I remember years ago when my mom first suggested homemade Christmas gifts to high school Rachel, my attitude was terrible and it was a hard no for me. I didn't know what I could bring to the table, how I was going to make something for my family, and I had zero motivation to do so.
Fast forward 15 years (still wild that I can say that), and it has become my favorite gift tradition. I'm so thankful that my mom planted the seed of homemade Christmas so many years ago and we can thoroughly enjoy it now. The first year, I only remember trying to make pumpkin spice flavored pecans. Now it has become something where I can challenge myself creatively each year and everyone is on board!
Each holiday season I like to ask myself if there's something new I'd like to learn to do or maybe practice a little more. The first year however, I completely blanked and couldn't think of anything I could do. (So untrue! The thought and intention behind homemade gifts are what make them the best!) Thankfully, my husband is an incredibly talented woodworker so we teamed up to gift our families their Christmas gifts. Using a CNC Router, we made a custom stove cover and a custom charcuterie board for the ladies.
For the men, we wanted to create a gift that would combine their hearts and passions. We ended up creating two custom signs: one for the dad who loves His country and served in the Marine Corps, then one for the dad whose heart for his city to know Jesus is unmatched! We made a framed American flag with the Marine Corp logo, then we drew a map of Mobile, AL with their downtown's skyline and the Great Commission on the bottom. These gifts were the perfect way to dip our toes back into Homemade Christmas!
After that year, we really wanted to push ourselves! We've made homemade knives, woodworking mallets, and even made candles! Last year I started hand embroidering and made a set of hand towels for the ladies to use throughout the year. I chose to do Valentine's Day, Easter, 4th of July, one for fall, and then a Christmas towel. My family has made adirondack chairs, a love seat for our porch, home decor, a generational cook book, cake in a jar, and even different kinds of salts that included a guide for what to pair them with. Regardless of what we've made, they've always been gifts from the heart, with meaning and intention behind them.
I will never forget having a conversation with my family about my current mudroom layout and what I wanted to do in there. Last Christmas, I was given a box to open and it had blueprints in it. My mind doesn't work that way, so I opened it and was looking at it upside down trying to figure out what I was looking at. After turning it the correct way and after opening the pieces, it all came together. My mudroom dreams had come true because of my parents hearts. It was all based on one conversation, and the thought and intentionality behind it made it even better.
I wish I could tell you my plans for this year, but that would spoil all of the fun! I'll share more on that later, but until then, I'd love to share some more homemade Christmas ideas with you! I'll start with this: if there is a skill you'd like to learn or perfect, start there! And always remember, it's all about the heart behind the gift; nothing is too small!
I love embroidery because the options are endless! Start with this Embroidery Tools and Materials kit and you'll have everything you need to get started. From there you can embroidery hand towels, sweatshirts for the sentimental grandparent in your life, a fun t-shirt for aunts and friends, and even add customization to your kids clothes. Plus, it's so much fun!
This Candle Making Kit was so much fun to use. We all learned a lot and even made some for ourselves after we made them for family members. We wanted to make a bigger candle so I ended up going to TJ Maxx for a large wooden bowl that my mom and mother-in-law could use for their candles and it worked out so well!
I think there is something so special about cooking/baking something for homemade Christmas. I genuinely don't think you can go wrong with cookies, brownies, cake mixes in jars, or even homemade jams and jellies. Don't ever think that something is "too small" when it comes from your heart!
I saw something recently that I think is so sweet and so cute. @alisonhavens_ on Instagram took her kids fingerprints and just stamped them in a line on an 8x10 sheet of paper and put them in a frame. Such a simple, but sweet way to preserve their little fingers, but also something that so many grandparents would love!
Homemade vanilla extract--did you know this was a thing?! It's not as hard as you may think. You need vanilla beans, alcohol, and glass bottles. Again, something so simple, but it takes time and would be perfect for someone that bakes!
By this time, my kids know about, love, and look forward to Homemade Christmas every year. My son is a little too young to fully get it, but my daughter is all about it. This year is extra special because she wanted to get a piggy bank for her brother, then she transformed it to be baseball themed and added his name. There's nothing in the world that's sweeter than someone saying, "this made me think of you, so I made it." It's not about how much you can spend on someone or something, but instead it's about you loving someone enough to spend time on something while thinking of them. I am so thankful for my mom starting this so many years ago with us, even though I was so apprehensive. Now I can't imagine it any other way.
If you do Homemade Christmas with your family or friends, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or tag us on Instagram (@freerangefarmhouse)!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Comentarios