While you finish eating your Easy Breakfast Casserole, Vanilla Muffins with Cinnamon Crumb Topping and Gingerbread Men, I thought I’d give you a few links to look through. I love that making Christmas gifts and treats does not have to be expensive or time consuming! Here are a few free or inexpensive ideas for you:
- Craig has put together a wonderful list of 50 personalized gifts ideas. I LOVE the creativity of ideas and most of them don’t cost a thing!
- You can download a FREE Craft Idea Christmas Gift Guide here.
- Here is Santa’s Guide to Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids – also FREE!
- You can make a FREE Photo Calendar at Vista Print – great way to start the new year! (While the calendar is free, you do have to pay shipping and processing.)
- Jessica shares a fun Fudge Filled Cookie Cutter gift idea. I love me some fudge. :)
- Frugal Granola shares that using her Herbal Nurturing ebook will give you great ideas for making soothing remedies, balms and teas for gifts. I would LOVE to receive any of these items for gifts. Make up a batch or two, keep some for yourself and share with others. Unique and practical gift giving at it’s best! You can read my review of Herbal Nurturing here.
- Kate put together a FREE Cookies for Christmas (or any time) Ebook, which you can print off and put together as a nice gift for someone (or keep for yourself!).
Make a sweet Christmas Angel Ornament…easy and inexpensive!
- For a few pennies, you can make Homemade Bubble Bath!
What gifts have you been making this year??!
I’ve been making truffles…lots and lots of truffles! So good, but I need to be done making (and eating) them soon…too good.
Fudge-filled cookie cutters! Oh my, what a great idea!
We’ve made some easy kid’s crafts for gifts — we had 12 Days of Christmas Crafts and Carols! Also, we made some easy magnetic menu planners from paint samples.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make much this year, with the birth of baby #4 and getting in the groove of teaching first-grade twins. I managed to order a photo calendar for my mom, though! So, I’ll talk about the totally cute dresses I made for my 2 toddler nieces last year instead. So cute, in fact, I was cringing at giving them away. My sil’s said they’d pass them on to my youngest when theirs outgrew them. Yay! I hope to get on the ball for next year!
Thanks for the links! I’ve been making lots of truffles also. Trying to finish them up and get them packaged today!
Love the bubble bath!!
Here are these super-easy “I Spy” mats, a perfect gift for kids!
http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2010/12/easy-gift-for-kids-i-spy-mat.html
Beaded ornaments (from Michael’s kits) Foam and glitter glue ornaments with the kids, Calendars ($1 bin at Michael’s, just add photo’s) and lots of candy cane reindeer (like these ones: http://makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com/2010/12/candy-cane-reindeer-and-party.html )
I also have 4 gift baskets still to assemble and some jar mixes to put together….
I have made sandart cookie mix in mason jars, and cinnamon applesauce ornaments.
Most of my holiday gifts were started in the summer – strawberry jam (some strawberry-lemon) which will be paired with homemade bread. I also made many jars of mixed vegetable relish which will go in with homemade breadsticks and cheese spread.
Been making lotion bars and lip balm for gifts this year as well as compiling favorite, easy and healthy recipies.
Maybe next year I can think about making homemade gifts.
These are great ideas. thank you!
Looks like fun ideas!
Thanks for all the great ideas!
I love the fudge filled cookie cutter idea! How fun!
I tried to work ahead this year by making lots of extra jars of applebutter to give away. It’s so nice to have gifts handy and people really do love homemade gifts!
I tried making vanilla to give, but it smells more like alcohol than vanilla – I think I needed to give it more time!
What great ideas – thanks. Have a Great Holiday.
Here is my list of handmade gifts (mostly, I need to update again). Highlights include a button snake and a tie snake for my nephew, fairy dolls in fairy catcher necklaces for two nieces, beaded wine glass markers for my sisters-in-law, and I’m finishing up an awesome family memories game for the cousin swap that I think is going to be a huge hit. Whew, though… I’m getting tired!
Laura,
We made about 95% of our gifts this year. I started in May and worked until just a few days ago.
I made: a mini quilt, a large 12×16 crosstitch, a large 12×16 paint by number, 3 smaller crosstitch pieces, and of course a few Picaboo albums (which was about the only non-homemade thing…although I did spend time creating them!).
The children did a few of the Home Depot and Lowe’s Kid’s Workshop items throughout the year and gave those as gifts: bird feeders, bird houses, spice racks, picture frames, and a few other things.
We had so much fun this year (and I used up some of the kits I had on hand for a decade or more! HA!) I think we’ll do a mostly homemade Christmas next year too.
Merry Christmas Laura!
Dr. Laura
Thanks for the ideas!
I didn’t make many handmade gifts this year, but I hope to next year! Maybe I could take some of the ideas you’ve given and make birthday gifts all year, all the while making some extra (if its not something that spoils) to save for christmas!
How fun! Thank you for sharing.
I wish I could get my act together like Dr. Laura!!
I made two batches of cookies, but overcooked them both, so gave us, just trying the Graham crackers, but they’re not hardening up after almost 1 1/2 hours… sigh. Just bought everything, from CBD and Vision Forum (they had a great sale on last week).
Love the fudge cookie cutter! YUMMY!
I made crocheted hats and the kids made sparkly, glittery snowflake ornaments for friends!
We’ve been making corn bags for family members using corn from the fields close to us (random cobs left after harvest…we didn’t go picking in the farmer’s fields ;-)!
we made holly jollies (from southernplate.com) and peppermint patties (lynn’s kitchen adventures) and homemade vanilla (thank you for the inspiration) and pumpkin bread (momadvice.com). They’ve all gone over well so far…
i made instant oatmeal packets
lots of great ideas! thanks!
We’re giving out Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract thanks to your inspiration :)
Everyone I know will be getting homemade vanilla extract next Christmas thanks to you!
Thankfully our family loves homemade gifts. We just need to assemble the goodies that we canned this summer: jams, fruit, relishes, sweet and sour sauce.
We’ve been making sour cream poundcake like it is going out of style here! Not the healthiest option, but in moderation, right?
I can’t wait to take a few minutes to browse these websites. Thanks for sharing!
What gifts am I making? Hmmm…good question! I need to make some today. I know…a little late, but there is still time. Fudge and orange balls are on my list, so maybe I’ll just make some extra!
The only thing I’ve made this year was cookies.
Love the fudge filled cookie cutters. Looks like fun!!!!!!
Thanks for all of the ideas. We have made homemade freezer jam and wheat bread-they were a big hit!!!
Lots of great ideas here. I love homemade gifts!
Wonderful homemade gifts : )
Thanks for the nice list!
My goal is to have a homemade Christmas someday. :-) But for now I knit a lot of gifts — mostly dishcloths!
Decorating sugar cookies in about 10 minutes!
Wow! So many industrious people out there. I had good intentions this year, but with a new baby (#2) and trying to get our schedule back on track things have just fallen by the wayside. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do better next year. I did help my son (3yo) put foam stickers on magnetic foam photo frames for him to give everyone for Christmas. He had fun, and it didn’t take a lot of planning/effort on my part. Congratulations to those of you with homemade Christmases. I hope to join your ranks someday! :-)
My daughter and I have made some hats with our round loom for a nana, sister-in-law and now my 4 year old wants one. We also made Cranberry nut bread and pumpkin bread for our neighbors and Bible study group. Homemade gifts are always better.
Thanks for the fun ideas!
We made chocolate covered pretzels and candy!
I love to bake, so neighbors and friends received homemade quick breads, cookies and candies from our family this year.
I think next year I will try the fudge in the cookie cutters, great idea!
I love making Christmas gifts. I usually end up finding myself with too many ideas and not enough time to make them all!
These are such good ideas! I love homemade gifts.
Thanks for the gift ideas.
Thanks for the great ideas! This year I decided to make a cookbook for my niece using recipes from friends and family plus a few others I found that she might like. However, my printer decided not to work so most of the recipes are hand written.. I matted the recipes on decorative paper and have them on kitchen themed cardstock. It’s’ all in a personalized binder and each page is in a protector.
Thanks so much for the awesome ideas!!
they all sound fun to make
Wish I would’ve seen this sooner! Such cute ideas!! I’m definitely making the fudge cookie cutters next year!
I love making gifts and there were SO many good ideas in these I will be using next year…thank goodness I am already done this year! :)
I love to give and receive homemade gifts! I will definitely be using the fudge cookie cutters next year! That is a wonderful idea!! I just made a pan of fudge for tomorrow, especially for my daughter. It’s her favorite Christmas treat!
I came up with the idea, like DorthyM, to do a personal cookbook for my nieces and daughter but not in enough time to get it done for Christmas. I’m going to do them for their birthdays. I’m going to make a special section of family recipes and tell a story for each one-who loved it best, who the person was that handed it down, maybe a funny story about it. I know I’ll be including printouts from your website also! My DD has really enjoyed reading thru your recipes! She can’t wait to make homemade chocolate chips!
I LOVE the cookie cutter fudge idea – so very cute!! I’m going to print some of these off for using next year! Thanks again Laura!
I haven’t made anything homemade except for food – I haven’t found my little craft that I could do other than food. Thanks for all the great links – they are inspiring! I am going to make fudge this afternoon along with a few other goodies like oreo cookie truffles and gingerbread men. Yes, I’m a little behind on my baking. Oh well, better late than never!
Merry Christmas!
great ideas!
Neat ideas! My Christmas is not complete without homemade spice tea (Russian Tea) mix.
You gave me some great gift ideas for next year!
Love the fudge filled cookie cutter idea. I have been making cookies and banana bread for gifts.
We do a homemade gift exchange with extended family each year and love it!
The fudge idea is very cute. I’d like to try that sometime!
I’ll be planning next years gifts with the help of this guide. This year we made aprons for the ladies and, if there’s a little time, your ww sourdough biscuits in little gift bags. YUM! I just had one with light string cheese for my breakfast this morning. Thanks so much for sharing.
Wonderful ideas! Thank you!!!
Thank you for all the great ideas.
I still need to put together a few gifts. I like the idea of hot fudge in a jar.
Thanks! The Herbal Nurturing Ebook looks especially intriguing! :o)
Wow! Lots of great ideas here!
Going to do the cookie cutter fudge idea with my daughters tomorrow!
I love to make homemade gifts, this year is your brownies recipie. Julie
What beautiful ideas!
Love all these gift ideas.
I’ve never seen cookie cutters filled with treats before…they are so cute!!
So many fantastic ideas!!
I love making gifts to give but I usually start too late:(
I love the fudge filled cookie cutters, what a good idea!
I would like to try the homemade bubble bath!
I had hoped to make the homemade vanilla recipe you posted for Christmas gifts, but didn’t get to it in time. I’ll be looking for vodka on sale this week before New Years, so at least I’ll have that on hand when I get to it. My handmade gifts get made between Christmas and New Years, because the pace has slowed down (we have a birthday to celebrate two days before Christmas so it makes it extra busy!). My teen daughters and I plan to beaded jewelry to use as gifts for their cousins who we’ll see in January.
What great ideas! thank you!
Lots of great ideas. Thank you.
That cokie cutter fudge is soooooo cute!!! I made homemade marshmallows for the first time this year! Not healthy, but fun :).
What fun! I will look through these now and choose some for next year!
Kori
great ideas! I always try to make something new each year – thanks for the ideas.
Brilliant way to gift fudge :).
Very fun ideas!
Thank you for all of the ideas!
Traditionally, we give homemade gifts to most of our family.
This year we made irish cream to give away. Next year we plan to do homemade journals, homemade vanilla, and homemade lip balm.
Fun! I didn’t make anything to give away this year… Trying to destress with a baby in the house. ;)
Great ideas here! Love making gifts for people!!
I’m sure I’ll start looking through some of the ideas as soon as January hits!
What a great bunch of gift ideas, thanks so much!
I’ve made absolutely no gifts this year. :(
Fun ideas–I’m going to show my daughter, who absolutely loves all kinds of crafts! Thanks for putting up these links for all of us to enjoy.
thanks for such a good list…I need to remember this for next year!
Those cookies look so cute! And I believe the hot fudge sauce will find it’s way to at least my home, if not my sister’s home also. :)
Homemade stuff is the best…even a simple note stating “…this gift certificate is redeemable for a back message, special homemade dinner, and free babysitting night for a ladies-night-out”. Any order is fine…though really these things don’t have to be only offered with the gift card, but it at least aknowledges that these things can be asked for in the future. ;o)