Texas-Themed Christmas Gift Ideas

Have you ever considered giving a Texas-themed Christmas gift, only to find nothing but t-shirts, shot glasses and miniature Texas flags? Nobody wants to receive these cheap gifts, and nobody wants to give them, either. The good news is that there are many quality inexpensive Texas themed Christmas gifts that you can purchase online or from your local gift shop. You can also assemble very nice homemade gifts and gift baskets out of readily available materials less expensively than you could buy them.

Texas Gardening Christmas Gifts

If your gift recipient loves to garden, consider a Texas-themed gardening gift. By far the most popular Texas-related gardening book is Neil Sperry's Gardens. It's available both new and used on several different sites. There are also some great books on natural and organic Texas gardening. Try out Howard Garrett's Texas Organic Gardening book.

You can also purchase reasonably priced garden decor items online. Popular items include attractive Texas-themed bird-houses, welcome signs, plant holders, wall plaques and hummingbird feeders.

Texas wildflower lovers will appreciate wildflower seeds worked into an attractive Christmas gift basket. The bluebonnet and indian paintbrush are some of the most popular Texas wildflowers. Try including wildflower coasters, wildflower books, and wildflower votives in your personalized gift basket.

There are also some great gifts online which incorporate dried Texas wildflowers. Suncatchers, for example, are a great way to immortalize your recipient's favorite Texas wildflower, and make an inexpensive Christmas gift. Also check out the many Texas wildflower shadow boxes available online. If you're creatively inclined, try experimenting with your own dried and pressed flower designs.

Or try designing a gift basket yourself. Get a nice attractive wooden basket or wicker basket, and attach some Texas decor such as a Lone Star or a Texas state flag. Then fill the basket with things you know your recipient will want and need, such as seeds, small fertilizer packets, gloves, and gardening tools such as a spade and handheld rake. If you make garden decor yourself, this is a great thing to throw into your homemade gift basket. Copper, wood and tin make very attractive garden decorations.

Texas Food Christmas Gifts

Texas pecans are also a popular gift item for Christmas. Texas pralines are by far the most popular pecan treats around. However, no true born and bred Texan will ever say no to a peck of old-fashioned pecans fresh out of the shell.

For pepper connoisseurs, there is a wide variety of popular Texas hot sauce and salsa available. For many Texans, the hotter, the better. However, there are a few Texans who have a milder taste, so always check ahead of time before you purchase anything.

A great homemade Texas food gift idea is a homemade cake baked in a Texas shaped pan. There are also Texas shaped muffin pans available, so that you can create Texas baked goods for your friends and family year after year. Also, try making your own homemade pecan pralines, peach cobbler, cinnamon sopapillas, or other traditional Texas dessert as a gift. Homemade salsas, hot sauces, and barbecue sauces also go over very well as Christmas gifts especially when they're packaged in decorative containers. Get some mason jars with lids, then use standard canning and preserving methods to ensure your homemade product will last. Sew up some small pieces of country-style cloth and use these to cover the lids of the jars in an attractive way. Place these homemade gift items in an attractive cloth-lined basket.

Texas History Christmas Gifts

For the Texas history buff, historical reproductions of old documents and art are an excellent Christmas gift. Consider a reproduction of the Texas Declaration of Independence, a portrait of Davy Crockett, or a print of the Alamo flag.

If you plan to travel over the next couple of months, you can easily assemble a Texas history gift all your own. Take digital photographs of your favorite historical spots in Texas, and assemble them into a movie using Windows Movie Maker. Put some genuine Texas music in the background to give your video production that finishing touch.

Texas Ornament Christmas Gifts

There are many Texas Christmas ornaments that you can purchase. Cowboy Santas are popular, as are ornaments in the shape of the state of Texas. Also consider a Texas ornament in the shape of a cowboy boot.

You can also easily make a Christmas ornament out of Sculpey. Sculpey is a polymer-based clay which doesn't dry out after being exposed to the air, and which must be baked after you finish sculpting it. Original Sculpey is a great material for making painted ornaments. Sculpey now also comes in a wide range of colors which do not need to be painted. Try coming up with your own original design for the Texas flag, cowboy boots, cowboy Santas, the yellow rose of Texas, and other Texas-related items.