Solutions for a Handmade Holiday

If you find yourself, six days before Christmas, realizing with a panic that there are … only six days left till Christmas, may we make a suggestion: consider a handmade gift. Certainly, it is far easier to buy a gift. But at this point, unless you are willing to shell out a hefty sum in shipping fees, online commerce is out of the question. Instead, you'll be braving the roads, which will not be settings of peace and joy this last weekend before Santa visits.

LUCIE: I have a bad habit of posting flattering, stomach-grumbling pictures of the food I create onto a heap of social media platforms. Too often I leave it at that, a two-dimensional preview; and I'm told this generates ill will among those who see them. This Christmas, I thought I'd remedy that by getting into the kitchen and creating a dozen or so jars of yummy confections and sauces that I will actually present to my friends and loved ones. Though I'll probably still snap a picture...

Saveur offers great suggestions for DIY gifts, including Persimmon Chutney. I also drooled over this Bon Appetit slideshow, and I'm now realizing it might take several shame-inducing viewings of Christmas movies and specials before I muster up the selflessness to give these treats away.

NALINI: My mother always encouraged us to make our gifts. As a child, I thought it was a preposterous suggestion along the lines of handing out raisins to trick-or-treaters (which she did). Nowadays, when my time is my most valuable resource, I understand why a handmade gift is so special.

Special or not, the effort to get a handmade gift together at this point might prove Herculean—in which case you can opt for second best: a gift handmade by someone else.

This week at an Arts Council-sponsored luncheon, a wonderful Christmas CD fell into my hands. Peter Simon, one of the musicians featured on the album and a member of the band Minos the Saint, explained that this was an album that he and a handful of other Baton Rouge-based musicians had put together in 2010 to give as gifts to family and friends. Called A Baton Rouge Acoustic Christmas, the album was met with such enthusiasm, that the group decided to sell the CD to the public.

Featuring classic Christmas songs such as "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger," there are also two original songs on the album written by Simon ("Shiny Things") and contributor Luke Ash ("Christmastime Fo Sho"). Ash, by the way, has a smooth, lazy Chet Baker vocal style which he applies to two of my favorite tracks. Jacob Zachary, another of my favorite vocalists on the album, plays two classic carols on his guitar—"O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Auld Lang Syne"—while singing in his clear, beautiful voice.

Ben Herrington, who plays no less than seven instruments on the album, is a superb keyboardist. In fact, there are so many talented musicians and instruments represented on the album, that an admirable variety of compositions are offered, including a notable exercise in medieval merriment on a track called "The Boar's Head Carol."

Other contributors on the album are Ryan Harris (guitar, vocals, mandolin, harmonica), Joel Willson (mandolin, vocals, violin), Amy Willson (flute, piccolo, vocals), David Melancon (trumpet), Robert King (upright bass), Melissa Wilson (marimba, percussion), and Jonathan Alcon (drum set, percussion). 

Visit abatonrougeacousticchristmas.bandcamp.com to download the 16-track album in the high-quality format of your choice (MP3, FLAC, and more) plus receive unlimited mobile access using the free Bandcamp listening app.

Happy handmade holidays, y'all.