Budget homemade gift people go WOW over?

[leadfootlevi]

One year I made wine cork trivets. I just glued all the corks into picture frames with the glass removed. My family absolutely loved them and a few people actually hung them on their walls cause they thought they were so neat.

I had been saving corks for awhile so I had a decent amount on hand, but when the first couple trivets came out great and I decided to do them for my whole family, I did have to supplement with corks from Ebay. It still came out to be an inexpensive gift. Unfortunately more and more companies are switching to synthetic corks or screw tops so I don't get nearly as many for crafting anymore.

We have a local home brew store and they sell inexpensive corks.

 

[Cindyrellablue]

I've never seen one of these wine bottles with lights in them, does anyone have a photo?

Last year, I made cookies for everyone, DH and I had a ball making them and people seemed to have enjoyed then when they received them. I put them in pretty Christmas tins, so hopefully they could use those again.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I can't say that I would like that gift either---lights in a bottle?? I can't imagine a place in my house where I would "display" such a thing. I think I would prefer a5.00 gift card also.

I'd rather have the full bottle of wine.

 

[C.Ann]

Not trying to sound rude, but someone gave me one of these a few years ago and I thought it looked like a major fire hazard. I thanked the person that evening, send a hand written thank you and then promptly dropped it in the Goodwill bag. It seemed tacky and also like a fire hazard. I have also seem the same concept with a mason jar stuffed with a strand of lights and some potpourri. If you are trying to save, then just give a $5 GC to Target or Starbucks or a local grocery.

As you have seen by several unpleasant responses - I stopped giving homemade gifts, home baked cookies, pictures, etc. To the ones that truly appreciate the gester - still get them. Otherwise I now make a donation in the person's name to a charity. That "$5 gift card to Target" is now going to someone that is more deserving of my time and money. The miserable get nothing and someone deserving gets something. Win, Win in my book.

wow...I have to say that people grumbling about getting ANYTHING for Christmas is the reason why most of the people I know are exiled to the card list until they can prove they are no longer unappreciative of the thought. everyone else gets nice cookies, brownies, the like or whatever cute project I discovered through out the year. I am only 28 and I was raised to accept the gift graciously and not complain behind someones back about not getting the gift that I wanted.

 

[MEM]

What's a "white trash" snack mix? I have to look it up now.

Alton Brown's "White Trash"

3 1/2 cups Cheerios toasted oat cereal
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
16 ounces M&M's plain chocolate candy
2 1/2 cups salted mixed nuts
2 cups small pretzels
2 (11 ounce) packages white chocolate chips (Ghirardelli brand preferred)

Directionsrep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
1 Dump the cereals, M&Ms, nuts & pretzels in a large bowl. 2 Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Melt very slowly, stirring occasionally, being careful not to burn the chocolate. 3 Dump melted chocolate over the rest of the ingredients and fold over and over until you have well-coated hunks and chunks. 4 Spread the whole mess out on parchment paper and set in a cool place until it sets up, then break it into pieces. 5 Store in zip-top bags or air-tight containers.

 

[Kae]

I have a friend who took wines bottles to a pottery place they put them in the kiln. They melted flat, she put beads & wire around the handle with a cheese knife, kinda like a little cheese board. One of my friends uses hers as a spoon rest. I use mine in the bar to cut limes & lemons.

Kae

 

[Melmac]

If I were to receive a homemade gift, I would love to get some cookies or fudge. Also, anything memory-related like a scrapbook, photo-calender, etc would be great too.

I find that fudge goes over very well when I give it to my co-workers! My favourite flavour is Toblerone fudge but you have to get the bars on sale to make it budget-worthy.

 

[thebeesknees]

I make orange-chocolate truffles every year for Christmas. My husband gives them to his co-workers and they always get rave reviews. The one year I didn't plan to do it due to time constraints, my SIL staged a minor riot and insisted that I do them, so I was up late the night before Christmas trying to get them done for her!

My kids always enjoy dipping pretzel rods in chocolate and decorating them with various sprinkles and drizzles for their Sunday School teachers, bus driver, ballet teacher, etc. And last year I made a huge batch of chai tea mix and divided it into small jars for several friends. I got a ton of requests for the recipe afterward, so I guess the homemade gifts are still OK out this way. I think the key is to consider the recipient and try to match whatever you are giving to something you know they will enjoy.

 

[allison443]

wow...I have to say that people grumbling about getting ANYTHING for Christmas is the reason why most of the people I know are exiled to the card list until they can prove they are no longer unappreciative of the thought. everyone else gets nice cookies, brownies, the like or whatever cute project I discovered through out the year. I am only 28 and I was raised to accept the gift graciously and not complain behind someones back about not getting the gift that I wanted.

How are they going to prove they are no longer unappreciative if they don't get gifts anymore?

Also, did people seriously complain to your face about your gift of homemade cookies? Or was it behind your back? If it was behind your back, don't you think it was rude of whoever told you of these comments?

 

[Cruise]

I've never seen one of these wine bottles with lights in them, does anyone have a photo?

If you look back to post #25 in this thread, CherylA posted some links that will take you to pictures of some.

 

[bartleby1]

I make orange-chocolate truffles every year for Christmas. My husband gives them to his co-workers and they always get rave reviews. The one year I didn't plan to do it due to time constraints, my SIL staged a minor riot and insisted that I do them, so I was up late the night before Christmas trying to get them done for her!

My kids always enjoy dipping pretzel rods in chocolate and decorating them with various sprinkles and drizzles for their Sunday School teachers, bus driver, ballet teacher, etc. And last year I made a huge batch of chai tea mix and divided it into small jars for several friends. I got a ton of requests for the recipe afterward, so I guess the homemade gifts are still OK out this way. I think the key is to consider the recipient and try to match whatever you are giving to something you know they will enjoy.

Orange-chocolate truffles sound delicious! Care to share your recipe? Pretty please?

 

[punkin]

Alton Brown's "White Trash"

3 1/2 cups Cheerios toasted oat cereal
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
16 ounces M&M's plain chocolate candy
2 1/2 cups salted mixed nuts
2 cups small pretzels
2 (11 ounce) packages white chocolate chips (Ghirardelli brand preferred)

Directionsrep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
1 Dump the cereals, M&Ms, nuts & pretzels in a large bowl. 2 Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Melt very slowly, stirring occasionally, being careful not to burn the chocolate. 3 Dump melted chocolate over the rest of the ingredients and fold over and over until you have well-coated hunks and chunks. 4 Spread the whole mess out on parchment paper and set in a cool place until it sets up, then break it into pieces. 5 Store in zip-top bags or air-tight containers.

It sounds absolutely sinful. I wonder if it will work with dark chocolate? I guess you couldn't call it white trash then.

Maybe I'll make this for Thanksgiving.

 

[CherylA]

Heres a photo, I think they are really pretty...

 

[Aurora D]

The best homemade gift I ever gave was a "Memory Jar". I cleaned out large glass jelly jars, attached some fabric and trim to the lid,and wrote mom, dad, or name of person on lid in glitter. Then I wrote all my favorite memories of/with that person on separate slips of paper, folded them up and put them in the jar. My 6'4" father sat quietly reading. When someone asked why he wasn't sharing he said he thought he would cry if he read them out loud. He kept that jar on his dresser until he died and my mom keeps it their still.

 

[Shleedogg]

I think what a lot of people are saying is that a "dust catcher" like lights in a bottle wouldn't appeal to them. TBH, if someone gave that to me as a "homemade gift from the heart", I would think they didn't know me very well and it might hurt my feelings a little because of that. I have a small apartment and I'm not fond of dust catchers, plus I have my own Christmas decorations already. So if you felt obligated to give me a gift and didn't know me well enough to know I hate dust catchers, I'd go for the $5 gift card or nothing at all so I don't have to get rid of it and you don't waste money on me. Does that make sense?

In the vein of good homemade gifts, I like baking breads. People love baked goods, and cookies get done a lot. So making some nice cranberry bread or something else fruity and festive, especially all wrapped up in colored cellophane and ribbon, can have a different kind of "oomph" than what people are used to getting.

You can also make some very pretty ornaments by squirting different paints inside of glass balls and shaking them around. Very easy for the kids if you can trust them not to drop. Just squirt and let them do the shaking! With some nice personalization in marker or careful painting on the front they can be fun. My drama teacher made pink balls for the club after our production of Grease with our names and character names on them as a thank-you gift, and they went over really well.

Well said! It's not that I don't appreciate a homemade gift, I do. I would love a scrapbook or homemade baked goods, love the homemade mixes in a jar. I just personally don't like knickknacks, especially not ones w/ crochet doilies on top (the one my aunt bought me). I just don't. That kind of a gift seems completely devoid of thought. It's not about getting me something from a list or that cost a certain amount. Let me throw some lights in a jar. That doesn't really seem like much thought in the same way that making a scrapbook or making some baked goods, etc. I agree with other posters, in that instance, I'd rather you not buy me anything or buy me a $5 candle from Walmart or a box of candy canes, something that actually can be used.

 

[Pigeon]

I don't think anyone has said that they tell the giver they don't like the gift. I always appreciate the sentiment.

But honestly, I'm trying to declutter as much as possible. A wine bottle with a string of Christmas lights would go in my trash, too, as would similar types of things. I wouldn't do it to be mean, but I find keeping that kind of stuff draining.

I'd rather have a card and agree to stop exchanging gifts.

 

[MickeyManiac]

One of my very favorite Christmas decorations was made by a good friend. She used a glass brick -sold at Home Depot- and filled it with white lights. She drilled a hole for the cord so it comes out the side. She has a vinyl cutter so she put the word "BELIEVE" on the front and put a pretty ribbon around the outside edges with a bow on top. It is beautiful and still gets lots of compliments.

I guess I'm also one of those tacky people that like the wine bottle idea. I love the ambiance created in the room by something so simple.

 

[AmongMadPeople]

Years and years ago my sister made a fancy homemade gel candle for Christmas, and when I burned one for the first time it really did catch on fire. Luckily it was in the bathroom and I put out the fire with the shower head I've learned to never take for granted how combustible anything is. I would never leave any lit Christmas decorations unattended, whether they are in a wine bottle, outdoors, or hanging on my wall. So check your fire extinguishers because it's always better to be safe than sorry, especially during the holidays. PSA over

Family traditions/recipes make good homemade gifts. Last year my aunt made jars of my grandma's hot chocolate recipe. Each year I'm the designed dish scrubber maker for my husband's family.

And while it's not homemade, it's personal, I make calendars for certain family members. For my in-laws it's our dogs, for my mom her grandkids, etc. With Facebook and family websites, it can be easy to grab some pictures and make something personal for someone else. The calendars I made last year were the favorite gifts of everything I gave. This year I've simplified to poster calendars so I only need a few good pictures, instead of 12. I ordered the poster calendars on Vista Print for ~$4 a piece including shipping.

I also made wine charms this year, but those are not budget friendly!

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

I guess I'm also one of those tacky people that like the wine bottle idea. I love the ambiance created in the room by something so simple.

Me too! I have one a friend made me ten years ago that is adorable! She attached a lampshade that matches my decorating taste to the wine cork and made a lamp out of it. I keep it on a nightstand in the guest bedroom. Love it!

I don't do many home made gifts but I like giving baskets of home made salsa, jelly and green tomato pickles to my family and friends. I know they love these gifts because they beg me for them every year when I'm canning. I also make cookies, candies, and cheese balls each Christmas and give them to friends and family. I much prefer receiving consumable gifts because I have way too much stuff already!

 

[katlas&kids]

Hmm. Maybe its the kind of paint you use? I have pretty blue and gold ones from when I was in elementary school that are still good.

I think all my mom had on hand when we made them was fabric paint. It would explain the not cracking, and maybe the colors don't mix as well?

They are real nice and we did it as a ladies craft one time. You can have the colors go where you want. I used the Delta cremacoat. Still beautiful!