Seven Non-Food Gifts to Make and Give with Love. Great gifts anytime of the year!

We, like so many other families, by choice, now enjoy a smalled-down celebration. Our wish lists also reflect that choice, along with our gift buying adventures. And in all the time since we have had this new gift giving agreement in place we have had the same wonderful, happy celebrations. Just like we always did. And it turns out, the gifts given are actually more personal, made with love, and given with pride. We invite you to come and take a look at a few suggestions...because if nothing else these ideas may inspire you to begin your own smaller but just as wonderful, celebrations.

I don't know a better way to celebrate, any gift giving occasion, than with a well thought out, homemade from the heart, gift.

Recently I created a gift guide of Fifteen Delicious Gifts of Food and Love From Your Kitchen. Which will help you with all the loved ones in your family and on your gift list that will be getting a delicious homemade food gift. But for some, a non-food gift is really what they would like, or possibly even need. And sometimes fulfilling a need is the best gift of all!

And while I do love Scratch Made Food! there is the other side of the blog. Our easy and useful ways for making your own DIY Homemade Household. Some of these projects are quite easy, and others are a bit more involved or would make a fun family project, with the finished item, quite the gift to give!

And as a final thought, a gift certificate for a homemade gift is always a great option. Especially if time is tight or you had more on your list to get done, than the time to do it all. Or the person you will gift to is not ready to receive the gift as of yet. These also work great for services, such as a babysitting certificates, a book of coupons for a few baked goods to be redeemed through the year, or maybe some chauffeur servixes! Coupon booklets and certificates are fun to create and offer as the gifts.

I am also aware of the time constraints a busy season (possibly everyday depending upon your own household) puts on us all. So for those seeking calm (and, aren't we all!?) here is a little ditty that will help keep the gift count under control...and still offer a loving and happy celebration for the folks on your list.

I myself have used this for years. First with my children, as well as other family members and now for my grandchildren. It also works great for birthdays, and any major accomplishment being celebrated. And yes, even Christmas. Pick one of the gift categories or pick them all depending upon the celebration, your budget, and your own family's traditions.

Something you want,

Something you need,

Something to wear,

Something to read!

So let's get started shall we?

Do you have a bird lover on your list of folks receiving gits this year?

Give them a gift certificate for a Bird Habitat. It can be as big as you have supplies for or small enough to fit into the amount of space available. A few pallets and some miscellaneous items to stuff into the openings and you are good to go. We built this large habitat shown, for our Montana home. And we have built a smaller on here in Texas!

This is a wonderful way to recycle, help the bird population and make your favorite bird lover very happy in the process. The gift of your time given, is always cherished. It turns out that we are bird lovers pretty much every where we go.

If you have a loved one, who has a difficult time getting to sleep or staying asleep, this Homemade Wedge Pillow might help. This is also perfect for the reader in the family. There is nothing better than pure comfort when reading in bed. Plus it is handy for those that like a bit of TV before falling asleep. If you have family members on your gift list that seem to fall into those categories, maybe this Homemade Wedge Pillow is the gift for them. All you need is a stack of pillows and some basic sewing skills, plus a button or two.

A great gift for those wanting to eliminate commercially made products from their household laundry chores enjoy a small basket of these Woolen Dryer Balls. They are fun to make and are the ultimate recycling of that old woolen sweater you no longer use. I have had these for at least 10 years and they still work great, not as pretty as when first made, but they have never let me down. PS, these dryer balls do require a sweater or knitted piece that is 100% wool...plus the fun part is that you get to shrink the sweater, on purpose!

Give a giant outdoor wreath, made with a hula hoop! This is the perfect gift for that person on your list that loves to decorate the outside of their home for Christmas. This big décor piece can be customized for them and will be enjoyed for years to come. This is fun to make and would be a great project for the whole family to take part in, and to give!

Do you have a new chicken keeper on your list? This Egg Shovel will come in handy! Because as it turns out, the ladies don't always lay their eggs in the nesting boxes...How about giving the shovel along with a certificate or two to come and gather the eggs if they want or need to be out of town for the weekend? You just might find that you love being a Chicken Whisperer, along with the fresh eggs. And maybe even want to get your own flock!

For anyone on your list that loves a clean kitchen, because they can't wait to get back to cooking, or because company is on their way over, make them a jar of Homemade Counter Wipes. Easy, food safe and reusable. This jar of wipes is so handy to have on the counter to keep kitchen messes to a minimum. Use any container with a lid, especially one that the receiver of the gift will enjoy having on their kitchen counter.

Small wooden boxes are so easy to upcycle into a garlic storage box! We used a photo storage box found while out thrifting one day. Come and see how easy it is to make a Garlic Storage Box for your favorite cook.

Would you like to comment?

Dee | GrammysGrid.comDecember 10, 2022 at 1:20 PM
Lots of ideas here. I like the dryer balls, hula hoop wreath, and the counter wipes! Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 93. Shared.
judeeDecember 11, 2022 at 4:16 AM
I love this idea. The celebration is so much more meaningful with personalized gifts!
Women Living Well After 50January 26, 2024 at 9:41 PM
What a thoughtful gift list Melynda and I'm sure they would be suitable for friends or family. Gift giving can really become over the top and easy just to buy something online without really giving thought to whether the receiver can use the gift. It is also a change from food but I will look at your Twelve Delicious Gifts of Food post too. Have a lovely week.
Joanne December 23, 2024 at 7:27 PM
These are some great handmade gift ideas; I really love the bird sanctuary idea! Merry Christmas!
JudeeNovember 4, 2025 at 6:55 AM
I'm always looking for gift ideas. Thanks for sharing these and the food list too...