The holiday season is filled with wonderful aromas from cooking to fresh cut trees and burning candles. Be a part of what makes the holiday season so special by making one of these very simple homemade Christmas gifts tonight. These are all inexpensive gift ideas and fun to make, too! Remember to always read through an entire craft project before starting.
Lace & Potpourri Sachets
Directions and quantities for each size are given in brackets in ascending order.
Materials List:
- 6″, 8″ and/or 10″ round lace doilies of any chosen color, finely tatted without any large openings
- narrow lengths of grosgrain ribbon of any chosen color
- potpourri of any favorite scent
- sewing thread to match doilies
- fine sewing needle
- Heavily knot a length of thread and secure it (1″, 2″, 3″) from the doily’s outside edge. Start basting using the natural holes in the lace, working around until the stitching reaches the anchor knot. (To make this an even thriftier project, cut circles out of old lace tablecloths or curtains that are no longer in use.)
- Lay the doily on a flat surface with the thread and needle still attached. Place a quantity (1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup) of potpourri in the centre, mounding it slightly.
- While gently holding the fabric where it was knotted and secured, pull the basting thread to start gathering the lace together. If the potpourri seems to be too much or too little for the size, adjust the quantity at this time.
- When satisfied with the quantity, finish gathering the thread until the potpourri is completely encased within the lace. Make certain the doily edges aren’t caught in the gathers and secure the thread to keep the sachet intact.
- Take the ribbon and firmly tie a bow around the gathered point, making over-sized loops in the bow. Adjust the bow until it looks balanced. Secure the bow to the lace with a few stitches so it will remain tied. Trim the ribbon ends to the desired length.
- Sachets can be used on closet shelves or in dresser drawers. The over-sized loops will enable the sachet to be hung from door handles, coat hangers or from the back of a rear view mirror.
Cinammon Scented Candle Jar
Materials List:
- one candle jar, about 3″ – 4″ in diameter
- cinammon sticks (about 40 for a 3″ diameter candle)
- length of wired Christmas ribbon, about 1″ – 2″ wide
- hot glue gun
Stand the candle jar on a flat surface. With the glue gun, attach the cinammon sticks vertically until they surround the entire jar. Wait about an hour until the glue is completely dry. Encircle it with the ribbon and tie a pretty bow. Trim the ribbon ends to the desired length. When the candle is lit, it will warm the cinammon and give off a lovely aroma.
Candy Cane & Silk Flower Centerpiece
Materials List:
- cylindrical glass jar about 4″ – 5″ in height (an old empty candle jar works well)
- enough candy canes to surround the entire outside of the jar (about 30; quantity will vary depending on the diameter of the jar), plastic covering removed
- length of wired Christmas ribbon, about 1″ – 2″ wide
- piece of florist’s foam to fit inside the bottom of the jar
- about 12 – 15 stems of Christmas silk flowers and greenery
- hot glue gun
Trim the florist’s foam to fit into the jar, securing it to the bottom with a few drops of glue. Stand the jar on a flat surface. With the glue gun, attach the candy canes vertically until they surround the entire jar, keeping the hooks at the top and facing away from the opening. Wait about an hour until the glue is completely dry.
Arrange the flower stems and greenery by placing them into the florist’s foam in an attractive display. Encircle the jar below the candy cane hooks with the ribbon and tie a pretty bow. Candy canes with silk flowers or a scented candle jar with cinammon sticks will each make a lovely fun centerpiece for any Christmas dinner or holiday buffet table.
Make Christmas a Time When Simple Homemade Gifts are Part of the Holiday
Anyone can complete any of these quick and easy Christmas crafts in a single evening and the cost for each is very reasonable. Be sure to include them on this year’s Christmas gift list. Enjoy making the crafts, giving them to friends and family and have a wonderful holiday season.
