Favorite Neighbor Christmas Gifts

This time of year the Internet peaks for searched ideas on Christmas gifts for those folks with whom you work, play or gossip. There are also parties to attend and people that you want to shower with love and thanks. Unfortunately, Christmas gifts can add up quickly for those of us on a budget, so making a homemade gift can be the perfect answer to that timeless Christmas question – “What do I get the Smiths for the holidays?” The solution needs to be easy to execute (odds are you’re making more than one), and cute enough to get a few ooh and ahhs.

Here are a few of the ideas that I’m loving right now:

Reindeer oats by No Fuss Fabulous. How could you not get a kick out of receiving these? She has a whole section on doing a breakfast with this, complete with Blitzen Berry Yogurt, I love it!

Decorated Pringles tubes for cookies by Jen Morris. I love the simplicity. As a bonus, you have to eat through the Pringles to get the tubes. Double awesome.

Tissue pack holder by Martha Stewart. Family craft the kids would love to help with.

S’more Love by One Simple Addition. I smile just looking at this, so cute.

Hand soap gift by Crafts Redesigned. Nice and simple!

Handmade Christmas ornament by Better Homes and Gardens. Stuff it with whatever you want – except leftover Halloween candy – have to admit, that’d be a little chintzy.

Homemade vanilla extract by Whipperberry. I’ve seen this everywhere and I love the idea, brilliant!

Heating pads by Martha Stewart. Cold winter nights + warm heating pad = time to snuggle.

With these ideas in mind, we got a chance to try our own version of a homemade gift. We were recently invited to a dinner party and decided to whip up something to let the host and hostess know how much we appreciated their holiday invite.

I picked up a poinsettia and decided to dress up the pot with some burlap and fabric. I cut a round piece of burlap (2 ft diameter) and hemmed the edges to keep it from fraying.

Then, taking a 4 foot length of fabric, I hemmed the sides and sewed a ½ inch strip down the center, allowing enough room for twine to be threaded through it.

Then I simply wrapped up the whole thing, using the twine threaded through the ruffle to hold it together.

And, since we procrastinated this project and were running late for the dinner, we really didn’t get a decent picture of it- oops.

But you get the idea right? So the big question now is, what will you be doing for your friends and neighbors this year?

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