Homemade Holidays

I'm doing it, - I'm having a Homemade Holiday!
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I'm a big fan of homemade gifts. If it's a gift that the giver actually put work into, I tend to cherish it more than anything else. The value doesn't matter - knowing what went into it (usually oddles and oddles of LOVE) makes it all the more special. And I like giving homemade gifts, too. They're usually cheaper than buying some pre-packaged gift basket, and show a lot more thought than a gift card.

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So what kinds of gifts can you make at home? It depends on the personality of your recipients, and on your own talents. Now, don't start saying you have no talents - we're all good at something. Here are some of the gifts I've made for Christmas in past years.

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No Sew Blankets

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This no-sew project is so simple you can get the kids involved. Both Emily and Matthew have a few of these blankets. One for their bed, a smaller one for the car, and at least one more they got as gifts when they were babies.

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1.Buy two large pieces of fleece, cut to the length you want for the blanket or throw.

2. Lay one piece on top of the other so that all four sides line up.

3. For each side, cut fringe that is two inches wide and four inches deep.

4. Once the fringe is cut on all four sides, tie each strip on the top piece of fabric to the matching strip on the bottom with two knots each. This joins the two fabric pieces together, and creates a pretty blanket or throw.

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Chocolate

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OMG - Who doesn't LOVE chocolate (well, actually I know a few weird-o's who don't, but really how can you not love chocolate??) Here's an easy and YUMMY recipe for chocolate peppermint bark that was a huge hit last year:

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1. Buy some good dark chocolate, either in bars or chips. Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate, and add in roughly 1 tsp of peppermint extract per bar of chocolate.

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2. Stir well, and then pour it out onto a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper. You want it to be about 1/4" thick.

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3. At this point, you can do one of two things - either add crushed peppermint candies sprinkled on top, or melt a small amount of white chocolate (the microwave works fine) and drizzle over the top.

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4. Let the chocolate cool and harden overnight, and then break into chunks. Put it in pretty tins, add a ribbon, and you have a tasty gift!

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For those Chocolate Haters, use white chocolate instead of the dark chocolate!! I think this is my favorite variation!

Photo Books/Scrapbook

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These are great grandparent gifts. Get a pretty scrapbook and fill it with pictures of your kids from the last year. Every so often in the album, in place of a picture, insert a drawing from the kids, a poem about being a grandparent, or if your children are older, have them write a letter to their grandparents. Younger kids can add stickers to pictures, too. Your recipients will love looking at the pictures and showing them off to friends. (And if you're like me, you won't have to deal with the nagging about how you never give them pictures of the kids.)

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These are just a few of the quick and easy homemade gifts I've made in the past. Each gift was very well received, and I enjoyed putting the work into each of them. If I can make gifts like these, anyone can. This year, my to-do list just keeps growing. I am saying it here and now - you all are my witnesses! I am giving EVERY person on my gift list a HOMEMADE gift! (Luckily CarlaC finally published her easy fits for adults so the guys on my list will actually like their homemade gifts too!!)

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This year I am following a scarf along. And am giving at least one of the 3 scarves as a gift. The 2ND I am keeping for myself (I rarely sew for ME!!) and the third will be part of a GIVEAWAY I am having as part of my Cyber Monday Fun Day (check back for more info on this!!)

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So, who's with me?? What will you be making and giving for Christmas this year?