Handmade Hostess Gifts

I love the holidays for all of the special soirees on the calendar.  Whether it's an informal gathering with friends, a bonafide holiday fete or an all-out New Year's Eve party, I am always sure to bring a little something for the host and/or hostess as a sign of my thanks for their hospitality.  Lately, I've enjoyed making these small offerings and I thought I'd share some of the simple, perfect-for-a-dinner-party projects here.

These projects are all frugal and, in my book, quite fabulous.  By no means am I an expert crafter (in fact, my fine motor skills and attention to detail are quite lacking!), but each of these projects is very straight-forward.  I love to try new things and I love the intention of creating something new for someone I love.  I tend to think that the receiver appreciates the gesture as well.

My advice is to choose one (maybe two) of these projects to tackle, go out and purchase supplies in bulk, and then set aside some time to make as many as you will need for the entire season.  Maybe pour yourself a glass of wine or pull out a few dark chocolates while you work. (Am I the only one who keeps a stash of chocolate in the freezer?).  Doing every single one of the projects might prove to be a bit overwhelming—that's why I'd focus on one or two.

I think that presentation is very important, so I made fabric bows for each item and printed gift tags on light brown cardstock.  I purchased some of the fabric for the bows on sale at Joann's and some of it was from a skirt that I thrifted and cut apart.  Our local Salvation Army has a whole wall filled with long skirts, many of which are made from really fun, interesting fabric.  These skirts are usually just a few dollars (or less) so using one of these for fabric will not only you save money, but you'll keep textiles from the landfill and avoid creating demand for new production and the overuse of materials and resources.  You can literally snip the edge of the fabric and then rip a straight line.  The look is cute and casual.  Happy crafting!


CURRIED LENTIL SOUP

This is a great recipe that is my go-to, year-round hostess gift.  I also make this soup and deliver to friends who are ill or have a new baby.  Recently, I made it and sold it as a fundraiser!  It really is delicious—I'm often asked for the recipe.  Here's what you need to know:

Using a funnel, layer the following in a quart-size mason jar:

1 cup red lentils

2 teaspoons salt

3-1/2 tablespoons minced dried onion

1 tablespoon curry powder (or more depending on taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup green lentils

1/2 cup dried apple rings cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons dried parsley

Make sure you attach a label that includes cooking instructions when you gift this.  Here's what I write:

Place lentil soup mix in 3-quart saucepan with 7 cups water.  Heat to boiling on high.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 – 30 minutes stirring occasionally.  Makes 8 cups.  Enjoy!


GRANOLA

There are a lot of wonderful granola recipes floating around, but this one is my favorite.  It's from Cathy Lafrenz of Miss Effie's Flower Farm and I've been making it for years.  This makes a great hostess gift as well as a gift for neighbors and co-workers.  Instead of plates of cookies, this year we'll be delivering jars of granola up and down the block!  I double the recipe and it makes about 5 quart jars full of deliousness.

4 c uncooked oatmeal 
1-1/2 c Wheat Germ 
1 c shaved coconut 
1/4 c powdered milk (I omit this because my daughter is lactose intolerant)
1/2 c flax meal 
2 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP brown sugar

Mix all the dried ingredients together.

Then microwave the following ingredients for 1 minute on high.

1/3 c canola oil
1/2 c honey or 1/3 c agave nectar 
1 TBSP of vanilla

Stir into the dry ingredients until all the particles are coated.

Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees. 

When it has cooled, you can add extra ingredients like dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds or just about anything else you'd like!


SIMPLE SYRUP

By far the easiest of the projects is the Simple Syrup.  It's equal parts water and sugar.  Combine the two in a saucepan and boil until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.  Let it cool and then pour it into your container.  This is great for someone that you know enjoys a cocktail during the holidays.  It's also delicious in iced coffee, iced tea and lemonade.  I packaged one simple syrup in a half-pint mason jar.  For the other, I added a pourer to one of the cute Coke bottles marketed around Christmas time.  (I'm not a big soda drinker, but I can never resist these!)  With a bow and a note, it's delightful!

PAINTED SERVEWARE

This project is the most time intensive and has the most detail.  However, it's really clever!  I first read about it here, via this website.  I'm so glad I ran across this idea!  I bought three sets of serveware at my local Hy-Vee.  Each piece was $2.49.  I had acrylic paint in the supply cabinet at home, so this was another inexpensive project.

After removing the labels, I painted the handles of two sets white. I left one set the natural wood color just to see what it would be like.  I'm glad I did because it turned out neatly.

Next I used painting tape to create a striped design on each of the utensils.  They can match...or not...the project is very forgiving.  

After painting several coats regular acrylic paint onto the serveware and letting them dry completely, I removed the tape and was pleased with what I saw!  I did have to do a bit of touch-up when the tape came off and I decided to seal the paint with an acrylic gloss.  This added a nice shimmer and makes me feel better about the painted utensils getting wet.  All in all, it's a really fun project!


TEA TOWELS

Before this project, I had never done any stamping before.  However, I found the finished product to be absolutely charming and will definitely be doing it again.  I'm even thinking about getting the kids into the action–these would make great grandparent gifts.

First, I bought two packs of tea towels at Target. (Each pack contains four towels and costs $4.99).  I washed the towels and then spent a bit of time ironing them.  After they were pressed, I spread them out on my kitchen table and used my stamps to embellish the white fabric.  I used a few different stamps (some of Hobby Lobby, a few from the dollar store) and fabric paint.  One of the fabric paints came in stamp pad form, so I literally just stamped the fabric.  I used a foam roller brush to roll the regular fabric paint onto the larger, more intricate stamps.  By using the roller brush, you avoid getting the paint deep in the crevices of the stamp.  It worked pretty well!

My favorite stamp.

The set-up.

After the towels are stamped and dry, you need to iron the parts that you embellished in order to set the paint.  Be sure to use some sort of light, cotton cloth between the towels and the iron.  (I used a cloth napkin.)  The towels are machine washable and, when tied with a lovely little bow, quite cute.


VINO
It's almost too obvious: A bottle of wine is always appreciated.  I'm including it here because with the addition of a fabric bow and a little note, your bottle will be a bit more dressed up for the holidays.  I always like to bring a bottle of wine that has a story—whether it's a favorite, it's from a local winery, or as is the case with the bottles pictured here, it was purchased as a fundraiser.  (As many of you know, proceeds from each bottle benefit the training of well mechanics in places lacking clean water.)  What host wouldn't love this?

What are some of your favorite hostess gifts?  Is there a memorable gift that you received from a guest? I'd love to hear!