1.) Home made throw pillows

Find material that will go well with the recipients home décor and cut 2 - 18 ½ inch squares from it.

Place right sides together and using a ¼ inch seam sew along 3 ½ sides. Turn the sack right side out.

Using a chopstick or a knitting needle poke the corners to make them nice and pointed.

Stuff with batting and use the invisible stitch to close off the last bit of the opening.

2.) A Hanging Pot Rack for the Kitchen

A.) If they have a window over the sink framed by two upper cupboards cut a length of closet doweling to fit between them using rod cups to hold it in place.

B.) If they have a large kitchen cut the rung side of an old wooden ladder and hang from the ceiling with chains.

3.) Crochet a door mat from old plastic shopping bags cut into 2 - 3 inch wide strips.

4.) Do they hang laundry on a clothes line? Make a clothes pin holder from and old baby dress it’s simple. Hang the baby dress on a hanger and sew the bottom hem closed leave the neck buttons open to reach in for the clothes pins.

5.) An Arctic fleece lap blanket or baby blanket. Arctic fleece doesn’t need to be hemmed so just cut it to the size you want and you’re done. If you made the throw pillows from the same material you’d have a matching set.

6.) Do you do calligraphy? How about a sign made from a piece of scrap wood with their last name painted on it, in a beautiful Gaelic Script, to hang on their door, or mailbox?

7.) Are you an artist? Do a sketch of each member of their household and frame them. Imagine how nice that would look along the wall of their living room or hallway. You can even do sketches of their household pets.

8.) Do you have a camping mat that has a small tear or two from use, cut it into rectangles to give to the gardeners in the family to use as kneeling pads while they garden.

9.) Do they have a pet dog? Get a bag of doggy bone shaped treats and a wire hanger. Bend the hanger to make it round in shape.

Using cheap Christmas ribbon tie the treats to the hanger making a wreath for their pet.

10.) A recipe box with recipe cards, but fill some of the cards with their favorite recipes that they’ve eaten at your house, and have extra cards that aren’t filled out in the box too. Ask them to write some of your favorite recipes that they make to add to your collection.