Christmas gifts homemade

The Christmas spirit is all around us, even though Thanksgiving is not here yet. The stores already have up their displays of Christmas trees, and decorations. For many of us who may be on a stricter budget then last year, there is still gifts you can give, that will touch anyone on your list. These gifts, are the gifts from the heart.

If you have time on your hands and can bake, consider a gift basket of baked goods. I use to do this for our pastor, and he loved them. You do not even need a basket to put your gifts in, just use a little imagination. While you are out shopping, ask a clerk if they have any boxes that are clean, about a six or eight inches long in length, and maybe eight inches or so wide. When you get home, cut this box down to a two inch or three inch height. If you have some plain wrapping paper, conform it to the new box size, using clear tape to seal the edges. Now you have a pretty nice box to set your baked good in. What you decide to put in this box is up to you, it can be, Christmas cookies, muffins, different cake squares, or even homemade candy. When done placing the items inside the box, take cellophane that has a Christmas design on it and cut a large enough piece to wrap the box and upwards. Place the box on the wrap, turn the cellophane upwards and tie shut with curly ribbon, add a curly ribbon bow or make your own, and your done.

If you can sew, there is many things you can make for the women in your family, using your imagination, I will give you two ideas to start.

1.Refrigerator Snap or Tie Hand Towel: What you will need to purchase is any hand towel with decorations, or holiday theme, and a yard of plain material that matches the colors on your hand towel. Out of newspaper, make a pattern slightly smaller then width of the hand towel, taper the pattern to the top about two inches, leaving it rounded. The length of this piece is going to be about eleven to twelve inches in height. Turn material inside out and sew together, and also make a small hem to enclose edges so they do not unravel. Turn right side out, and pin the towel to the fabric, you will have a small pleating across the top where towel is to be sewn. When done sewing, attach a small snap, placing the male part at the top, and the female part four inches down. Now you have a homemade kitchen hand towel, that snaps onto the refrigerator handle. You can make four or five and place them in a nice gift bag.

2. For the lady with the baby, washable no tie bib: This idea is using the same item of the kitchen hand towel. You will need to buy some t-shirt ribbing from the material store, about one yard or two depending on how many you are going to make. Take the towel and fold over about a 1/3 down, cut a hole big enough to slip the babies head through. (Here, you may need to ask for dimensions if you do not have a baby yourself) After cutting the hole, sew the t-shirt ribbing around the cut edge sealing it closed. If you bought a plain towel, you can sew on teddy bear patch or any thing else that comes to your mind.

For the men in the family: Using the same idea of homemade gift box, or gift bag, place several items inside they enjoy. Bake their favorite cookies, or brownies. Maybe if they end up getting coffee in the morning give a gift card to the nearest place they frequent. As for children’s gifts, many stores are bringing back the lay away policy, put a little down, and pay each week.

There is no doubt that Christmas is going to difficult this year for many. No matter what the gift, we all must all remember the true meaning behind the reason for the season. Seems like somewhere in time, it became overly commercial and some seemed to have forgot. May you all have a wonderful happy Christmas.