Homemade Gifts

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Cookies must be the most universal holiday treat, so no wonder there are recipes galore for tasty variations.

Fruitcake is the holiday tradition people love to hate, but there are unique recipes that may inspire you to try making some.

Candy is always popular for holiday gifts.

Bread, Biscotti or Crackers are a good option if you'd like something more unusual than cookies or candy.

Chutney or Relish can make a great gift, and many can be frozen so you can make them in advance.

Herb and Spice Blends will be a big hit with serious foodies on your list.

Meal-in-a-Jar Gifts are fun and easy to assemble even for people who don't know how to cook.

Liqueurs are fantastic for gifts, and many of them are remarkably simple to make. If you can find a fancy bottle, this gift becomes even more special.

No-Knit Scarf - Martha Stewart Crafts

scarves
hats

[free knitting and crochet patterns]
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quick sew gifts

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scrubs
soap
liquid hand soap
lip balm
massage candles

you can find most ingredients from Liberty Naturals

• frame a photograph, painting or sketch


• write a poem


• author and illustrate a children's book


• put together a photo album of the past year or meaningful event or theme


• book of family recipes (with or without photos)

BRING YOUR STORY TO LIFE

Relive the stories of your life - big or small - with a professionally bound keepsake that you've personalized from cover to cover. A photo book is a unique way to remember the joy of an afternoon at the zoo, the accomplishments of school years past, and the family milestones of birthday bashes, reunions, and summer vacations. All it takes is your favorite pictures and an afternoon of fun.

Use these helpful tips to make your photo book easy and fun:

- A time saver: Select "auto-fill" to automatically fill your book with any unchecked pictures from your picture strip. You can then review and modify each page at your convenience.

This is an easy way to jump start the selection of pictures for your photo book. Now all you have to do is adjust a few and add your personal captions.

- Explore the possibilities: test different page backgrounds while you create your photo book by selecting alternative designs using the Background tab.

This way you can quickly see how to customize your photo book to suit your story. Go with bold stripes for birthdays, or textured colors for travel.

- Resize your books for gifts: Visit My Shutterfly, highlight the book you want to create in another size within the My Projects section and select "make a copy of your book in a different size" to easily convert your book. For example, change an 8x8 photo book to a 12x12 book, and vice versa.

This is a great way to choose the right size for the person you want to delight with the gift of your story.

Your first step should be to select the photo book size that's right for your occasion--portable 4x4 brag books take about 30 minutes to create and are great mementos for Dad's office, while 12x12 photo books can tell longer stories and will look perfect on your coffee table.

Get started!

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kid crafts
survival kits

Furoshiki - furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth,
use it to wrap everything including gifts.

click to learn how to wrap

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