In typical Forks in the Dirt fashion, I have gift ideas for you that cover a lot of ground. So, here’s my lovingly curated, Mix + Match, Handmade, Local, Always Learning + Eco Friendly Holiday Gift Guide.

Homemade Gifts

Calendula Salve:
Calendula Salve is a super healing and soothing balm great for cold northern winters. I make it with my homegrown Calendula Resina, but Mountain Rose herbs has high quality herbal products.

Soap:
I love gifting homemade soaps, especially when it contains some of my own floral or herbal infused oils! I keep it simple and usually have make the hot process soap. We go over this recipe in detail in our book, Small-Scale Homesteading.

DIY Cocktail Infusing Kits:
These are super simple to make but are really a big impact gift. The recipes I share in THIS ARTICLE are some of my favorite, but you can get creative. Just don’t forget to make a few extra for yourself! All recipes can be made into N/A options.

Towels:
I had so much fun making these Veggie Print Towels. Being able to find organic cotton tea towels sealed the deal for me. Plus my kids wanted to help with this project!
*You can also make these prints onto saved packing paper and use for wrapping!

Canned Goods:
My Apple Recipes for homemade apple butter, apple sauce, or dried apple rings, make great Christmas gifts with locally grown produce. I also get rave reviews when I give away my Sweet Relish and Dilly Beans as gifts.

SHOP LOCAL FOOD

Not all of us have the time or energy (raising my hand right now) to make all the things each and every year, so I also LOVE supporting local farmers and crafters anyway I can!

Shop the WBL Winter Farmers Market (or other local farmers markets) and stock up on locally made with love gifts!

Meet the Minnesota Makers does local shopping for you in their Gift Guide!

Buy a CSA

Buying a family a Community Supported Agriculture share for the next year is a great way to show that family AND a farmer that you care! Many local farms are updating their CSA order forms as I write! Some SOLID local farmers to buy shares from include:

All Good Organics
Big River Farm Independent Farmers CSA
The Good Acre’s Farm Share
Sarah’s Cottage Creations Bouquet CSA

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscriptions to garden related associations are a great way to support a person’s passions and a cause. These give the opportunity for leaps in learning, connection and endless way keep growing! What other local garden clubs and or organizations would be a good fit for your friends and family?

Minnesota Horticultural Society:
For me the MN Horticultural Society membership is a no-brainer. It means I get copies of the award winning “Northern Gardener Magazine” along with discounts at local garden centers, and access to great online and in person classes. They’ve also got some fun items in the SHOP!

Seed Savers Exchange:
The Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization that works to keep seed diversity growing. You’ll get the inside scoop on upcoming classes, catalogs and events.

CLASSES

For Skills
Marine Mills Folk School has classes for everyone on everything from growing microgreens to keeping bees, carving wooden spoons and weaving baskets!

Online Cooking Classes are a great way to introduce friends and family to new menus and new skills!

Local Chef Matt Ellison teaches a variety of individualized cooking classes and prepares weekly meals via his Company, Chef’s House.

Online Garden Classes:
taught by me

On Demand (pre-recorded)
Seed Starting Class
Vertical Gardening Class

In Person Classes Spring 2026
Herbal Slave Making
Veg Garden Design
Grow Your Own Salad Bowl

BOOKS

OK, so I have a thing for books… Nothing quite compares to flipping open to a page to find that bit of info, recipe or inspiration.

So I’ve got a separate collection just for all my favorite books HERE.

But of course, I’ll mention our book…

Small-Scale Homesteading
by Michelle Bruhn + Stephanie Thurow

This is our book… And it is full of Inspiration + Information to get you started on your homesteading journey! Chapters on Gardening, Preserving the Harvest, Keeping Chickens, Maple Sugaring, and Healthy Home Projects!

Amazon Storefront

While I don’t love Amazon and what it stands for, it is a simple way to gather my favorite items in one place. So I’ll link HERE for you to browse what I already use in my home, from the garden to the kitchen. Feel free to buy from a local shop instead of Amazon. I’m all about supporting the small, local businesses!

I just dropped a lot of options! This isn’t meant to overwhelm… I hope these gift ideas either make a good fit or are a springboard for other thoughtful gifts that go beyond a little bling… And if this list did give you other ideas, I’d love to hear what they are!

Happy Holidays to you all!

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Forks in the Dirt Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Combining my love of vegetables and a homemade gift was a natural. These also make awesome teacher gifts, hostess gifts and are a fun eco-friendly way to wrap up some preserves or pickles!

This is a very simple process which is the only reason I do this!! I am the first person to admit I’m NOT crafty. Basically, if I can eat it, I’ll spend hours making it; but when it comes to a ‘craft’, well- my patience evaporates. But this is a project I keep coming back to, so I figured it was time to share!

Project Prep

Buy Towels

I can often find 100% cotton made in America towels for $1 a piece at places like Fleet Farm. You can also buy organic cotton towels online in bulk if you really want to go for it!

Buy Paints

Most craft stores will have a wide variety of fabric Paints, make sure you do buy FABRIC paint as the others will wash out. Grab some paint brushes while you’re in the aisle, I ran out of brushes for all the colors and using sponges got old towards the end

Buy Veggies

You want to buy firm veggies, slightly under-ripe is best. And think of all the different ways you can slice to get different shapes. I’ve got lots of examples here, but feel free to play around with other ideas- and if you come up with a cool print, please share!

I like to get a little funky with the cabbage – making Christmas tree shapes with the marbled effect is too fun to pass up.

*You can also use a cookie cutter and/or carve out any shaped stamp you’d like out of a potato. I did not highlight making potato stamps here, as I think nature has provided us with enough beautiful designs.

Set Up

You’ll want to do this on a table you can easily wipe down between each stamping or lay down a plastic tablecloth to wipe down. The paint will almost always soak through the towel. Get lots of separate paint containers, and trays on which to set the painted veggies.  You’ll also want to consider where you’ll dry these – I strung a clothesline in our basement to dry overnight.

Get Stamping!

Now for the fun part. Designing your towels – or not! I sometimes wing it, sometimes have a planned pattern or design. The best part is you get to decide! Another fun stamping tutorial is over on the Homestead and Chill website, a great all around website for all things homesteading.

Both turn out fun and whimsical because with vegetables, fruits and paint each piece, each stamp is different. And that, my friends, is what makes these so fun!

So stamp away – and remember to save any unused fruit and veggie halves for later. I also cut off the paint-soaked parts and added the limp bits to our compost.

Not my normal vegetable project – but these sure are fun, and are a craft my kids can join in on too. Playing with your food is fun for everyone! If you’re into a more natural DIY crafty projects, check out my recent Calendula Salve DIY article!

Dig In!
Michelle

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