you could give this to any hippie-type mom-to-be.

Tis the season to be jolly... coming up.

Time to warm up your skills and churn gifts again, as harvest is ending and we're all driven indoors in the northern climates.

I'm making grape jelly and various pepper products, tomato based salsas, and more.  My harvest can be shared....

Yes indeed! Gift making here we come! The best way to do gift stuff I found is to prepare WAY in advanced. So what's up this year?

For the elementary school kid: We have a party broken computer being revamped and free programs/ urls with educational programming will be added.

For my hubby and my anniversary I'm making a book of all the projects and fixed we keep dreaming about, knowing I should have a block of time in the future to actually do them. I'm calling it a living document and it comes with some pictures, approximate hours and cost so the projects will have a dimension of reality and feasibility.

What about wrapping paper? I use bags when possible since they can be reuse, even if I'm not the one who gets it back. Ribbons fall into a similar category. The year we needed towels I wrapped all my husband's gifts in towels. You could use paper grocery bags, then toss it in the fire place. You can even have the kids draw on them or use some of their old artwork as wrapping paper, if they approve. Better than the shiney stuff you have to buy but you're not supposed to burn.

Other wrapping paper ideas that don't result in trash:
bees wax cloth sandwich wraps.
New clothes or bedding (*gasp* A Mini Mouse pillowcase!)
Baskets/bins
Canvas bags/reusable shopping bag
Vases
Hats
Decorative Lunch containers
Cloth napkins or rag set
Colorful bucket
Garden pot
Cups/mugs/bowls/mason jars


Throw a nice bow, dried flowers or leaves from the garden, nuts,  maybe even a home-made bracelet or belt on it to make it look festive and yeah, you might still be known as the hippie of the family, but it will look cute enough for praise and your unwrapping clean up will be practically nil.

https://www.diynatural.com/reusable-food-wrap-plastic-alternative/
Step by step for the sandwich wraps: consider using scrap fabric or salvaged bits

We, well mainly the wife ... but i'm helping....are making elderberry syrup for friends and family this year . Hopefully no colds or the flue for anyone this year!  Provided they will use it...

This year I’m making fruit flavored balsamic vinegar as gifts using fruit from my trees. I do need to buy the vinegar though.

I made boxes out of old books for a while.  I don't have pictures of the ones I made, but here's someone else's:



I liked to go through the book before cutting and tear out pages with neat visuals to use on the inside of the box part afterwards.  My mum got a book about Napoleon w/inside cover/lid decorated with a map and diagams of military tactics on the inside sides of the box.

My brother's book was an old veterinary handbook.  I think I used a diagram of a horse skeleton for the main image in that one.

You can make a nice magnetic closure for the lid by slipping in a thin piece of metal between the cover and the pastedown (endpaper glued to the inside of the book cover) and hiding a magnet in a hollowed out space in the box edge.

Not so local, but gifts that have less associated waste, using bulk items, waste products, and reusable packaging. They are also a little bit propaganda-ish: they have the hidden message "DYI is do-able. Natural products are good."

Teas with a reusable tea ball. The orange peel is a biproduct of eating organic oranges. The mint and lemon balm is from the yard. The rest is bulk herbs. I bought the jars because I never seen to have enough of that size, but each jar was about $1.

Body whipped lotion: mostly bulk coconut oil, but a little coco butter and flavoring (essential oils or spices)

Lip balm: similar to the body lotion, but with a little bees wax to make it set harder.

I'll put little tags attached with string with the ingredients. To finish it off.  

Here's a few things that could be gifts, but I made them for us. The little bags are snack bags that replaced our plastic lunch bags or annoying Tupperware. They were cheap plain bags and I got a set of fabric makers and we went to town. They work perfect for anything dry, including cold pizza and sandwich bites. Once used we put them in a garment bag, inside out. When that's sorta full, we wash them in the washing machine.

This is a cardboard box covered in an old shirt. My husband loves it. This could be a gift box. Put in some shredded paper and home cooked goodies and your set. I made it because we needed a place for small winter gear.

With the help of the wayback machine, I harvested the link that Paul made in his first post, tried to put in all the original formating and the links and images. My head hurts! BUt, I got the info, and that's the important thing

https://web.archive.org/web/20111225021517/http://www.wealthinformatics.com/2010/11/11/homemade-gifts-diy-holiday/

77+ Homemade gifts – DIY Christmas/Holiday gifts

The best gift  is something that is given from the heart. It could be pricey or cheap, if it expresses your thoughtfulness, it will be treasured. Homemade gifts are one of the best ways to express your love and they are, in most cases, cheaper too. I have compiled a list of homemade gifts from around the web and friends/family. If you already have a list of gifts ready for your recipient and started working on homemade gifts half way through the year, great, you have done very well. Use these ideas to find inspirations for what to do for next year. If you have not, there are a lot of ideas that require less time. Browse through this and you might hit the jackpot. I have grouped them by the recipient’s nature. But please browse through all of them as many of the gifts are easily customizable for anyone.


For the decorator
Giving a readymade center piece or art piece is a bad idea for a decorator who would like to decorate every inch of their home according to their taste. What you could try is

1. Scented potpourri : If you know the scent they like, you could make this or try to make a generic holiday scented potpourri. Here are some recipes – Potpourri recipes

2. Hurricane lamps : This puts together a basic hurricane lamp. The gift recipient can do minor changes to change the theme. Example : Dollar store version of William Sonoma Hurricane lamp. The recipient can easily change the decor of the hurricane lamp based on season (berries in December, autumn leaves in fall, fresh green leaves for summer, etc.)

3. Decorator gift basket : You can put together some necessary items for the decorator instead of giving a specific item they will be forced to display. Put together a gift basket with safety pins, planner, scissors, rulers and any other items that a decorator might use. You can also add a subscription to a home decoration magazine or the local craft supplies store. Gifts for decorator from Associate content



4. Decorative pillar candles : Create decorative decal pillar candles and matching match boxes. Find the instructions here @ Martha Stewart.

For the chef
The possibilities are endless when it comes to food related items.

5. Family Cookbook : Spend sometime with all the relatives of the gift recipient and put together a family cookbook with those secret ingredients and tips/tricks. Hand written would work great and will be treasured too! If you want to make it look really professional you could try Taste Book.

6. Utensil Holder : Who wouldn’t like to be more organized. For a personal touch in the kitchen try a home made utensil holder that will serve the chef well. Utensil Holder tutorial : Keep it simple.

7. Recipe/ingredients from around the world collection : This is a variation of the family cookbook. Instead of the family recipes, you could put together recipes from all over the world and also buy the ingredients for a couple of recipes and pack them together so that they won’t have to go looking for exotic spices.




8. Cookie cutter Kit : Make your own cookie cutters in some fun shapes that are not normally available in the store. Create your own custom cookie cutters. The kids will love your gift.

9. Spice Sampler : Collect different ethnic spices and put them in a set of pretty vintage cans or mason jars. You can check this William Sonoma Spice collection for spice ideas but buy them at a bulk store instead of the pricey WS tubs.

10. Gourmet Salt assortment : Collection of a variety of unique salts. This can also be bought in bulk and put together into different gift baskets. Where to buy Gourmet Salt?

11. Kitchen Apron : Show your love for the chef with a custom made kitchen apron. Lot of ideas for patterns and DIY instructions available on the internet. 50 Free Apron patterns that you can make.

12. Kitchen towel pillow cases : If the chef likes kitchen themed items in the bedroom or living room, make pillow cases out of inexpensive kitchen towels.

For the food connoisseur
13. Coffee Lovers gift basket : Gourmet coffee is a terrific idea for coffee lovers, but these gift baskets from Star Bucks or Dunkin Donuts are expensive. You can make a great gift basket very inexpensively. How to make coffee lovers gift basket



14. Homemade cookies/Truffles : Chocolate Truffles recipe [Here is another delicious looking recipe, with pictures and great explanation - Chocolate Truffle Suggested by: potator]

15. Homemade sauces : Make a big batch of your favorite sauces, pack them in nice jars and share with your friends. Recipes for variety of homemade sauces.

16. Homemade Jellies or jams : If you are someone with a green thumb and you just harvested a lot of fruits, can them, make jam and/or jellies. These make a great gift for anyone. 101 Homemade jams, jellies and marmalade recipes.

17. Or combine a lot of homemade holiday goodies and make a treat platter. Any of your special cooking skills will be great.

18. Holiday Drink mixes : Spread cheer with batches of homemade cocktail mixers. Decant them into decorative bottles, available at home stores and add a label with drink recipes and storage instructions. Holiday drink mixes – Martha Stewart

For the Gardener


19. Vintage garden markers : I would love to get some of these  Convert your old silverware or other tools into vintage garden markers. Spoon Herb Markers

20. Garden stepping stone : Home made garden stepping stones are a great way to personalize a garden. They are easy and fun to make. Make your own garden stepping stone.

21. Garden lover gift basket : If you know your gardener well and know what tools he/she has, then put together a gift basket that has the tools that they don’t have but would love to have. Ideas on what to include.

22. Garden tool belt : Gardeners move around a lot, carrying a basket might not be convenient for some people. Create a crafty tool belt to hold all their tools. Step-by-step instruction on how to make a craft tool belt.

23. Custom planters : Show your artistic side and create custom planters, it can be anything from small painted boxes for seed starters or sake-box planters. Instructions for sake box planters.

24. Potted Plants : If you are a gardener yourself and have a plant that the gift recipient would like, create a cutting and start the plant. You can include the caring instructions and gift it. You can always decorate the pot for an added personal touch.

For green folks

25. Green starter kit : If you have someone who is thinking about going green, this could be a good gift idea. Fill a reusable tote bad with eco-starter items – Water bottle, CFL bulbs, shower timer, may be some green cleaning solutions (laundry, dish soap), cloth napkins, etc. Some other ideas : The greener perspective gift basket : Treehugger



26. Reusable grocery bad : You can find a lot of vintage fabrics in the thrift stores. With minimal sewing skills you could make wonderful grocery bags. DIY grocery tote bag from a tote bag activist.

For the kids



27. Advent Calendar : You could create a countdown to Christmas advent calendar for kids or for their birthday or for adults make it a family themed advent calendar. Here are some ideas – matchbox advent calendar, envelope advent calendar. Instructions for the matchbox advent available here.

28. Tie dyed t-shirts : These could get messy but the kids will love them. How to tie dye t-shirts.

29. Stuffed animals : Almost every kid loves stuffed animals. A lot of adults love them too. Here is a stuffed pig from Martha Stewart.

30. Folk rag doll : Make a traditional folk rag doll for little girls – instructions.

31. Photo Snow Globes



For her
32. Silk scarf : A nice silk scarf will be appreciated by any fashionista. Instructions

33. Ornamental Jewel box : You can make a jewelry organizer out of simple cork board or buy a plain jewel box (or make one from the scratch) and decorate it.

34. Spa set : Put together a gift basket of home made soap, bath salt, bath bubbles and some candles to make a spa set.

35. Eye pillows : Create different aromatic eye pillows like this one – DIY lavender eye pillow.

36. Jewelry : Make a unique jewelry reflecting the recipients style. How to make simple drop earrings.

For him



37. Coasters : Based on the interest of the recipient, you can create coaters to make a variety of people very happy. Map coasters for avid traveler, coasters with baby pics for new dad, etc.

38. Tip book : A collection of instructions from the elders in the family will make a great gift for a DIY’er.

For new parents
39. Scrapbooking kit : If they don’t already have one, this is a great gift for new parents to preserve the memories of their precious little one. How to put together a scrapbooking kit

40. ‘No cook’ food baskets : Make batches of items that the new parents can just heat-and-eat or something that takes very little time. With their busy schedules they will love your thoughtfulness. You can make your own recipes or put together the heat-and-eat stuff from Trader Joes or other ethnic stores.

41. New baby gift basket : Any new parent will gladly accept stuff that will make their lives easier. Put together a practical gift basket or a themed gift basket. 3 Easy DIY Baby gift baskets.

42. Gift of time : This is a terrific gift for anyone, not just new parents, but new parents will appreciate it more than anyone else I guess. Give them your time – offer to baby sit or cook or help around the house… whichever task that will give them some time.

43. Diaper bag : If you can sew you can make a diaper bag with a personalized pattern and initials. You could also add compartments that you found useful that are not generally available in the standard diaper bags. Fabric diaper bad pattern.

For book lovers
44. Bookends : You can make bookends either based on a theme or to match their decor. Here are some ideas pebbles book end, bookend using a brick.



45. Bookmarks : These are very simple to make and very inexpensive. Make it funny, sentimental, geeky, crafty, add a message, photo… Here is an example DIY paper bookmark.

46. Journal/Dust Cover : Make your own journal cover and customize it. You can buy a journal to go with this and add your own quotes to it. Journal cover tutorial.

For grandparents
47. Heirloom photo ornaments : Give handcrafted photo ornaments as gifts or make them to decorate your own holiday tree. DIY Photo Ornaments



48. Photo Calendar : Compile the grandkids and sons/daughters photos and make a photo calendar. You can either do the whole calendar at home or upload the photos and use one of the online photo printing services to create yours. Shutterfly wall and desk calendars.

49. Photo books : You can compile all the photos and make professional looking photo books online.

50. Refrigerator magnets : Grandparents can’t get enough of their grandkids, make these photo refrigerator magnets to fill their fridge with cool photos. Fun DIY refrigerator magnets.

51. Photo Cubes Simple, cheap frameless photo cube.

52. Make a video : Make a video of you, your spouse and the kids. General everyday life, play time and a few words about the grandparents, they will love it.

53. Silhouette picture : Instead of framing a regular picture create a frame with a silhouette picture, they are nice, different and interesting. How to make Silhouette portraits.

There are numerous gifts-from-photos like mouse pads, mugs, home decor, playing cards that the grandparents would treasure. They are easy and inexpensive to make.

For pets
Apparently people give gifts to pets. I don’t have a pet and I have no idea what a pet would like (if I were a [dog name] I would love some treats though). Here are some of the ideas I found online. If you have ideas please comment, I will add it here crediting to you.

54. Pet Vest : Make a dog shirt from the sleeves of your sweat shirt or baby clothes or knit your own doggie scarf.



55. Pet tag : Create a customized tag for your pet. Here are some instructions from Martha Stewart for pet ID tags.

56. Pet Collars : These are simple to make and can be created from a different variety of materials – fabric, leather, crochet. Here is a DIY trendy pet collar.

For someone who has it all


57. Tea cup candles : These are a variation of decorative candle holders. Find a great tea set that the gift recipient would like and make it a candle. Kate’s DIY tea cup candles. These look great.

58. Pin Cushion : This could be an ideal gift for a crafter or someone who sews. For others it could be used as a paper weight or just a squeeze ball. Here are 60+ free patterns for making a pin cushion.

59. Movie Lover pack : Get the unrestricted movie tickets from Costco or any warehouse club or from the theatre itself and add a gift card for snacks. Or try one of these Top ten gift ideas for movie lovers.

60. Personalized towels : Everyone can use more towels. Embroider the towels with a monogram to make it personal. If you don’t sew, that is ok as well. Try this – No Sew personalized towels.

61. Homemade Bath Salt : Fragrant bath salt recipes are easy and inexpensive to make. Here are some homemade bath salt recipes. These are ideal gift-in-a-jar.

62. Song Collection : Find their favorite band/songs and create a homemade disk with a collection of those. You could also add the lyrics or trivia about the songs/band if the recipient is very much into music.

63. Homemade soap, lip balms 41 pampering spa gifts to make from Tipnut.

64. Cell phone/IPod cases : You could make cute cases out of vintage fabric or themed fabric. Examples

65. Quilts : A simple no sew quilt instruction – How to create a tie quilt. You can make a holiday themed or any themed quilt.

66. Homemade beaded candles : Very simple and professional looking. Instructions here.



67. Holiday pot holders : Who wouldn’t like a beautiful pot holder? Here are the instructions for making Christmas themed pot holders. Here is a big list of different pot holder patterns from around the web –=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225021517/http://tipnut.com/potholder-patterns/ Tipnut potholder patterns.

68. Make a book about their loved one : If you know someone who lost a loved one, this could be a great gift. Collect photos, journals, notes and letters of that special person and make a custom book, like a scrap book.

69. Make a puzzle : You can make a puzzle from a picture either athome or [ur=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225021517/http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/puzzlesl]build it online and order[/url].

For frequent travelers
70. Fabric luggage tags : Make a personalized luggage tag for the frequent traveler to easily identify their bags. Fabric luggage tags.



71. Travel pillows : With the airlines nickel and diming travelers for everything, a cute little pillow will be a great gift for the frequent flyer in your list. How to make a pretty travel pillow.

For the busy mom
72. Stress balls : Give the mom a squeezable stress ball that she can relieve her tension with Make your own stress balls.

73. Birthday and Anniversary Calendar : Everyone is busy these days, esp. a mom. Create a personalized calendar with the gift recipient’s loved one’s birthdays and anniversaries marked along with some photos. Make your own birthday and anniversary calendar.

74. Manicure & Pedicure : If you are good at doing these, it will be a welcome gift by the busy mom.

Other ideas include customized jewelry for moms, homemade perfume set and of course your gift of time. Busy moms love anything that saves them time.

For teachers


75. Desk Organizer : Make a simple organizer from recycled video sleeves.  How to make a Desk organizer

76. Books /magazine/comics/workbook bins: Or any type of storage containers using different boxes and creativity. Example : Cereal box storage bins from Urban Nest

77. Craft/Stationary bucket : In lot of school districts, the teachers buy their stationary and teaching supplies. So it could be a great to put together a craft or stationary basket.

Themed gift baskets & gifts in a jar
I have included at least one gift basket in each section, but a gift basket can be made for any one, even the hard to please recipients – sports themed, pet themed, food themed, romantic, country themed, movie themed, you can create endless personalized gift baskets.

The same goes with gifts in a jar, you can make a variety of gifts in a jar based on the recipients’ interest – Here are 48 Homemade gift ideas in a jar to jump start your creativity.

General ideas : Any craft/knit work – placemats, sweaters, ponchos, socks, mittens, scarf, wall hangings, etc. and any consumables – baked food, preserves, drinks, etc. could be a great gift for the right recipient.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart.  It's always fun to make things that others will use and enjoy.  Some of the things I've done in the past....
- grocery bags - I deconstructed a t-shirt bag from Target about 20 years ago, made a pattern and have been sewing them ever since.  They are quick to make and last for years.
- home made soap from scratch - I have sensitive skin and have been making my own soap for close to 20 years.  I make enough to cleanse the county!
- cocktail napkins out of my husband's old jeans.
- hot pads using the pocket sections from my husband's old jeans - I utilize my old kitchen towels for padding and get therma-flec for extra measure.
- paw print ornaments for the lovers of critters - using the air dry clay, and pressing a paw in the clay.  We then cut it out using a cookie cutter and paint.
- critter toys using my husband's old jeans - for dogs, I use old kitchen towels for stuffing, for cats, I fill completely with organic cat nip.
- gingerbread houses FILLED with cookies, toffee, brownies, etc - since my nephews were little I've made gingerbread houses and filled them with what I can find.  They love it.
- baked goods and candy - cookies, banana bread (using the bananas we grow), toffee, fudge, truffles, rum balls (I save my cake scraps from the year to make them).
- other things to eat - fruit infused liquors, jams/jellies/compotes, elderberry syrup (using our elderberries).
- sweet butters - the pumpkins go on "clearance" here the end of November and I cook them down in my slow cooker to make the BEST pumpkin butter.  One year a friend who owned a produce business gave me about 50 large pumpkins...the slow cooker and I were WAAAY busy, but we had pumpkin butter for months.
- painting the large popcorn tins for storage - and filling them with goodies.
- spa kits - I save the cylindrical oatmeal containers, wipe them clean on the inside, wrap them with scrap fabric and fill them will home made face oil, clays and salts for masks (and the recipes).
- spices in recycled jars - I save my glass jars, paint the lids and put spices, herbs, salt, pepper in them.
- plants and seeds - I've given these as presents many times.  One year I figured out what kind of plant my father had at his home when he was a child (that he LOVED the smell of), found seeds and grew them.

I was trying to think of something to make for my one-year old niece, and thought a stuffed animal would be  nice. I asked my brother what animal to make, and he said cat, so I tried my hand at needle-felting a cat!



(Is it just me, or do eyes on toys always look a bit creepy?)

I personally would find them creepier without eyes!😜 Neat cat.

What Tina said! I think that cat is adorable!

Since it's February again, I think this is worth a repeat.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Personally, I know some people who are very much NOT into Valentine's Day. They think it's been turned into another holiday of consumerism, materialism and otherwise unhealthy things.

THIS, however, turns that on its head, IMHO. Not as much a really handmade thing (unless you're crafting the box yourself, or saving your own seeds) but rather creative and very cool, if you ask me.

From http://www.motherofahubbard.com/say-i-love-you-with-seeds/

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:What Tina said! I think that cat is adorable!

Aww, thank you! My other niece liked her sister's kitty so much, that I ended up making her one for Christmas. Now, of course, both my kids want one...but they want a RED cat. I'm not quite up to making a creepy red cat right now!

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Since it's February again, I think this is worth a repeat.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Personally, I know some people who are very much NOT into Valentine's Day. They think it's been turned into another holiday of consumerism, materialism and otherwise unhealthy things.

THIS, however, turns that on its head, IMHO. Not as much a really handmade thing (unless you're crafting the box yourself, or saving your own seeds) but rather creative and very cool, if you ask me.

From http://www.motherofahubbard.com/say-i-love-you-with-seeds/

Ha! That reminded me of the seed bon bons I saw on my facebook feed

Here's a tutorial on how to make your loved one some not-so-tasty, but in-the-future-tasty bon bons https://www.instructables.com/id/Seed-Bon-Bons/



It looks like those crunched for time can also buy seed bon bons here...if they weren't already sold out! https://www.gardeners.com/buy/seed-bon-bons/39-446.html

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Personally, I know some people who are very much NOT into Valentine's Day. They think it's been turned into another holiday of consumerism, materialism and otherwise unhealthy things.
THIS, however, turns that on its head, IMHO. Not as much a really handmade thing (unless you're crafting the box yourself, or saving your own seeds) but rather creative and very cool, if you ask me.

Being one of those people, THAT is awesome
I have an ex who gave me a bare root rose bush. That was cool. Generally though, I don't want anything to do with the mess of VD. I have one ex who always brought me cut flowers.  He meant well, but what part of "I garden, bring me things to grow!" is complex? (Actually the part that was complex to him was that I was a human who had any opinions, that was the major downfall of the relationship.)
Seed heart, THAT is cool!!

I give Forever Sponges for gifts.  Each sponge takes about 5 minutes to make.  

Nothing lasts forever but these kitchen sponges if cared for can each last for months, if not longer.  They stay smelling great (wool and hemp are both naturally antimicrobial) if properly cared for.  



They are practical gifts made from a piece of scrap wool (4 1/4 X 7 1/2") sewn into a little envelope pocket. Each holds a half-ounce of hemp fiber. Hemp fiber filling for 20 sponges can be purchased here -  https://www.naturalfillingstore.com/product-page/hempfiber  which works out to under $1 per sponge!

Carve or craft a dish out of some woven sticks or pottery and you have a gift almost everyone on your list would appreciate.  

(Be aware that once you gift these, your friends and family will keep asking you for more).

Julia Winter wrote:I gave homemade granola last year and it was surprisingly popular.  Maybe more popular than the bath bombs and definitely more popular than the home made soap!

Bath bombs are easy to make (well, relatively easy) if you can get your hands on large quantities of citric acid.  I got mine from a local cheese supply place.

I'll be giving home made ketchup this year as well.

Personally, I would prefer the homemade soap to any of the other things you've been making.

This year, in the spice department, I made a discovery: Sumac spice. There is a large patch of bright, dark red Staghorn Sumac near me, so a couple of weeks ago, I went foraging. I brought back a Homer pail of nice Staghorns.
You have to let it dry a bit for a couple of weeks maybe so it processes easier. To make the spice, I rub the horns between my hands to remove the worst of the seed supports, [just the 'horn'] really then put the berries with the little red hairs in my Ninja food processor. It is the little red hairs you are after.
From my seed collection and cleaning kit, I have screens. First I run the whole thing through the coarser screen. [a little bigger than mosquito screening]. That will separate out the seeds and débris.
I immediately ran to my berm along the road to scatter these seeds [I'd love to have a big patch a little closer!].
Then I run it through the mosquito screen over a baking sheet. Now, I have a beautiful bright dark red spice that tastes like lemons [but a whole lot cheaper].
The reason I pass it through 2 screens instead of jumping to the smaller screen right away is that the "feel" of this spice is somewhat velvety and cakey: You could squish it into a lump if you compressed it, so the smaller screen might get plugged if you were to do that.
Add to melted butter over fish, or to confectioner's sugar on a lemon cake, in a drink, alcoholic or not.
It is quite rich in vitamin C, so next, I might make hard candies for a sore throat. I'd mix it with honey. The advantage is that since the spice is not liquid, so it could mix directly with honey and get it refrigerated to harden... And I happen to have such old honey that crystallized and is not salable... Hmmm...
The spice or the candy would make a nice little gift in a pretty glass jar.

Hi, I loved all the ideas and will definitely be using some.

My wife and I give gifts a bit throught the year.

There are 3 gifts:  

1 is a mason jar filled with the dry ingredients for cookies, cakes, muffins, etc. Put a finished quilt square or colorful piece of fabric over the top and tie it with a colored string ribbon. Then curl the ribbon with a blunt edge like a pair of scissors. Put cooking directions on a label and tape it to the jar. Sometimes the ingredients look like a landscape.

2 I buy drinking chocolate with aztec spice, place it in a wooden box with designs carved in it. (usually found at garage sales) Wrap it with colored ribbon string and a bow.  Sometimes I change the appearance of the box, usually I just give em a good cleaning and waxing.

3 A lap quilt, and I get to help Except in the middle of each square we stitch a piece of yarn. Someone at the church says a prayer and takes a yarn and ties a knot on the quilt. When all the squares have a bow tied in them, we give it away.

My MIL & wife make the best bake goods as well as the best fruit cake.
I think wood cravings are good: