Many of us find ourselves with less money to spend on Christmas gifts this year. Did you know that truly the best gifts are homemade? Maybe we need to be reminded this year. Share your heart with others on a deeper level this season through homemade, personalized gifts for everyone on your list.
During the Great Depression, everyone HAD to use their ingenuity to create gifts conveying their heartfelt love. Here are some ideas to get you thinking now, during the Great Recession. You could even make a couple of these homemade gifts for each person on your list.
1. Know a child who is learning Spanish? Save several sizes of clean tin cans with unique labels in Spanish, with any jagged points bent safely down. Fill with slightly used pens, sharpened pencils, paintbrushes, markers, and dried flowers. These make great decorative storage for your el espaňol student’s desk or dresser top.
2. Write a letter to your child, niece, or nephew telling them how excited you were, before they were born, about their upcoming birth. You could even frame the letter, for a gift, showing your anticipated love.
3. Print out your favorite Bible verse as a small poster. Add a label at the bottom that reads, “Mom’s Legacy Bible Verse” or “Dad’s Legacy Bible Verse.” Others, including your children, love to know what’s on your heart and in your head. Share yourself with them at this level and they will cherish your gift.
4. Give a gift of a picture of you and the gift recipient. Write at the bottom of the frame, “You are Loved.” It could be Grandpa/Grandson, Mom/Dad/You, Daughter/Mother.
5. “I love you all year long.” Write a letter about the year just ending. Make it twelve paragraphs long for each month. Tell the person just how much they meant to you each month of 2009, including a special memory from each month and a canister of homemade granola (granola takes a long time to eat)!
6. “What I’m going to Change, to Love you More.” Write a card to those on your list, with something that you intend to change/improve, with God’s help, about yourself, in your life this year. Make it something that will make you an easier person to live with. (That will be a welcomed surprise gift to the recipient, a gift that keeps on giving all year!)
7. Shine everyone’s shoes for Christmas morning. Under the tree, have everyone’s shoes lined up looking brand new. It’s an act of service that will be appreciated. Or, give another act of service, such as car detailing. “Borrow” someone’s car a day or two before Christmas and detail it for them by hand for a Christmas morning surprise.
8. Give a gift of your professional services. Maybe you are a teacher and could offer to tutor. Perhaps you are an accountant and could offer tax services as a gift. How about a plumber, carpenter, or electrician for some home repair services? Maybe you are a great writer and could help a family member with an updated resume. Perhaps you have nice handwriting and can address envelopes as a gift.
9. Re-gift a book you have already read, wrapping it beautifully. Add a small letter, detailing why this book was special to you and why you want to bless them by sharing it.
10. Give each person on your list a souvenir of your life or an heirloom. Give them something of yours that they would enjoy having. Clean it up, fix it up, and wrap it up.
If you have a homemade gift idea to share, please leave it as a comment.
About Cheryl Moeller
Cheryl Moeller has been married to her best friend Bob for 30 years. They are the parents of six children, one son-in-law, and three lively dogs. She uses her over-the-counter-top stand up comedy at women's groups and retreats, prays like it's her full-time job, writes a syndicated humor column, blogs about life with lots of kids at www.momlaughs.blogspot.com, and authors books such as Keep Courting: 100 Ways to Keep Courting After Marriage (purchase on their website) and Marriage Miracle (Harvest House 2010). Bob and Cheryl's passion is to connect two hearts for a lifetime. They have co-founded For Better For Worse For Keeps Ministries www.bobandcherylmoeller.com.
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