Four Terrific Handmade Gift Ideas

We had our annual early Christmas with some of my extended family over the weekend and I couldn’t wait to share with you some of the clever and unique handmade gifts they came up with! I think I’ve shared with you before that my siblings and I try to exchange simple handmade gifts in lieu of gifts for everyone or even drawing names.

I don’t know about you, but I feel such pressure to get a really great (i.e., expensive) gift whenever we’ve drawn names. I mean, that’s it- their one gift! Ugh. I enjoy so much more just giving things I’ve made (or put together) to each family.

These handmade gift ideas are way cool- I hope they inspire you to make some gifts of your own or find some new ideas if you already have the “handmade tradition.”

1. Hanging Suet Bird Feeder and two bars of homemade suet.
Here are a couple of recipes for making your own, but my sister-in-law said she just got some beef fat from a butcher, melted it down, mixed in some bird seed, and poured it into flat pans to harden before cutting into the size she needed for the bird feeders.

2. Apron made out of an old button-down shirt, crocheted dish cloth & kitchen utensils.
This is such a cute idea! Visit a thrift store and find the biggest men’s button-down shirt they have (a heavier fabric works best). Cut off the back, leaving the collar intact, and finish all the edges. Use the cut off parts to create a tie that attaches to the front and is long enough to tie around the back.

The addition of the kitchen towel (cut in half) attached under the tie on the shirt front makes this really useful, as I’m always using my aprons to wipe my hands!

Here’s a view of the back to give you a better idea about it’s construction:

Clever, clever!

3. Handmade soaps and note cards made from children’s artwork and family photos.
This is the real-deal soap (not just the melt-and-pour kind) and made from pure ingredients. We’ve gotten some before and it’s really nice to bathe with.

Here’s a link if you are interested in making your own soap using the cold-process method.

4. Earrings.
You do need a few specialized items to make earrings, but they can be readily found at craft stores and online. I love all the handmade jewelry I’ve received over the last few years!

I’ve already started using almost all of these gifts, as they are so useful and needed in everyday life- and isn’t that what we hope for our gifts, anyway? My mantra in regards to gifts is “simple, useful and/or beautiful”- and these sure fit the bill. It’s a double pleasure because I get to think of the giver every time I use these.

-Jami

This is linked to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Get Your Craft On

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