Homemade Christmas Gifts that Can Be Given All Year Round.

 

Who doesn’t love a homemade Christmas gift for the holidays?  Whether it is jams, cookies, or picture frames, it adds that special part of your heart that a store bought present can’t deliver.   This year I had a bumper crop of watermelon. I knew I had to do something with them but what? They ended up eventually as homemade Christmas gifts.  I learned that making homemade gifts is easy and can be given all year round.

What’s With the Watermelon?

Huh?  You might be thinking. Watermelon gifts?  Why not simply eat them?

Here is the rub. I grow heirloom watermelons which contains seeds. Lots of seeds.  And guess what?  My princess children hate seeded watermelon.   So  they reluctantly eat some of my watermelon, but not enough to deal with a bumper crop.

Every day I would look at them thinking what could I do with them.  Freezing them into balls was out of the question.  My freezer was packed.

Plus, listening to them whine at me was unbearable.

“Anna, any day now,” they called again and again.

And yes, they were picked in September and still sat on my countertop about two months later.  And yes, when I cut them they were shockingly okay.

Watermelon Transformed into Homemade Gifts

So my teachers, doctors, mail-person, etc. received the following goodies:

• Low sugar Watermelon Mint Jam/Syrup.   I used a variation of this recipe. I couldn’t get it to set right so it became  syrup.  Or
• Low Sugar Watermelon Rind Preserves (recipe to follow)  (No, the white fleshy part not the actual skin.)
• Tomato Skin Powder (recipe to follow) or Dried Oregano (I am swimming in it.)
• Dehydrated Celery Leaves.  I adore these.

Once I put the labels on the bottle, I can’t explain how it made me feel inside.  I made all these products with love, I said to myself.  (Do you feel the same way?)

Packaging

• Old Bottles that I spent hours taking off the glued on labels.
• Recycled content Brown Kraft Bags
• Recycled Kraft Avery Labels.  (Used Avery free Design Software.)

My only screw up was  not realizing I didn’t have the proper size jars for the tomato skin powder.  I only had a few old spice jars.  Instead I used wax paper bags.  Next time, I will either buy enough small herb jars.  (Or start asking neighbors to save them for me.)

If this isn’t love what is it?

More Suggestions

Here are some other suggestions from fellow green sisters:

• Karen of Ecokaren’s Chocolate Pecan Rum Balls and Amaretti Cookies Recipes
• Sarah of Mindful Frugal Mom’s Last Minute Holiday Gifts – 17 Easy to Make, Put Together, or Buy on the fly Ideas
• Ronnie of EcoNesting’s LIVING INSIDE A SNOW GLOBE
• Lisa of Condo Blues’ 10 Minute Gift: Cabinet Knob Bottle Stopper and  not to be out done with her knob gift, 30 Homemade Gift Ideas for Women, Men, Girls, Boys and Dogs
• Amanda of Ecofriendly Family’s DIY eReader Case! (with video!)

If homemade isn’t your thing, please  don’t buy plastic gift cards. Use these  earth friendly alternatives instead. (And if I can’t convince you to use my suggested alternatives, point your recipients to 18 ways to reuse your plastic gift cards.)

Join the Conversation:

• Add your favorite homemade gift you received. (Links are welcomed)
• Add your favorite homemade gift you give.  (Links are welcomed.)
• Add your favorite recipe or product that could be given as a gift. (Links are welcomed.)

 

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