Christmas (or nonreligiouswinterholidaymas) gift help...
 

I'm appealing to y'all in my first thread (ee!) to give me a hand in the gift-giving department. I've already picked out gifts for my mother and brother, got an idea for the sister, and am completely clueless about my dad. :shakehead: I also have a large group of friends and coworkers that I would like to give gifts to, but money is tight and I don't want to find cheap dumb gifts just to give something. I don't mind making/baking things for people; I may be making felt bacon angels for a dear friend, because she's carnivorous and crazy. Help me out here, kids.

Magazine subscriptions! I know they sound hokey, but I've found they make GREAT gifts, especially if you get a magazine tailored to someone's interests. My dad really loves Consumer Reports magazine.

Crafts! There are all kinds of holiday crafts that don't look hokey and make great gifts. Go to the dollar store and buy some cheap frosted-glass ornaments, then go to the craft store and get some Mod Podge. You can decoupage the balls with all kinds of materials, you can use the Mod Podge to swirl designs in the frost. Or you can get etching solution, clear glass ornaments, and do the reverse.

I'll post some pictures next week of some cool decoupage-style ornaments I've made in the past after I snap some pictures of them around the Thanksgiving holiday. I've made a number covered in all sorts of material. It's kind of fun.

I just found a bunch of jars at Ikea for $2 each. I am either going to fill them with cookies, chocolates or a homemade caramel sauce.

The caramel sauce is really inexpensive to make and takes very little time (compared to cookies and chocolates) to make.


What I am stuck on this year is a present for my wife. I am tapped out.

What a kick-ass idea! That's fabulous! Thanks! And Charlatan-- I usually bake every year for Christmas. I love it. I hosted a "dirty cookie party" for the last two years, which led to cookie porn last year (literally, cookies fucking cookies). :oogle: I'll probably be making my usual bread and cookies for this year's giving, and now I want your recipe for caramel sauce!

And what does your wife really love? Maybe we can give you some fresh ideas. If anyone's got a hint for something for my pops, that would also be great. I may go with a magazine subscription but I'm not sure which one. He's kind of a pain in the ass that way. :)

A couple of years ago, I found recipes for homemade Bailey's and Kahlua. I made a bunch of batches for people, and put them into decorative bottles and for the labels, I printed off the recipes for each and glued them onto the bottles. 1 bottle of cheap whiskey or vodka makes 3 bottles of homemade Bailey's or Kahlua.

I really hear you there. Until I got him the subscription to Consumer Reports, I was always totally befuddled as to what to get my dad. He is impossible to shop for and hard to please. So I had the idea to get him a subscription, and asked him what magazine he wanted. Yeah, it wasn't a surprise, and will never be again, but Dad's happy.

Im making dishtowel angels for the family ladies this year, I saw one at a friends hour this summer and thought it was an awesome idea!!! Fortunately there are directions all over the internet and they are really easy to make.

threadjack....charlatan where can I get on your list for some homemade caramel sauce!!!

/threadjack

I've posted the recipe for homemade bailey's somewhere in the cooking forum.. it's super easy to make -not necessarily cheap but it's got some serious kick to it... and usually appreciated by the recipients... :D

I made that last year for a Christmas coffee and cookie party-- homemade Bailey's was the only alcohol served that night. It went fast. I'd love to make more but that won't fly with coworkers (well, it would, but I'd like us to have jobs after the holiday).