So last week I wrote about what cool gifts you can find on the internet and beyond, to give as gifts to your favorite prepper. This week I want to talk about making Christmas gifts.
There’s a lot of crap out there, people. In the grand scheme of things, do we really need snap lights and solar generators and Leatherman tools? We might want them, but they aren’t necessary. What’s necessary is food, shelter, warmth, and love. With all the commercialism at this time of year, I think we forget that.
This Christmas, I’m making bread for people. I’m baking cookies. I’m sewing cute little boxes to store things in. I’m making ornaments out of scraps, and cross stitching things. Why am I making things? Because there is no greater gift I can give than my time.
If I had the money, I could get everyone flashy stuff from Walmart or Amazon. I did get a few things that are useful and fun. But even when I had more money, I tended to make at least some of my gifts. When I don’t make them I try to buy local, from artists and folk in my neighborhood, because I want to support the people who live around me.
What kind of gifts can you make? Well, cookies are always a good one. I’m making Jello cookies this year, which I originally tried because they sounded funny, and am continuing to make because they’re both cool and tasty. I pulled out my holiday sprinkles and am tossing them on the dough, and I end up with these beautiful little cookies I can put in a decorative bag and gift to my friends and family. You can make things like a sugar scrub, or flavored oils and vinegars, or hot chocolate kits (with or without a side of Bailey’s Irish Cream).
If you’re of a Certain Generation, you might consider making a “mixed tape” playlist on YouTube for a loved one. Or make a movie night, and pick a movie, get popcorn and your favorite sweet snack, cuddle up on the couch, and enjoy a glass of wine. Make a coupon book full of things like, “Take out the garbage,” and “Unload the dishwasher,” for when your loved one is feeling overwhelmed.
Beyond all this giving of gifts, homemade or otherwise, is the idea that if the world were a bit different we might not have Amazon or Target to get gifts from. Think about what would have been worthy to gift your partner a hundred years ago, or if there were no stores within driving distance and no Amazon delivery available. What things could you give or do that would be memorable, and show the depth and breadth of your love and devotion?
I am feeling less like we’re going to have a civil war these days, but I think about this stuff, because we *could* have one. Bad things could happen at any moment. We need to stay on our toes, and be vigilant. Sometimes, that’s the best gift of all.
A conflagration of DIY gift ideas:
- from Country Living
- from Pioneer Woman
- from Good Housekeeping
- from The Spruce
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