Foodie gifts can be unique, personal & fun

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Nothing says "homemade" like something whipped up in the kitchen. So what better way to kick off this year's Handmade Holidays series than gifts for that foodie on your list. You don't have to go gourmet to give a truly personal and useful gift to friends and family. And you never know, they may use it to make you something yummy as a thank you. The gift ideas featured here — a personalized trivet, flavored olive oil, fabric wine gift bag, baking mix and storage jars — are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to culinary gift ideas.

If you have an idea for the series, we'd like to include it and share it with our readers. Email your idea with a photo and contact information to laura.king-homan@owh.com or mail to Omaha World-Herald, Attn. Laura King-Homan, 1314 Douglas St., Suite 700, Omaha, NE 68102.

HANDMADE HOLIDAYS CRAFT INSTRUCTIONS

Storage jars

These glass jars have handy chalkboard lids so you can record the contents and when they were added.

Supplies

Glass storage jars with metal or wood screw tops.

Spray-on chalkboard paint

Chalk

Directions:

Clean off the lids of the jars and wrap masking tape around the sides so the paint doesn't run over the edge.

In a well-ventilated space, spray on multiple light coats of the chalkboard paint, allowing enough time to dry between coats.

Unwrap the masking tape and screw back onto the jars. Scribble chalk across the top of the lid and wipe off to "set" the chalkboard paint.

Wrap a festive bow around the top and fill with some colorful pasta or beans before giving as a gift.

Difficulty: 1 snowflake

— Laura King

Painted ceramic trivet

This is a great gift idea for anyone who is artistic or for the kids to make for grandma and grandpa.

Supplies:

6 x 6-inch tile

Enamel craft paints

Self-stick foam pads

Paint brushes

Directions:

On a 6 x 6-inch tile, using enamel craft paints, paint any design you wish.

Let the paint dry for 48 hours. Place in a cool oven and heat to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes, cool in oven to avoid breaking.

The heating of the paint makes it durable enough to withstand washing in the dishwasher.

You could modify this with four 4 x 4-inch tiles. Apply self-adhesive felt to the bottom for a set of coasters.

Difficulty: 1 snowflake

— Kiley Cruse

Fabric wine gift bag

There's nothing quite as "green" as a reusable fabric gift bag. Since it is a simple rectangle, you can adjust the dimensions of the pattern to fit almost any object. It's also a great way to personalize a hostess gift for one of those holiday parties.

Supplies:

Fabric (cotton is easier to sew, but you can get really creative and use sparkly organza as well). The amount will be determined by the size of the bag you are making. For this example, we used a yard of each print.

Sewing machine

Thread

Decorative ribbon or cording to tie around the neck.

Directions:

Determine the dimensions of your bag. For a wine bottle, we used a rectangle that was 7 inches wide and 14 inches tall. For a simpler bag, use only one pattern of fabric. We used a coordinating fabric for the 4-inch band at the top.

On the folded fabric, with the fold on the bottom of the bag, cut your rectangle.

Put right sides together and sew down each side of the bag, using a ½-inch seam allowance.

If you're using one pattern of fabric, fold down ½ inch of the top of the fabric and sew.

If you have a coordinating band, cut the band with the fold serving as one side. Turn the bottom of the bag right side out and slide the band over the top so that the bottom of the band and the top of the bag are flush.

Sew the band to the bag and flip the band right-side out. Sew a seam around the top of the bag.

Difficulty: 3 snowflakes

— Laura King

Sand art brownies

Ingredients:

5/8 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup white sugar

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup walnuts (can substitute more chocolate chips if you don't want nuts)

Assembly:

Mix the 5/8 cup of all-purpose flour with the ¾ teaspoon salt.

In a clean, wide-mouth 1 quart jar, layer the ingredients in the order given starting with the flour/salt mixture and ending with the walnuts.

Attach a decorative tag to the outside of the jar with the following directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Pour the contents of the jar into a large bowl and mix well.

3. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, and 2 eggs (3 eggs for cakelike brownies). Beat until just combined.

4. Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Difficulty: 1 snowflake

— Kiley Cruse

Italian Herb Olive Oil

Supplies:

Italian herb blend

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place herbs in a bottle.

Using a funnel, pour oil into bottle until full.

Difficulty: 1 snowflake

— Ananda Spadt

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