Creative Ideas for Gift Giving

As I mentioned before, I make candy and other food gifts for presents. Some of the items that I am told by friends and family that they like the best are:
- caramels
- fudge
- truffles
- toffee
- shortbread
- buckeyes
- caramel refrigerator cookies
Not only are these favorites, but making one batch of each goes a long way. I individually wrap all my candies and also make small packets of cookies.
For those on your list that don't like, or can't eat sweets, there are many fun treats that you can make for them also. Such as:
- cheese puffs
- chili-jack biscotti
- zucchini parmesan pots
- homemade pesto
- homemade seasonings
- popcorn mixes
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Most years I start with caramels and fudge. Then I add to the list according to who will be receiving my gifts. For example, I have a friend that loves teas. Last year I found a really pretty tea mug. So I put together a couple of tea mixes in plastic baggies and put them inside of the mug along with a small box of my candy and a tea ball.

Once you have created all your gifts, you will want to put the package together in a way that shows you really thought about the receiver. The possibilities for this are also endless.

Throughout the years of giving my friends these types of gifts, I have learned quite a bit about the presentation. Usually, my first stop is the Dollar Store. You can pick up lots of inexpensive items to wrap up your gifts with. Some of the things I have used from the Dollar Store are:
- Christmas mugs
- Decorative containers
- Baskets
If you are giving a gift like a cookie mix, buy a bowl and wooden spoons. Then layer the dry ingredients for the cookies in a jar. Make sure you write up the recipe on a card and tie it to the jar! This is a great personalized gift.
So before you begin you need to gather all your wrapping gear. Some things you may need are:
- Colored plastic wrap
- Origami or scrapbooking paper
- Holiday themed fabrics
- Tissue paper
- Baskets
- Decorative bowls
- Mason jars
- Labels
- Glue
- Index cards
- Hole punch
- Ribbon
This isn't a complete list but you get the idea.

Do you have a special cookie mix? Or maybe a type of seasoning that you mix yourself? I have a special barbeque rub that I like to give at Christmas. This makes a great gift and they are easy to assemble. For cookie mixes, layer them in a jar to make them look attractive. For spice mixtures, buy small jars to put them in.

Include a recipe with these for a nice touch.

Here are a couple of my favorite spice mixes:
Barbeque Rub
3 T Paprika
1 t Brown Sugar
1 T Dried Oregano
1 1/2 t Kosher Salt
1/2 t Pepper

Garam Masala
2 T Cumin Seeds
2 T Coriander Seeds
2 T Cardamom Seeds
1 (3-in) Cinnamon Stick, broken in pieces
1 t Whole Cloves
2 T Black Peppercorns
1 t Grated Nutmeg
1/2 t Saffron (optional)
Toast the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a heavy skillet. Transfer to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. You may need to do this in batches. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. This will keep for about 3 months in an airtight container.

I have tried many different ways of wrapping up these gifts. Here are a few of my favorites.

I always make fudge and caramels. I give a few of these to all my co-workers in a small box. But I also individually wrap these yummy treats. OK, now you are probably thinking that I must be crazy. Well, when I first tried this, I thought so too. But over time I have developed a method for doing this (and I recruit my whole family for candy wrapping). Once I have them all wrapped I place about 10 of them in small origami boxes and tie a ribbon around them. They really give the impression of a very custom gift. I recruit my kids to help me with this and we can usually create about 30 boxes of candy in one evening!

Here's how I wrap the candy with colorful plastic wrap:
1. Tear off strips about 3 inches wide and stack them on top of each other.
2. Cut the stacks of plastic wrap into thirds.
3. Cut the candy into 1-inch squares and wrap each one in a piece of the plastic wrap.

To make the boxes, use heavy wrapping paper, origami paper, scrapbooking paper, or fabric. I give instructions for making fabric boxes later in this lens. Tie a bow around each box of candy. For a basic origami box, here are some simple instructions. Easy Origami Box

Another idea is to create gift baskets or boxes with a variety of treats. When I make these, I usually go to an import store like World Market or Pier 1 Imports and purchase other treats or items to go with the homemade treats that I have made.

Shoeboxes work great for gift giving. I usually cover them with wrapping paper, fabric or scrapbooking paper and then pack the gifts inside. Check out this site for instructions on covering a box.

You can also make fabric gift bags. Here are instructions for simple gift bags. Here are instructions for a fabric Tote Bag. If you make a fabric tote bag, try painting something personal on it with fabric paint.

Its a good idea to come up with a theme for your homemade gifts. Such as cookies or teas. Here are some of the themes I have used:

Cookie Bowl: Include jar of dry ingredients, recipe, wooden spoon, cookie cutters, bowl, rubber scrapper, etc.
Tea: Make a custom tea mix, include a mug, tea ball, crackers or shortbread, cookies, and candy.
Italian Dinner: Include spices, dried pasta, cheese, and all the other ingredients to make a pasta dinner.
Sweets: Include packages of different treats you have made.

These are just a few suggestions. I'm sure you can come up with more ideas.

These little boxes are great for candy gifts. Here are some tips for making them.

1. Use the pattern for Easy Origami box. Keep it simple because fabric can become bulky.
2. Use light cotton fabric and soak it in a mixture of white glue and water. I use about 1 C of glue for every 3 C water.
3. Squeeze excess liquid out of fabric and hang it up to dry.
4. When the fabric is dry, iron it.
5. Cut the fabric in 18" squares.
6. Lay square on a cutting board.
7. Use the handle of a paint brush to crease the fabric as you fold it.
8. When you fold the box for the top, make it just slightly larger.