Personalized Photo Ornaments

I don’t know when it started, but suddenly, if you don’t put at least one personalized photo ornament on Grandma’s tree, you’re the family disappointment. Last year, my cousin’s cat in a Santa hat? People lost their minds. You grab a wooden circle, slap on a laser print with Mod Podge, maybe glue yourself to the table, and call it “advanced crafting.”

The print shop guy down the street says always go for matte finish—hides fingerprints, hides dust. I ignored him, ruined two ornaments, had to start over. He was right. These ornaments work for anyone, even that coworker who hoards office supplies.

Nobody warns you: siblings steal homemade ornaments. 2022, my face got replaced by the family dog on half the tree. Stamp the year on the back or you’ll never remember if it was the “pandemic hair” year or the “bad dye job” year.

Festive Gift Baskets

Every December, I tell myself, “I’ll get bored making gift baskets,” but then I’m still rearranging ribbon at midnight. Best hack: use a shallow crate (they reuse it, it’s a win). I cram in homemade limoncello (takes days, but whatever), candied pecans, and a tiny jar of local honey. People act like it’s a luxury.

Labels are weirdly important. Skip the inkjet disasters. Handwrite a tag, or let a kid scribble something—adults love it. Forget neatness. Pile up snacks, a mini plant, random yarn. (Hobbycraft lists 120+ basket ideas. I’ve tried, like, 10.)

Sometimes I wonder if anyone eats every snack or just posts the “unboxing.” But the basket always gets reused for mail or toys. So I guess it works?

Thoughtful Handmade Accessories

Why do all those “must-have” lists skip actual useful handmade stuff and go straight to gadgets or dollar store junk? Handmade accessories—real ones—actually last. Not every stitch is perfect, but just picking up a needle or a skein? That’s already more effort than most people bother with.

Infinity Scarf and Knit Mittens

Infinity scarves. I know, basic. But I spent six hours on a chunky-knit one and everyone asked if it was cashmere (spoiler: $8 acrylic from Michaels). I ignore patterns, just cast on a ton of stitches and hope for the best. Mittens? Nightmare. Thumb gussets always throw off my count. I still don’t get it.

Real knitters (met some in Montreal, they’re intense) say you have to block everything—stretch, spray, shape. Makes it look fancy. For yarn, I avoid anything called “fashion” or “novelty.” That’s code for “pills after one wash.” There are a million mitten patterns online, but honestly, double up the yarn and call it good. DIY Wizards says mattress stitch keeps seams flat. It’s true. Otherwise, it looks like a third grader’s project.

Fabric Headbands and Hand Warmers

I can’t sew a straight line to save my life. Headbands are the one thing I’ll attempt—if you use stretchy jersey and slap on some interfacing, they actually stay put. Don’t bother with pleats or anything labeled “artisan.” The twist is easy, looks fancy, nobody checks the inside.

Hand warmers? I just fill them with rice or flaxseed, add lavender because Instagram says it’s “luxury,” even though the scent disappears in two days. Microwave, done. Use tight cotton, not burlap (I learned the hard way—rice everywhere). Triple-seam the edges or you’ll regret it. Robert Kline Art and a bunch of other blogs swear these are the most popular stocking stuffers. My family doesn’t care about fabric patterns, but if I skip the microwave instructions, I get texts. Why? No clue. I just include them.

Scented Gifts: Bringing Comfort Into Homes

Scented gifts. They’re everywhere. You try to avoid them, but nope—someone gives you a jar, a bottle, a bag of something that smells like cinnamon or vanilla or, I don’t know, “holiday nostalgia.” Sometimes it’s nice. Sometimes it’s just chaos.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I went through a phase—spent weeks making vanilla extract because the store stuff? Usually fake. You split some vanilla beans (Bourbon, Tahitian, whatever), shove them in a bottle, drown in vodka or rum, and then… wait. Forever. One bean per 4oz is the bare minimum. Three beans if you want it to actually taste like vanilla. Hide it in a cupboard, shake it now and then, don’t sniff—just trust the process. It evaporates if you don’t top it up. Nobody told me that.

People expect a label or a bow. I print out bean origin and extraction date now because some fancy food shop asked for it once and now I’m paranoid. Don’t use fragrance oils. Ever. Someone at my job did. The FDA says not to. That’s all I’ll say.

Stovetop Potpourri Recipes

You ever hand someone a Ziploc of orange slices, cinnamon, cloves, and cranberries? They act like you invented Christmas. Don’t use fresh cranberries unless you want mush. I throw in Epsom salt—it helps with storage, not just baths. Most people think it’s for baths. If you add pine or rosemary, write “change water daily” or it turns gross. I scribble “simmer low, refill water, don’t leave unattended” on the tag. Two friends have set off smoke alarms with this. Not kidding.

Dried peel lasts longer, but it’s less punchy. Shelterness says the same. I swapped in dried apple and allspice once—house smelled like pie, which my cousin hated. Buy cinnamon sticks from the international aisle, way cheaper. Never let kids add fragrance oil. Your house will stink for a week, and the pan will never recover.