Homemade gifts made simple and inexpensive!

This year we’re all watching our budgets and getting an early start on homemade gifts can save you a bundle because you can purchase ingredients in bulk, keep your eyes open for coupons and start collecting unique packaging at second hand or discount stores. This week’s Blog features a few of my all time favorite gifts that you and your kids can make together.
Start early and you’ll have a thoughtful basket of goodies to share with friends and family!

Goodies in a Jar
I’m sure you are familiar with these gifts – layers of ingredients in a canning jar along with a recipe card. They’ve been around for years and the Internet is a fabulous resource for sweet and savory recipes.
What you may not know is that you can package and present these gifts in a variety of ways and you don’t have to layer the ingredients, which makes it easier for the kids to help.

Money saving Tip
Most grocery stores that offer items in bulk  will allow you to purchase the plastic bags or containers for about ten cents each. They are perfect when giving cookies, homemade candies, caramel corn, nuts etc. you can also use them for baking mixes but you’ll want to tape the lids for extra security.

To make my favorite mix in jar recipes you’ll want to keep your eyes open for deals on…
Canning jars or any airtight containers, flour, sugar, brown sugar, oatmeal, dried parsley, minced onion, chili powder, cumin, and dried chives. 

Presentation on a shoestring…
If you aren’t careful, homemade gifts can quickly become expensive once you add all of the items together. To keep cost down, look for unique or festive mugs and baskets at thrift shops and pick up dishtowels, wood spoons, spatulas oven mitts and recipe cards at the dollar store. It’s helpful to start collecting wooden tangerine crates as well – they make handy gift baskets.
Pinecones are a fragrant addition to a gift basket and can be used ad filler when the basket looks a little sparse.
Do you live in an area where you can collect pine cones…start now and then they’ll be dry in time for holidays.

Now for my all time favorite holiday “mixes in a jar”

Fiesta Chicken Rub or Dip
Give this dry rub in decorative jar with instructions that it can be rubbed into meat
before cooking or mixed with sour cream and served with tortilla chips as a dip.
Either way it's a flavorful gift!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup parsley
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup dried chives
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup salt (ground sea salt is best)
 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Stir the ingredients together in a  large bowl and store in an airtight container .Include the instructions with the container…

Fiesta Rub
To tenderize and flavor your meat, rub this dry mix onto chicken, pork or beef. The longer you leave it on the meat the more the flavor is enhanced. Then grill, broil or roast - yummy!
Fiesta Dip
3 Tbsp Fiesta Dip Mix
2 cups sour cream
Mix together until blended. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.  Makes 2 cups.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies in a Jar
Mix all of these ingredients together and place them in an airtight container along with a recipe card.
For a unique touch purchase an oven mitt and wooden spoon at your dollar store. Place the jar and spoon into the oven mitt and attach the recipes card to the loop on the mitt. – very cute presentation!

INGREDIENTS
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup dried cranberry halves or raisins
½ cup chopped almonds or walnuts

Provide the following instruction with your cookies in a jar:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups of butter with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy.
Stir in the contents of the jar. Drop cookies by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to
cool completely.

Mexican Mocha Mix
This mix is really delicious and presents well when given with a mug and cinnamon stick.
I pour mine into cellophane party bags and use a ribbon to tie the bag, instructions and cinnamon stick all together.
Place the mix into a mug and your ready to give this gift alone or add it to a larger gift basket.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup baking cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/3 cup instant coffee granules
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine the ingredients in a blender, cover and process until mixture forms a powder.
Store the mix in an airtight container.

Include these instructions with your gift:
To prepare a Mexican Mocha
Heat one cup of milk in a mug. Stir in 3 tablespoons of mix and garnish with a cinnamon stick if desired.

Need more inspiration?

It’s easy to turn these homemade gifts into a very special gift basket with a few unique touches…
1. Wrap the jars in fresh new dishtowel.
2. Take pictures of the kids preparing the gifts and give the photos in the basket.
3. Place a few cloth napkins, dishtowels or oven mitts into the basket.
4. Combine drink mixes with fresh baked cookies and a couple of mugs.
5. Add a purchased or homemade holiday ornament.
6. Write and include holiday poems.
7. For a South of Border gift basket…
Purchase an inexpensive chip bowl or sombrero. Fill it with a jar of Mexican Mocha mix,
Fiesta Dip Mix,  bag of tortilla chips, maybe a CD mix of favorite fiesta music and a few Gods-eyes that the kids have made themselves.
As always please share your own ideas with other AmazingMoms by adding your comment below
– we could all use each other for inspiration!

Find more creative gifts kids can make this holiday season on AmazingMoms.com >>

Until next week...keep life fun and festive!
~Kit
Mother, Auntie, Nana and Founder of AmazingMoms.com