Years ago, my Dad sent me a link to a penny pincher website article about homemade gifts. With three little kids at the time, I loved the idea of homemade gifts and was always happy to find a new idea. This gift idea is SO simple and easy and yet is sure to please!

Here’s what you’ll need: Glass jars, labels, vodka, vanilla beans…TIME!

Go to the store and buy a bottle or two of vodka. I usually go with Smirnoff, but you can get away with any brand. You want to find some really good vanilla beans. You may be able to source them locally, but I have had to go through Amazon. I got these here: https://amzn.to/3OxF5S6

Simply open the vanilla beans and use a sharp knife to spread out the inner goodness. Put the whole beans and the inner bits in the vodka jar. Give it a good shake and viola!

You want to keep your jar(s) in a dark place so the vanilla has a chance to seep into the vodka. I keep mine in my pantry. Your main job is done. From here you just want to shake the jars every so often to really keep mixing up the vanilla beans. Since mine are in the pantry, I notice them periodically and give them a good shake.

The only thing that makes this a little tricky is the time it takes. The process is simple, but it takes about 4-6 months to get the vanilla truly infused into the vodka. So if you start now, your vanilla will be ready for Christmas gifts!

I put mine in these cute little jars and label them. Just about everyone who cooks will use vanilla in their kitchen, so it’s a pretty safe gift to give. It’s all I use in my own kitchen and it’s sure to please those on your gift giving list. I have played around with bottle size and shape and have landed on these: https://amzn.to/3A9RoQ8

Let me know if you try it!