If you are like me, the holidays this year will be a bit tight. So, the focus at our house this year will be mainly on the true reason for Christmas – Jesus’ birth. Beyond that, I am going to keep it simple! Keeping it simple forces you to look at the people you normally give presents to & decide what kind of simple gift would please them the most. It makes you look at their likes & dislikes, their favorite colors, their needs & wants – not some superficial last minute gift without thought.
There are a number of simple, quick gifts that can be made.
If you sew…….
dolls
stuffed animals
aprons
pillows
quilts
wall hangings
eye pillows
table runners
If you crochet or knit…………..
dishcloths
Size K crochet hook, cotton dishcloth yarn, chain 31 , crochet in the back loop to make the ridge, crochet for 34-35 rows. Weave in ends.
scarves
Size 10 knitting needles, fuzzy yarn, cast on 20 stitches, knit in garter stitch for desired length of scarf. Bind off. Weave in ends. Add fringe if you like.
hats
mittens
If you bake…………………
breads
brownies
cakes
cookies
If you cook or can…………
salsa
jelly
jam
If you don’t do any of these, you can make jar mixes. There are a number of sites to give you recipes for the different kinds of jar gifts that can be made.
I plugged in “mixes in a jar recipes” & I came up with some for you to check out!!
Some examples:
cookies
bars
pancakes
soups
breads
scones
As you can see, there are many ways to do Christmas simply. It does not have to be the fancy no-thought gifts but can be something meaningful made from the heart. Sit down & make your list of the important people in your life & see what you can come up with! You might surprise yourself!
Some projects do take time to make, so I like to get started early. When the weather starts to cool off, it begins my thinking towards what needs to be finished.
I hope this gives you some ideas for making your Christmas simple!
