Pink of Perfection

Don’t fret little elf. If you’ve waited until the last moment, don’t bother with the mall. It will only make you want to scratch your eyes out. Why not just put together some very simple handmade gifts from the heart? It’s much more thoughtful than a cable knit sweater with a gift receipt, anyway. Gifts like this can help us remember the true spirit of the season, anyway.

Monogrammed pillowcases, bags, and handkerchiefs If at this point in the holiday game the idea of taking up needle and thread makes you want to call the whole thing off, remember that embroidery is not the only way to personalize gifts (and people love a personalization). Craft stores usually have a large array of iron on letters, or you could use fabric paint and stencils to paint on a monogram in a jiffy.

Coupons One of the most sought-after presents of my childhood were the handwritten paper slips, edged with pinking shears and the size of a business card on which was written, “Get Out of Trouble Free Card. One Use Only!” But I also loved getting the ones that said, “Redeem for lunch with mom and a trip to the Science Place.” The gift of your time is usually the most precious present there is. Give your friends and loved ones coupons they can redeem for a tarot card reading, a trip to the movies, or an afternoon of snow angels and hot chocolate.

Homemade bath products The Wake Me Up Scrub has already won raves from its early recipients and my guess is you have nearly all the ingredients in your pantry as we speak. Forget fancy homemade labels and elegant packaging if you’re running low on holiday juice. Just mix up the scrubs or bath salts in leftover takeout containers or empty jam jars and gussy them up with odds and ends from your sewing basket.

Delicious nibbles I truly love receiving a plate of cookies or a container of homemade pimento cheese (wink, wink) as a gift. I mean, what could be more elemental that a gift of nourishment? My mom, in fact, has already requested cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and a weekend dinner of spicy kidney bean curry. But one of the ideas I love most of all is giving your friends a jar filled with dried beans and herbs so that after all the cheese, booze, and rich desserts, they can make themselves a pot of soup that’s wholesome and sustaining.

Required holiday reading:

10 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays That Have Nothing To Do With Buying Presents