Creative Homemade Gifts

By Nettie Bozanich

I enjoy presenting thoughtful gifts to family and friends on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and anniversaries. Not only is it hard to find creative gifts in stores, but buying gifts can also be hard on your budget, especially if you have many family members and friends. Over the years I have come up with a variety of homemade gifts that have brought smiles to the faces of the recipients.

Chocolate Lovers Gift Basket

This is a terrific idea for multiple gift giving (many family members, co-workers, neighbours) because the treats can be made even more inexpensively in bulk quantities.

At a bulk food store, I purchase a large quantity of chocolate melts for candy making. With this chocolate (which can be easily melted in the microwave), I make chocolate dipped spoons, chocolate coated chocolate chip cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels, chocolate coated almonds, chocolate coated coffee beans chocolate bark made with nuts and white chocolate.

I wrap a small quantity of each of these treats in inexpensive cellophane bags that I purchased at a dollar store, and present them in baskets or in gift bags. This is a great fit because the recipient can sample many kinds of treats without having a massive quantity of any one kind.

Homemade Journal

People really appreciate homemade journals. Though a journal can be time-consuming to make, it is very inexpensive. The time invested is rewarding and evident in the final product.

At a discount or dollar store, I purchase an attractive notebook for less than two dollars. On every other page, I write a quotation or a thought on an unobtrusive part of the page. The quotes can be inspirational, humorous, or practical. As well, the quotations can fit certain themes: the birth of a baby, a favourite writer's thoughts, or memories of past holidays. The only limit is your creativity. In some cases, I add stickers or photos to enhance the project.

Gifts from the Kitchen

Baking a special treat or cooking dinner is a wonderful gift idea for two reasons. First, many of us do not take time to cook wholesome meals for ourselves. We are just too busy. A special treat from the kitchen also represents the gift of time.

Secondly, many of us have so many possessions that we don't know what to do with them. A meal or treat leaves the memory of the giver's thoughtfulness (and perhaps a copy of the recipe).

Gifts from the kitchen can also add a personal touch. For example, a friend told me about how he loved carrot cake but could never find the right kind. I searched for the recipe of the kind he said he enjoyed and made it for him as a gift. He enjoyed the cake and was also touched that I remembered the conversation and took time to find the right recipe.

Box of Thoughts

At a discount store, I purchased a small decorative box. Using small pieces of coloured paper, I wrote memories and special thoughts about the recipient. When I was done filling the box, I tied it with a ribbon and attached a label. On the label I wrote: "Loving thoughts for a loving person - to encourage and comfort you."

Though this gift is lovely on its own, I have also incorporated it with other gifts such as fresh flowers. (You could slip a single flower under the ribbon on the box for a fragrant and pretty accent).

Creativity is one of the most important parts in gift giving. We are all creative - we just need to find what we do best and go for it. After all, in gift giving, the thought is what really truly counts.

Nettie Bozanich is a freelance writer whose work has been published in several online magazines. Her work has also been included in an anthology entitled: A Cup of Comfort Cookbook. She holds a degree in Honours English. Visit her website at: www.nettiebozanich.com