Seek • November 7, 2024
by Karen
Handmade Gifts for the Holidays
Wow Your Friends & Family with these Gifts from the Heart
Holiday gift giving: while a lovely tradition, can also be challenging. It’s hard to come up with a new gift idea every year and even more difficult if you’d like the gift to be heartfelt or purposeful. So, why don’t you make your gifts this year? Sure, it may take a little time to get prepared and assemble them, but the recipient will feel so touched by the extra effort and warmth that went into the gift.
Here are some of our favorite Ideas for handmade gifts:
Flavored Simple Syrups
Jazz up seltzer waters, cocktails and even tea with these unique twists on simple syrup. We scouted out a lot of recipes and really like these ones from Half Baked Harvest because they are amazing holiday flavors and include fun cocktail ideas and storage instructions.
We would package them in these beautiful bottles or these and depending on the recipient, you could pair it with a coordinating spirit or a nice sparkling water. This book would also be a fun addition if you need your gift to be a bit more spirited.
Essential Oil Rollerball
This is one of my favorite gifts to make. You can go in a few different directions with this one: create a holiday themed scent, a relaxing scent or just a more traditional everyday blend. Either way you can’t go wrong. To make a scented oil, you will start with a carrier oil and then various essential oils. I like using refined jojoba oil or grapeseed oil because it is odorless and safe on sensitive skin. It is important to use high quality essential oils; you can buy individual scents or choose a blend that you like. These blends are based on you using a small rollerball bottle like this and all of the essential oils are linked here. While the cost may seem higher on these oils, a little goes a long way.
Holiday Joy Blend - fill the bottle with carrier oil, add 5 drops each of frankincense, myrrh, and sweet orange essential oil.
Holiday Zen Blend - fill the bottle with carrier oil, add 10-15 drops of this stress less blend.
Holiday Party Blend - fill the bottle with carrier oil, add 10 drops of this rose and bergamot blend, 3 drops ylang ylang and 2 drops of patchouli (trust us!)
O’So Pro Tip: You could also make these scents in larger quantities to give as a diffuser. Use fractionated coconut oil as the carrier liquid, larger amounts of essential oils and here are a variety of different bottles and reeds. These pre blended high quality oils are specifically made for diffusers.
Food Gifts
Homemade edible gifts are always appreciated. This list has an extensive assortment of options. Packaging is what makes a food gift extra special, so whether you are making cookies, toffee, nut mixes, infused oils or spice blends, you have to consider how you will package it (and potentially ship it). You can’t go wrong with these options and don’t forget to either make a cute tag or maybe it’s time to invest in that label maker.
Holiday Simmer Scent Kit
I used to host a holiday party and a lovely guest (I hope you’re reading this;) always brought me a beautiful, simply elegant simmer kit as a hostess gift. All I had to do was add it to a pot of hot water and my home would instantly smell like joy. Try one of these different blends for a unique touch:
Peppermint leaves, cloves, dehydrated lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, dried cranberries and pine
Dehydrated orange, apple and lime slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, cranberries (fresh are best), bay leaf, star anise, rosemary leaves and pine
Package the items in a crystal mason jar or bag; we think these feel a little more special, but you can also use these and just tie them with a pretty ribbon. Include all the ingredients, a muslin bag to simmer in (this is optional, but we like that it’s reusable and mess-free), and attach a tag that says:
Holiday Stovetop Simmer
Place all the ingredients in the muslin bag and simmer in a pot filled with three cups of water on low heat. Add water as needed. Enjoy!
Make the Process Fun & Festive
Decide what your gift will be and gather all the items needed, including how you will wrap it. Then pick a day or night when you will have uninterrupted time, turn on some tunes and get in the spirit. These gifts are meant to bring a little warmth and meaning to the season, so don’t go for perfection. Your loved ones are going to appreciate the time and care you’ve put into your gifts and will undoubtedly be looking for something special again next year!
Speaking of Wrapping
We think the way you package a present is equally important as the gift inside. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and spend tons of money on wrapping paper, tissue, boxes. Again, get creative! Tie a sprig of pine, rosemary or other natural item with a bit of twine or make personal tags about the gift you created. Here are some items we love to have on hand for the ultimate holiday packaging.