photo by Darwin Bell
Ever get onion smell on your hands when cooking? I always seem to forget little tips to remedy this. The first tip reminded me that you can use a stainless-steel knife or spoon, or used coffee grounds.
I’ve been receiving a lot of requests for homemade gifts, so I have three gift ideas to share this week, too. Enjoy!

REMOVE ONION OR GARLIC SMELL: My mother taught me to rub my hands on the kitchen faucet after washing with soap but before turning off the water. Works like a charm every time. — Mavourneen, Maryland

GIFTS IN A JAR: I saw your column on gifts in a jar. I thought I’d share what I do. I use gallon-size glass jars. Ask a local deli or restaurant for their empty jars, or reuse a big pickle jar. You have more room to fill with goodies, and the jar can be reused as a bank. Here are a few ideas of what I make:

TEA: Fill gallon jar with a variety of tea bags, shortbread cookies, cloth napkins, preserves, tea strainer and muffin mix.

BIRTHDAY: Add balloons, party hat, packaged cupcakes, noisemakers, candy, candles, etc.

SPA: Add lotion, bath beads, loofah sponges, floating candles, soaps, paperback books, etc.

BABY: Bath toy, bath towel, baby wash, shampoo, washcloths, disposable camera, pajamas.

KIDS BACKYARD PLAY: Fill jar with a jump rope, jacks, small ball, chalk, bubbles, etc.

BAKING: Add cookie cutters, wooden spoon, oven mitt, pure vanilla, chocolate chips, frosting tub, sprinkles, etc. — Katie, Arizona

FLOWERPOT GIFT: Use a small clay pot with saucer. Fill the pot with hard candy. Invert the saucer and put it on top of the clay pot like a lid. Take two ribbon strips, and lie them like a plus sign on a table. Place the pot in the middle where they cross. Bring the ribbon upward to tie the saucer into place. Use a smaller saucer so it nests inside the pot. Tuck a packet of seeds on top. — Denise, Illinois

SCRUNCHIE HOLDER: I was tired of picking up my daughter’s hair scrunchies in the bathroom. I made her a holder from a wire coat hanger. I untwisted the neck part of a wire hanger. Using pliers, I bent the straight end like a mini hook so it could be used as a clasp to open and close the hanger. I bent the hanger into the shape of a circle. Then I took thin fabric and made a tube by folding the fabric in half and gluing them together. I threaded the fabric tube onto the hanger and bunched it up so it looked pretty.

I glued closed the loose ends of fabric by tucking it in on the ends. Now she can hang her scrunchies on the hanger by stringing them on and can hang the hanger in her closet or on her bedroom door handle. — Julie, e-mail

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