Want to add a special spin to your holiday gifting? Try your hand at making your own! Even if you’re not the creative type, these ideas are ready for crafting novices and aces alike.
By Kelly Wilson
1. Herbal Tea Blends: Create your own aromatic, relaxing blend of herbs perfect for warming your loved ones during the chilly months ahead. Combine dried herbs from your own garden or the farmers market, and package in small glass jars with a handmade tag.
Some tried-and-true combinations:
Chamomile, lavender and mint
Nettle, red raspberry leaf, and rose petals
Lemon balm, lemon verbena and lemongrass
2. Beeswax Wraps: Help your friends and family ditch the plastic wrap with a reusable, eco-friendly alternative that combines local beeswax and fabric scraps. Source beeswax from your favorite honey supplier and be sure to use 100% cotton fabric. For step by step instructions, we like this tutorial from Good Housekeeping.
3. Infused Honey or Maple Syrup: Purchase local Michigan syrup or honey and add flavorings of your choice for an easy-to-make gift. The longer the syrup or honey sits with the flavoring, the stronger it will be. Some infusion ideas:
Vanilla bean
Cinnamon
Garlic (for honey)
Cayenne pepper
Fall spices: clove, nutmeg, star anise, etc.
Orange peel
Ginger
4. Herbal Salves: Herb infused oil (olive works well) and beeswax come together to create a product to soothe winter skin. You can infuse your oil with a variety of herbs: calendula, lavender, plantain or yarrow are common. For a complete tutorial on making your own balms, check out this post from Mountain Rose Herbs.
5. Recipe Box: A shared meal and conversation is one of the most beautiful gifts. While we can’t always be with our friends and loved ones to share a meal, we can pass on recipes to help them create their own special memories. To inspire your loved ones, gather your favorite seasonally focused recipes on simple 3-by-5 cards or fancy recipe cards. Place them in a small box, in a three ring binder, or hole punch and tie together with twine.
Kelly Wilson is the director of community partners for Taste the Local Difference. This article first appeared in their 2019 Holiday Gift Guide.
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