I need homemade Christmas gift ideas.

[snickelfritz]

My side of the family (mom, dad, sisters, bil's, etc...) is instituting a homemade, Dirty Santa gift exchange.

 

I told my sister about the vanilla and she stole the idea.:D I told her she could, but that was the only creative thing I know about.

 

Other ideas?

 

I'm afraid cookies will get stale. Unless I freeze them?

 

I've never made candy, so it would need to be easy.

 

But, I want it to be something that people are glad they got.

 

I don't crochet or knit, although I can sew a LITTLE and I do have a machine.

 

Dh and I both bring one, so either 2 of the same or 2 different gifts?

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Easy peasy christmas gift: 1 package borden's chocolate candy coating. Unsalted nuts. Melt chocolate in microwave, stir in lots of nuts(maybe six cups?), drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper, cool, store in pretty christmas tins. You can do just half a batch if you want.

 

My dad goes crazy over these. I use pecans from our tree.

 

A little fancier version: 1 package white candy coating, 4 cups of broken pretzel sticks, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup unsalted nuts.

 

Peppermint bark: white candy coating, crushed starlight mints or candy cane. After stirring crushed candy into melted candy coating, spread mixture out evenly on waxed paper or foil, when cool break into pieces.

[mrsdash]

I'm not very crafty but if you are interested in a food item, I have an easy candy recipe. Also, I make biscotti at Christmas and I put them in celephane bags or tie w.raffia, along with some tea or cocoa. It makes a nice gift. I also make baklava as a food gift.

One year my kids bought small tiles from Home Depot and stenciled initials or japanese characters on them and then we sprayed a clear gloss over them and corked the back. They gave them as a set of 4 coasters.

[Hoggirl]

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

 

2 (12-oz) bags of Zachary's Old-Fashioned Creme Drops*

1 (18-oz) jar crunchy (MUST be crunchy) peanut butter

2 - 3 Tablespoons of milk

 

Place creme drops and peanut butter in a large, micro-wave safe bowl. I use an 8-qt pyrex "batter" bowl. Microwave on high about 1 minute 50 seconds to 2 minutes 15 seconds. I check it at about 1:45 and then do 15 second intervals. Add 2 - 3 Tbs milk and stir really, really well. Pour into a greased pan (8x8, 9x9, 11x7). Cool on rack.

 

You can buy the creme drops at Family Dollar year-round. Wal-mart has them at Christmas, but they are 10-oz packages. So, if you can only find this size of bag, you need 48 of the creme drops (there are 24 in the 12-oz). Thus, if you can only find the 10-oz size bags you will have to buy three bags and count out 48. You HAVE to use the crunchy kind of peanut butter (Wal-mart has a Great Value jar that is exactly 18 ounces). I tried it once without smooth and it was waaaay too peanut-buttery in texture.

 

This is super fast and really good! You cannot mess it up! I keep the drops and peanut butter on hand for last-minute hostess and new neighbor gifts.

 

HTH!

[KatieJ]

Birch bark pretzels are reallly easy.

 

Buy the really long rod pretzels and white chips or almond bark, whatever you can find.

Melt the chips and dip about 3/4 of the pretzel. Lay them down on wax paper to dry...side by side.

When you are done, melt a few chocolate chips and drizzle it over the pretzels..looks like birch bark when you are done. Put in a coffee mug or celaphane bags, tins, basket. Add in some home made hot cocoa if you want.

I googled them and found this blog complete with a picture.

 

http://anadesigns.blogspot.com/2007/09/birch-bark.html

[WTMindy]

Recipe for truufles here. If you search her blog using the word truffles you will see some beautiful pictures of the truffles.

[plansrme]

You can google for several recipes, but it is basically a layer of dark chocolate melted with a little peppermint extract, topped by white chocolate with crushed peppermint imbedded in it.

 

I gave this last year to teachers and friends and had recipients calling me for the recipe so they could make it for their friends and family. It was very well received, particularly considering how quick and easy it is.

 

Last year, closer to Christmas, Sam's had 3 lb. blocks of Ghirardelli (which I can never spell) dark and white chocolate, which made it quite economical. I'm making mine as soon as Sam's has their Christmas candy-making supplies. Geez, it's nearly October--what are they waiting for???

 

Terri

[Tabrett]

What about the layered cookie mix in a mason jar. They look really pretty and it would store well.

 

No sew blankets. You take polar fleece and cut about 2 in strips all around the edges and then tie the strips in to knots to keep it from fraying.

 

Craft stores sell kits to make homemade soap.

 

Really pretty scrapbook pages you made where all the receiver has to do is add pictures.

 

If the gift is suppose to be funny, you could make a woman's hammer. You take a regular hammer and get pink ribbon, sequins, feathers and any thing else you would like to decorate the hammer with. Wrap the handle in pink ribbon like you would a tennis racket handle. Hot glue the ends so the ribbon stays in place. Hot glue sequins and feathers around the top of the neck of the hammer (so it looks "pretty" but is still usable). This is suppose "detour" men from stealing their wives tools!!

[A home for their hearts]

I thought these coasters looked like easy and fun. I haven't made them yet myself so I don't know if they are really easy and fun to make but I thought I'd share.

 

criss-cross coasters

Edited September 29, 2008 by A home for their hearts

[Cricket]

You can google for several recipes, but it is basically a layer of dark chocolate melted with a little peppermint extract, topped by white chocolate with crushed peppermint imbedded in it.

 

I gave this last year to teachers and friends and had recipients calling me for the recipe so they could make it for their friends and family. It was very well received, particularly considering how quick and easy it is.

 

Last year, closer to Christmas, Sam's had 3 lb. blocks of Ghirardelli (which I can never spell) dark and white chocolate, which made it quite economical. I'm making mine as soon as Sam's has their Christmas candy-making supplies. Geez, it's nearly October--what are they waiting for???

 

Terri

 

I made peppermint bark one year for all the guys at my dh's work. They went nuts over it.

[Alenee]

My chocolate covered cherries are always a big hit. Pm me if you'd like the recipe.

 

I like the cookie jar idea too...super simple. :001_smile:

[Tina]

Since I love to hear these ideas, too, are there any other non-food ideas? Pretty please?

[mamapjama]

And what is the vanilla idea? I missed that one :bigear:

[snickelfritz]

I'll have to come back later to really look through the ideas closely, but thanks everyone. If anyone else has any more ideas, add them on.

 

The vanilla idea--Homemade vanilla. You buy vanilla beans and stick it in some sort of alcohol (my sister said she found a recipe using vodka and one using rum) for several months.

[dhudson]

I am making lapdesks for family this year.

 

Smalls pillows with a clipboard glued on top. I am going to decorate the clipboard with pictures or coordinate them with the persons decor. Very easy. I make them big enough to hold laptops.

 

Small scrapbooks pre-done for grandparents. I have recieved pre-done scrapbook pages ad loved them - I just added the pictures!

[MMinMN]

I made these for my sister's birthday! They look difficult, but were a snap to sew up!

[Prairie~Phlox]

I decided today that the kids and I are going to make dh some business shirts, I'll get some iron on transfers and white t-shirts and put his business logo on them. We did it YEARS ago and those shirts are long worn out.

 

Phlox

[jmgconner]

For children, I like these fabric beach balls.

 

How about a picnic blanket with rock pockets?

 

I think these terrariums are lovely (and they look easy to make)!

 

Use printable fabric paper and make this easy photo pillow.

 

Now is the perfect time to pick up a large gourd and make your own birdhouse.

 

A wellness bag makes a nice gift.

 

Don't forget tote bags. You can use them to hold gifts or give them as gifts themselves. (This is a super easy tutorial - I even use fabric cut to kitchen towel size.)

[8filltheheart]

I have never heard of a Dirty Santa exchange before, so maybe I am missing something.

 

But an economical gift that is super easy to make are really nice pillow cases. Even my little kids know how to sew them (definitely easy to make).

 

For kids they can be lots of fun b/c you can buy themed fabric that they really like.

[snickelfritz]

Each person brings a wrapped gift. You draw numbers. The first person picks a present and unwraps it. The next person can either steal the present(in which case the person whose present was stolen gets to pick another one) or pick another unwrapped present. Each present can be stolen 2 times and then it is frozen. Makes for a good time, to go with the presents.

[RoughCollie]

Recipe for truufles here. If you search her blog using the word truffles you will see some beautiful pictures of the truffles.

 

I gained 5 lbs. reading that blog, and it's all your fault, Mindy! :D Thanks for supplying that link. I either want to make truffles and bread or move in with that lady.

 

RC

[8filltheheart]

Ok. We have always called them Chinese gift exchange.

[Tina]

And we play the game as a White Elephant gift exchange. My nephew was excited to get to the game with the adults after he graduated high school. He went home with the clapping monkey in heart underwear his first year (something I picked up at the church white elephant exchange!). :)

[PameliaSue]

Here is a link with some fun bath salts and soap recipes... bath/body gifts

You can make these and package them REALLY cute or classy.

[luna]

Each person brings a wrapped gift. You draw numbers. The first person picks a present and unwraps it. The next person can either steal the present(in which case the person whose present was stolen gets to pick another one) or pick another unwrapped present. Each present can be stolen 2 times and then it is frozen. Makes for a good time, to go with the presents.

Here in NH, we call it a Yankee Swap. Traditionally, it's to get rid of things you don't want but someone else can use. We do one with new items under $20. For a homemade idea, how about pillows and blankets made from fleece? They are a no-sew project, easy and quick. I love the lap desk idea and may use that this year. As far as truffles go, YUM! King Arthur Flour sells great chocolate and assorted sprinkles. I made some with chocolate, orange oil and rolled them in white chocolate sprinkles. And their espresso powder is a perfect addition to plain chocolate truffles coated in cocoa powder. Merry, merry

[Mom to Aly]

Here is the most amazing candy recipe--but you really can't stop eating it once you have started! It is much better with almonds than pecans.

 

English Toffee

 

Container: Medium saucepan and small cookie sheet

 

Prep time: 15 min

 

Cook Time: 1 hour

 

Serving Size: 1 piece

 

Servings: 30

 

Ingredients:

 

- 2/3 cup butter (do not substitute)

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/3 cup water

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2/3 cup blanched almonds

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

- 1/4 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions:

 

Combine butter, sugar, water and salt in a medium size saucepan. Cook over low heat. Stir until it boils, then cook without stirring to 236° F. Add blanched almonds and cook to 290° F, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

 

• Stir in baking soda until evenly distributed and then pour onto a greased baking sheet. Add chocolate chips on top and spread until they are melted and covering the surface of the toffee. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
  
• Cool and break into pieces.
  

 

[Jeanne in MN]

Rice bags. Wonderful for warming up aches and pains, soothing headaches, earaches, growing pains and just being cozy. Sew up a rectangular "pillow" out of a soft, somewhat stretchy fabric, fill it with plain old rice and sew it up like a bean bag. Warm it up in the microwave when ready to use. Can keep in the freezer for an ice pack too.

 

Ornaments. Purchase clear, glass bulb ornaments and pour small amounts of acrylic paint inside them. Two or three different colors look best-we also like the metallic paints that glitter a bit. Swirl the paint around in the bulb and let dry. Attach metal top and hook.

 

Fire Starters. Pour melted wax in egg carton containers that have been stuffed with dryer lint. Let dry, cut apart carton into individual cups.

 

Coasters made out of tiles. Find 4"x4" tile at a Home Depot, Menards or the like. Rustic looking ones look awesome. Pick ones with a natural finish, not glossy or shiny finish. They can be bought in bags of 9 for $4-$5. Using any stamp you like and ink that won't rub off (there is a special kind of stamping ink to use-found easily in hobby store next to other ink pads. can't think of the name!) Stamp pics on the tiles. When dry spray with a craft spray that sets the ink. Glue cork to the backsides or corners. Sheets of cork can be found at Wal-Mart by Contact paper and shelving paper, etc. These are really neat gifts!

 

Good luck!