By Katherine Stewart, MD
It is always more personal to make individual gifts for your family and friends. These easy ideas are perfect to modify as you would like to reflect your style and the interests of your loved ones. Most are simple to create and can be easily put together ahead of the holiday rush.
Herbal Garden
A mini herb garden is an aromatic addition to any kitchen.
Who doesn’t love fresh ingredients? Please the cook on your gift list by giving them a living kitchen garden in a colander — fresh herbs at their fingertips.
Start by finding an old colander, your choice of shiny or slightly rusted. Line the base with moss or a coffee filter to prevent dirt from draining through, then fill with potting soil — not garden soil, which is meant to be mixed into the ground outdoors. Plant herbs, lettuces or even small tomatoes, water just until damp, and decorate with a ribbon to create a handmade nursery for their countertop.
Homemade Cookies
When you bake holiday Snickerdoodles cookies, use colored sugar instead of cinnamon sugar to create holiday sparkle for your dessert plate. Blue and silver, green and red, or even purple to celebrate the Kings. The effect is up to you!
Snickerdoodles are a holiday classic everyone can enjoy.
Recipe: Snickerdoodles
Mix thoroughly:
1 cup soft shortening
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
Sift together, then stir into sugar mixture:
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
Roll into balls the size of a small walnut, and roll in green and red sugar for a holiday accent. Place 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until lightly browned but still soft. Cookies will puff up at first, then flatten out.
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, makes approximately 4 dozen.
Teacup Succulents
Tiny succulent gardens are meant to live inside and do well with only infrequent watering. Even friends without a green thumb will enjoy a teacup garden that grows slowly and adds a splash of green to a windowsill or bookcase. Find an attractive teacup with a saucer at a thrift or bargain store. Using a diamond bit on your drill, gently create a hole in the bottom of the cup and seal the edges with super glue. Then fill with succulent soil, add some small plants and even a figurine or two, and you have a delightful gift that lasts for months and can be replanted whenever whimsy strikes.
Personalized Photos and Art
Every child's meal can be with their best friend.
For the kids, a personalized placemat is an easy way to brighten mealtime. Online photo services will print a photo of a little one’s pet or family members and create a sense of company at mealtime. Many of the online photo services have placemats that will delight kids of all ages. Just upload a favorite photo and within days you have a personalized place setting, and photos of their family are great for grandparents, too.
Have some artistic talent? A framed sketch of a pet or child is a gift that will be cherished.
If you have a knack for sketching, draw a quick portrait of someone’s pet, with or without a bit of watercolor for emphasis, then put it in a small frame. You can take a photo and make a set of gift cards instead, printed on cardstock with matching envelopes. Or for the more accomplished artist, buy a pack of blank cards and envelopes, available at stationary stores, to create a set of original cards for that special someone.
Winter Warmth
Baskets that include a bottle of wine, tasty bread and seasonings — in this case, lemon, Sriracha and roasted garlic and pepper salts — are always a welcome winter gift.
The coming winter is a great time to cozy up with a cup of tea or coffee. Create a basket with small packets of coffee, tea, and add a book to send a present that feels like a hug. For a really warm feel, add hot chocolate or apple cider packets and a mug that celebrates the season. A big bow and this gift is all tied up. Yes, you can buy these sets but if you know what your recipient’s favorites are you can make it quite individualized.
A knitting set by the TV can lead to a warm scarf or hat for someone special.
Keep a knitting set by the TV so you can work on a scarf or hat for that special someone is a great way to find time to make an equally special gift. Everyone needs a couple of scarves on hand when the winter wind blows, so try a simple pattern with variegated yarn for a fancy effect
Although making gifts for the holidays requires planning ahead, it really pleases the recipients to know that you thought about them individually as you created their present. The special touch of making something, tailored just to them, is worth the special effort and brings much more sparkle to the holidays.
Teacup succulent, Snickerdoodles and placemat projects by Kitty Stewart, MD; Pele the Cat sketch by Caroline Giroux, MD; herb garden by Toni Overstreet; knitting by Debbie Young; gift basket by Ada Brehmer.
