Author: Cindy DeGrie

If you plan on sending homemade gifts this year, get the kids to make some crafts that you can use for specifically for that purpose.  The kids will have a blast, you’ll enjoy the time together and the stress relief of doing it all yourself and the recipient will feel extra special knowing the gifts were made by the little ones.  Here are a few ideas to get your kid’s big imaginations started.

When it comes to kitchen items there are tons of crafts that kids can make and you can give as presents.  Craft stores sell blank aprons in various colors.  Kids can decorate these aprons using craft paints, stencils, and iron-on shapes.  For unique shapes, use the cut edge of a white potato dipped in paint.  Oven mitts, placemats, dishtowels, and napkin rings are other examples of kitchen crafts kids can turn into gifts with just a few simple decorations.

Do the kids like to sew?  They may not be ready to operate your Singer sewing machine yet but they can learn cross stitch and latch hook techniques.  Cross stitching uses colored thread and a needle to create designs on a pre-dyed pattern.  For Christmas, there are cross stitch angels, snowmen, Santa Claus, winter scenes, and other holiday patterns.  Completed patterns can be turned into wall hangings or framed for grandparents or other friends and relatives.

Potpourri is used at all times of the year, but more so around the holidays.  Take the holiday scent of dried flowers, leaves, and pine cones and give it to someone else.  Kids can make drawer sachets.  All that’s needed is some festive cloth, needle and thread, and the potpourri.  They can create a square sachet or a drawstring purse sachet so that the potpourri can be changed to other scents whenever the recipient likes.

Candles are a favorite of many.  At night it’s easy to light pine scented candles and feel like you’re sitting under the stars without the cold air of winter side effect.  Kids can make candles, too.  Purchase wax, wicks, and jars from a craft store.  Let the kids decide which scents they like.  Glass paint in red, green, silver, and gold will do for decorating the jars in holiday style or simply add stickers.

Christmas ornaments go over well as gifts.  Let your kids make some of their own designs.  They can make Christmas stars or snowflakes out of Popsicle sticks or make paper ornaments.  Whatever they choose to use, have them write or paint the year on the ornament and sign their name as the creator.  Then you can keep them for years to come as a memory of the holidays and the time you spent together making them.

Encourage your child’s creative side this Christmas.  Everything from picture frames to holiday decorated socks are easy enough for kids to make on their own or with a little assistance.  Once they are through, they can give their creations to teachers, friends, and family members for Christmas presents.

Families love to spend the holidays together. Sometimes, circumstances are such that family members aren’t able to be present in the same place during Christmas. There are many reasons that some family members can’t be together during the holidays. If they are in the military, they could be stationed overseas. Family members who are ill may find it hard or not possible to travel long distances.

When situations arise that keep families separated don’t let it stop you from making those who can’t be with you feel they are still a part of the celebration! Homemade gifts sent to them through the mail will help you to accomplish this. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Do you own a video camera? Create a holiday video for far away family members. Each person can talk about how much they miss them and send their own personal message of love. Kids can drop hints about what they want for Christmas too. If you haven’t seen the person in awhile, talk about what has changed in your life to get them up to speed.

Along the same line as videos are scrapbooks. Scrapbooks are like a hyped up photo album. They can contain funny sayings, neat designs, and other added ornamentation that you wouldn’t find in a photo album. Scrapbooks can be about the person who is missing, about their family back home, or both. Each person can create a miniature scrapbook of themselves to send. Scrapbooks contain magazine clippings, announcements, and other keepsakes not just photographs. Use your imagination and come up with new ideas that will make the gift special for the family member who can’t be with you.

If you decide to send edible homemade gifts, be sure to check on the requirements for shipping those gifts. Not everything travels well through the mail. If the gift is breakable like cookie mixes in jars, they must be wrapped well with bubble wrap to prevent accidents during shipping. You’ll also want to be sure you send the gifts early enough so that they arrive on time. Check with your local post office to find out how much time you should give for the package to arrive.

Homemade accessories like scarves, hats, and gloves are easy to ship and even kids can make them with a bit of help. These items are always needed in cold weather. Using solid color yarn will make them more versatile with different outfits.

Certain homemade gifts can be too large or bulky to send in one piece. Package the gift in separate parts and send instructions for constructing it on the other end. This can actually be fun for the family member receiving the gift.

Speaking of fun, jigsaw puzzles provide hours of brain boggling fun. Create your own using a blow up of a family portrait. Glue the picture to a piece of cardboard and cover it with clear contact paper. Create different shapes in the picture and cut them out. Paste a smaller copy of the picture on the top of the gift box so that the person reassembling it will know what the completed puzzle should look like.

Homemade crafts are appreciated by family near and far. By sending homemade gifts you help the miles separating you seem closer and the heart warming thoughts put into the gifts will show no matter how far apart you are.

Everyone loves getting gifts that come from the heart.  What shows this better than gifts made by hand?  While this may make some people panic at the thought of trying to make something arts and crafts, it really isn’t that hard to make a nice gift for someone.

An excellent gift for a new bride in the family would be a cookbook of all the family favorites.  Add some stories and maybe old photos of family gatherings to go along with the recipes.  Put together some dry mixes of some of the recipes to get her started.  Wrap it in a nice apron, maybe even one that belonged to a relative.

For kids, a great gift that can be added to is a Dress Up Kit. Get an old suitcase or two and fill it with old clothes that you don’t wear anymore.  Include hats and shoes. Now and then, add more items to the box. Ask other relatives to contribute to it as well. If you have pictures of family members wearing the clothes, print them out and decoupage them on the outside of the suitcase and then coat with a clear finish.

Do you have a flower garden during the year? Save the petals, dry them and make your own potpourri.  You could buy cinnamon sticks to add another scent and texture.  Put it in small containers or mesh bags.
Everyone likes to snuggle up with a soft blanket on a cold evening.  You can make a blanket and never sew or crochet a stitch.  Purchase a piece of fleece the size that you want your blanket (the clerks at the store can help you figure out the right amount).  Simply cut fringe in about two inches from all the edges about an inch apart. You can either let the fringes hang loose, or tie knots to make a pattern around.

Homemade cookies, fresh from the oven, are a great treat.  A lot of people just don’t have the time to make them.  You can make a frozen cookie kit.  Mix up a batch of their favorite cookies. Roll them out into balls and flatten them slightly.  Flash freeze them by putting them on wax paper on a cookie sheet until they are solid.  Remove them from the sheets and place them in a freezer bag.  Bake for two to three minutes more than the normal time or until golden brown.  They can be baked in small batches, even in the toaster over, or all at the same time.

Another nice handmade gift could be writing a poem for a family member.  Poems don’t even have to rhyme.  Print it out in a nice font or in calligraphy if you know how, and put it in a nice frame.  It’s a gift someone will treasure for years to come.  You can have kids help write one for different family members. An easy poem type project is to take someone’s first name, write it along the left margin and then think of a word associated with that person for each letter. For example, Sue could be Sweet, Upbeat and Energetic or Bob could be Brave, Outgoing and Baseball.

How about a Legacy Letter? This is what I am working on right now for my loved ones…Shhhhhh! 🙂 A Legacy Letter is a letter of vision that inspires, encourages, exhorts, and speaks vision to those we love. I recently recorded a fun “chat” between me and my friend, Lorrie Flem, as we discussed this topic. Dig into that. For now, take some time to type up your letter to your loved one. Then, invest in some nice paper and copy your letter (yes, in your own personal handwriting). Harold and I are preparing several letters for our children for Christmas. We are also making them a keepsake “Letter Box” to keep them in. I am SO excited. This makes Christmas much more special and personal.  Can’t beat a gift from the heart!

No matter what your homemade gift, be sure to include lots of love in the making and it will sure to be a hit with its recipient. Pour out your heart this year. Make this year the best Christmas EVER!