Useful Handmade Gifts That Your Friends Will Love

A few weeks from now, my daughters and I are doing something that may be one of the cutest get-togethers I’ve been invited to in a long time: a Friends Farmers Market Party.

The idea is simple.

Each person makes something homemade for everyone attending. We’ll bring our goodies in baskets, meet up at the park for lunch, and then everyone gets to walk around and fill her basket with one of each of the things the other women made.

Basically, it’s part handmade gift exchange, part picnic, and part little farmers market among friends.

And I love the idea.

The only problem?

I still have no idea what I’m making. Actually, that isn’t entirely true. I have too many ideas, which may be worse. So while I’m deciding, I thought I’d share what we’re planning, some of the homemade gift ideas we’ve been considering, and a free Farmers Market Party invitation you can use if you want to host one of your own.

What Is a Friends Farmers Market Party?

Our party will be a group of friends meeting at a local park for lunch.

Everyone brings a basket and makes enough of one homemade item so that every person attending can take one home. We’re each keeping our item a surprise, so we don’t know what all the goodies are until we arrive at the party. At the end of the get-together, instead of leaving with the item you made, your basket is filled with a collection of things your friends made.

That could mean baked goods, handmade home items, candles, sewn projects, plants, bath products, crocheted gifts or really anything else someone enjoys making.

I especially like that there doesn’t seem to be a rule that everything has to look like something you would actually find at a traditional farmers market.

The point is simply to make something yourself and share it.

Our particular event is also kid-friendly, and my two teenage daughters are participating with me, which means we’re currently tossing around enough ideas for three different people.

What Should I Make for a Farmers Market Party?

This is the question I’m trying to answer right now.

I want whatever I make to be useful, pretty and homemade, but I also have to remember that I need to make one for everyone. That changes things a little. A project that is fun to make once might not be quite as charming by the twelfth time.

Here are some of the ideas currently floating around our house.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

A beautiful loaf of homemade sourdough sandwich bread would be such a classic farmers market gift.

It’s useful, everyone can enjoy it, and there is something especially nice about receiving a fresh loaf of homemade bread that you didn’t have to bake yourself.

The challenge, of course, would be coordinating all of those loaves so they’re fresh for the party. Still, this one is high on my list.

You can learn to make Sourdough Starter here for your sandwich bread.

Sourdough Pop Tarts

Homemade sourdough pop tarts would be a little more fun and unexpected.

I could package a couple together in a bakery bag with a pretty label or ribbon, and they would be easy for everyone to take home.

Depending on what fruit I have available, I could even make a seasonal filling.

Make these easy and delicious sourdough pop tarts.

Fresh-Milled Flour Blondies

I’ve also been thinking about making blondies with fresh-milled flour.

These would be easy to make in larger batches, easy to package individually and a good option if I decide I’d rather bring a homemade food item than tackle twelve sewing projects.

I love gifts like this because they’re simple enough to actually use and enjoy instead of becoming one more thing someone has to find a place for.

Handmade Jar Cozies

Another possibility is a handmade fabric jar cozy.

These can dress up jars used for drinks, storage or little homemade gifts, and I could make each one from a slightly different fabric.

This would also be a great scrap-busting sewing project.

I show you how to make them with this free jar cozy pattern and tutorial.

Reusable Jar and Bowl Covers

Reusable fabric bowl covers feel especially appropriate for a farmers market party.

They’re practical, they’re pretty and they’re something almost anyone can use in the kitchen.

I also like that I could make them assembly-line style: cut everything at once, sew everything at once and make a whole stack without starting from scratch each time.

Get a tutorial and pattern here for how to sew bowl covers.

Book Sleeves

Book sleeves are another favorite idea because they’re useful but still feel special.

A padded fabric sleeve can protect a book in a tote bag, purse or backpack, and there are so many pretty fabric combinations I could use.

If I went this direction, I could probably make every one slightly different and let everyone choose her favorite.

How to Sew the Viral Book Sleeve: Free Quilted Pattern

Reading Blankets That Fold Into a Book Satchel

This is probably the most ambitious idea on my list.

I’ve been thinking about making a small reading blanket that folds up into its own satchel, with enough room to carry a book along with it. I’ve made one before for my youngest son and he loves it!

It would be perfect for taking outside, to the park, to a ball game or anywhere you might want a cozy place to sit and read. It would also be adorable for a book-lover gift.

But making a dozen? I’m still deciding how ambitious I really feel.

What My Teenage Daughters Might Make

My two teenage daughters are participating too, which has made the brainstorming even more fun.

Their ideas aren’t necessarily the same things I would choose, and I love that.

Candles in Vintage Teacups

One idea we absolutely love is making homemade candles in mismatched vintage teacups.

We could thrift the cups, choose a simple scent and turn each one into a one-of-a-kind candle.

This one would be especially pretty displayed together before everyone chooses one.

Pothos Plant Cuttings

We have pothos growing in the house, so another idea is taking cuttings, rooting them and giving everyone a little started houseplant.

This might be one of the least expensive ideas on the list while still being incredibly charming.

We could put each cutting in a thrifted glass jar, tiny vase or other little container.

Crochet Face Cloths

A handmade cotton face cloth would be small enough to make several without the project becoming overwhelming.

They could be given on their own or bundled with soap, bath salts or another self-care item.

Fill-Your-Own Bath Salts Station

Instead of everyone receiving an identical finished item, we’re also wondering whether one of the girls could set up a little fill-your-own bath salts station.

We could bring jars, salts and a few scent or botanical choices and let each person make her own combination.

I love this because it would give the party another little interactive element.

Sourdough Bagels

Sourdough bagels are another contender.

A couple of homemade bagels tucked into a bakery bag would be simple, practical and very on-theme.

And just like the sandwich bread, I don’t think anyone would complain about taking fresh homemade bread home.

I have a great recipe here for sourdough bagels.

Custom Sublimated Coffee Mugs

We already make sublimated items, so custom coffee mugs would be easy to personalize.

We could do botanical designs, bookish mugs, simple sayings or perhaps even a little Farmers Market Party design to remember the day.

Watercolor Bookmarks

One of my daughters also likes the idea of painting watercolor bookmarks.

These could all be completely different, which would make choosing one part of the fun.

They’re also inexpensive enough that she could make extras without needing a huge amount of supplies.

Quilted Fabric Baskets

And then there are quilted fabric baskets.

These are one of my favorite handmade gifts because they’re useful for just about everything: sewing notions, books, bathroom supplies, toys, bread, mail or all the miscellaneous little things that somehow collect around a house.

They would also be especially cute at this party because everyone is already bringing a basket.

Learn to make a quilted fabric basket here.

Other Homemade Farmers Market Party Ideas

The more we brainstorm, the longer the list gets.

A few other things that would work beautifully for this kind of handmade gift exchange include:

• homemade vanilla extract
• hot chocolate mix
• cookies
• jams and jellies
• flavored butters
• homemade seasoning blends
• sewn bookmarks
• chapstick keychains
• cord keepers
• dog bandanas
• reusable gift bags
• lanyards
• handmade soap
• crocheted dishcloths
• beeswax wraps
• herb starts
• flower seeds
• homemade granola
• bread mixes
• infused sugars
• simple handmade Christmas ornaments

I’m already realizing that this party could easily become an excuse for me to finally make several projects that have been sitting on my idea list.

How Many Gifts Do You Make for the Farmers Market Party?

For our party, the instructions are to make enough for everyone participating to trade one.

So if 12 people are coming, each maker would bring approximately 12 of her item.

Before starting a particularly complicated project, I would definitely find out the final headcount.

Making one quilted basket sounds lovely.

Making twelve quilted baskets requires a little more commitment.

That is why I’m leaning toward projects that can be made assembly-line style or recipes that can easily be multiplied.

Bring a Basket to the Party

Everyone will also bring a basket to collect the homemade goodies.

This may be one of my favorite parts of the idea. You could use a large wicker basket, a quilted fabric basket, or even a farmers market style produce basket.

By the time lunch is over, everyone should go home with a basket filled with bread, handmade things, treats, plants and whatever else our group comes up with.

I can’t wait to see what everyone makes.

Want to Host Your Own Friends Farmers Market?

I made a printable invitation you can customize for your own Farmers Market Party.

Use it for a gathering with friends, a moms’ group, homeschool moms, church friends, sisters or even a group of teenage girls.

You can change the date, location, number of gifts and party details to fit your own group.

I’m also putting together more printable pieces for the party, including gift tags, food labels and a simple planning sheet.

What Would You Make for a Farmers Market Party?

Right now, I still haven’t decided.

I’m torn between making something edible, choosing a practical sewing project or going completely overboard with those reading blankets.

I’ll share what I finally choose, and after the party I’ll show you everything that came home in our baskets.

If you were invited to a Friends Farmers Market Party, what would you make?

Frequently Asked Questions About Farmers Market Parties