The best gifts are sometimes handmade.....

Some of the gifts that I cherish most were made and given to me by friends... Hand crocheted baby blankets, hand made quilts and special Christmas decorations designed and made by friends are among my favorite things.   On the flip side of that, it is also nice too make and give something special to friends. It  is nice to see the faces of friends light up when they open that perfect gift that was made especially for them. Hand made gifts do not have to be costly or time consuming to make. I recently gave a friend who has a new interest in gardening a little present that I call " Garden in a Bag". To put it together  I chose small plants from my own yard. Varieties that spread easily and require minimal care. Things like day lilies,  hostas and  black-eyed Susans. I tied a small bunch of these with raffia, stuck them in a paper cup half filled with water(to keep them fresh) and placed the cup of flowers into a clear plastic bag which I tied off so the the water could not leak out of the cup. I wrapped the plastic bag with colorful tissue paper and placed the bundle into a bright colored paper gift bag. I finished the gift by adding a cute gift tag that read "Your garden is in the bag". My friend was thrilled to receive this gift. It took only thirty minutes to construct it and will give my friend years of beauty in the garden.