Every year at this time I (like many) am in a scramble to get gifts ready for Christmas while still working and trying to keep my house in a reasonable state of chaos. If you are looking for some ideas and have a little free time here and there, I have a few suggestions!
I believe in making and gifting handmade as much as possible- so my suggestions will be along that line!
Baking and Christmas candy are great gifts as they are consumed and won’t be thrifted later (you know, donated as an unwanted piece of clutter). I love making fudge and use the fantasy fudge recipe with a few tweaks: I ALWAYS use real butter, and a regular 11 oz bag of mini marshmallows in place of marshmallow cream. This recipe is great on its own or used as a base with fun mix-ins. Some of our favorites are dried cranberries (or cranberries with chopped pecans), crushed peppermints throughout and on top, or rocky-road style with chopped pecans and a bunch of marshmallows added at the last minute to add marshmallow globs throughout. Pack it up in wax paper and cute Christmas tins are sold everywhere (I have found really cute ones at Dollar Tree!)
I have had this recipe saved on my Pinterest FOREVER- but the link I had saved expired. So. I screenshot the recipe (as you can see from a KRAFT Marshmallow Creme label) for you to see here. The nuts are optional but a good guideline for cranberries, peppermints, etc.
2. Christmas decor for friends/family who decorate. This obviously really depends on who you are giving it to and what their style is, but homemade ornaments, wreaths, etc can be more special when you make it for someone. I found candycane shaped wire wreath frames at Dollar Tree, I bought garland there also and faux berries and ribbon on Christmas clearance (which is already happening at all the craft stores right now!) and made a couple of candycane wreaths. One I am giving to a friend who LOVES to decorate for Christmas, the other is for my husband’s office door. They look expensive, but were pretty cheap to make. Also- no adhesives needed. Simple!
Another wreath? Yes. Because they are fun to make. Also, because recommending the Dollar Tree is a new one for me. (My mom’s fault)
3. This idea is a bit more complicated, but bear with me. When I went to visit my sister in North Carolina she had bought me mushroom fabric and red with white polka dot fabric to teach me how to make self- binding napkins. She said the gift was not only the fabric but knowing how to make them, so after that set I was excited and immediately made more! These are not difficult to make, but to do them well does take time. I would definitely recommend washing the fabric first to pre-shrink it and iron it all out smooth. A rotary cutter and mat are best to make sure you have the material cut exactly right and be sure to iron at each step so as to keep everything square. I bought the fabric for these gnome napkins at JoAnn Fabrics (check online for coupons, fabric isn’t cheap!) These would be great gifts as you can customize with any fabric combo to match the recipient. Also, gifts that can be used are a great kind of gift.
I would paste a link to self-binding napkins but there are so many if you search so I will leave that up to you. I believe in you!
4. When buying, check out local shops for handmade vendors. I bought a number of presents at small galleries so I know I’m giving one of a kind things to my friends and family and putting money into the hands of small businesses and makers at the same time. As an artist I can tell you it’s a great feeling knowing someone values your work, and it helps us keep doing it.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays! I hope your stresses are few and your heart is full. -Anna