Christmas Traditions of Homemade Gifts

Shirley's article on Exchanging Christmas Gifts led me to write this quick little article on gifts I've received or given that made a difference to me.

I know people often say "it's the thought that counts" and to me, it's the absolute truth.  A million dollar diamond wouldn't say nearly as much to me as a poem, hand written and sealed with love.

My sister and I tend to have tight times as we both are raising families now.  We always buy for the kids while they're smaller but now that my own are teens, we tend to get "family gifts" quite often from her and her family.  I still like to give her boys individual gifts that allow them to relish in the idea of special presents and gifts from those they love but at some point I'm sure I'll switch to the "family" gift too. 

One of my favorite things is when my sister gives me a big  huge plate of homemade cookies.  I no longer bake for the holidays, a tradition that left me 13 years ago, or should I say dwindled down since 13 years ago, with the diagnosis of MS and full time jobs.  Combined I would often come home and simply collapse. The thought of baking dozens and dozens of homemade cookies, candies and pies just didn't happen.  I made 1 or 2 types for a few years and even after that I decided that we truly didn't "need" the junk food, we can get some special treats when the holiday is closer but to sit and eat all that crap all the time for weeks on end was just too much anyways.

Still, every Christmas eve I did kind of linger for that single cookie and milk that seemed to put a seal on the evening and my sister, knowing that I no longer baked, saw this as an opportunity to create a gift for me and my kids that would be something special we no longer had normally had.  Now, as a tradition, she gives us a big platter of cookies.  The funny part is, she's not the world's best cook.  Many times there are cookies that are truly inedible, but those cookies are baked with love and care and to us, that makes them the most beautiful gift we receive. 

I've given my share of homemade gifts myself.  Family pictures, homemade blankets that are hand tied and sport a favorite team theme, homemade breads & candies.

Some of my most beloved gifts have been those created by the little hands of my own children, things I've cherished and put away in boxes to laugh at later in life and smile when they have children of their own.  Those precious macaroni necklaces and special tree ornaments that scream "made by my kid" can bring a smile that only a gift of that magnitude can bring.

What have your favorite homemade gifts been to receive or give?