As promised last week some Do-It-Yourself Holiday gift ideas:
MAKE EVERYONE A STAR:
Equipment
A star cookie cutter
Red cord or narrow ribbon
A small tube of green writing icing (supermarket)
One batch of “Jane’s Cut-Out Cookies” (Recipe as follows)
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs-well beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Cream shortening. Mix sugar,eggs,etc…(all other stuff). Add to shortening. Chill, roll out to medium thin, cut out stars. Arrange on baking sheet, make hole in one point of each star with a pointed utensil. Put in preheated oven 325-350,12-15 minutes.
Let cool on cookie sheet, insert red ribbon in hole & tie knot or bow long enough to hang on tree. Write names with icing. Use as place cards at your holiday dinner. Everyone will be charmed!
THRILL THE KIDS:
Let them wake up to an old fashioned gingerbread house. Get this kit while no-one’s looking & just have on your most charming smile when you tell them Santa did it.
Now, for the grown-ups on your list-
DEANNA’S FAVORITE FLAVORED VODKAS:
- Save some nice clear white wine bottles & locate some corks to fit (maybe even decorative corks at your local gift shop).
- Buy several bottles of ordinary vodka
- Remove the labels on the wine bottles and make your own new ones, or write on the bottles with a Sharpie.
- Pepper corns
- A coil of lemon zest cut with a bar tool(zester)
- A coil of orange peel
- Anise seed
After a week the vodka will absolutely have a decided flavor. Tie name labels on the neck & hand out to all your best friends.
And for your most special star, how about giving the gift of a real one from the International Star Registry.
Hopefully these suggestions will get you through the big day on a reasonable budget, but for more help, call Santa’s Workshop!
See you soon and don’t forget to check out my website in the meantime, www.deannalittellscharmschool.com!
-Deanna
The Charm School Gazette 