White Elephant Gifts Your Family Will Cherish

Everyone gets holiday gifts that are unforgetable at one time or another. Over the years, I have found the most personal to be the most memorable because they speak volumes about not only the person who made the gift, but what they must be thinking about you as the intended receiver. Here are a few suggestions.

l. Homemade Quilts. As luck would have it, I received one this year and it is delightful with various squares of Christmas-themed cloth and a host of bright cheery colors to beat the wintertime blues. The pieces of cloth can be personalized with any theme or contain photographs imprinted on the material, just avoid any hanging or loosely threaded doodads. The quilt should be easy to clean and machine washable and big enough (at least full-size) to be used and enjoyed for years to come.

2. Ceramic Cookie Jars. One year my mother (now deceased) gave my family a cookie jar she had made in her Senior Center ceramic class that had little weird and wild natives chasing each other around the exterior of the bowl. I am not sure what kind of a message she was sending us, but we laughed every time we looked at it. A few years back, I purchased a handmade cookie jar for my doggie, complete with pawprints and a handle in the shape of a dog-bone which made feeding the pet an enjoyable experience.

3. Tree Skirts. Similar to the quilts above which can be theme oriented, a tree skirt can be made to order for the recipient. I purchased a handmade tree skirt with a music motif, complete with piano keyboard and musical notes from a second-hand store which I cherish. It has a lace trim around the outside and was made by combining triangular shapes together to form the circle rather than the usual square material blocks.