I'm trying to think ahead, and also to save $ and give heartfelt, handmade gifts as much as I can, but of course I don't want to give stuff that isn't going to be useful. I sew and scrap, make jewelry, dye silks, and take a lot of photos. Here are some of the things I have thought of so far:

Bath salts
Sugar scrubs
Eye pillows with lavender from our garden
zip bags for cosmetics
Maybe a little spa kit collection of above-type things

hairbands
aprons (for kids)

scrapped lunchbox tins with scrapped "pages" with pics inside for the Grandmas

Handmade ready-to-give cards

necklaces
bracelets (Psalm 23 bracelet for my German penpal or maybe a handmade rosary - she's Catholic)

rice bags with lavender

embellished notebooks

silks (zippered pillowcases, garments silks - still deciding)

mixes in a fancy (scrapped) jar (like brownies, cookies, etc.)

sets of glass pebble magnets (with my photos for pics -)

scrapped booklets with holders for little gift cards for here and there places - $5 for Starbucks, $5 for Blockbuster etc - still not sure about this as those could really add up in order to be useful at all, but might do one realy nice on for my grown stepson

I would LOVE any ideas you could share. Mostly I'd like to be giving stuff that will not clutter up the receiver's homes unless it's something really special. :)

some of the things I am doing are matchy aprons with potholders. my aunt in law and grandma are both getting purses. my cousins two little boys are getting lap size quilts to keep warm in the car. my mom and brother are both getting a zafu and a zabuton (meditation pillows). hmmm, I will come back if I remember what else... :lol: