Making Gifts From The Garden

Giving gifts from the garden can be a very rewarding thing to do.  Often the gift costs very little or free if you use a recycled pot.  Here are some very budget conscious ideas for you to try -


*  Do you grow raspberries ?    Each Spring your old plants may send out little runner plants.  Gently dig them up and plant into a pot.  Add a little wrapping paper or a ribbon and give as a present.  When we bought our plants back in 2014 they cost $15 each from Bunnings.  A potted raspberry is a practical and free gift worth a good amount.

*  A plant pot of mixed lettuce seedlings is a colourful and practical gift.  Lettuce seeds cost only a few dollars but the packets might contain hundreds of seeds.  Now is the time to plant the seeds to have ready to pick lettuce for a Christmas present.

*  Make rose water using rose petals from your garden.  Just boil up the petals with water in a saucepan then simmer until the water changes color.  Cool with the lid on then decant into sterilised bottles or glass jars.

*  Plant a mini herb garden using recycled pots or even a small length of old guttering.  Stencil or paint the pots to customise them for the receiver.

*  Did you juice and freeze lots of lemon juice over Winter ?  Make up a big batch of lemon butter a couple of days before Christmas.  This 6 minute recipe is easy to make and tastes delicious.  Refrigerate until you give it and perhaps decorate the jar with a little ' hat ' and include a pretty teaspoon.  Op shops are a great place for sourcing pretty teaspoons.

*  Take cuttings from daisy plants during late Spring to make fabulous gifts.  Their bright,  pretty colors make a cheerful addition to any garden.

*  Lavender sachets would have to be one of the easiest gifts to make.  Pick the flower stems and dry over the next few weeks.  Pull the little flower heads off and pour into a cotton or organza bag.  Tie with a purple ribbon.  These little bags can be teamed up with a purple face washer, homemade  lavender room spray and a purple hand soap ( quite cheap in the supermarket ).

Potted up lettuce.  Isn't it pretty ?

Lemon butter

Raspberry plant as a gift

Drying lavender flowers

What gifts have you given from your garden ?

Making Gifts From The Pantry

The countdown to Christmas has already begun in our home ( or at least in my mind ).  I love to be super organised and never leave present shopping or making to the last minute.

If your planning on a homemade Christmas or thinking of making a couple of presents to save a little money,  now is the time to start.

Here are some great ideas using ingredients from your pantry to turn into stunning gifts -

*  Vanilla extract can easily be made from Vodka and vanilla beans.  Buy the cheapest bottle of Vodka you can find and  decant it into smaller sterilised glass bottles with a lid.  Split  two vanilla beans in half, and place into the smaller bottle.  Replace the lid and store out of direct sunlight.  Shake every week.  Alternatively,  put 5 - 6 vanilla beans into the large vodka bottle and decant after a few months.  The vanilla extract can be used in as little as 8 weeks but some people wait for up to a year for a stronger flavour.

*  Chocolate brownie dry mixes in a jar make a wonderful baking treat for those who might not usually bake or are time poor.  Carefully layer all the dry ingredients in the jar,  place the lid on,  tie on a wooden spoon and the recipe with a luscious ribbon

*  Bath bombs require some ingredients that most pantries stock.  Here's the recipe I use.  Pack the mixture into moulds or spoon it loose into a jar and tie  a fancy spoon on.

*  As I've mentioned in many blog posts over the years,  a jar of home baked biscuits makes a great present.

*  Face and body scrubs can be made from basic pantry items.   Here's a link to some great simple recipes Face and Body Scrubs

*  Nuts and Bolts savoury snack is so simple to make using Nutri-Grain cereal, peanuts and seasonings. Store in a large glass jar and makes a great men's gift.   Here's a link to the recipe Nuts and Bolts.

Making vanilla extract.

Moccona coffee jars make great gifts

Making bath bombs

Home baked biscuits for presents

What gifts do you make from pantry ingredients ?

7 Quick Kris Kringle Gifts

Has a family member come home with a Kris Kringle request out of the blue ?  Gotta love a surprise just before Christmas don't you ?  Here are a few simple yet wonderful gifts to give without looking like it's a last minute gift -

*  A jar of mixed nuts in their shells.  We all have a clean Moccona coffee jar lurking in a cupboard.   Dig it out,  fill and decorated with a printed sticker.  Maybe use one of those black chalkboard stickers as a label.

*  Fill a jar with homemade biscuits.  Tie a ribbon on with a handmade gift tag.If the present is for a male,  tie a tartan ribbon for a more masculine look   This sort of gift would retail for about $20 in the stores.

*  Wrap a box of Dove soap with pretty wrapping / craft paper and tie with a luxurious ribbon.  If you have a glittery brooch or hairpin,  attach to the ribbon or thread it on.

*  Here's my go to Kris Kringle present - A gift bag with a handmade soap,  a jar of homemade jam and a cute note pad or decorated face washer.

*  Re gift an unwanted present.  I know this is a delicate subject but sometimes we can't use what is given to us.  If it would be more suitable as a Kris Kringle gift ,  it's better to re gift than to not use it at all.

*  Looking for a men's present ?  My go to present is a gift bag with Lynx shower gel and Lynx deodorant.  I always have these on hand in the present cupboard and only ever buy on a half price sale.

*  A block of chocolate is always a winner.  Team it up with a jar of homemade hot chocolate drink mix,  add a cute spoon and perhaps a novelty mug.    

Homemade jam nicely decorated

Handmade soaps

A box of Dove Soap Annabel ( The Bluebirds Are Nesting blog ) sent me a few years ago

Soaps my girls wrapped in tissue paper and decorated.

What are your easy Kris Kringle present ideas ?

Buying Budget Friendly Gifts.

Buying gifts for family and friends should be joyful.  When the budget is tight,  it can be a  real challenge..  Here's how I manage to buy lovely gifts without blowing the budget or taking out a loan.

*  Perfumes are at their cheapest around Mother's Day,  Valentine's Day and Christmas / Boxing Day.  Larger chemists quite often offer the cheapest prices.  Stock up on the favourites and store in a cool dark place until the occasion arrives.

*  Aftershave is in abundance and at rock bottom prices around Father's Day.

*  Pool toys and  beach towels are on clearance towards the end of Summer.  Stock up for the following Christmas or kid's birthday parties.

*  Christmas platters,  plates, table runners and bowls are sold at bargain prices straight after Christmas.  Stock up because they make wonderful presents for the following Christmas or any occasion during December.

*  Football merchandise should be bought towards the end of the finals or after the grand final.  If you are not fussy about the brand,  have a look at stocks in department stores.

*  Power tools and general hardware might be on sale for Father's Day or for Spring renovations.

*  Slippers,  coffee mugs,  blankets,  cushions and chocolate are on sale for Mother's Day,  Father's Day and just after.  Blankets are definitely on clearance after Winter.

*  Baking utensils,  patty cases and  cookie cutters come on sale just after Mother's Day,  Easter and Christmas.

*  Eskys,   cooler bags and electric fans will be heavily discounted after Summer.  Supermarkets generally offer fantastic prices on these items.


If you still can't find a gift to fit your budget,  bake some giant cookies ( for the males and teens ) or fill up a pretty jar for the females.  It really is the thought that counts,  not the price tag.

Christmas Presents On A Budget

With Christmas fast approaching,  I'm sure most of you have made plans or bought a few presents.  For those who struggle to find the money to spend on presents,  here are a few frugal ideas

*  Biscuits ( cookies ) in a jar made a delightful teacher's gift,  Kris Kringle,  office party present or a present for a friend.  If you have elderly family and friends this would be ideal.  Many elderly can't or wouldn't bake for themselves.  You could give the biscuits ( or other baking ) in a cellophane bag bought from the discount stores.  Tie the top up with recycled ribbon and add a gift tags.  For a larger batch of biscuits,  use a glass coffee jar ( Moccona comes to mind ),  decorated baby formula tin or an icecream container with a ribbon tied around for presentation.  Here are two suggested biscuit recipes on my blog

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits

Cranberry Hootycreek Biscuits

Biscuits in a jar

*  Teenage boys can be hard to buy for.  They want expensive branded gadgets / clothes and shoes.  A budget gift could be deodorant and shower gel bought at half price.  Lynx toiletries come on sale quite a few times during the year and cost about $3 each at half price.  Team this up with a couple of giant biscuits wrapped in cellophane bags tied with a tartan ribbon.  They'll devour those biscuits before you know it.

Always buy on sale

*  Make a set of handmade cards.  Kmart sells packs of white blank cards 25 per pack for $3.  Using a glue stick,  recycled ribbon and bits and pieces from around the house you could make an elegant set of card that are unique.  Present them in a handmade box,  a decorated recycled one or maybe buy a suitable size from the $2 shops.  Add a few postage stamps and a novelty pen for the receiver to use.

Using scraps of wrapping paper

*  Not crafty ?  Then maybe the garden is where you'll find a few presents.  Take cuttings from your plants and re pot them into saved garden pots,  containers,  planter boxes or fruit boxes.  Clean the outside of the pot and add a ribbon or saved colored plastic from bunches of flowers etc.

A raspberry cutting we grew

*  Now is the time to plant a mix of lettuce seeds in a pot for a beautiful display to give at Christmas. Both useful and very frugal.

Grow different varieties of lettuce

*  Make handmade soap.  If you make the soap in the next week or so you'll have just enough time for it to cure ready for Christmas giving.  The ingredients only cost a few dollars but produces $30 - $40 worth of presents.  You might even have some of the ingredients in your pantry.  Soap making is not as hard as it seems.  Just follow the instructions carefully and you'll be fine.  Wrap the bars of soap in cellophane and add a ribbon.  This soap could be added to a decorated hand towel or set of face washers.  Here's one of the recipes I use Soap making
  

Handmade soap

Gift wrapped ready to give

*  Men can be hard to buy for.  If they have a bbq then make up a few jars of spice rubs for meat.  Save your baby food or mustard jars to use and add a hand made or printed label.  If you'd like to bulk up the present,  make it into a gift pack buy adding paper towel,  tongs,  canola spray,  foil and cling wrap.  Men who bbq always need these items and it's saves them digging around in the kitchen. I know from first hand experience.  Darren has a tub of his " own " things next to the bbq.


* Google,  Pinterest and Youtube could be your best friend when searching for frugal or free gift ideas.  With a little planning now,  you don't need to spend a fortune on gifts.  Remember,  it's your budget.  You know what you can afford.