Homemade Christmas Gifts from Nature
December 2nd, 2009 | 
Author: 
With belts being tightened all around this holiday season, people are starting to appreciate the more simple aspects of life. People may be able to tap into this new trend this Christmas by offering homemade gifts to those they love. However, they should not start wrapping glued bunches of popsicle sticks covered in glitter; while gifts like this are cute from a five year old, they probably will not impress anyone’s friends at thirty. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the nearest Michael’s and spend eighty dollars on ceramic houses and acrylic paints. Rather, look around you, and create gifts from nature that will impress and awe.
If inspiration doesn’t immediately present itself, don’t panic. You don’t have to stand in the yard holding a pinecone and stressing over its practical uses. A number of websites offer long lists of great crafts constructed primarily from nature. Some of the best of these are gifts that can also be used to help their owner enjoy the natural world. For example, by collecting a few common items, you can construct a birdbath out of logs, clay saucers, pie plates, or even garbage can lids. Planters can be made from tea boxes, or even old coke crates that are lying around. For those who are more crafty, stepping stones can be fashioned and decorated, and a bit of paint and decoupage can turn old tool boxes, gourds, or planks into impressive artistic creations that more than deserve a place under the tree. And if you happen to be savvy in the kitchen, consider making jam or jelly when you harvest (or buy) strawberries. Additionally, you can think about whipping up some natural sweets such as maple or even dandelion syrup though they require some forethought, they will make great conversation pieces as well as simple gifts.
For more elaborate gifts, consider combining items. Perhaps an elderly friend would appreciate a hollow log bird feeder along with a prettily decorated bag of birdseed. Or if you construct a hummingbird feeder out of plastic cups, you might send along a leaf-decorated bottle (tied with a ribbon) filled with homemade hummingbird liquid.
If all of this sounds too trying, or if you burn your hand every time you pick up a glue gun, then there’s another nature-related option that you might consider: donations to nature. Organizations such as the World Wildlife and The Nature Conservatory will send you certificates if you make a donation in someone’s name; here is a nice list of reliable organizations. Better than a gift certificate, these pieces of paper tell people that you want to help nature, and it makes them feel like they’re helping too.
No matter which option you choose, homemade (or semi-homemade) gifts from nature have the potential to be more successful than ever before. Embrace the idea, go out to the yard, and pick up those pinecones.
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Posted in Gifts Under $100, Men, gifts | 
Tags: Christmas, Christmas Gifts, gifts, Homemade Christmas Gifts