Your Favorite Home Made Gift to Give Friends and Neighbors

I usually make loaves of pan de jamon - homemade bread with a ribbon made of bits of ham, extra sharp cheddar, chopped pecans, and bits of dried fruit running through it.

I made these. They're super easy and look GORGEOUS!

http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/6125-curbly-v...

Homemade Salsa

Homemade Trash snack mix

Homemade pralines

A gift Bag/Basket with New Years, Hats, Horns and a bottle of sparkling wine and a bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider. I use a gold pen to write Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

I don't do that sort of thing. I have however liked receiving loufa soap or sugar body scrub. I think they are fairly easy to make (sugar a bit of oil, and some essential oils, or other additives i.e. coffee, lemon rind, orange rind). In a clean used jar, tied with a bit or ribbon and job done. They are gender neutral and do a good job of softening elbows, heels etc.

Bird feeders made of pinecones, peanut butter and bird seed are nice and easy too.

I like gifting consumables. Not something which is going to add clutter.

Best,
F. B.

One year I did chocolate coated marshmallows. I got skewers and put 4 big marshmallows on it. Then poured melted choc (white and dark) and then sprinkled them with candies, crushed candy canes, coconut, nuts, sprinkles, crushed cookies, etc and put in the fridge to harden. Then I found the cellophane (sp?) bags at the dollar store, put one in it and tied with a ribbon. Everyone LOVED them.

Whipped shortbread. My recipe is super easy and delicious, and 1 lb of butter makes 5 dozen.

We like to do Christmas Crack (aka Saltine Toffee or Pine Bark). The ingredients for each pan are
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
6 oz choc chips
about 30 saltines
Tin foil, Pam, a bit of almond or vanilla extract
Time: about 20 min prep/cooking and then a few hours cooling time
Some years I have done loaves of bread, obviously more time consuming. Vanilla or any other extract is easy to prep (just need vodka and vanilla beans) but vanilla beans are a bit pricey and it has to sit for a few months before it is ready.

The kids and I have done two things...both easy and inexpensive and not too time consuming (but a trip to a store).

You're in pine & bird country too. Buy Bark Butter (or use an all-natural peanut butter) and seed from a local bird/nature store. Collect some pine cones, get some twine for hanging, smear on the Bark Butter, then roll in the bird seed to coat. You can use your hand to help press it in. Work on newspaper--outside if it's not too cold!--for easy clean up.

Get some cheap tiles from a local tile store. We used both white and black in both 6x6 and 9x9. There is a special paint that you bake on and it becomes like a glaze (permanent). I think the brand I used is called Pebo??? We got it at a Michael's craft store--of course there are other brands and the staff can guide you. I took a foam craft brush, put a thin coat on a hand of each child, and had them put their handprint onto each tile. I then took one of the Pebo pens and wrote the year. Each child had their own color. It can be used as a trivet, placed in a garden, or displayed in a kitchen. We put felt dots on the bottom, too. People loved them! You can do the same thing to a plate, mug, etc. as long as the item is oven safe to bake the enamel on.

Have fun!

All of mine aren't exactly time consuming if you plan supplies out. I've made
-a set of felt coasters (I made them resembling the Texas flag) - cut out pieces in country colors, use thick thread VERY CHEAP!
-homemade evergreen wreaths - use twine to form a circle from an evergreen garland and secure with a thick huge bow and 1 ornament EASY PEASY!,
-garland of oversized triangles on ribbon spelling out their family name in laminated Christmas paper - just a matter of cutting out enough triangles, use a template to outline letters, glue, laminate, string a pretty bow through.