Welcome to the first installment of my Holiday Help series! Today I am going to share some of my favorite homemade gifts. These are gifts that I have made, and have been well received. I love giving and receiving thoughtful, homemade gifts. It feels so much more personal and special, and it doesn’t have to break the bank!
Homemade Liqueur:
I love to give small bottles of homemade liqueur. They are so easy to make, and tasty! You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a lot of gifts. This book is my favorite one to use for recipes. I have received rave reviews for the chocolate hazelnut cream liqueur, and the spiced apple fall liqueur. While you could certainly gift a larger bottle, I prefer to do a small, around 8 oz. bottle or mason jar. Just enough to enjoy a holiday drink or two. I like to order bottles from here. Their prices are reasonable, and they have a wide variety, so you can find the perfect bottle. Give your creation a creative name, design a cute tag or label with the ingredients list, and boom you’re done! I’ve used both blank gift tags and labels. I have had some neighbors return the bottle once empty, in the hopes of getting more next Christmas.
Homemade Treats:
Who doesn’t love food? I like to use holiday tins from the Dollar Store or Wal-Mart, or small cardboard gift boxes, and fill them with homemade goodies. You could even use cellophane treat bags or paper lunch bags for this. I like to use coffee filters or cupcake papers as dividers for the individual treats. Again one batch of treats makes several gifts, so it is economical.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite recipes to build a tin:
- Chocolate Coconut Balls. These are relatively healthy as far as candy goes, using coconut oil and honey as a sweetener. I like to add a toasted almond to each.
- Spiced Almonds. This is my favorite recipe. If you buy bulk almonds and remove the skins yourself, it will save you a lot of money. Simply soak your almonds overnight in water. The skins will loosen enough you’ll be able to remove them easily. Dry your almonds in a low oven, as low as your oven will go. Stir occasionally, and check them for dryness. Once dry remove and continue with recipe.
- Divinity. You’ll need to make divinity on a dry day. In my opinion, chopped pecans are a must-add.
- Ritz Cracker Cookies. These are nostalgic for me. We made these with white and chocolate almond bark. Drizzle the opposite color bark over the top of the cooled cookies to make them look fancy. You could also add sprinkles.
Homemade bath products:
I like to put together small gift bags with homemade soap, lip balm, washcloths, and makeup removers. Small bags of Epsom salts, scented with essential oils make a nice addition.
Homemade Hot Drink Mixes:
I like to use mason jars for drink mixes. I think ziploc bags allow too much air into the mixes and they can become clumpy. It’s easy to find jars in almost any size. I have a few friends that absolutely adore hot cocoa and hot tea, so these gifts are always welcomed. I make quart sized jars of mixes for families, or my friends that drink them almost daily. You can include little bags of add-ons, like crushed peppermint for hot cocoa, or cinnamon sticks and dried or candied lemon for tea. Write the preparation instructions and ingredients on a tag or label. You could even layer in the add-ons with the beverage mix for a pretty presentation. Here is the hot cocoa recipe I use. I make it dairy free by replacing the powdered milk with powdered coconut milk. Both taste great. Here is a recipe for Russian Tea, one of my favorites growing up. We had it every year.
That is a quick run-down of some of my favorite easy, and mostly inexpensive homemade gifts. I hope you found something that interests you or gives you inspiration. Remember, handmade gifts come from the heart and are beautiful. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed of your creations.