Speaking of Christmas, now is the time for last minute gifts, a not-so-favorite tradition of mine. I'm sure you all experience this as well, how quickly the month flies by from Turkey day to New Years. Oy. I'm a big believer in the handmade gift. I love giving and recieving things that have real work and love soaked into them from conception to wrapping, it seems much more in tune with the spirit of the season. And for those of us with very limited financial resources, it is a chance to give a meaningful, thoughtful gift that requires more time than money.
A gift of oneself is always welcome, whatever talents you have, whether it is massage, accounting, nutritional counselling, jewelery making, etc. Last year I made coupons for my family for a knitted item of their choice, and offered suggestions of what I could make (sweaters *not* a possibility). I ended up making something that they have each enjoyed and used throughout the year, and in the color that they picked themselves.
This year I haven't been knitting so much, but have been exploring other options for gifts. Here are a few of my favorites:
FROM THE KITCHEN:
1) Cookies. Everyone loves cookies during the holidays; its one time of year when sugar, butter and wheat abound, diet be damned. Lottie and Doof just finished a great 12 days of cookies, which offers a bunch of beautiful and tasty sounding options. Smitten Kitchen also has beautiful selections like key lime meltaways and crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies. For the gluten-free baker, try looking at recipes from Karina's Kitchen, which has some tasty sounding treats like brown sugar buckwheat thumbprints, and mint chocolate cookies.
2) Candied citrus peel. This is a tradition with me, and it's not at all difficult, only a little time consuming. Feel free to experiment with various citrus, but my favorite is still orange. I tried grapefruit last year with mixed results. I liked it, but it was a little strong flavored for many of my family members. Just be sure to use only organic fruits, as non-organic ones are liberally sprayed with nasty stuff, and the peel is what you will be eating.
3) Jams, jellies, preserves. Use whatever is in season, which right now is pretty much apples and pears. Apple butter is a nice option or pear and ginger jam. Canning is not scary, it's actually really fun. And it makes your whole house smell amazing. Make it nice and pretty by cutting out a square of cloth and putting it under the screw-on part of the lid, over the actual lid.
4) Granola in a pretty jar or cellophane bag. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive and the process is pretty easy. You can make it however you like it, but I've been dying to try this recipe here.
KNITTING:
1) Hats. Once you get the hang of knitting in the round, basic hats are a breeze. Knitty has some great free patterns for lots of things, and here is the index for hats.
2) Fingerless gloves are quick and fun to make. This is a really great pattern for women, and this one is it's mate for guys.
3) Scarves.
4) Hot water bottle cover. I'm one of those people who are always cold, even when it's 70 degrees and sunny out, so I love hot water bottles. And because I am, well, kind of strange, I love these way more than heating pads. You don't really need a pattern, just knit a rectangle large enough to fold in half that will enclose the water bottle and stitch up the sides. For the opening, you can either knit a cuff, which I like, or close it with buttons or ribbons to let the bottle in and out. Here is a nice pattern.
SEWING:
1) Pretty pillowcases. Especially flannel. I can't embroider, but if I could, I would do initials.
2) Microwavable pillow. Can you see the pattern of things to ward off cold? This one is easy and fun, you can get all creative and stuff with it. Just make a pillow of any size or shape (square is easiest) out of muslin and sew up all sides but for a small opening. With a funnel, pour a mixture of rice, buckwheat hulls, flax seeds and/or herbs like lavender and rose petals into the opening. Sew shut. Make a fuzzy or soft cover that is easily removable. Make sure not to microwave the cover, as it can melt if its made out of polartec fleece or polyester, that's why we like the muslin for the actual pillow.
3) Kitchen stuff, like placemats, hand towels, napkins can all make nice heirloom gifts, especially when you choose nice fabric that suit the personality of the reciever. Or monogram them to really personalize them.
MISCELLANEOUS:
1) Bath salts. Mix together epsom salts, sea salt and a wee bit of baking soda with some essential oils if you have them; dried lavender or rose petals or lemon peel if you don't. Lavender bath salts are a lovely and relaxing choice. If you want to make it more moisturizing, add a small amount of jojoba, almond or olive oil, but be careful as this addition will make the tub slippery.
2) Wordle. Put together some well-thought out words about the ones you love and they will arrange them beautifully into custom artwork. I love this.
3) Locally grown tea. If you happen to grow your own herbs, these can be mixed into a nice herbal tea that you can package in a jar or tin to gift. Mints, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lavender, rose hips, lemon peel, chamomile all make good tea herbs. You can even buy heat-sealable tea bags to make them professional looking.
And that's about all I've got. Hope it helps you all to have a fun, crafty, old-timey holiday season filled with the spirit of giving and gratitude. Blessings to all of you.
