We’re going on our third year of giving consumable Christmas gifts. The first year we gave magazine subscriptions. Last year, we made plates of homemade red velvet peppermint whoopie pies. This year, if you’re on our present list- not to be confused with the more lengthy Christmas Card list- you’ll be getting these: Homemade Talavera Tile Coasters.
We also convinced one of our families that we should do the “draw the name out of the hat”. We even placed a dollar amount cap on what you could spend on your “givee”. If it were up to me, I’d have everyone draft up a gift registry for what they want and can use that fits within the parameters of our gift-giving rules.
I hear this takes away from the sweetness of the exchange. When one receives a gift, I’m told, they want to feel special and imagine the lengths the giver took to consider their dreams, wants, inspirations and loves. In some cases, the level of appreciation might be proportional to the heftiness of the price tag.
Sadly, for my friends and family, you guys get what you can consume, whether you like it or not. On a grander scale, we hope that the act of making gifts for people will bring us together as a family and that our loving sentiments might be imbued in the essence of the gift.
That, AND the cheaper the better. Merry Christmas.
So along those lines, my good friend and fellow Holiday Pragmatist, took me to a local pottery store. There, we found shelves of Mexican Talavera Tile for very inexpensive prices- ranging from $.67 a tile to up to $2.
We let our children pick out the tile patterns they loved the most for their family members!
We went to Hobby Lobby and found these round felt stickers to put on the bottom of each tile for a few bucks a pack.
The kids peeled the stickers and put them on the four corners of each tile.
This was totally easy for them!
You could make coaster sets of the same pattern or mix them up! The kids also enjoyed making their own mosaic patterns with the tiles while we were making the coasters.
I think they are pretty! Tied up with ribbon and they could have come from Pier One. Seriously, they could have come from Pier One for 20 bucks a set. But, for under $5, they are coming from us and they are a personalized reminder of the culture that surrounds us where we live. You cannot beat that. (Unless, of course, maybe you actually went to Pier One.)
And here are some other great ideas and reminders as we launch into the busy Holiday Season from some great blogs!
Creative Connections For Kids Christmas Play Dough!
Come Together Kids Five Fun Ideas for Christmas Magic!
A good reminder to focus on “creating connection. not perfection” this holiday season from Creative With Kids!
It’s a Linky!!!
If you have some great homemade Holiday ideas, please link up here!
We can’t wait to see what you’ve done to make the season brighter!
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Happy Holidays!
Hey, those coasters look easy enough for even a dunce like me to make. Of course, tying the ribbon could pose some problems. I love homemade gifts – they’re so much more rewarding to give, especially when you consider the child labor involved!
Nami- You always have the best angles! Haha! Child Labor- Yes, Guilty.
I love the tiles. I’m going to visit my sister and her family for Christmas and I’m trying to decide if I should take them their house number in tiles or their last name. Maybe a planter to match, but it has to be small enough to go in the airplane.
Lisa- I love the tile idea! The planter might be hard to get there! Check out La Fiesta off of I-35 South just past the Harley Dealership- It’s where we went….
These are so cute!!! I think I might still your idea!!! I love it!!!
Eeek steal not still!!
Haha! Thanks for the comment! You must have an iphone.
I love the coasters! Wonder if I can find some tiles like that near our home. I’m thinking they would make nice teacher gifts!
Thanks! We live on the border so they are everywhere- I wish you luck!!!
The coasters are a fantastic idea! Love it! Thanks for inviting me to post the geoboard! My son has played with it *every* day so I would definitely recommend it for a homemade Christmas present!
I’m glad you like them, Joyce! I love your geoboard idea! So smart!!!
I love this idea. We have been working on scaling back Christmas for three years now, after my daughter (the first grand-child on both sides) was born and our house rapidly reached capacity. Those coasters are awesome. Also? I would love if it if all of the people in our Christmas name draw had a gift registry. Everyone would get a gift that would actually get used, with the added bonus of not having to pretend that they liked something they really didn’t. If that makes any sense
I know, Desi! My sister who blogs wrote a post about my “kid’s christmas gift registry” a few years ago. I sent it out. The responses were horrible! People thought it was a greedy, materialistic idea. It really was the opposite. I thought it was pragmatic. Don’t buy a barbie doll. It will only be re-gifted. If you want to buy something, we need more non-toxic markers. haha!
Beautiful tiles!
Thank you so much, Cathy!!! I wonder if you could get them in the UK?
Of course, yours would probably have to come from Spain. 
These really look like fun! I love the patterns!
Me, too! The cool thing is that the kids can pick their own. Someone mentioned making your own with markers on plain tiles. That could be fun, too! Thanks for the note!
Thanks for letting me know about the linky! Wasn’t sure if the cookies were acceptable since it links to a giveaway, but glad you invited me! Will link up our other homemade holiday gifts as soon as I’ve got them posted up
Btw, love your coasters and it’s such a great idea for my husband since he is Mr. Coaster. You can’t get the bottom of your cup/glass within an inch of a tabletop without him swooping in to slide a coaster beneath it. I’m letting my drink sweat onto the countertop right now just to spite him!
I don’t care if it’s a give-away- it was still a cool, relevant post! I wish my hubbie were as into coasters! Our Indianwood coffee table is speckled with beer-bottle sized circles. haha!
beautiful ideas – thanks for the linky, too!
You’re welcome, Melissa! I loved your post on taking care of yourself! It was great!
These look gorgeous!
Thanks so much! They were crazy easy to do!
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Thank you so much for joining in with my linky! Some great ideas here on yours too!
You’re welcome, Kate! Thanks for your linky!
Thanks for linking up to momstown.ca!
You’re welcome, Ally!
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Those totally could have come from Pier One! Love it. Thanks for stopping by Ready. Set. Read! and letting me know about your linky.. and your blog!
You are so welcome! I hope to see more of your posts!
Thanks so much for the invite- what a great round up of ideas so far!
Thank you! It’s a small linky and only my second! I love all of the ideas in it! Thank you for coming!
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Ohhhhhh I can’t wait for mine haha
Love u!!
hahahahaaha! I love your name in this comment, Ang! Love you!
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What fun ideas you have! And thanks for hosting a linky!
Thanks so much, Jamie! Can’t wait to see yours!
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