Homemade Christmas

Its December now, and if you aren’t panicking thinking of all the people you’d like to give gifts to this year but really can’t afford to, then you’re probably in the minority. Christmas time has become so commercialized that we really believe that the amount we spend on someone equates with how much we think of them. However, this is definitely not true and one area I am striving to change.

We all probably have too much stuff! You know, the stuff that collects dust on the shelf and gets buried in a closet or drawer. Yet every year we try to put a little (or a lot) more of this stuff into our friends and family’s hands. Why do we do this?

When my parents were growing up gifts were greatly appreciated and rather rare. My dad recalled that one Christmas he got an orange, which he greatly treasured. How many of us would even remember a food item we got? Maybe that’s something we should work on. If we are taught (or teach ourselves) to appreciate the little things then we will be more grateful and content as a whole.

So this year, instead of stressing about the money you don’t have or the gifts you can’t buy why not make it a homemade Christmas? There are loads of great resources out there for DIY gifts, from the elaborate down to the simplest. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Homemade foods.
People love homemade meals now. It used to be that store-bought bread, pizzas etc…were a treat. Now it’s the other way around. So why not pick your favorite homemade bread, roll, muffin, pizza or cookie recipe and make up a huge batch to distribute with cards to your friends and family? You can also put together bean jars with a mason jar, dry beans, seasoning and a directions card attached. The same can be done with homemade cookie or cake mixes.

2. Homemade sewing projects.
The possibilities for these are so numerous! From quilts to herbal eye bags you really can make something for everyone. Make a mini-quilt with places for pictures for a wall-hanging or sew cute, simple dresses for the little girls in your circle. (I did this several years and they loved them!).

3. Woodworking projects.
You could make neat Christmas ornaments or wooden coasters. Don’t forget handmade picture frames (perhaps with a special picture already inside) or transfer a picture to a beautiful piece of wood. Make a coffee cup rack (you can find lots of ideas on Pinterest) or a homemade rolling pin. Children can assemble bird houses or treasure boxes.

4. Experiences.
Instead of buying someone something, perhaps they would enjoy an experience more. Give them a card with “this entitles the receiver to a float trip down the river” or “4 lawn mowings this summer” or “a camping trip”, etc.… Our memories we make together last much longer than a toy or trinket that’s soon forgotten or discarded.

There are many more things that can be made as gifts but I hope this has piqued your interest! Don’t think it has to cost a lot before it really matters. Remember the greatest gift that was ever given to us was a baby in a manger. Merry Christmas!

Jenny is a wife to her amazing husband of 17 years and stay-at-home momma to 3 kids with another on the way. She blogs at https://www.inconvenientfamily.com where she is learning that blessings aren’t always convenient.