by Lisa Steinmetz

Created on: September 19, 2010   Last Updated: September 20, 2010

There are so many things you can do for a gift for Yule. Personally, I would much rather get a homemade gift at Yule time than a store bought one.

• Necklaces or any other jewlery made with crystals and other celestial or spiritual icon amulets. You can literally let your imagination go wild with the jewlery making. I have found some beautiful charms at Michael's numerous times. A childhood friend and I used to make necklaces and bracelets for each other. Those are cherished memories that will last my entire life.

• You can make your friend a set of Runes or a Pendulum.  To make Runes you can take clear glass gems, the kind you use in fish tanks, take a paint marker and paint the Rune symbols on it. To make a Pendulum, you can use a piece of clear fish string and a crystal. With mine, I took my crystal and a long piece of fish string, placed the crystal on it and folded the string in half with the crystal at the bottom. Then I took some crystal beads that I found at Michael's and placed them onto the string. I found a drawstring bag and that is where I put it whenever I am done using it.

• How about some bath salts? Take some sea salt and add to it some scent. To make this you need 4 cups of Sea Salt, into this mix in several drops of an aromatic bath oil or essential oils of your or her favorite scent.

• What person doesn't like homemade cookies or a cake? You can even put the dry ingredients in a large glass jar. Here's how you do it:

Thoroughly wash and dry the jars and lids. Layer the ingredients in a quart size canning jar in the order listed.

         •2 cups flour

         •1 tsp salt

         •1 tsp baking soda

         •3/4 cup brown sugar   

         •3/4 cup white sugar

         •Chocolate chips.

Use enough chocolate chips so the jar is full to the top. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pack down all ingredients, especially the brown sugar! [This recipe was taken from http://familycrafts.about.com/od/giftsinajar/a/Choco lateChipCookiesJar.htm]

• There are numerous things you can do with clear Christmas ornaments. You can add some ribbon to it or put some paint inside and swirl it around, once the inside is totally covered sit it upside down to allow the excess paint to drip out. Then put the top on and you can add a ribbon to it.

Learn more about this author, Lisa Steinmetz.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.