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When we think about homemade gifts from the kitchen, we usually think about cookies, fudge, candy, or bread.

But there are plenty of other things you can make that are just as thoughtful—and some of them don’t require baking at all.

Tea and herb blends are simple gifts you can make with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen or pantry.

Put them in a little jar, bag, or tin, add a pretty label, and you have a homemade gift that looks special without costing a lot.

Start With What You Have

Before you buy anything, look through your pantry.

Do you have dried peppermint? Chamomile? Mint? Lavender? Maybe some tea you’ve been saving?

You may already have the beginnings of a homemade gift.

Some ingredients you could use include:

• Peppermint
• Chamomile
• Mint
• Lemon balm
• Lavender
• Black tea
• Green tea
• Herbal tea
• Dried orange peel
• Cinnamon sticks

If you dried herbs from your garden this year, this is also a great way to use some of that harvest for Christmas gifts.

Just make sure any herbs you use are completely dry and have been stored properly.

Try a Simple Tea Blend

You don’t need a complicated recipe to make a homemade tea blend.

Start with a tea or herb you like and add another ingredient that goes well with it.

Here are a few ideas:

Peppermint & Chamomile
A simple herbal combination for a cozy cup of tea.

Black Tea & Dried Orange Peel
A classic combination with a little citrus flavor.

Green Tea & Mint
A fresh, simple option for green tea drinkers.

Chamomile & Lavender
A pretty combination for someone who enjoys herbal tea.

Mint & Lemon Balm
A simple way to use dried herbs from your garden.

These are only ideas to get you started. If you already have a favorite combination, use it.

There really isn’t a need to make this complicated.

You Can Make Herb Blends, Too

Tea isn’t the only thing you can put together.

Dried herbs can also make wonderful little gifts for someone who enjoys cooking.

Think about the foods you make regularly.

You could create a simple blend for:

• Roasted vegetables
• Potatoes
• Soups
• Chicken
• Pasta
• Homemade bread

This is especially fun if you are using herbs you’ve grown and dried yourself.

We’ll get into more specific homemade seasoning blends later in this series, so for now, keep these simple.

Package Them in Small Jars, Bags, or Tins

This is where a simple homemade blend can really become a gift.

You don’t need expensive packaging.

Little Jars

Small glass jars are perfect for tea and dried herbs.

Fill the jar, add a label with the ingredients, and tie a little ribbon or piece of twine around the top.

That’s it.

Small Bags

Food-safe bags are another inexpensive option.

Fill the bag, fold or tie the top, and add a simple label.

If you’re making several gifts, bags can be an especially easy way to package them.

Little Tins

Small tins work well, too.

You could put one blend in each tin or make a little set with two or three different blends.

Don’t Forget the Label

A simple label makes it much easier for the person receiving your gift to know what they have.

You could give your blend a fun name:

Cozy Evening Tea
Chamomile, lavender & mint

or

Garden Herb Blend
Rosemary, thyme & sage

For tea, include simple directions for preparing it.

For cooking blends, tell them how you like to use yours.

A little information can turn a pretty gift into one that actually gets used.

Make It Part of a Larger Gift

A jar of homemade tea can also be the beginning of a small gift basket.

You could add:

• A pretty teacup
• Honey
• Homemade cookies
• A kitchen towel
• A small spoon
• A handwritten note

Or make a simple cooking gift with:

• Two homemade herb blends
• A wooden spoon
• A kitchen towel
• A favorite recipe

You don’t have to spend a lot. Use what you have and add a few inexpensive items if you need them.

Make Several at Once

If you have several people on your Christmas list, make your blends in batches.

Choose one or two recipes.

Get your containers ready.

Then:

Mix. Fill. Label. Package.

You can have several homemade gifts finished in one afternoon.

And because the gifts are small, they are easy to store until you’re ready to give them.

Start Now

You don’t have to wait until December to get started.

If you have dried herbs from your garden, small jars you’ve saved, or tea already in your pantry, gather those supplies now.

Making a few homemade gifts ahead of time means one less thing to worry about when December gets busy.

And that’s really what I like about gifts from the kitchen.

They don’t have to be expensive.

They don’t have to be complicated.

And they don’t have to look perfect.

A little something you made yourself, packaged with care, can make a wonderful Christmas gift.

More Gifts From the Kitchen

We’re just getting started with our Gifts from the Kitchen series.

Next week, we’ll take another simple pantry idea and turn it into a gift: Homemade Baking Mixes.

So take a look through your pantry and your kitchen.

You may already have everything you need to start making a few homemade Christmas gifts.

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