Easy Home Made Gifts
Home made gifts leave no doubt that your heart was truly in the gift. You cannot give a home made gift without receiving a gift of joy for yourself. Here are some fun ideas!
If you have an idea to share click here.
Plant jar. Fill a pretty jar three-fourths full with glass beads. Place a plant bulb on top of the beads. Decorate jar with bows, bells, or tiny ornaments. Write care instructions and tuck them into a Christmas card and attach. (Supplies: canning jar or other decorative jar, flower plant bulbs, glass stones, Christmas card or card stock)
Hand Warmers. Cut out two pieces of felt shaped like an angel, tree, bell or snowman. Sew edges together using embroidery yarn, leaving one inch open for stuffing. Fill pocket with uncooked rice. Finish sewing by closing one inch opening. To use, place in microwave and heat in 15 second intervals until warm. Box up as a gift with short instructions. (Supplies: small swatches of felt, embroidery yarn, embroidery needle, ½ cup uncooked rice, small card for instructions)
Magnifying View Bag. Collect small items from around the house or thrift shops. Place objects and magnifying glass in silk bag and close. (Supplies: small magnifying glasses from dollar store, small silk bags with draw string closure, tiny objects, such as sea shells, stones, pine cone, leaf, or other objects interesting to look at under magnification)
Tea Sampler. Collect small mint tins throughout the year. Clean them thoroughly to remove mint odor. Using small brushes, paint each a pretty color with acrylic paint. Let dry. Use sharp brush to print the tea name on the front with a complementary color (or type labels, print them and affix with clear packing tape). Place different types of loose, dried tea in the tins. Place in a decorative box lined with pretty tissue paper. Add cheesecloth bags and scoop to the box. May also give a couple of pretty teacups with it. Quick and easy: Instead of tins use large mason jar and place loose tea in small zipper plastic bags. Label and decorate the jar. (Supplies: several of your favorite flavors of loose tea, acrylic paint in pretty colors, small paint brushes, small mint tins (or large mason jar, decorations and label for the jar), cheesecloth drawstring bags, small scoop, tissue paper, decorative box with lid.)
Apothecary jar. Fill apothecary jar with soaps, sea shells and bath salts. Make a small slit in the bottom of the rubber ducky, and slip over knob on top of jar. (Supplies: apothecary jar, small bath products, small hollow rubber ducky, ribbon)
Seashell Soaps. Melt a chunk of clear soap in a microwavable dish. Add fragrance and mix. Pour into muffin mold, completely or partially submerging animals and shells. Place a frog with its nose sticking out of the “water,” for example. Allow one hour to solidify. Place two or three soaps in a pretty jar, or place in soap dish and wrap in cellophane tied with ribbon, as a homemade gift. (Supplies: small marine animal plastic figures, or seashells and smooth rocks collected from the beach, bendable silicone muffin molds, microwavable clear glycerin soap, and soap fragrance, optional)
Tea Cup Bird Feeder This is homemade, but not by you…I saw this at a craft fair and thought it as such a cute idea I would share it. Contact Back Yard Delight craft company (Susan Riley) at suebdoo12@yahoo.com. She and her daughter make these beautiful feeders; a tea set suspended from your porch or tree by pretty beaded strings. All kinds of colors and designs. Fill with seeds and watch the birds light on the tea cup to feed.
A True Christmas 