My mother-in-law is a picture taker. Not a photographer, a picture taker. There is a difference. We all know by now that when we go to grandma’s house the hair is to be combed, faces washed and collars straightened because the second we get out of the car –flash – it all starts. Grandma runs out the door armed with the one-use, disposable camera, click, click, click.
We have always lived close to our families, but about four years ago we moved more than four hours away from everyone. Visits are getting few and far between and grandma’s pictures are her gift to us and for herself when we can escape for a weekend. A quick trip to the one-hour-photo up the street, double prints, and we have a trunk load of copies to take home!
My husband has come up with an ingenious way to keep both grandmas happy with fewer visits. We both have a camera phone so we can catch those unexpected “picture moments” most of the time. He made a compilation of some of those pictures on the computer and set them up to go through one at a time, showing each picture for a few seconds. Then he had the kids sit at the desk in front of the microphone and explain the pictures as they showed on the screen, recording their voices. He put all that together, burnt it on a disc, and I mailed it out. His mom was able to play it on her DVD player and she called me the next day in tears saying how much she loved it! (We had to watch it with her the next time we visited as her eyes filled with tears once again.)
Pictures are a simple gift that some people might take for granted. But they are one of many ways to show you care, simply, affordably, and straight from the heart. You just might find that the most appreciated gift is the one made by your own hands with things that are lying around in your very own home.
A while back we were invited to a neighbor’s house for supper. I felt I needed to give the hostess a gift for having us over. I had a small basket, probably from a garage sale, and some pretty pink tissue paper from an old gift bag. (Yes, I keep everything, for this reason!) There was my start. I also had a collection of candles that my mom had given me. She knows I love candles and she loves garage sales. They were collecting dust on a shelf so I blew off the dust and put them in the basket. Threw in a few sticks of incense and some ribbon and I was good to go! She thought it was perfect.
I collect everything, and I’m not exaggerating. I know I drive my poor husband crazy. I have a dresser in the basement with six drawers full of scraps of material. The garage is cluttered, well; really it’s jam-packed, with bits and pieces of wood scraps. Not to mention the coffee cans full of broken crayons, and the others filled with old candle wax. I save these things because they are things that can be re-used.
It takes very little material to make a Barbie doll outfit. They aren’t perfect, but my nieces love them. I use the wood for all sorts of things. Thinner pieces of wood, like the bottom of a dresser drawer that has fallen apart, make great Christmas ornaments. I use designs from iron-on patterns and trace onto the wood. Use a jigsaw to cut it out, sand, paint with craft paint and drill a small hole at the top for wire or string to hang. Thicker pieces make good blocks or puzzles.
I save candle wax in metal coffee cans because I put the can in a pan of water for a makeshift double boiler. I can melt the wax on the stove without burning it. To make my candles I fill another container with sand, make an impression, anchor some wick with a washer, and pour in the wax. When it sets up I brush off the excess sand and I have a candle with a neat texture. Another way to make candles after a good snowstorm is to pack snow tightly into a container around the wick. Pour the wax around the wick and you will have a very interesting piece of work. They will never turn out the same.
If you need a gift for someone who gardens, give her a variety of a plant you know she likes but doesn’t have. Include something that follows the theme of the plant. For a basil plant, include a recipe for your favorite pesto or instructions for harvesting and preserving it. If it’s a rose that you’ve potted, send a small pair of pruners along with it. The perfect gift for the gourmet cook could be a container of fresh herbs. Use your imagination.
If you need a great idea for any occasion, for any one you know, you have to check out Homemade Gift Basket Ideas. Janet Vogel is the owner of the site and this lady knows her gifts! This is an incredible website that will keep you busy for hours. From anniversaries to Valentine’s Day, you will find an idea that is fun, affordable, and most importantly, from the heart. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a really great gift. Janet says, “When I'm in the local dollar store, I look for inexpensive items that I know I will use...candles, wrapping and filling materials, silk flowers, baskets or other containers.”
Creative is not a word used to describe me. Simplicity sums me up. With a little imagination and a few odds and ends, you’d be surprised what you can come up with. Gifts that are handmade will be remembered forever.