Homemade Gifts: Not Crafty? Then Be Crafty!

I'm not necessarily a very crafty person when it comes to arts and crafts. But I think I can sometimes be pretty crafty in coming up with creative gifts. It's a sort of craftiness that you can acquire if you put your mind to it. First, consider what you have seen in stores or what you've been given that you found really thoughtful or useful. Could you easily make that same thing at a fraction of the cost? Would the giver of a homemade gift you received be willing to share her tips/recipe with you?

Second, think about the possibility of revamping what you already know how to do. I have a great hot chocolate recipe that I didn't use for several years. I began seeing hot chocolate "cones" sold in stores for $4-5 each. When I had previously given the hot chocolate as gifts, I put it in basic sandwich bags. Now I had an idea for a new gift with an old recipe!

Third, don't let what comes your way pass you by. The moms group I belong to had a recipe exchange last fall. One of those recipes was for homemade hand lotion. The mom who shared it mentioned that those she had given it to loved it. All of the women in my family received the lotion for Christmas last year, as did Alayna's teachers at church.

Finally, if you think your homemade gift is kind of lame on its own, come up with a theme to beef it up. To go along with the hand lotion I made, I added in other personal care items that were inexpensive (mostly free with my couponing adventures). I'm already thinking about Christmas gifts this year. My theme? Well, I can't give it all away, but it involves the kitchen.

In case you are interested, I'll leave you with the homemade hand lotion recipe as published in Parkwood Baptist Church's cookbook.

* 8oz Vitamin E cream or lotion

* ½ cup Vaseline

* 15 oz baby lotion

Mix all together. You may prefer more Vaseline. Store in a glass jar with lid. (3-4 oz Mason jars are a good gift size.)

My tips: you can find these items at dollar stores; baby food jars are also a great storage/gift option; I don't believe the exact amounts are necessary- just adjust until the lotion is a good consistency.