If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a great homemade gift, you know how cool it is.  Taking the time to make something says something both about the recipient, and how you feel about them.  So whether you’re looking for homemade ideas because this year’s budget is a little tighter, or because you want to step up the personalization factor, here are a few ideas.

If you’ve ever received either of these as a gift, you know how awesome receiving BOTH would be!  This is the gift of time, because, really, that’s what it takes.

Homemade (white) bread:
5 3/4 – 6 1/4 cups all-purpose
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 T sugar
1 T shortening, margarine, or butter
1 t salt

This is all you need to make great bread!  My favorite traditional cookbook is the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book, and this is the recipe I use.

Homemade strawberry jam:
4 c prepared strawberries (about 2 qts)
7 c sugar
1/2 t butter
1 pkg CERTO Fruit Pectin

Again, this recipe calls for just a few ingredients, but this jam is wonderful.  My friend Holly has made it several years in a row and swears by it.  I’ve been the lucky recipient and I can vouch for its tastiness.   Here’s the recipe she uses.

I make and give these almost every year to rave reviews.  The hardest part is getting them out of the house before the children claim them for their own.  They’re easy, I promise–again, it just takes some time.  Wrapped with cellophane and a festive bow, they’re gorgeous and tasty.  Click here for my post with the recipe.

When choosing a candy, I suggest making something you really love to give.  As a little girl, I visited my Aunt Jo’s house at Christmas time and loved to indulge in the hard tack candy she’d made.  As a grown-up, it’s one of my candies-of-choice to give.

Homemade caramel is another of my favorites, and people love it.  I have a couple of recipes, but one is significantly more difficult for basically the same end product.  Check back Thursday for both the hard tack candy recipe and the easy caramel recipe.

Homemade, decorated cookies are a scrumptious treasure in a sea of same-old slice-and-bakes.  I love to plan an afternoon to bake with a friend, then split the goodies—we end up with twice as many varieties for the same amount of time in the kitchen.  Fair warning:  talk about what you’ll make.  My friend Sheri and I did this one year and laughed ourselves silly when we realized how many of our cookie traditions were the same.

You guessed it:  I’ll share the recipe (and a couple of icing tips) on Friday.

What about you?  Do you have tried & true homemade gifts you can share with the rest of us?  If so, please write about it in the comments.  If you’ve done a post about it on your own blog, leave me the link and I’ll link to any great homemade gift ideas on Friday.