Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas from the Garden

[MissDaisy]

Check over the list of ideas below. You’ll find ideas for gardeners
and gourmets, for people who like to entertain and those who prefer
a quiet evening at home, decorating ideas for the holidays and
crafts for the children.

For the avid gardener, convert a 5-gallon bucket into a dual-purpose
tool holder/harvest bucket by attaching a tool pouch to the outside.
A painter’s apron works well, or you can make a custom tool pouch
from old blue jeans or upholstery fabric. Use the pockets for seed
packets and small tools and the bucket for collecting the harvest.
Save on gift wrap, packaging, and time during the holiday season by
giving IOU’s for garden work, indoor plant starts, seeds from
heirloom plants, or perennial plant divisions as gifts.
During the gardening season, photograph your best flowers in the
garden. Enlarge the photo, frame it with a twig frame (handmade, of
course), and present it as a gift.
For friends with fireplaces or those who like to barbecue, tie
together a few logs of aromatic woods such as cherry, apple or
hickory.

Add a bow for a seasonal touch.
Dry your own mix of fragrant flowers and herbs for potpourri. Pack
in attractive, recycled, wide-mouth glass jars such as those from
mustard or jelly.
Bouquets garnish for flavoring soups can be mixed up in a jiffy from
homegrown or store-bought dried herbs.
Cookbooks carry a variety of recipes, most of which include parsley,
thyme, bay, and celery leaves. Place 1 tablespoon of dried herbs in
a 4-inch square scrap of muslin.

Tie closed with colorful string or
yarn.

Use as stocking stuffers or pack several in a dark glass jar
or baking powder tin covered with holiday paper and use as a hostess
gift.
Prepare gift baskets containing your canned, home-grown produce.
Combine apple pie filling with a pastry mix in a special pie plate,
or make an Italian dinner basket with a jar of your favorite
homemade sauce, spaghetti noodles, and a loaf of bread.
For shiny tree ornaments, punch canning jar lids with a hammer and
nail.

Add wire or string for hangers and decorate with ribbon.
Cornhusks can be braided together for a wreath base, or tied in a
bow for a wreath or gift decorations. Nut shells add interest to a
pine cone wreath.
Prune your grapevines a little earlier this year to make a classic
wreath. If you can’t shape the wreath as you prune, before bending
the vines, soak them in water overnight for increased flexibility.
Make a sphagnum moss pole for vining plants.

Use half-inch mesh
hardware cloth, and cut a piece 8 to 10 inches wide (depending on
the diameter you want for the pole) and as long as desired. Roll the
mesh into a cylinder; fasten together with wire; and stuff with
moist, long-fiber sphagnum moss. Place it in the soil and train the
vine up the pole.

To water the vine, moisten the sphagnum. This also
helps anchor the plant to the pole. Decorate the potted plant and
pole with a festive ribbon and present this great gift to a friend
or relative!
Prepare herbal and fruited vinegars from your garden’s bounty.
Present them in recycled wine or syrup bottles (check with your
local Extension office for canning and preserving guidelines).

To
complete the gift, tie a sprig of dried flowers to the neck of the
bottle, add a bright bow, and attach your favorite marinade or salad
dressing recipe.
Prepare your special seasoning rubs, herb mixes, and other spice
blends. Package in air-tight containers and present with recipes for
using.

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