What does a permie give as gift for holidays?

We have big gatherings with the family for the holidays, and many times we do the white elephant thing.

Over the years, I gave purchased gifts, handmade stuff, kitchen products (candy, jams, fruit liquors, fruit preserves, baked stuff) and so on. We always have to prepare two gifts since there are two of us.

One year I had a quart of home made butter and Nina Teicholz's "The Big Fat Surprise" as one gift and a lb of ground beef (from our own steers) with "Defending Beef" book as the other gift. I thought I was soo thoughtful. Ha! Let's just say that nobody fought to get those gifts...

As a permie, what do you give as gifts?

Something that my wife has started doing and has had great reception is making homemade personalized cards.

We have stencils, stamps, a variety of writing tools and some good ole fashion creativity. Some fun ones utilized water paints and came out great.

Timothy Norton wrote:Something that my wife has started doing and has had great reception is make homemade cards.

We have stencils, stamps, a variety of writing tools and some good ole fashion creativity. Some fun ones utilized water paints and came out great.

You mean holiday greeting cards? How nice!

Can you post some samples sometime?

I'll snap a few photos as the holidays are coming around quickly and share.

My plan for our (all grown and on their own - a long way from us,  because we moved) kids, this year, is to make up baskets for each, with all reuseable things that help promote wellness &/or bring comfort, when one is sick or injured: handkerchiefs made from super-soft diaper flannel (nothing nicer on a tender nose); rice bags (one to keep in the freezer, one for warming) with soft covers; cotton bandages with wraps made of beeswax to hold them in place; good tea balls for using herbs & spices in healing teas.

Last year, I gave them all full access to all my herbal notes, recipes, etc. I felt bad, because it was all I had. They were ecstatic, because it was all so organized and comprehensive, and all in one spot.

In previous years I've given the Learning Herbs Wildcraft Game, the Herb Mentor Herbal Remedies Kit (a teaching kit), road safety kits, books geared to each person's interests, art and craft supplies also geared to each person's interests. I like using a theme, each year, that makes decisions easier that I can still tailor to my recipients, that will hopefully be perennial and make their lives better.

We pretty much just gift food stuffs for the holidays. Baked treats, dried herbs and canned goods have all been big winners.
We have number of very nice, fine china and glass plates we use to sent out the goodies. My mother loves finding a great plate at thrift stores or yard sales so she's happy to give them away. Unfortunately, we keep getting the clean and empty plates given back, often with hints about what was their favourite for next year, so she doesn't need to buy as many replacements as she would like.

One year the gift was everyone got a little bundle of my most requested and easiest to write up recipes. I still use the copy I kept for myself in a 3 ring binder and it's much more convenient than going back into the source books every time.

Last year i gave my siblings Redmond Real salt and typed up a trifold pamphlet explaining that salt vs. Table salt. It went over really well.

2 years ago was set of custom spice blends i made (powdered ranch, pizza shake, chai tea etc.) I'm still getting requests for the recipes i created.

This year will be cotton dishcloth sets and a notebook with a cover that fits their interests.

I do tend to do themes. It keeps things in my head clearer and makes wrapping easier.

We aren't big on gifts in my family, not at holidays anyway.
I used to make plates of cookies but here in the southern hemisphere holiday-time is high summer with crazy humidity, which means baking-gifting-eating need to happen within about 24 hours, it's just not realistic.

Lately I make candied nuts- recently using peanuts and a good shot of smoked salt and korean red pepper flakes, but it also works with other nuts and spices (almonds with pumpkin spice?). People go NUTS for it. Pantry ingredients (assuming you have the nuts). You really can't go wrong. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/candied-peanut/

this year i am doing candles and wax melts. i was just going to do candles, and ordered a lot of soy wax and a bit of beeswax to blend, but apparently my mom has a thing for wax melts now, so going to make a big batch for her and candles for everyone else.

i make crafts for a living so everyone on my short christmas list is used to getting handmade presents. i switch it up every year
i keep making my mom baskets ! she loves them. but by now i have run through like every gift basket theme i got, it feels a bit repetitive to keep sending her a gift basket every year.
but she really likes my baskets so i am sure i will make her some more later.
many years i do default to as above - food and booze =) homemade fudge, thats one i have done maybe too often...but i put it in like reusable pyrex containers...and thats a big hit.
i like to give booze too - feels like thats one thats always appreciated. =)

I forgot about one gift I'm making, this year. It's for a good friend, in my fiber arts guild, who (as her answer to the question) "what I REALLY want", listed a couple different styles of weaving looms. The limit, if we buy the gift is $20, but if we make it, there's no limit. She and her husband actually came here, and did some great work, because I couldn't. She also was admiring a peg loom I made for myself - a very imperfect prototype of a folding one, and she said she wanted one - but I know she still hasn't gotten to making it. So, this week - I made one for her. She has loads of allergies & sensitivities, so I'll let her decide her own finish. All that's left to do now, is the final sanding on the pegs, which I'll do tomorrow. The party is Saturday.

Edited to add - I did have to buy the dowels & hinges, but the 2x4  was scrap from another project.


UPDATE: Our party was yesterday (Nov 9), and I managed to sneak it to the table without anyone noticing. When our 'elves' began distributing the gifts, there was some joking around about the size of this one, "Look! Your Secret Santa brought you a new wing, for your mobile home!" "No, it's a barn, for all those sheep you're getting, next month!" This friend and her husband are living in an RV, while they build their homestead, from scratch - they have no water/plumbing no power, no buildings. Only the gardens they worked hard to map out, and put in, this year. When she opened it, she screamed, started laughing, and ran over to me for a bear hug. Her husband was happy, grinning ear to ear, and when she wasn't paying attention, laughed and whispered, "That's awesome, but you've set the bar pretty high, for me!"

Honestly?  Things from my vintage mall booth that haven't sold, haha.  And gift cards to a coffeeshop, I'm not really good at making anything except for music and trouble.

And occasionally gift cards to restaurants or stores if necessary.

Ha ha! There is a few past and future gifts of mine on here!
I like to give my siblings the same thing - I've done a family recipe folder with favourite recipes from our childhood and a few I've liked since.

This year I've made dishcloths:


Although having tried mine out I think they may be better as trivets or coasters, since the granny square is still pretty firm when wet.

Last year I made yip yips quick and easy to make, colourful fun using up yarn 'stash' and everyone can find a use for a little bag!

This year, I plan to make tote bags.  I've gotten the cotton canvas and the "Tourist Tote" pattern on line. There are tons of videos walking through the process.  It looks very easy--just rectangles of fabric and interfacing.  Joann Fabric had the material on sale for about four dollars a yard and the large bag only takes a little over a yard so it will not be expensive. If you've ever priced LL Bean bags, you'll know that to buy one is not cheap! Expect to pay about $45!  If nothing else, they can be used as grocery shopping bags, but they are useful for any trip to the pool or other destinations like picnic lunches.
I made a lot of wine this year, so that could be a nice gift. So far, I have strawberry, dandelion and rhubarb.  The rhubarb is a new one and I'll be eager to try it.  Next year, I hope to have enough mulberries, gooseberries and quince to try. If I'm lucky, there will also be persimmons, and with 40 blueberry bushes, I don't know why I haven't made any of that yet!
I made a friend a blanket with two coordinating two yard pieces of fleece.  It came out very well.  She said that it is very warm and that her cats love it, too! I decided to "square" it up and then sew the two pieces together (right sides together) and then turn right sides out and then sew around the perimeter, closing the turning point while doing so. This was a very easy project.  I have more fleece waiting to be made up.  Years ago, I used to make PJ pants with fleece--another great gift. Cotton or linen napkin sets make another lovely gift as do lap quilts or full-sized quilts, but those are much more expensive.  I used to make lots of jumpers for my niece when she was very little.  She always got very excited about clothing which was always a surprise to me, because I remember NOT getting excited about receiving clothing as a gift!
I make lots of salves and tinctures which are very appreciated gifts.  I have tons of plantain growing in amongst the lawn, so a few "harvests" of that are easy enough to do! I grow elderberries for tinctures (and perhaps wine one day!) I also have hawthorn newly planted, some lemon balm, mint...hundreds of plants. The containers are nice and small, so I can stockpile them, and if a friend stops by, I can quickly grab one to give on the spot.
I've made bowl cozies, sleeping eye masks, (masks during the pandemic) and jewelry--I have an enameling studio set up where I work on earrings and necklaces during the cold and dark winter months--the kiln adds warmth and the enamel adds color during the monochromatic season.

Last year I gave my extended family members each a kombucha scoby (grown from my scoby but you could also purchase one and separate to grow as many as you need), I added instructions on how to make kombucha as well as a good vessel to make them in (large vintage glass pitchers found at thrift store). They were intrigued and most tried it but gave up as the first batch takes time and they have busy, more normal lives  They liked the pitchers and the gift idea as a whole. Hey, it's the thought that counts and getting together, right?

This year I may give bluestone rocks with holes drilled through the center to use for candle holders or for a balancing branch sculpture / mobile.

Lynne Cim wrote:They were intrigued and most tried it but gave up as the first batch takes time and they have busy, more normal lives  They liked the pitchers and the gift idea as a whole. Hey, it's the thought that counts and getting together, right?

I think it was a great idea, you made it easy for them to try something new. If some of them continued it that is even better, but a new hobby or skill is a nice thing to give. I remember giving my nieces knitting kits one christmas when they were little, I've been given a cheese making kit - that's quite a simple yet powerful one.

A seed collection
Homemade candles
A homemade board book
A homemade wooden sign like what we have in our BB section

GO-bags (not just the bag / duffel / knapsack but what goes in it: a FIRST AID kit, whatever personally you think they might need, plus a list: put x days of medication in it, spare house / truck keys, etc)

But
Since my friends are permies:


Items one can't get too much of

Wool socks bought or made
Ear flap hats

Books from the review list we have going here
Firefox immediately comes to mind
also:

Red housewrap tape
Knives and scissors
Canvas tarps
Clamps (spring, ratcheting), spreaders, cord, high quality chain, pulleys
Tie down ratcheting straps for bringing home roadside finds
Trailer
Plywood
Lumber
Scaffolding
Outdoor (decking) screws
Self tapping screws
Galvanized cans

Gift certificate for a Harbor whatzit type of place
Gift certificate for so many hours of your time

This year is homemade apple cider vinegar and candied citrus. I do wish someone would put out a new deck of cards for the worst case scenario game. Also a receipt book with all the family favorites for the new daughter in law

No definite plans for this year, but we have built up a bit of a store of interesting or unique jams and jellies...we have way more than we are likely to make use of, so giving some of them away, especially when wrapped in a tea towel or something like that tends to go over well.  We have a few relishes and other odds and ends as well, but don't expect me to willingly give up any of the BBQ sauce we just made...I like it too much.

Our youngest lives halfway across the country (we live in the middle, he lives on the edge) and he was really excited last year (I think that was it) that, as She Who Must Be Obeyed was packing the box and had some space left over included a jar of red pepper jelly (I think).  I'm sure he'd be happy if we could send some of my homemade horseradish - he and I are the only ones who consume it.  

I would like to grow / make / craft more gifts - that doesn't support the commercialization of giving, which is a concept I value.  I've always felt challenged in thinking I'm not too crafty, but I'm handy enough so if I can get an idea, I can usually work something out.

We've found it's always best to give thoughtfully, spending some time thinking about the recipient's wants and needs and likes / dislikes.  Of course, around here, it's been reduced to everyone making lists of things they are interested in...sigh.

Such a loaded question...when my kids are grown and flown I suspect gifts like the ones suggested here will be valued. My family is not of that ilk.

Over the years I've made the same thing for everyone, such as tweedy sewn owls, felted wool bowls/containers, painted silhouettes of kids, knitted hats, hand sewn Dopp kit bags, custom shearling shoe liners...little is well-received (DOPP kits were) so in 2020 we stopped pouring ourselves into handmade items and feeling bad about the whole thing. This year they will all get a silk pillowcase. I got them at a great sale price from an okay company and my husband (such a stodgy, er, minimalist) LOVES his silk pillowcase so I think it will go over well. The shift to consumerism does make me sad but we try to find something they may actually appreciate that we feel okay buying too. Too bad for them it all shifted just when I started making the BEST soap.

For others, we plan to gift my husband's really good hard cider or homemade cider syrup.

Tereza Okava wrote:
assuming you have the nuts). You really can't go wrong. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/candied-peanut/

True, I used to do candied nuts for coworkers.
I would roast slivered almonds as well by pan frying them -- that's a dry fry, no oil needed, just put in a pan heated to medium heat and keep stirring them for a few seconds until they start to brown then dump them out immediately -- and adding them to my nut collection before tossing into the sugary mix.

I would spend the year putting aside pretty jars that also weren't too functional for me: ones with lids too narrow for continuous use jamming my hands inside wide lids for washing. So I had a way to reuse most of the jars I wasn't keeping.

I would cover the lids with some bright fabric scraps, using a pair of crimping shears (scissors that make wavy cut lines) to make circles adding about an inch to the radius of the jar lid, then tie with a little piece of ribbon with a homemade tag made of a part of an old Christmas greeting card tied to the ribbon, also cut with crimping shears.

Last year we made a healing salve using usnea moss and comfery along with some other herbs. Tinctures are easy. I usually make a big batch of my own version of apple pie moonshine and give that away in mason jars. Infused honey is another one.

This year, I think everyone will get a nice bottle of organic biodynamic wine. Organic winemakers do the kind of agriculture I want to support (small-scale, sustainable with a lot of heart poured in), and it's not too obviously a "I want to make you guilty about consumerism" gift.

I just printed off 9 novels to give as a single gift to a family friend. The fictional novel was about the early foster care system in Nevada, and with him being a foster parent that adopted six kids and had three of his own I had dedicated the novel to him and his wife. The nine books I gave to them was so he could give a book to each one of their children as a Christmas Gift.

I just love getting and giving books and think it is so Permies!

A couple of ideas from this year's gift list:

- a potted succulent in a vintage cup for a gift exchange (Drilled a hole in the bottom for drainage)

- converted my daughter's old playsilk into a pillowcase to help keep her hair untangled at night

- gave donations to charities in the person's name (involved my teenagers in choosing something that fits the person's values, and it's been very well received.)

- sewed scrunchies made from fabric scraps as stocking stuffers

- involved my kids in building a LEGO kit for their cousins from their own stash (part of which was *my* childhood stash). They created an awesome pirate boat.

My very permie mom gave me Darn Tough socks and a book from my childhood that was really important to me (from her own bookcase).

More ideas for next year, because my family knows me well...

My husband gave me a book of love poems from a second-hand bookstore. And a new strainer for our sink (as a joke gift, but it was on my TODO list so also a sign that he sees my mental load and shares that burden.). I gave him nice linen bedsheets (which we needed, and is also a gift for me of course)

And my brother-in-law (who was my secret santa - another nice way of reducing overconsumption) gave me nice finishing salts from a local organic farm.

Fixing the world is a lovely gift. But it's hard to wrap.