15 Handmade Gifts They Won't Hate Receiving

Whenever most people think of handmade gifts, they think of ill-fitting knit hats or hideous reindeer sweaters, or inedible jams. I,however,have to admire people who make bunches of their own holiday gifts. If you do it right, it can save you money, and there’s also just something about homemade presents that says you really care...as long as you get it right! At any rate, it is more thoughtful than a gift card in most cases. 

These artsy-craftsy folk got it right, in my opinion! Here are 15 awesome handmade gift ideas that are sure to please every man, woman or child on your list! There are even gift ideas for cats and dogs!

1. Leather iPod Touch Case by gmjhowe graphic design

2. Wooden Necktie (and Bowtie) by laxap

3. Office Foot Stool from an old Tray Table by Alan Casey

4. TREAD BELT by opendesignclub

5. Homemade Earring Organizer by eolough

6. Cargo Scarf by lovefromvirgil

7. sew an adjustable chef's apron  by compwalla

8. Recycled Teacup Soy candle by cheekysttich

9. Finger puppets for all reasons! by stinkymum

10. Kids Snuggie by scoochmaroo

11. Fridge Magnets by hethlee 

(I think of Alphabet magnets for kids)

12. MINI-MUFFIN CRAYONS by AlwaysAllTheTimeCrafting

13. Kid Crane Riding Toy by stevemoseley

14. Rope Dog Toy by mattrush

15. Knotty Mouse for Good Cats by J3443RY

coupons  

Use Your Freebie Stash to Make Holiday Gifts - The Classy Way

Originally Posted at Little Mom Saves
Sometimes we get to the holidays without a whole lot in the gift budget! To save a few bucks and bust that freebie stash, here is a few things you can do to give nice gifts without costing yourself anything but a little time. 

Do you have a box full of Sephora, Origins, Lancome, Clinique or other beauty samples? Sometimes you can print out a "coupon" from some these company's websites or Facebook pages for free facials (in-store). Find a cute basket and arrange the samples and free facial coupon inside. Maybe add a few cheapies, like a scrubby pouf or scented body spray. Great for co-workers, lady pals or even teens!

If you cashed in on either of the Sleep Number freebies this year, they would both make excellent gifts! The scented candle is soy, and smells lovely. If you add a pretty (handmade?) pillow cover to the travel pillow, it would make a thoughtful gift for someone who travels a lot. 

ANY of the items in your Bath & Body Works freebie stockpile would make great stocking stuffers, co-worker or Secret Santa gifts, or be nice for a family member or teen. Some of the freebies we have seen this year are travel size lotions and body sprays, mini candles, and coupon deals where you make a purchase of $25 and get various full size freebies. 

I got these 3 candles FREE, and the candle holders were half off (normal price $3 each) so for 3 small gifts for neighbors, I paid $4.50! Plus I have various lotions and sprays to give to the ladies on my list. 

Victoria's Secret might seem like an odd store to do holiday gift shopping in, but they do sell more than just panties! When you get your birthday freebie (after signing up for their email list) you will get 1 free panty and $10 off any purchase of at least $10. I got my sister in law this cute t-shirt (she loves purple) off the clearance rack at our local store (marked down from $24.95 to $9.95), and it was FREE!

You can get a $10 off $10 coupon to World Market when you are a member of their Explorer Club! You can get a pretty decent gift for $10! 
Check out 3 of the examples I've found:

Vitacost offers a $10 credit to new members, PLUS $10 if you have a friend sign up! You can get great organic gift sets, cute baby toys, pet gifts, stocking stuffers, and even organic snacks!



This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Axe Deodorant Giveaway!

Because I love my readers, and because we now have quite a few guy fans on our Facebook page now, I am giving away a FULL SIZE Axe Excite Deodorant! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Dad's Hearty Breakfast Muffin-Cakes

I make these muffins/cupcakes (they work well either way) for the boys, to start their day out right. It starts with a cake mix, because I am both creative and lazy...

Chock full of cranberries, nuts and apple-y goodness, you can either top it off with just a dab of cream cheese frosting, or smear with a little butter. 

You need: 

1 Box Spice cake mix

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon  

1 1/4 Cup Applesauce, unsweetened

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil        

3 large eggs

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup MINI semi-sweet chocolate chips

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and applesauce into a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the nuts, chocolate and berries last, and fold them into the batter by hand with a rubber spatula. 

I use silicone re-usable liners, but I like to spritz them with some Baker's Joy, to make sure those lil' beauties pop right out! 

Be careful not to overfill the muffin tins. Like I did, a little. :)

I also had enough batter to make a small loaf of bread. I also tossed a few stray cranberries on top of a few of the muffins. Or cupcakes. I am still not 100% sure what this is, cake or quick bread. But it is darn good with coffee in the morning! 

Bake at 350 degrees F for approx. 22 minutes for the muffin-cakes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. You will need to bake for 35-40 minutes for a loaf or cake pan. Let cool completely before topping with frosting, or smear some butter on top while warm! 

A little powdered sugar goes nicely, too. Or some apple butter. *drools*

These freeze nicely, for making ahead. pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, top with something delicious, and head off to start your day! Guaranteed to keep your dad moving. 

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

FATHER'S DAY FREEBIES

Here is a huge list of Father's Day Freebies for you all, courtesy of Little Mom Saves Money!

Free Sample Father's Day Gift Ideas

Put together 'Goodie Bags' for the dads in your life, using stuff from your stash of freebies!

Free Father's Day Printables & Downloads

Cards, poems, printable coupon books, coloring pages, crafts, & more!

FREE Software & Music Downloads for the Geeky Dad

Help your dad protect his PC for FREE!

Last Minute Father's Day Freebies

Tons of free food offers for this weekend, plus fun activities like museums or the zoo at little or NO cost to you! 

Here are a few NEW offers for you! 

7 Day Free Gym Membership Pass for 24Hour Fitness

Sign up with Delta Sonic for a FREE Super Kiss Car Wash! PLEASE NOTE: Valid only in NY, PA & IL. Fill in the registration form & you'll receive your coupon via email for a FREE Super Kiss car wash from Delta Sonic.

Text to Receive a Free One Night Redbox Game Rental. Text message:SCREEN to 727272 on your cell phone to get a code valid for a free one night Redbox Video Game Rental. This offer expires July 16th.

Sears Outlet Stores are offering One free Piece of Apparel Every Tuesday through the end of the year to their Shop Your Way Rewards Members that have a valid email address! They need so many likes on their post and then they'll release the free apparel coupon. This offer is only valid at Sears Outlet Stores. 

Sears Portrait Studios have released a coupon valid for a free 10x13 Wall Portrait with Fresh Effects - $44.97 value! Print the coupon on the linked page and redeem in-store. This offer ends on 8/31/12.

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.