Gifts that even you can handle, afford and still have time to execute!

Sometimes stuff happens and you end up starting your Christmas present-making on December 21 [ahem]…I made a post last year about my relationship with the calendar, homemade gifts and Plans B, C and D. You can read it here.

For the late go-getters out there, here are a few of my fave sites where you might seek [last-minute] attainable and affordable DIY inspiration:

• Homemade Body Scrub from Kaela at Local Kitchen

Photo courtesy of Kaela at Local Kitchen

• Gifts in jars from Marisa at Food in Jars. I particularly love the idea of combining ingredients for baking, making homemade crackers and so many other ‘gift in a jar’ posts on her site. Here’s another post from the kitchn along these same lines.

• Homemade marshmallows. (Ok, yes this requires a bit of mixing technology and the ability to read a recipe calmly, but my friend Autumn walks you through it sweetly here.) You can also make plain ol’ marshmallows on your first attempt.

Photo courtesy of Autumn of Autumn Makes & Does

• Homemade cleaning supplies. Buy a few small squirt bottles and make your friends one (or five) of the easy, inexpensive recipes in Annie Bond’s book, Better Basics for the Home.

• Quick, deee-lish snacky treats like David Lebovitz’s Candied Peanuts or my friend Kaela’s Pumpkin Granola (or any homemade granola recipe, easy, fast and fancy!)

A few thoughtful home-special things you can buy (that are under $20). Accompany these with a lil’ homemade something or give as a stand-alone present:

• My friend Shae’s fab e-book. A perfect gift for the aspiring, new or experienced canners and preservers in your life. 

• A flat of mason jars. They come in a 12-pack and almost any canner or preserver (new or an old-hat) would be elated to receive a pack. They’ll run you anywhere from $8-14 for the flat.

• A few of the staples for DIY cleaning supplies, arranged in a little basket and paired with my fave house gloves. Note: I’d reserve this for a friend you know really well. I wouldn’t want any hurt feelings out there (e.g. the receiver to think that you think their house is dirty).

• A houseplant that’s impossible to kill; a good list of those can be found here or here. Give the gift of interior air detoxification all year long.

photo courtesy of TreeHugger.com

I queried readers for favorite gift idea round-ups and here’s what you all said:

• Anna’s list at Put Up With Me

• Great reader survey (see comment section) on re-nest

• 40 Homemade Gifts from the kitchn

• Gift guides tag on Design Sponge

• Spiced Candied Kumquats and an excellent DIY gift round-up at Healthy Green Kitchen

 If you don’t see your fave round-up listed here, then post it to the comments below and I’ll add them as new ones come in.

Go forth and gift! Good luck getting things made and wrapped up this week.