Cute little Gift Ideas for Visiting Teaching

I HAVE SOME NEWLY CREATED ART THAT GOES WITH SOME OF THE FOLLOWING IDEAS, FOR DOWNLOADING ON THE VISITING TEACHING SURPRISE BLOG, SO BE SURE TO GO CHECK IT OUT.

For years, I have put together so many cute ideas and little gifts for not only the sisters I visit teach but for neighborhood gifts, etc., but I have never kept track of all of them, so I am going to try to remember some ideas that you might like to use. If there is more to putting the little gift together than simple directions, I will add it to the "Visiting Teaching Surprise" blog located at: http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/ The Visiting Teaching Surprise blog is basically my blog for surprises for you to copy and share, or in other words... my gift to you! Make sure to check out that blog regularly as I will add to it throughout the month, or when I remember more of my ideas. It may take me a few days to get all the directions up on the VT Surprise blog so keep checking back.
Ok.... here are some ideas that have just come to mind that I have done in the past..
1. 12 stories for the 12 days before Christmas. Go to some Christmas websites and print off some of the cute stories and put them into a booklet to share. Here are a few websites to check out - http://holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/stories/xmas-stories.htmlhttp://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/christmas/stories/http://santaville.tripod.com/stories.htmlhttp://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5233.asphttp://lds.about.com/library/weekly/aa122502b.htmhttp://lds.about.com/library/weekly/aa122502a.htm
2. The Christmas Orange story, and get a chocolate Orange (sold at Walmart and other stores, or a box of mandarins or clementines as the gift)I like this version of the story the best found at http://www.santalady.com/xmasgame/stories/orange.html
3. The Friendly Beasts Music. Make sack puppets or puppets on a stick or even head bands of the different animals told in the song as the gifts with the music. See the V.T. Surprise blog for the music. (this is one of my family traditions)The guitar tabs and lyrics can be downloaded for free at http://spikesmusic-christmas.spike-jamie.com/4. Old Gentleman Gray and the pictures I created. Substitute the word Christmas for Thanksgiving when you use it at Christmas time. Got o my V.T. Blog to print
the pictures.
5. Bake mini loaves of Cranberry Orange Cake and wrap in a cellophane bag with a bow. (Recipe note card print out is at trong>http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/
6. The story of the Candy cane. Go to the V.T. blog for the story and then you can give a cute basket of candy canes or bundle them up and tie with a bow as the gift.
7. Christmas FHE packet - go to Deseret book.com and every week they have a family home evening complete with stories, pictures, treat ideas, games and more for you to print off.
8. 12 days of Christmas service - This requires a little more planning and prep but you can do service for your sisters or neighbors for 12 days before Christmas. Your service can be as simple as visiting a widow in the ward, offering to baby sit someones children so they can go to a Christmas party, offer to help bake a batch of cookies for someone who is ill, or in need of some help, for them to give as gifts for Christmas, Christmas carol, offer to help put up Christmas lights, and on and on. There are so many ways you can give service as your gift for Christmas and be sure to include your family in the fun.
9. Secret Santa - you know how this one works, you become the secret Santa for you Visiting teaching sisters, or someone else, and surprise them with little kindnesses or small gifts from the heart without them ever finding out who you are.
10. Pull out your Wheat grinder and grind up some fresh coarsely ground wheat. Add some sugar and nondairy powdered creamer (Cremora) or powdered milk. Put this mixture in small zip lock bags ( you can get all different sizes at Xpedex) Cut a piece of Card stock as a Header and fold it in half & print mixing directions on once side and "Creamy Wheat Cereal" on the front. Then staple to the zipped bag and there you have it.(see the VT Blog for directions)
11. You can do the very same cute mini bagged gifts with all kinds of goodies and then just label the bag accordingly.
12. There are so many cute boxes, bags, and containers at Xpedex for just about anything you want to put in them. You could stack sugar cookies in a clear Chinese take out style box, home made fudge, divinity or brittle in this type of container too. They have darling Christmas printed "Happy meal box" style to fill with whatever you can think of. You really need to go to this store and see what you can find, and then you can come up with so many great things to fill them up with.
MORE IDEA TO COME SO CHECK BACK!
I'm back with more ideas....
13. This year I am giving a beautiful copper star that I found at Taipan Trading. I have found the lyrics to a song written by Sally DeFord called Star of Bethlehem. Go to http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/ and I have the words printed there to attach to the star. If you didn't want to give this you could find a cute star ornament or even a plate of Star shaped sugar cookies and wrap in cellophane, tie it off with a beautiful bow and attach the testimony of the star as well as your own testimony of Christ.
14. Another idea for a gift that lasts all year is to make sure that the sisters you teach has a subscription to the Ensign. It isn't very expensive but so vital to have in the home. To order online go to http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10151&categoryId=13720&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=13719&level=2&bcname=Subscriptions,%20Renewals,%20and%20Gifts&top=Y&resetCat=N&replBC=subcatlist13719&retURL=
15. There is always the candle gift where you can focus on the scripture "Let you light so shine..."Matt. 5: 16 (3 Ne. 12: 16) Let your light so shine before men. a light from heaven. 2 Cor. 4: 6 light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts. 3 Ne. 18: 16 I am the light: I have set an example, or there are so many others to choose from. You can get a little luminary candle, make an advent candle, or find a nice scented candle. Wrap it in a cellophane bag and tie it off with raffia or a ribbon and attach the scripture and a nice Christmas greeting. I found a cute and ready made attachment for a candle at a blogsite of someone who visits this blog. Go to http://emmasplacetobe.blogspot.com/search/label/Christmas and scroll down to "1st December Visiting Teaching handout". You can copy that and attach to a candle.
16. One year, I made up a batch of Green Apple Mint jelly and put them into small clear glass Christmas cups or mugs. The recipe is so easy and makes quite alot. Pour about 1/2 inch of the melted paraffin wax to seal the jelly then, I whipped up melted paraffin wax to look like frothy white whipped cream topping and place a dollop on top of the jelly and added two tiny red straws and a spring of plastic holly with berries. I tied a matching ribbon around the rim of the jar and it was not only yummy, but very cute. For a recipe go to http://www.recipezaar.com/Apple-Mint-Jelly-Less-Sugar-5968417. MORE NEW IDEAS I am on the Self-Reliant Sisters mailing list and they just emailed me come really cute inexpensive gift ideas that were taken from the Deseret News, Nev. 15, 2006. For the ideas go to http://selfreliantsisters.blogspot.com/2008/12/inexpensive-christmas-gifts-srs-meeting.html There are TONS of really good ideas!!!
18. Are you interested in candied nuts? These are really simple and a very nice little gift to give anyone. There are lots of recipes out there but you can go to http://cafejohnsonia.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-make-candied-nuts.html OR http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/a-monday-kind-of-salad/ OR Want a video to instruct you???? go to http://www.graspr.com/videos/Candied-Nuts
19. Would you like to make your own fresh nut butters which are like peanut butter but just of different nut varieties? It is easy and you can make it up fresh and give it to friends. It is so delicious and really a unique gift. Put it in a small jar and make up a cute label and lid topper. For recipes go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTlI7y5JfDo for a video of making maccademia nut butter OR Cashew Nut butter recipe by Emeril go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-cashew-butter-recipe/index.html OR Sweet Pistachio Nut butter http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000750.html or pine nut butter go to http://www.grouprecipes.com/7722/pine-nut-butter.html

20.Conduit Chimes anyone? My husband and I wanted to make conduit chimes to use when our family gathers together this Christmas, so I located the site that has the directions. I have posted them on my Visiting Teaching Surprise site, so to go it to find that link. http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com
21. 31 ways to make Christmas memorable - I just found this and it is worth the read as it has some really great ideas! Go to http://ldslivingmagazine.com/articles/show/1806