Inexpensive/homemade gift ideas

[JandJ]

disneyred - I sent you a PM with the Pesto Chicken and Pasta recipe. I hope you enjoy it

 

[Mouse House Mama]

This year I am thinking of doing homemade Christmas ornaments. You can make the dough and put the kids handprints in them and then let them paint them and you put the year on it. I also am thinking of making a photo album of the kids for each set of grandparents. One year I did lotto trees for a bunch of people. You buy the really small Christmas trees that come with a burlap bottom and then I bought a bunch of lottos and folded them up and hung them on the tree with some mini ornaments. I am always looking for new ideas!

 

[Coll0610]

We tiled our kitchen backsplash a few years ago and had extra tiles. I bought paint and sealer at Michaels and had DS sponge paint Christmas designs on them. I glued felt to the bottom and all the aunts and grandparents got homemade trivets!

 

[ceecee]

For the candy and cookie makers, please be sure the recipient eats that sort of thing. We get tons of sweets through the holidays and nobody in my family really eats them. We wind up throwing most of it away in January and I feel SO guilty because I know the givers worked hard on it.

Very true, so many people do not eat sweets anymore. DD's teacher last year brought in stuff for the kids because between her and her husband (a minister) they had too many sweets as neither one of them ate them.

 

[ceecee]

I also buy the scratch off lottery tickets ($10.00) for my sisters and nephews and wrap them in tissue rolls with jiggle bells inside. It's fun to see who wins what. Out of 20, we had 3 winners...$20, $2.00 and $1.00!
My friend gave out bean soup mixes last year in a cellophane bags with the spices in a smaller bag. Directions were tied to the bag and printed really cute on a card. One of my girlscouts did the same thing with cocoa mix in a Christmas cup.

 

[tuckerkeys]

another great cookie or candy holder is coffee containers. we used to save ours & wrap the metal in a pretty paper. fill w/ treats & snap on the lid with a bow on top. very nice and easy!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

One of the things I've had great success with for holiday gifts are loaves of homemade bread. If you've not made bread before you'll need to make a few practice loaves, but you should get great results with just a few tries.

I don't know of anyone who doesn't like homemade bread and the varieties are endless. I like to pick up inexpensive tea towels (not the terry sort) and wrap the bread in it for giving. I've made apple butter, and other preserves to go along with the bread too.

If you wanted you could include a bread board, and a serrated cutting knife, but then the cost starts to go up.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

This year, I'm thinking of doing an apron for her. My idea was to put the kids's footprints on it and then have as a saying: "No, my grandkids (or grandchildren, not sure yet) don't walk all over me. Why do you ask?"

I love this one too. Too bad I have an only child, who's 14.

Those of you who get homemade candy, but don't eat it, can feel free to PM me for my address. We'd be happy to take it off your hands.

 

[casey49781]

You could also make candy wreaths...take a coat hanger and make it into a circle, get curling ribbon and make it about a pencil length long, buy any candy that has twisted wraps on both ends,,example, peppermint, rootbeer barrels, tie on one end in the middle of the ribbon then tie on the wire wreath when the wreath is filled get a bow or ornament and attach ,they are very cute,,,,if you want smaller go to craft store and get smaller rings....tie a ribbon around the top so they can hang it....

 

[jrnunzio3]

A few years ago I made the cookie mix in a jar and found the exact same cookie cutters that we had when we were little and that we used to make Christmas cookies with Mom. I tied these to the jars. I gave these to all of my brothers/sisters as sort of a remembrance of the holidays when Mom was around. One of my brothers was really touched by this. All together, I think I spent about $15.00 on these per person, including ingredients for the cookies. I also attached a recipe and instructions on what to do with the mix.

Jenny

 

[joha]

Wow! great ideas.
I think is so nice to get a home made gift, to know that someone took the time to bake, craft, cook, sew, etc and was kind to give it as a gift.
I'm inspired by you guys.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Great ideas!

Again, I love thoughtful gifts - the ones that show you know the person you're giving it to. Favorite colors, favorite flavor cookies, etc. Just showing you remembered makes someone feel loved.

Has anyone ever made the saltine toffee candy? Everyone loved these. You put a layer of saltines in a silpat lined jelly roll pan, melt butter and sugar together in the microwave and pour over the saltines, then bake till bubbly. When it comes out, you sprinkle chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, whatever) over the top, and spread it out then sprinkle on pecans, coconut, peanuts, walnuts, sprinkles, candy cane pieces, anything on top, let cool and break it up into pieces. It tastes just like a skor bar! And since my brother is allergic to nuts, if I use sprinkles or coconut, he can eat it! They're great.

I've made homemade candles before, and I'm really big on making gift baskets - a bottle of wine, a label cutter, corkscrew, etc. makes a nice gift. A pretty colander becomes a great gift with pasta, tomato sauce seasonings, a can of San Marzano tomatoes, a parmesan cheese grater, etc. and they're pretty inexpensive gifts. Waaay back in the late 80's I made up a gift basket of blank video tapes, popcorn, Mike and Ikes and cans of soda. I've also done, tea, tea cup, a favorite cookie or biscuit, and a pair of slippers and a book. The cool part is, you can add more or less depending on your preference.

Homemade picture frames are great, too. Get a large wooden frame, choose a nice picture or pictures to put inside and then get craft paint that matches the recipient's home. You can write their first name or family name, or make a design that goes with a room in their home.

I need an idea for my brothers though. They're tough to shop for. I"m really feminine so it's hard to think of what 40 year old men want. One's a firefighter, one's a first responder and one is a computer op/pastry chef. Ideas??

 

[FlyingBelle]

We tiled our kitchen backsplash a few years ago and had extra tiles. I bought paint and sealer at Michaels and had DS sponge paint Christmas designs on them. I glued felt to the bottom and all the aunts and grandparents got homemade trivets!

My SIL did this last year - but put photos on them - so cute!

Another food idea I've done:

Ritz crackers
peanut butter
marshmallow fluff
melting chocolate

Make a sandwich with 2 crackers, peanut butter & marshmallow fluff on the inside. Then dip to coat in melted chocolate.

YUM!

 

[KLAIT]

 

[HLDisney]

Last year, I made calendars for my mom and several of her sisters (the ones we see more often) using digital scrapbooking. I went through all of the pictures we had from the past and present and for each month I put together a collage of pictures related to a certain theme. For example, January was snow/winter photos, which included photos of my adult cousins as kids playing in the snow many years ago interspersed with recent photos of my own daughter playing in the snow. September's theme was school pictures....and I found some really old school pictures of my mom as a nursing student and one of my aunts as a student (this would be from over 50 years ago) and interspersed them with school pictures of myself, my cousins and my daughter. One or two months' themes were of various family get-togethers. December was Christmas photos....you get the picture.

On the calendar itself, I noted when everyone's birthdays and anniversaries were.

Everyone really loved the calendars and it wasn't that hard to make because all I had to do was design one calendar and then just print out X copies for everyone.

HLDisney

 

[disneyfanfamily]

I have made home made breads. French bread, pumpkin bread, banana bread, strawberry bread, orange nut, etc..... I put them in the VERY mini loaf pans. Perfect size for breakfast.

I have also done the candy and cookie route.

For little girls, I have made hair pony tail holders. You get the rubberband ponies, cut ribbons and tie them around the pony holder. I added beads to the bottom of the hanging ribbon. You can make school colors, holiday pony tails, etc. Girls (of certain ages) love them.

 

[FlyingBelle]

Last year, I made calendars for my mom and several of her sisters (the ones we see more often) using digital scrapbooking. I went through all of the pictures we had from the past and present and for each month I put together a collage of pictures related to a certain theme. For example, January was snow/winter photos, which included photos of my adult cousins as kids playing in the snow many years ago interspersed with recent photos of my own daughter playing in the snow. September's theme was school pictures....and I found some really old school pictures of my mom as a nursing student and one of my aunts as a student (this would be from over 50 years ago) and interspersed them with school pictures of myself, my cousins and my daughter. One or two months' themes were of various family get-togethers. December was Christmas photos....you get the picture.

On the calendar itself, I noted when everyone's birthdays and anniversaries were.

Everyone really loved the calendars and it wasn't that hard to make because all I had to do was design one calendar and then just print out X copies for everyone.

HLDisney

I've talked about doing this for my g'ma - but never got around to it... she's got 20 grandchildren + 7 great-grandchildren, and my step-grandpa has a bunch himself... I never undestood how they kept all our b-days straight and thought this would help as the family grows and they get older.... I'll have to get started now- thanks for the inspiration!

 

[jesszac610]

The calendars are such a great idea! What type of software did you use???
I'm alittle bit illiterate with computer stuff, so the easier the better!!! thanks!

 

[englishteacha]

I'm thinking of putting together "Winter Survival" kits as Christmas presents this year. We usually give each family a "family gift." I'm going to fill a bag with homemade jam, hot chocolate, a fleecy throw, and a candle or flashlight. I am also considering adding a deck of cards like Uno or something. We all live in New England and winters are long and cold! I'd love to include a loaf of homemade bread but we exchange gifts weeks before Christmas but don't open them till Christmas.

I'm also thinking of making homemade cake mixes for my mom's fabulous chocolate cake to include. All the recipient would need to do is add the liquid ingredients.

What do you folks think? Do you think it would be well-received?

 

[carissanboys]

What do you folks think? Do you think it would be well-received?

I don't know about your family, but I'd love to receive a gift like that!