Earthy Gift Giving

I have found that it is way more important to me to give a gift that someone will use rather than the newest hot ticket item.....  My favorite part of giving gifts during the holidays is thinking of something my pals will like and use...  Not to mention preferably something that I can make myself!!!  I know my favorite gifts are the ones that people have made for me....  I can't help but think of, and miss the person when I use it....   I know not everyone is a sentimental shmuck like me....  But I think that people are more fond of gifts they will actually use!!!!  Here is a list of things that might be useful to your friends, and can be made at home by you with not much effort!!!!!  Instead of being a crazy holiday consumer, be a thoughtful crafty gift giver....  Most of these things will take no time at all, so I don't want to hear the I Ain't got the time!!! ;)))~~~

 For your foodie friends

create a spice sampler. Bulk spices can make an affordable and appreciated gift for anyone who loves to cook, or who is moving into a new kitchen. Don’t know which ones to choose? Find some tempting recipes that call for exotic spices, then include the recipes with the spices. Or, get creative and make a custom spice blend for a meat rub, marinade mix, salad dressing kit, dip, or seasoning

 Make some Jam
 Many people like homemade jam because it tastes fresher than the store bought kind, and not so many people make jam anymore. If you like, give it with some muffins, homemade bread, or some other pastries to serve with it.



homemade granola year-round, but it would make a perfect Christmas gift, too. Low-cost basic ingredients turn into toasted goodness and don’t require a fancy kitchen. Granola blends can be easily customized to your tastes with add-ins like raisins, nuts, cinnamon, dried cranberries or cherries, sunflowers seeds, coconut, wheat germ, etc. Begin with a couple of mini-batches to fiddle with it to your taste.  Check out my recipe of the week for Gift Giving Granola!!!  Vegan and sugar free!!!!!!


 For a sassy girlie girlfriend, you know those whimsical types...... 

teacup candles! You’ll need craft-store wicks, wax (or old candles) that can be melted down, old teacups, and maybe a fragrance or two. Pretty single teacups (with or without saucers) can often be found at thrift stores for less than a dollar. Melt the wax in a double boiler, add fragrance if desired, then support the wick standing in the teacup while carefully filling the cup with wax. As the wax cools, it will contract and form a well. You can add more melted wax of the same color or add a second shade.

  Decopage glass or ceramic plate!!!!!

Materials Needed:

• Clear Plate
• Wallpaper Scraps
• Tissue Paper
• Glass Paint (optional)
• Decoupage Medium
• Foam Brush
• Scissors

Instructions:
Cut out your pieces or patterns from the wallpaper sample. The larger the pieces the easier to cut, especially for children.
Lay out the pieces as you will want them on the plate. When you are happy with the way they look, apply a coat of decoupage medium to the back of your plate. You then stick your pieces of wallpaper onto the Mod Podge. Make sure you stick them so that the picture side of the wallpaper shows through the top of the plate. You can slide them around until they meet your approval; then, with your foam brush, apply a generous layer of decoupage medium over the wall paper pieces.
Select a color of tissue paper that you want to use for the background, I have used gold and silver at times and it looks very rich. Stretch it across the back of the wet plate. Trim away any excess pieces that extend beyond the plate with a sharp pair of scissors. Don't be worried about any wrinkles, it gives the glass plate an interesting look.
Let the decoupage medium dry and then add another coat. Let that dry. Add one more coat and let it dry. Once the plate is completely dry, you can use glass paint around the edges to add a little extra detail.
You can also add a poem or a signature, by including a photo-copied message or poem - the kids love personalizing these plates... Voila - a gift that will last a long time and may even co-ordinate with your room.

Make a necklace. Buy an inexpensive cotton cord from the craft store along with some multi-colored beads. They are available in any craft store for a small amount. Cut 48 inches of the cord and start threading some beads into it. Rub some glue around the sewing tip to make it stiff. You will have a nice long bead necklace for the teenagers and friends on your list. 

Create a customized journal. Purchase an inexpensive, old-fashioned, black and white composition book (usually smaller than a regular notebook, and with the pages sewn in). Cover the book with aluminum foil, gift wrap, or fabric, wrapping the edges to the inside. Use spray adhesive to secure it to the inside of the cover. For teenagers, even duct tape (which comes in colors) can be used to cover the book. Add stickers, photos, magazine cutouts, and handwritten words (inside jokes, names of recipient's children) reflecting the recipient's interests. Write a short note on the first page about how much the recipient means to you.
Give fancy soap. Buy a  soap block, found in most craft stores, divided into small cubes. Tie ribbon around the block to make a loop, turning at ninety degree angles to create each additional loop. Carefully run one scissor blade on the back of the ribbon until you have completely curled it. Repeat with the other side. They will look like gourmet soap and cost a fraction of the price.

Or melt that mamma jamma down in a old coffee tin and pour into soap molds.  There are a ton of super cute molds you can order online or just pick up at any craft store.  You pour the soap into molds wait for them to set, pop them out and wrap in some pretty tissue paper....  This is sooooo easy, one of my friends Anna showed me how to make soap a couple years ago as gifts and I am addicted now... It is so much fun making different kinds, like lemon peels with lemon essential oils...  Or Lavender oatmeal...... oooooo SOOO luxurious!!! :)
 Bath salts!!!!  So easy and everyone loves!!!

• Bottle or Jar
• Epsom Salts
• Food Coloring
• Perfume or Essential Oil

Instructions:
Combine the desired amount of Epsom salts (enough to fit in your bottle or jar) with food coloring. Mix well so color is even. Add your perfume or essential oil and mix again. Spread the mixture out on a sheet of wax paper to dry for a couple of hours and then put it in the bottle or jar.
While the salts can be used right away, the perfume or essential oil will blend better with the salt if it is allowed to set in the jar for a few weeks.




For Him:

Home made shaving cream recipe

Ingredients
45 gms cocoa butter
30 gms base oil such as grapeseed
20 mls liquid castille soap

How to make:
Melt the cocoa butter and base oil in a large pyrex bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Once melted allow to cool, or put it in the fridge until just the edges start to solidify!
Whisk with an electric whisk, then add the liquid castile soap.
As you continue whisking it will increase in volume, the cocoa butter will cool and the mix hold itself as a foam.
Put into jars and label

To Use:
Scoop a little out and mix with a little water to make a lather.
The cocoa butter and oils are soothing and nourishing while the castile soap makes it gently lather and stops the blades getting clogged up.
You can add essential oils to the mix such as lavender for healing.

Here is a great place to look for some cool vintage inspired razors!!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89362201/razor-wood-handle-mach-3-walnut-wood?ref=sr_gallery_25&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=razors&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade



For the kiddos

I have been making sock stuffed animals and they are turning into kind a big deal....  Here is a website for some ideas
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?action=tags;sa=showtopics;tag=sock_animal

Also this book is soooooo cute, I have made 2 of the animals for my girls and they are adorable....  I will post pictures!!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Sew-Me-Love-Hsiu-Lan-Kuei/dp/1596681829
Fun crayons

Have a bunch of crayon stubs that are too small for your kids to hold onto? Don't throw them out! Instead, recycle them into big, chunky crayons that are just the right size for little hands. Pair them with a coloring book, and you've got a complete gift for $1.

1. Gather up all of your broken crayons, and cut them into small pieces. (An adult will need to complete this step.)
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
3. Fill the muffin tin with an inch-thick layer of crayon pieces.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the wax is melted.
5. Allow the tin to cool; then pop out the crayons, and they're ready for use.

Tips:

1. If you don't have a muffin tin to devote to crayon making, you can line your regular muffin tin with foil cups.
2. Candy and soap making molds can also be used to create fun, shaped crayons.
3. Recycled crayons make a great no-cost gift or 

Playdough
Super cute, just make and bag in a clear bag or mason jar attach ribbon with a few cookie cutters and any little kiddo will be in heaven!!!!
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
beet, spinach, and carrot juice

Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of the vegetable juices to make green, pink, and orange.


And finally I am in love with this idea


Snowman kit!!!  Make it as silly as possible!!! ;)))

1. Dig around in your closets (or head to a thrift store) for all those snowman essentials: a button nose, two eyes made out of coal (rocks will work), a carrot nose (play food, perhaps?) a scarf, a set of mittens, two sticks for his arms, a few more buttons for his middle and a couple more rocks for his mouth.
2. Then, have some fun accessorizing. Add a wig, a crazy hat, some jewelry, a pair of shades – whatever you think will amuse the recipient.
3. Finish by sticking all the pieces in a box, and creating a fancy label for your kit.

Now of course I end up making a near drag queen snowman, but Who cares!!!!!  Everyone loves a drag queen!!   Am I right or am I right!!!!!!


Got more tricks up my sleeve... This will be an updated post...  Please consider making gifts from things you have around the house.... Tread lightly!!!