Homemade Gifts Can Be Fun to Make & Recieve!
This has been a rough year and money is tight for most people. I tried to skip Christmas this year, and the movie wasn’t far off at all! So much drama lol. They bullied me into having Chrismas!
For the Adults we are doing 3 White Elephant Gifts: General, Gag, & DIY $15.00 budget on each present. Since I have waited a little too long, I will share the fastest and easiest gift ideas, I am still trying to choose my DIY gift Too! Share any or your ideas with us too 🙂
Tip: I save my spaghetti jars all throught the year for quick and cute gift ideas like these!
Pretzel Snowman:
1 Jar
1 bag of White Covered Pretzels
3 Black Buttons
Red Ribbon
Instructions:
Fill jar full of Whire Covered Pretzels
Decorate the Jar with 3 Black Buttons with a hot glue gun straight down the middle of the jar.
Tie Red Ribbon aroun the top of the jar:
Add A Printable if you would like: Printable Merry Christmas
Cinnamon & Sugar Pecans
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 cups (16 ounces) whole raw pecans (see note)
1 Jar Or Container Of Your Choice
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Melt the butter and spread on a rimmed half sheet pan (11X17-inches).
You can also cut the cold butter into cubes, place on the sheet pan,
and pop in the oven while preheating to melt the butter; just watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
In a large bowl, add the egg whites and salt and whisk until foamy but still liquidy, 30 seconds or so.
Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix until well blended and the cinnamon is completely mixed in.
Add the pecans and gently mix until the nuts are well coated, making sure to get underneath to the bottom of the bowl as you mix.
Spread the pecan mixture in an even layer over the melted butter in the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and using a flat metal spatula or similar tool, quickly stir the pecans and spread them back into an even layer. Bake for another 10 minutes, stir again, and spread into an even layer.
Bake for a final 5-10 minutes (watching closely!) until the pecans are sizzling and lightly golden. Remove the pan from the oven, give the pecans another good stir, scraping them up from the bottom of the pan. Spread them into an even layer and let them rest on the pan for 1-2 hours WITHOUT STIRRING AGAIN until completely cooled and the sugar coating has set. The pecans keep for up to a week well-covered in a cool, dry place (not the fridge).
NOTES
Nuts: I have only ever made this recipe with pecans (because they are sooooo good), but you could try experimenting with other nuts: whole almonds, cashews, walnuts.
For a sweet and spicy version: try adding a pinch of cayenne (more or less to taste) with the cinnamon.
Fill jar or container of your choice: Decorate & Label
Reipe By: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Estimated Cost: $8.00 Should make several gifts: $2.00 Per Gift
Double Chocolate Mint Christmas Cookie Recipe:
In a quart size mason jar and begin layering the following ingredients.
Tap the bottom of the jar on the counter as you go to get everything to
lay down into the jar nice and flat.
Layer the following in this order:
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/4 C flour
2/3 C chocolate chips
2/3 C peppermint chips (I used some Andes mint peppermint chips that are seasonal.
Any sort of mint chocolate should work.)
Add Printable Tag & Instructions: Print
Recipe Brought to you by: Crazy Little Projects
Movie Lover’s Gift Basket:
Things you will need:
Gift Basket Or Container of your choice
Paper popcorn bags,
boxes of movie theater candy such as: Reese’s Pieces, Milk Duds,
bags of M & M’s, Peanut M & M’s, and Starburst,
A jar of popcorn and three jars of popcorn seasonings
Estimated Cost: 12.00 this is Fun becaue you van edit to your budget and add what you think they will like
Decorate Your Gift with these Popcorn Printables
Brought to you by: Yesterday On Tuesday
Amish Friendship Soup Recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry split peas, sorted and rinsed
1/2 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/3 cup beef bouillon granules
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 cup small pasta, ditalini or tubetti
1 pound ground beef
3 quarts water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
Instructions
In a 1 ½ pint jar, layer the first seven ingredients in the order listed. Seal.
If you’re giving this to someone as a gift,
print or write out the remaining recipe instructions and attach to the jar.
And you’re done! If you’re preparing this recipe yourself, follow the remaining instructions.
Remove pasta from the top of jar to be used later.
In a large pot, brown ground beef and drain.
Return cooked ground beef to the pot, add the water, tomatoes, and the remaining soup ingredients except the pasta.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add pasta and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta, peas, lentils and barley are tender.
Recipe By: RecipeLion
Estimated Cost: $10
Blender Salsa Recipe
Restaurant Style Salsa
Ingredients
29 ounces Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes {2 cans, 14.5 oz. each}
10 ounces Original Ro-Tel*
1 clove Garlic minced
3 Green Onions chopped
2 tablespoons Cilantro
½ small White Onion finely chopped
Instructions
Combine all ingredients {excluding the Ro-Tel} in a Food Processor or Blender and pulse until well blended.
Transfer mixture from blender into medium bowl, then gently stir in Ro-Tel with a large spoon.
For spicier salsa: use Hot Rotel instead of original
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.
Decorate The Jar & Label with Gift Tag
Makes 8 Servings
$8.00 or $1.00 per gift plus container cost
Recipe by: The Frugal Girls (They Have a Printable Version also)
S’more Snack Mix Recipe
Ingredients
½ c. Nutella chocolate spread
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. mini marshmallows
4 c. Golden Graham cereal
3 c. corn Chex cereal
1 c. powdered sugar
–
Mix-ins:
Golden Graham cereal
mini marshmallows
pretzel rods
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl combine the chocolate spread and the chocolate chips.
2. Place in the microwave and melt for 30 seconds on high, three times, stirring in between.
3. Once the chocolate is nice and smooth, stir in the mini marshmallows, then fold in the cereal.
4. Transfer the cereal to a large ziploc bag, add the powdered sugar, seal and shake to coat.
5. Toss in a large clean bowl along with the Golden Graham cereal, Golden Graham cereal, mini marshmallows, and pretzel rods.
Recipe By: The Crafting Chicks
You can use cups, bowls, premade decorative christmas containers from your favorite store.
Decorate & Label your gift
Estimated Cost: 15.00 but should make at least 5 or more gifts, double recipe if you are wanting to get a lot of gifts out of the way at once!
Hershey Kisses Treat Jar
Small Jar
Hershey Kisses
Ribbon
Scissors
If Kisses Were Snowflakes Printable
Fill your Jar With Kisses
Seal the lid
Print Your Tag and cut the gift tag out around the snowflake design
and secure to your jar with a ribbon.
Recipe brought to you by: Mom Vs Boys
Estimated Cost $2.00 per jar
Cinnamon Bath Salts
2 Cups Epsom Salt
2 Cup Sea Salt
½ Cup Finely ground oatmeal (optional – you could leave this out)
2 tbsp Cinnamon
Rubbing alcohol
a Jar or storage container
1. Spray your storage container or jar with rubbing alcohol and set aside to dry.
2. Mix together salts, cinnamon and grounded oatmeal until well combined.
3. Spoon into a sealable storage container (like a jar) and enjoy.
How to use homemade bath salts recipe:
Add 2-3 tbsp of salts to running bath water, and set back and relax
Printable Name Tag for gift
Recipe brought to you by: One Crazy Mom
Estimated Cost Per Gift: $4.00