The holidays can be the best time and also the worst time of the year. I don’t know about you, but buying gifts stress me out. Now that we have a house, both working and children in school, we have a ton of people to buy for and that doesn’t even include our family members.
When we start making our gift giving list and I continue to see it grow, I instantly think…yikes! I have no idea what to get the kid’s teachers, mail carrier, close neighbor friends, co-workers and worst of all, the boys now want to give friends gifts…ugh! Not only do I stress about what to give, but how I am going to pay for it all. Instead of giving gift cards that mean nothing or have the children go to the dollar store and buy something cheesy, we decide to roll up our sleeves and make gifts.
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The Tea Lover: Have someone in your life that enjoys a nice cup of tea? Go to Marshall's, TJMAXX or my favorite store Home Goods and buy a few festive tea towels, wrap a tea cup and saucer in the towel and purchase some fun teas. Place everything in a basket with a festive tag and ribbon. |
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Art Loving Kids: Gather all those broken crayons and with the help of your kiddos take all the paper off. Break the crayons into small pieces and place into a flexible muffin tin and bake into some fun homemade crayons. Package in something fun and bundle it with art paper and a nice homemade note from your child to their friend. This also could be a great Valentine gift. |
| Sweet Lover: Dig through those recipes and pick out some of your favorite candy recipes. Spend a day making a few batches and place them in festive tins or bags with a nice note card and ribbon. |
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Lover of Baked Goods: So while you are a mess in the kitchen making up batches of sweets why not bake bread, cookies or other baked goods that your heart desires. Package them in boxes, tins, festive bags, tea towels (just make sure you wrap them first). Wrap with a ribbon and attach a card. |
| Eco-Friendly Lover: You can NEVER have enough reusable bags around. Go to your favorite craft store and purchase a canvas tote. Find some fun iron on patches or even photos (great for grandparents) and attach a gift card to a local grocery store. |
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Jewelry Lover: You don’t have to be a designer to make a fun necklace. There are so many bead and crafts stores that carry inexpensive beads that you can purchase and make the most fabulous necklace, bracelet or even earrings. |
| Candle Lover: I love getting candles; I light them almost every day. There is something about a candle that makes your home feel cozy. Candles can be a bit expensive so a way you can make it personal without spending a ton of money is DIY Monogramming. I found some great sites that monogram in different ways, so you can choose what works for you. |
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For Him: Who doesn’t love slippers? When I saw these no-sew slippers on Martha, I knew I had to make a few for some men in my life. This is also a gift that you can give to your mail carrier or male teacher attached with a B&N gift card. |
| Hostess with the Mostess: We go out more in December than we do any other month of the year. I always feel unsure of what to give the hostess, I know wine is always a good gift, but sometimes you want to think “outside the box” and give something unique. Try your hand at making scented sugar. See how at MarthaStewart.com. This is a perfect gift when adding your favorite coffee. Your hostess will enjoy this scented sugar throughout the holiday in her morning coffee or tea. |
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If you don’t stress neither will I this holiday season. Just take some time out and remember that holidays are a time to show the people in your life how much you appreciate them. There is nothing better than doing it with a homemade gift. Happy Holidays!
Trina O'Boyle is a Drexel Hill, PA mom of two boys. This post is adapted from her blog, O'Boy Organic.
