Christmas Gift Ideas from Your Kitchen

Remember neighbors, friends, teachers, newspaper and mail carriers this year with a Christmas gift from your kitchen. It may seem an old fashioned thing to do (and wait until you see some of the old fashioned ideas), but because it’s hardly done any more, your unique Christmas gift ideas will bring joy--and isn’t that what the Holidays are about?

You may find some of these corny (I admit that some go way back), but if not your “style” perhaps they will trigger a similar, yet more creative, sophisticated Christmas gift ideas you can get excited about and take off on.

Christmas Gift Ideas

• Homemade rolls (or cook up one of the easy and delicious frozen type). For a greeting: “Before the new year ROLLS around we just wanted you to know that we sure enjoy your friendship.”
• Gifts in a jar — jam, snacks, cookie-brownie-cake mix, fruit, etc. Cut a circle of Christmas cloth using pinking shears, to cover the lid. Tie with a ribbon.
• Small loaves of Banana, Zucchini, or Pumpkin bread wrapped in red cellophane and tied with a ribbon.
• Dipped pretzels. Melt almond bark and add a drop of red or green food coloring.
• Ice Cream Topping Sampler. Make small bags of several of the following: M&M’s, Reeses Pieces, Oreo cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, mint chocolate chips, skittles, broken butterfingers and Heath bars, etc. Tie them all together with a ribbon.
• “We ‘Whisk’ you a Merry Christmas.” Put chocolate kisses inside a wire whisk. Wrap with cellophane or green netting and tie with a ribbon.

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas

Fortunately spreading a little Christmas Cheer doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Spend a little time being creative and you can whip up a Christmas gift idea from your kitchen that’ll bring a smile to teachers, friends, neighbors, etc. Homemade Christmas gift ideas are special and since it’s the thought that counts, they’re a hit.

• Popcorn ball wreath. Wrap balls in one long piece of green Saran Wrap. Tie in between each ball with curling ribbon. Form into a circle and tie ends together and cover with a larger bow.
• “Just popping in to say, may your Holiday be Merry and Sprite.” Attach this little note to a package of microwave popcorn, that’s tied with a ribbon, to a bottle of sprite.
• Gingerbread cookie cutter accompanied with a recipe and plate of gingerbread cookies.
• Hope your Holiday is Souper! Give a bag of soup ingredients with a recipe, or bring your neighbor a pot of soup.
• Christmas Tree treat. Use frozen cinnamon rolls. Follow package directions but put rolls out in the shape of a Christmas tree and then bake that way. Drizzle with white frosting.
• Sugared Nuts.

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Ready or not here comes Christmas. Are you shopped out, out of money, and tired of all the commercialism? Try a nice twist to Christmas by incorporating some of these last minute Christmas gift ideas for friends, neighbors and family.

• If you have a digital camera, or several pictures loaded on your computer, give computer generated calendar pages with a picture of your cute kids on each monthly page of the year (grandma will appreciate this more than the neighbors!) My kids gave me one last Christmas and called it a “Cali-nder.” Their baby’s name is “Cali.”
• Remember those bargains on Halloween candy that you were reminded of in our newsletter a couple months ago? Put those treats in a jar, or wrap a handful in cellophane, tie with a ribbon and go caroling to your neighbor with treat in hand.
• Give coupons of service such as a promise to give a back rub, cook a favorite dinner, teach someone a skill, play tennis, go on a special outing, baby-sit, sweep the garage, …
• For stocking stuffers give kids (and husbands) things they’re always looking for like batteries, film, lotion, soaps, tape, scissors, paper clips, tacks, sticky-note pads, rubber bands, glue, 3x5 cards, etc.
• Christmas Pie.
• A calendar with birthdays and special family events highlighted.
• Gather favorite recipes and present them tied with a ribbon. Especially good this time of year are easy “hors-d-oeuvres.” New Year’s is coming and we can all use a good recipe to take to family or friend gatherings.