What's a homemade gift you've really liked? Have you given any?

My daughter in law's birthday is in December and she said she always got "combination" gifts for Christmas and her birthday and she felt cheated. So, being the devil that I am, I gave her highly unusual gifts for her birthday. After a few years of weird gifts, she decided it was my turn. She made me a beautiful Christmas wreath, complete with glittery red berries all over it. After I said my ooohs and ahhhhs, she told me that the berries were dried rabbit turds from her pet rabbit that she covered with red paint and glitter. After about 10 years, I still hang it up every Christmas.

When he was about six years old my grandson made me an odd-looking little dog (well, just the head, really) which was designed to hold a pair of specs. He's 29 now and doesn't remember making it, but that dog still sits on the cupboard by my bed and has held my specs every night since then.

But back about 1990 Mrs Didge was into doll making and decided that I was going to have a doll for Christmas. When I opened the package I burst out laughing -- which was fortunate, because she then told me I'd have been in trouble if I hadn't liked it. She's an Arabian dancer and has sat on my bedspread ever since.  I named her Scheherezade,

I have a wooden jewelry box that an ex's father made for me. I loved that man. My sister-in-law bakes every Christmas. She makes all kinds of mini loaves of different breads, like zucchini bread, orange cranberry, and banana nut bread.

As for gifts I make, I take photos throughout the year of family and events and have calendar made with the pictures. Last year was calendar was from our Hawaii trip. Another year was everyone's pets.

Dear Happy,

In Iowa, I crocheted a prayer shawl in 2013...lots of congregations in Iowa are making them now, and I got in on a class. I gave it to a dear neighbor, and she told me she uses it every day for her prayers!

That shawl was my ONLY effort at crocheting, and I loved it very much. However, I did not have courage to launch out on my own after that one shawl, and have forgotten now. But here is a photo, just like this only my shawl was a lovely rose wool yarn instead of blue.