The Goodness of Homemade Gifts

Why not celebrate this holiday season with homemade gifts? Save a little money and give those you love a little homemade goodness, from the heart.

Cranberry-Ginger Tea Bread (pictured above)

I came across this little gem of a recipe a few years ago in Whole Living Magazine. Not too sweet, it goes great with a cup of tea or coffee.

Carrot Cake Jam

From the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, this carrot cake jam is the best, yes, the best, I’ve ever made.

Pasta Party

Whip up a batch of homemade pasta sauce and snuggle it into a basket with a box of whole-grain pasta for a quick, cute pasta party themed gift. Why not add a fresh baguette or a braid of garlic while you’re at it? Bellisima!

Check out Kathryn Budig’s sauce recipes here for more ideas!

Playdough

Quick, easy and way cheaper than buying the conventional brand of playdough. I divided it up and put in little mason jars, complete with gift labels and bows, for each tiny human in my life. Pair with a cookie cutter and you’re all set for tons of doughy fun.  Here’s a great website, with a few different recipes.

Soup (or Cookies!) in a Jar.

Take all of the ingredients you would normally put into soup or cookies (minus the wet ingredients, of course) and place in a large jar. Be sure to add the recipe and note any ingredients that need adding.

Salt Scrub

One of my favorite holiday gifts, and easy to make. Check out this website for the recipe.

Bead Box

This year, I took my empty spice box and a few strands of necklaces I don’t wear anymore, and made a fancy bead box for my niece.  I pasted a small piece of artwork on the inside of the lid and added a few trinkets, pendants and seashells and mailed it off.  My only regret is that I won’t get to see her face when she opens it!

Take a look around your home and see what you can come up with! Happy holiday crafting!