Category: Gifts

Posted in Books, coffee, Crafts, Crochet, Gifts, homemade

Bookish Sunday

Posted on by lmc
Book Rest and Crochet Bookmark

The Midwest has been piling up snow these past few weeks, and now the temperatures are set to take a sharp dive. But no worries—I’ve spent the day doing some of my favorite cozy activities: making book sleeves, and crocheting. It’s always nice to slow down and enjoy the things you love.

Reading is one of my absolute favorite pastimes, and these book sleeves are both cute and practical—they keep my books safe while I’m on the go. Lately, I’ve also been seeing that popular book rest and mug holder everywhere online. I asked my husband to create his own version, and I couldn’t be happier with his design!

Handmade Book Sleeves
Handmade Book Sleeve
Handmade Book Sleeve

Book Rest and Bookmark
Coordinate Your Scrap Fabric

Teabag Crochet Tutorial Teabag Crochet Tutorial

Book Sleeve Tutorial Book Sleeve Tutorial

Posted in Crafts, Crochet, Gifts, homemade

Easy Ribbed Hats

Posted on by lmc

I’m not a very experienced crocheter but I’ve started to dip my toe in the wearable’s pool. I’ve always made blankets and dish towels with an occasional poncho, but I’ve not really made anything a bit more structured to wear. I recently made myself a granny square sweater and I thought I might try my hand at using single skeins to make winter hats. I followed a tutorial by Elise Crochets. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E5yInVAx8gE

It’s easy to follow and uses a slip stitch method to taper the top of the hat making a more fitted look. I purchased some inexpensive 5” pom poms for an updated look. If you’re a beginner and have single balls of yarn on hand – This one-skein beginner beanie is a winner!

Self-striping bulky yarn 🧶

Posted in breakfast, Brunch, coffee, Food, Gifts, holidays

Sugar Cookie Coffee Creamer

Posted on by lmc
Sugar Cookie Coffee Creamer

This is a fun idea for an inexpensive homemade gift. Make a batch to share with family and friends this holiday season. 

Sugar Cookie Coffee Creamer

  • 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp butter extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Whisk all ingredients together.  Pour into air-tight decorative jars or containers. Label containers with directions to “keep refrigerated”. Store refrigerated for up to 7 days. Recipe makes enough for 5 – 4 ounce bottles.

Posted in Crafts, Crochet, Gifts

Crochet Sunburst Earrings

Posted on by lmc

I’ve only been crocheting for a little while, but I recently stumbled upon a wonderfully simple earring pattern that uses embroidery thread to create vibrant, eye-catching pieces—perfect for summer outfits. I’ve already made a few pairs and packaged them up for my daughters. Finding this free pattern from You Should Craft felt like striking gold!

Sunburst Earrings – Free Crochet Pattern

You can also purchase earring cards and stickers online to personalize your gifts.

Posted in Crafts, Crochet, Gifts, Vacation

Dollar Tree Crochet Craft Kits

Posted on by lmc

When on vacation or traveling, I like to have a few portable crafts on hand. An unexpected flight delay, a rainy afternoon, or a relaxing day at the pool are all part of the trip. Having a handy craft at the ready can be quite enjoyable. I look for projects that are compact and simplistic, without lots of parts and pieces.

Visiting the local Dollar Tree, I found a few Amigurumi kits that I would bring on my Disney Vacation Club trip. I usually take a day or two to just relax and stay away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and shops. These kits are $1.25, but remember, you get what you pay for… The pattern is VERY difficult to decider and I ran out of yarn for one of the petite pets (dog) and had to improvise with yarn I had left over for another part of the project. You’ll notice I have used gray yarn on the left dog ear because I ran out of brown.

Gray yarn used to trim ear

Before leaving for vacation, I enlarged the pattern in my copier so I have a legible pattern to follow. (The pattern that accompanies the kit is very small and difficult to follow.)

Dog
Enlarged copy of pattern
Bunny
Teddy Bear
Dollar Tree Kits

I also found a YouTube video for compact Easter Crochet Flower that hold Cadbury Eggs for a cute co-worker gift before the holiday. I used Peaches and Creme yarn from Walmart ($1.99 at Florida Walmart) to complete the flowers. These cakes are compact and easy to pack. I also travel with a mesh craft bag that fits in my carry on. Inside I have crochet hooks, stitch markers, TSA approved scissors, tapestry needles, etc.

Easter Egg Flower
Simplistic portable supplies

What crafts do you like to bring along when you travel?

Posted in Baked goods, Baking, breakfast, Brunch, cookies, Food, Gifts, holiday, holidays

Easy Cookie Lollipops

Posted on by lmc

These cookies are super cute and quite tasty. I used the Wilton Easy Cut-Out Cookie recipe to make quick work of this project. Just make the dough, pinch off a small ball, form it around the treat stick, and place your cookie cut-out on top. I used three chocolate chips to top the cookie and then popped them in the oven. Here’s the video for the Wilton recipe.

Wrap them up in a bit of cellophane and you have a lovely gift from the kitchen…
Posted in Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Food, Gifts, Homemade Mixes

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Loaf

Posted on by lmc

There is nothing quite as special as a homemade gift. Giving this holiday loaf mix is sure to make anyone smile. Pour the ingredients into stylish jars in the order suggested. Then, creatively attach the bread making instructions for a quick and delicious holiday treat.

Make a day of it… Turn on the Christmas music, gather your bulk supplies, and make an abundance of jars for the special people in your life.

Posted in Crafts, Gifts, Sewing

Machine Embroidered Sweatshirt

Posted on by lmc

My daughter had seen one of the famous Fixer Upper hosts wearing a sweatshirt with the words, “Book Club” screen printed onto the front of the garment. Being an avid reader, she immediately declared her desire to have a shirt like this for Christmas. After looking up the cost for said sweatshirt, I decided to make one of my own using my trusty embroidery machine. Carefully reviewing the garment, I quickly found a few heather colored sweatshirts at the discount store and identified a font that would work the the “Book Club” design. I didn’t care for the font used in the original design so I settled on a text style that looked just like one found when reading a book; a contemporary spin on Times New Roman. Here are the steps I used to embroider font or text onto the front of a basic medium-weight sweatshirt.

Use a temporary spray adhesive (found in the sewing department) to adhere a piece of medium weight stabilizer to the wrong side of the fabric. Make sure the stabilizer is large enough to cover and extend beyond the outside of your embroidery hoop.

Crease the sweatshirt to find it’s center and position the embroidery hoop paying close attention to desired design placement.

Audition various threads to decide which will work best for your design. I used a heavy weight black thread for the book style font.

After you have created your design (I use my laptop), send the design to your sewing machine and begin sewing.

I usually stay with the machine for a simple design and trim threads when possible.

When the machine has completed the design, remove hoop from the embroidery arm and trim any threads carefully.

Remove hoop and turn the garment inside out to sparingly trim threads from the back of the design. I usually leave connecting threads intact to further secure the design. Trim stabilizer, if needed.

With a thick pressing cloth or towel, carefully iron the crease out of the center front area.

Fold the sweatshirt neatly and get it ready for gift giving…

Have fun creating other “book related” designs…

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Canning, Crock pot, Gifts, holiday, slow cooking, Toppings

Slow-Cooker Bacon and Onion Jam

Posted on by lmc

Every year, I try to identify a unique recipe to give to friends and relatives for the gift-giving season. I’m always looking for a recipe that highlights the deep rich flavor of our own homemade maple syrup. This year was no different… I found a great, sweet and savory recipe that sautés delicious ingredients that are eventually added to the slow-cooker, then left to reduce for several hours. Mix this delicious jam with a bit of cream cheese and spread on hearty crackers. Or, warm the jam to top a protein like a chicken breast or a beef burger for an extra boost of flavor. The bacon, grilled onions, maple syrup, and coffee combined together in the slow-cooker add a depth of delicious flavor. This is so good!

You can find this exceptional recipe here:

https://www.marthastewart.com/326881/slow-cooker-bacon-jam

Slow Cooker Bacon and Onion Jam

Adapted from the above recipe…

1 ½ pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

2 medium yellow onions, diced small

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 heaping tablespoon pure maple syrup

3/4 cup brewed coffee

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.

Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

Posted in Baking, Bread, Canning, Gifts, holiday, Home Food Preservation, Homemade Mixes

Sparkling Christmas Jam

Posted on by lmc

Around the holidays I love to make special “gifts from the kitchen” for friends and family.  Most times, I make batches of cookies, breads, candies, or snack mixes.  This year, I made brown bread loaves and Sparking Christmas Jam for everyone.





I was doing a major house cleaning and I had stumbled upon a few boxes of cute little jelly jars.  I was in the mood for a major cleanup and I was trying to get rid of anything I hadn’t used in a while.  This wide mouth batch would work just fine for gift giving jars. I remembered that I had loads of frozen strawberries and cranberries in the freezer that I could use for the intended mix, so I quickly scrubbed the jars in warm soapy water and began to prep the recipe.  Here are the instructions that I used.  

I must admit, the recipe is not very precise and of course, canning is a precise science. When processing for home preservation where items are to be stored on shelves, I only use tested, reputable recipes. Therefore, I processed the jars as instructed but I asked those receiving a jar to KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE for safety purposes.  I gave them cold, refrigerated jars to remind them where they should be stored. No need to get anyone sick via an oversight when canning! 

This is a scrumptious recipe.  Great with bread and butter or tea and toast… I’ve already gotten a few requests for another jar next year. The beginning of a tradition…?





Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Let’s make this a good one!