WOW! These are the greatest ideas:) If you're going for inexpensive, I love TennesseeKathy's idea of wildflower seeds in the envelope. I've seen where you can print these out for free all over the internet:) I also love Superiorgirls idea of cinnamon ornaments,and as matter of fact I made some last night!!! This is a recipe I used years ago,and the ornaments really last,they don't rot or mildew in the heat and humidity here. I will give the recipe. I made 48 2" hearts and 2 3" stars,only the stars kinda came out like starfish:). They will smell nice for years! And they dried out overnight. A little hint....use more cinnamon to sprinkle if it's too sticky,the cornstarch makes them too white, and really knead the dough til it cools.You have to use it within 30 minutes. Now,what I always make at Christmas time is soup in a jar. All year I collect baskets at yard sales,and if I'm lucky to find wide mouth mason jars, I buy those,too,but they're cheap enough:) And like someone else mentioned, I buy the bakery bags at the dollar store,you get 8 bags for $1. I make something called I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas Soup mix I found on the internet,and make the rice bags like Sunshine mentioned:) Those are so great! I make a square one with 4 compartments,and I make a long rectangular one with 4 compartments. I use mine all the time! I found these on the internet for a get-well package. You could use leftover turkey at holiday time to make the soup,but I always add a can of chicken so all the ingredients are there. Recipe for this in the link. I print out the recipe on nice paper,and attach with raffia. Cut out a nice circle of fabric if you want for the jar lid. If I make the rice buddy, I use the same fabric for the jar. NON-EDIBLE!!! Cinnamon Applsesauce Ornaments 3/4 cup applesauce 1 packet unflavored gelatin 1 jar cinnamon(1.9oz) I buy the cinnamon at the dollar store at 2/$1 and its over 2oz in a jar,so I use half a jar,then use more to sprinkle on when I roll them out. 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 tablespoons ground cloves Combine applesauce and gelatin in small saucepan and let stand for 3 minutes. heat over medium heat constantly stirring just til simmering. combine cinnamon,cornstarch and cloves in separate bowl. Stir in applesauce mixture. Turn onto counter and knead a f ew turns. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. use within 30 minutes. Roll dough between sheets of plastic wrap to a scant 1/4" thickness. Cut ornaments using 2 inch cookie cutters. Use a straw to cut holes for hanging. dry on wire rack overnight. Reroll scraps and repeat cutting. These are great! Also THESE ARE NON-EDIBLE!! and here's the link for the soup mix,everyone loves this soup! we add fresh celery and carrots,and everyone starts asking before Christmas if we're making it again! Crispix Puppy Chow 12 oz. box Crispix cereal 1/2 cup butter 1 cup peanut butter 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar In medium microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once during cooking, until mixture is melted and smooth. Place the cereal in another large bowl and pour the melted mixture over the cereal. Stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated. Pour the powdered sugar into a large plastic food bag. Pour the coated cereal into the powdered sugar and shake until it is well covered with the sugar. Pour the cereal onto wax paper to cool and dry. Store in tightly covered containers at room temperature This recipe is fast and easy and everyone loves it. I add a little more roasted peanuts. Put them in a nice little bakery bag and it's a great gift! Something else I make is a milk bath sachet. I found where to print up beautiful envelopes and I bought a stack of vellum paper at a yard sale to print them on for a dime:) I'll probably never use all the paper I bought! I make soap to go with it and a candle. Here is the link! http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/oatmeal-milk-bath.shtml Hope everyone finds these recipes and ideas helpful! Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Soup in a jar

I am sorry photobucket locked up my albums. I will repost the tutorial here: 1. Cut paper into a 3 1/2" or 4" square, wider if you need a larger envelope. 2. Fold the square into a triangle like so: 3. Fold the two flaps almost all the way to the base of the triangle: 4. Fold the two corners of the triangle toward the center: 5. Unfold the flaps. Place a piece of transparent tape over the two corners. The envelope will look like this: Please note the base of the flaps. If the two corners of the triangle are folded a little deeper so that the flaps are not perfectly triangular, small seeds will not leak out. 6. Seeds go in between the two flaps: 7. Fold down the flaps and insert it into the envelope, like so: Inserting the flap into the envelope keeps seeds from leaking out. I actually got the idea from kizzyseeds and, I believe, tidewaterlily. Both of them sent me seeds in plain folded envelopes with no tape at all. None of the seeds leaked out. Using catalogs was my idea. It's a good way to recycle seed catalogs. :-) Have fun!

Great list (I love lists) and great gifts. This is also nice for my "where did I put it " list.

Lori, those look yummy! Artichoke Heart And Red Pepper Bites ==================================== From Perfect Entertaining website. These simple appetizers are something that we always have on hand for surprise guests. They freeze extremely well, are very easy to make, and are always popular. They go together very well with the rest of this festive menu and require no preparation time at all on a very busy day. Simply defrost and eat! Makes 60 bites 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts in oil 6 ounces roasted bell peppers 1 small chopped onion 2 minced cloves garlic 4 eggs 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Dash hot pepper sauce Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch baking dish. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil. Drain the roasted peppers and discard the liquid. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and peppers and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the remaining ingredients along with the artichoke hearts, peppers, and onion mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into one inch squares. Tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. Serve cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.