I posted this piece in November 2009. Perhaps it’s the time of year, but yesterday I found myself writing almost exactly the same words again in a new post. Our views haven’t changed at all, and I thought I’d really like to share them with you again, particularly as there are so many visitors who weren’t reading our blog last year. For me, this post is a statement about why we approach the festive season the way we do, and a precursor to many of the December posts to follow. Maybe reposting an updated version of it each November will become a Fig Jam and Lime Cordial tradition!
For the last nineteen years, Pete and I have made most of our Christmas gifts. It’s something that we love to do, not just because it feels like we’re keeping the spirit of the season, but also because it allows us to let loose our creativity. It never really feels like Christmas until we start the annual cooking and crafting ritual. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be blogging about the things we’re making for Christmas. Hopefully you’ll find something that inspires you to create your own handmade gifts this year!
Why should you even bother making presents when they’re so easy to buy? Here are some of the reasons we do it :
1. As I mentioned above, we really enjoy the process. We love the feeling that we’re giving of ourselves – homemade gifts are far more personal, and our friends seem to appreciate the time and effort we put into them. The proviso here is that they can’t be crap – don’t give people things made from toilet paper rolls, unless the rolls are filled with growing heirloom seedlings and your friends are avid gardeners.
2. It saves us a fortune. $20 won’t buy a decent present, but it’s enough to create several homemade gifts. Because of that, it allows us to give freely, without the miserly Scroogeness that a tight budget imposes on Christmas spending.
3. It allows us to give small gifts without obligating the recipient to respond. I love that we can take a plate of cookies to the neighbours and no-one feels the need to reciprocate. I don’t ever want our gift giving to impose a sense of obligation. It’s much easier to achieve that with homemade presents, particularly baked goods, than it is with purchased items.
4. Wherever possible, we try and give consumables at Christmas. Our houses are all so full of clutter – it’s much nicer to give something that isn’t going to compound that issue. Most of the gifts come from our kitchen, although we’ll occasionally include small homemade items, like Christmas decorations, beeswax candles or crystal bookmarks.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve been packing mini hampers for Christmas. We purchase small paper bags with drawstring handles, and fill them with goodies – last year, each bag had a couple of jars of jam, some homemade vanilla syrup and an assortment of homemade chocolates. We also gave small bags of spiced nuts, boxes of speculaas, mini fruit cakes and mini fruit and nut cakes. Most of these items can be made well in advance, leaving just the baked goods to be made in the week before Christmas.
Watch this space – there’s lots more to come!
PS. Please have a look at our Christmas page for more gift ideas!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I love creating homemade gifts, too. It actually really fun, too. I think people who receive them feel so special and happy about the gift we handmade :)
Tes, it is enormous fun – both the planning and the making! Pete and I did a big shop yesterday for supplies! :)
this is my philosophy as well! I give away trays of cookies and baskets of breads and homemade jellies and jams every year. I’ve made quiches and cinnamon rolls, chai tea mixes and flavored hot chocolate- I knit and weave lavender wands and paint holiday messages and logos on plates and cups- it is all done without a huge output of money- but comes with lots of love and effort!
You said this very well, Celia! I’m going to your Christmas pages now to take a look. Thanks!
Heidi, I bet you make some amazing bread shapes for Christmas! :)
I love consumables too , they’re so, well, consumable and you never have to dust them…all you have to decide is which little joyful lovely to eat first. (Whoops I sound like your friend Stephen Fry there…) I was just given a little bag of Cornish sea salt, and fudge and I was delighted. I made your mini fruit cakes last year, and they went down a storm with everyone who received one. I’m going to get into action once the weekend is over.
Have a fabulous weekend, love! We love giving consumables, and love the fact that our friends consume them with so much relish! :)
I love making my own presents also..this year I’m so proud of all my photo’s that I’ve done a montage of the year in seasons and made calenders for the family….it was a lot of work but I’m happy with the end product…wrapping them is also a favourite of mine…yet to be decided what I’ll do this year…and of course there will be a supply of baked goodies for everyone…Your Christmas baking ideas look fantastic!
Great ideas never date, nor grow less great from repeating them!
I really like your philosophy especially the part about being able to give a small gift because you want to give a treat without the receiver feeling embarrassed and obligated. I love the creative process and was making a list myself this afternoon of the home-made gifts I want to make this year. It’s so much more rewarding than just flexing the plastic!
Yvette, that’s a wonderful idea, your photos have been magnificent!
Helen, thanks for stopping by, and for the encouragement! :)
Sally, thank you – it’s nice to be able to give my local barista three chocolate chip cookies, and for him not to feel that he has to reciprocate with a free coffee. :)
Vanilla syrup – meant to make that – thanks for the reminder :-)
Gill, it’s always so popular, particularly with the teenagers for milkshakes. We have other friends who have it every morning on porridge. Must get Pete to make some more for Christmas. :)
What a lovely philosophy Celia. I love giving gifts, but hate ‘settling’ on just another piece of junk to fill the wrapping paper with. A made with love consumable is touching and delicious!
R, that’s exactly right – so often, we “settle” for something because we need a gift! Something you can eat is usually better.. ;-)
Yes, yes, and yes… Yes to everything you just said! Home made goodies are always such a great gift. I would much rather be given a bunch of basil, a sack of limes and some biscuits then a trinket.
I say re-post it each year :-)
I too love your philosophy. I often gift caramel macadamia shortbread to friends at christmas time. They all love it because for 1. it’s delicious & 2. they feel as if they’ve been spoilt by their nanna.
I’ll be back to pinch some of your ideas. Thanks Celia.
Celia what a great post!
I’m of the same beliefs as you. Until this year I’ve used the old ‘I don’t have time’ but this year I’m making spice rubs, biscuits and maple nuts for most of my gifts.
It’s so much fun and I know I’d appreciate something someone made for me.
I can’t wait to see what you’re making this year!
I love this concept Celia. Several years ago I stopped buying Christmas gifts & started making them (I’m ashamed to say it was in an attempt to save money as I was jumping on a plane for the UK & was saving viciously that prompted me to make the presents). Much to my surprise everyone loved my little culinary gifts. Now I usually give little mini hampers to everyone, I really enjoy the making of the presents & everyone tells me they love receiving them. Win Win huh.
I’m off now to explore some of your gift giving ideas now to fill the hampers.
Brydie, thank you, I think I will repost it every year! :)
Kitty, macadamia shortbread! Yum! I might pinch that idea too. :)
Claire, thank you – it can be hard to find time, but so rewarding if you can!
Anna, we started making gifts for exactly the same reason – economy – and people were so much happier to get a homemade gift that we kept going. It’s a low stress option, although my cousin Nick did sidle up to me at a recent family do and ask what jam he was getting this year. :)
I’m with you on this one, Celia. I love to give homemade baked goodies to friends for Xmas – and they seem to love receiving them, too. The only problem I have ever had with this is that, for some reason, the week I set aside to do my Xmas baking nearly always gets blazingly hot, thus turning the kitchen into an inferno! This almost never fails to occur!
Aww, you are so sweet, Celia! And Soy and I definitely share your beliefs. One year, she made little cookie bags for her colleagues at work rather than buying gifts. And I have started to do this for birthdays too- a box of macarons (also gives me practice and a chance to exercise some creativity based on the person’s likes). I think it’s extra special when you give someone something that says ‘I made this with my own hands’.
Hello Celia,
I like your way of saying it. I too like to give homemade gifts. I think it is more personal and special if a homemade or selfmade gift is given. A “consumable”, who can resist those? I know I can’t! Still haven’t decided exactly what I’ll give this year, but I will decide soon. Maybe I can borrow one of your ideas/recipes? I like your idea with the mini gift hampers, maybe I’ll make some of those this year. I think they would bring joy to the people on my list. Thanks for the idea!
Everyone else has said all the things I wanted to say about handmade presents being so much nicer to give, and to receive (you have such lovely readers Celia!) So I might add another dimension. I think there must be some law of nature, that the little changes that add so much to our own quality of life are the same little changes that we need to make to improve the quality of life for future generations. I can’t bear the whole shopping frenzy that goes with Christmas, the huge amount of resources changed into “stuff” that is of no real value. Giving handmade consumables made with care and love is a gift to the world as well.
You have such a huge capacity for making Celia! I do give a few people handmade gifts but never have (make?) enough time to make gifts for lots of people. The few I make gifts for are generally for those with whom we don’t exchange gifts as such (I don’t want that reciprocal gift ring getting any larger!) but who I want to let know that I’m thinking of them. I must say I get great pleasure from making these gifts (and hopefully they get great pleasure from consuming them). We do try to keep things small and simple on my side of the family though – we all buy for one other person and set a modest $$ limit (and a minimum amount has to be spent on a surprise gift).
I love this post! I make most of my gifts too. Each year I make more and more or at least some component of them. I can’t post what I am making this year until after Christmas as nearly everyone is getting the same thing but specific to their own tastes. My gifts are mostly sewn but that’s because I live out of state from all of my best friends. Can’t wait to see what you and the hub create this year for your lucky family and friends!
Amanda, that is the problem with baking in Sydney in December too! It’s a bit of a challenge to keep the chocolates from melting! :)
Honey, I can’t think of anything I’d like to get more than a box of your macarons! They always look so amazing! :)
Manuela, I’d be most flattered if you use any of our suggestions! The mini hampers are great fun, because they’re always a bit different each year. Although the nice thing about edibles is that people don’t really mind getting the same thing each year!
Linda, I’m constantly amazed (and humbled!) by how lovely the people are who visit our blog. Thanks for your wise insight – you’re right, of course, none of us really need more “stuff”, and yet we’re often trapped by the expectation of the gift exchange. It’s fantastic how switching to homemade gifts takes the pressure out of that situation, for both the giver and the recipient.
Sarah, I know what you mean – December is an insanely busy time for us. What we’ve done in years that have been particularly crazy is to just bake one thing – in bulk. A few years ago, everyone received a bag of chocolate chip cookies, another year it was a box of brownies. We like to give little mini-hampers now because we get caught up with the creative process, but in actual fact, corny as it sounds, it really is just the thought that counts. :)
Preppy, don’t give away any secrets! :) I used to make sewn gifts, but seem to spend more time in the kitchen these days. I’ll bet your friends are very excited by your creations! :)
Wholeheartedly agree with everything you’re saying here, Celia! There is so much satisfaction from creating something that brings someone else joy. I always like to give the girls’ teachers something small and ‘consumable’ at this time of year because I fret over their houses and all the non-consumable gifts they must be receiving from their students! SO looking forward to your upcoming posts on gifts. Your recipients are indeed very lucky!
I just noticed your link in the sidebar on the Perennial Plate – will try and watch some this week. I’ve also been enjoying the new HFW series – ‘Everyday’ from a generous friend!! So nice to see Hugh in action again. :)
The last couple of years, I have also only given handmade gifts, mostly tasty treats and Christmas stockings.
I have a few family members who hint at getting the same gifts again. I take that as a huge compliment.
Looking forward to your and Pete’s inspirational posts to come.
:-) Mandy
I also love creating home gifts too,.;sweet or savoury!!
Thanks for the great idea, Celia! The 1st picture is lookibg great!
You and Pete have your heads screwed on properly! Congrats. May your holidays be all the better because of it.
Of course you are right Celia and home made gifts are so nice to receive as well as give. My most prized possession is a lovely quilt made by my very clever aunt. I’ve always tried from a small girl to make my own presents. Time isn’t on my side so much these days, but I always manage a few home made edible goodies and sometimes some plants.
Thank you all! Choc, hopefully this year we’ll be able to give some plants – must get going on more seedlings! :)
I’m looking forward to seeing these! I like to make things too although given what Mr NQN wants for Christmas, he won’t be very pleased if I make him an Android phone :P
Last year I made homemade gifts for all friends, but not for family. My inlaws requested a 100 dollar printer (eek)… and generally like to tell us what they’d like for presents.
To avoid this, I sent out a card just before Halloween (so they didn’t have time to request, lol)… with a note saying that I was making something special this year for them – an international food basket… and then gave them a list of 4 different cuisines to pick from – to make it fun for them. His parents chose Italian and his brother’s family chose Greek. I had great fun at the supermarket and other stores finding neat items to tuck in the basket. For $25 they have a beautiful, much more “made with love” present than last year. The two baskets are spilling over with special pastas, flatbreads, olive spread, tuscan soups, tomato paste, salad dressings, etc etc.
I wasn’t reading last year, so glad you reposted. Some really nice ideas. YOu are right about obligation, giving without making other feel obliged is lovely. I usually give little pressies to everyone at work on my last day, so they don’t have an opportunity to respond. A little bit sneaky, but that way, they don’t have to reciprocate.
GG, thank you for understanding what I was trying to say! I like to give something small as a token of affection, and the last thing I want is for people to then think, “oh bugger, now I have to go get her something in return..” :)