Handmade is Never Out of Fashion

Over the last few decades we seem to have lost the ability to make gifts for our friends and loved ones. It has become far too easy and much quicker to simply visit a store or jump online and order a gift. Whilst there is nothing wrong with buying a gift if you truly have put thought into it and thought about what the recipient likes and dislikes, giving vouchers really just says “I couldn’t be bothered so this will do”.

Creating handmade gifts doesn’t need to take a lot of time nor does it need to cost a lot of money. Even if all you make is the card you will be showing that you have made an effort for the person that means a lot to you. Handmade cards are so much nicer than receiving a store bought card. Knowing that someone has spent the time decorating your card and writing their own verse is far nicer than a Hallmark card that 100’s of others have also received.

In addition to giving a more meaningful gift you are also saving money. It can be very expensive to purchase vouchers and premade gifts as opposed to putting a little bit of thought into what the recipient likes and making something to suit.

This is a really important way to teach kids that they don’t have to spend money they may not have or buy extravagant gifts for it to be meaningful to the recipient.

Be on the lookout around the home, don’t just throw things out, think about whether they can be reused at a later time to make a gift. Decorative jars & bottles are perfect for home baked goodies. Plain gift bags that you have received are great to keep for re-use – you can even jazz them up a bit with craft paints & scrapbooking pieces.

Everyone loves home made cakes and slices and the old favourite Cake Stalls are becoming rarer every year. If someone in your life leads a busy lifestyle, imagine their delight at receiving a beautiful cake or slice that has been homemade. It doesn’t take much to pop into the $2 shop and buy a nice tin or box to put the goodies into and then you have a beautiful and unique gift.

One of my favourite gifts is homemade Irish Cream. Every Christmas I make up a batch and bottle it – friends love it and it’s as nice as the store bought variety and a lot cheaper. I keep fancy looking bottles during the year so that I don’t have to buy bottles at Christmas time. An alternative is to buy glass Water bottles from the supermarket kitchenware aisle – they cost about $3 or $4 and are reusable as water bottles so your gift keeps on giving.

As you can see it only takes a little imagination and time with very little money to create special gifts.

My Recipe for Irish Cream

1 can of condensed milk (400g)
3 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon instant coffee
Dash of vanilla essence (be careful you only need a little)
300ml cream
250ml whisky/scotch
2 tablespoons chocolate topping
Dash of coconut essence (be careful not too add too much of the coconut)

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender (or alternatively you can make this in a HUGE bowl if you are making more than one batch and just use a whisk to combine the ingredients)

Blend until well mixed and creamy

Bottle and use as desired. Must be kept chilled. Best served over ice.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: Nil
Quantity: 1 litre