Consuming Interests: Cheap Trick Thursday: easy, cheap, homemade Christmas and holiday gifts - News and tips for consumers on shopping, saving money, deals and credit

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There are a number of benefits to making holiday gifts. You can save money, if you plan it right. You limit your exposure to the chaos that is the mall starting the day after Thanksgiving. If you make enough, you can have a spare gift on hand to give to people you forgot or to offer as a hostess gift, thus avoiding unexpected last-minute expenditures. And, you can present something to the recipient with more meaning than a prepackaged gift set, because you invested the time in crafting.

The challenge, however, is to make something people actually want. Over at soundmoneymatters, they list seven homemade gifts that don't suck, such as consumable items like homemade cookies, breads and candy, or homemade soaps and bath items.

Here are my other tips: pick one idea and run with it, to minimize the start-up costs. You could make several batches of baked goods with the base ingredients, for example.

Also, consider how you want to package your goods. We spent most of the month while the homemade limoncello was steeping last year hunting down inexpensive yet attractive containers in which to bottle it. Raid your recycling bin for cans and jars (remove the labels or just wrap with holiday paper) that could work. Oatmeal containers can store cookies. It's all good ... and green. Thrift stores and dollars stores also stock inexpensive tins and containers.

So, here's a list of ideas that you can use for instructions and inspiration when planning your holiday giving:

GIFTS OF MEMORIES

Some of the best reader responses about homemade gifts suggested ways to help your loved ones cherish their memories, like aeb's personalized calendar with family photos and important dates, as well as the photo album Jelena assembled for her father-in-law and personalized handmade books that Pigtown makes. Visit nationaldayoflistening.com for tips on recording family stories for prosperity.

You could also archive the family's favorite recipes by making a personalized cookbook, an idea from bankrate.com.

FOOD GIFTS

Assemble the non-perishable ingredients for a unique recipe gift like Janna's Autumn Beef Stew, made with a bottle of stout. If you like, round it out with fixins to make it a cold winter night in, such as a gift card for a movie rental, as one Stretcher reader did.

Allrecipes.com has a list of great flavored liquors, fruitcakes, gifts in a jar and other edible gifts.

Chowhound readers offer links to their favorite edible food gift recipes as well.

Whole Foods Markets has posted an extensive list of homemade food gifts, discovered via Cheap Healthy Good. Some highlights include a candied lemon peel recipe, for rimming cocktail glasses and adding to desserts; a chile oil recipe for adding some fire to your favorite food and a maple sugar walnut recipe for a sweet snack.

Got friends with pets, or are your own friends furry? Bake them some dog biscuit gifts.

BATH and BEAUTY GIFTS, and GIFTS THAT KIDS CAN MAKE

Here's an attractive --- and easy! --- scented bath salts recipe from Mormonchic.com. The last item at homemadesimple is a bubbly bath jelly recipe.

Here's an article with 10 teacher gifts that kids can make, including confetti pretzel rods, baking soda ornaments and swirled painted glass ornaments. AmazingMoms.com also has age-appropriate gifts for children to make.

HOME DECOR GIFTS

Assemble a plant such as a paper white narcissus gift (third item) suggested by a Stretcher reader.

Replace the boring blank face of a cheap clock with a favorite cartoon character or unique image and you've got a beautiful personalized clock gift, or others from instructables.com.

Give away handmade wine charms with beading supplies from the craft store. To cut costs, look for interesting yet inexpensive items from office supply or dollar stores to stretch the decorations.

(photo: Associated Press)

Comments

I roughly have the recipe memorized, so here goes:

Autumn Beef Stew (which I think I found on the Sun website some time ago)

1 pound stew beef
1 sliced onion
1 peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks sweet potato
1 peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks baked potato
baby carrots (or 1 large sliced carrot)
2 chopped celery stalks
1 cup frozen corn/lima bean mix
1 bottle of stout (guinness is the best, but any will do)
1 cup apple juice
2 cans beef broth
2 bay leaves

1. cook beef with onion till browned
2. add chicken broth and stout, simmer a half hour
3. add chopped potatoes, bay leaves and other spices (your choice), celery, carrots, simmer forty-five minutes or so
4. add corn/lima bean mix and apple juice, simmer a few minutes till hot again

serve with bread, corn bread is best!

If you're like my family, I get gift baskets every year, so I save them and use them for future gifts, like a beer basket. No need to buy a new one, but affordable ones can be found at lots of craft stores.

Janna, I like the frugal suggestion of regifting your gift baskets! --- lfk

Posted by: Janna | November 13, 2008 2:11 PM

Great cheap tricks!
Cool!
Pascale

Posted by: coupon shipping | November 18, 2008 12:42 PM