Post by Honeylioness on Dec 5, 2008 11:22:04 GMT -5
BrandiR
08/02/08 11:55 AM
I'm starting to make my Christmas list. I'm trying to make a fair number of gifts, so I'm looking for ideas. Here's what I have so far:
- For MIL, I took pictures of flowers blooming in her garden. I'm going to frame them in a collage.
- For DH's grandparents, I'm going to make some spiced nuts we'd made for snacks in the past.
- For DH's sister, I'm making wine charms and probably will buy a bottle of wine to go with it.
- We have a young relative who's *really* into horses, so I'm making a needlepoint picture of a horse to frame for her.
My younger sister is really devoted to her sorority, so I'd like to make something for her with their letters on it. I don't know what.
DH will be making a train table for DS.
iriswatcher
08/02/08 12:25 PM
Who else do you have to give gifts?
I know we try to make family gifts for all the miscellaneous relatives (same gift for all - sometimes we only label them to make sure everyone gets one), so we've done calendars with family pictures on the top and birthdates on the calendar, made clocks, made nativities out of various media (including polymer clay, yarn (crochet), wood, etc.), jars of candy (and, yes, sometimes homemade), fruit baskets, family trees, etc. We've done a lot over the years because there are a lot of us. I think my cousin is planning to finish her plan from last year for this year's Christmas - I wonder what it is. (Some years we go with a much less complicated "Plan B" gift.)
If you need to do a lot of individual gifts, well, you are more ambitious and productive than I.
A clock with the sorority letters stenciled on it should fit well in the time and monetary budgets - as a suggestion.
ColdinUtah
08/03/08 03:02 PM
Hi BrandiR,
I do not know how crafty you are (though you mentioned needle point) a blanket with the sorority letters on it would be nice.
I recently crocheted a baby blanket then cross stitched skulls on it (you have to sew fleece on to the back side to cover up the ugly side of cross stitching
) as a request by the mom, but it turned out ADORABLE! When my 7 year old seen it she requested one of her own. A grey blanket with pink skulls that have bows. So that will be one of her christmas gifts. One of my nieces loves the disney princesses and looks just like snow white, I found a pattern from a friend for a snow white blanket (all white with the snow white pattern cross stitched in) that I am going to make for her. She loves home made blankets so I am pretty sure she will like it.
A few years ago we took all the pictures of us kids that my mom had stored in boxes and scrap booked them for her for christmas. Little did we know we triggered a scrap book monster, but she loves it.
Oh and for the neighbors I went to bath and body works outlet where you can get their great smelling hand soaps and sanitizers for a dollar, made matching sets (sea cotton soap with sea cotton sanitzier) tied them with a christmas bow and left them on the neighbors porches. I handed those out at work also, the girls at work LOVED them and the guys at work took them home to their wives that loved them
It was a cheap hit!
I find the thoughtful home made gifts are the best ones.
swimmingupstream
08/03/08 05:14 PM
I have given people ready to make recipes in a basket. For example: fancy hot cocoa w/ homemade marshmallows, cookie mix, muffin mix etc. that I have made up myself for friends who like to eat but hate to cook. For friends/relatives who like to cook, I have made a cookbook of favorite recipes with a theme and had them bound (pretty inexpensive for a nice cover) and given that with a bottle of wine etc. I have also made up baskets of diy beauty treatments and put them in a basket. I have also found used hardcover books for for $1-$2 for friends that are readers and put them togther in a basket w/ cocoa mix etc. Also, I trade gifts of date-night babysitting with friends.
I think your ideas sound very nice and thoughtful.
ATee7
08/03/08 09:31 PM
Those are some great ideas!
I'm definetly going to be watching my Christmas spending more closely this year. One thing that I really enjoy doing is knitting. I'm planning on making my grandmother, future step-mother-in-law, and my fiance (he really wants a Dr. Who scarf) scarves as presents this year. By next year, I hope to progress onto something a little more complicated!!
TheFrugalPlace
08/04/08 04:40 AM
This year I am working on knitting patterned cotton dishcloths. They look pretty cool, work great, and are simple and quick to make.
Misplaced Brit
08/04/08 11:01 AM
My family is in the UK, and it doesn't look like I'll be able to make it home this Christmas.
Sooo.. a CD of my DS playing Christmas Music (and another for the rest of the year) the Guitar was his Birthday present from my parents this year.
My Mum LOVES Christmas, totally loves it, she also loves snowmen, so I'm making little snowmen out of tin and this melty craft stuff, to cover her tree. (She has a french horn that I gave her many many years ago, with a ratty bow, that she wont replace because I made it) also making bows and a tree topper.
More ideas will come to me, but I have to keep in mind, weight and size for shipping.
misslilian
08/04/08 11:10 AM
I tend to not make crafts (most everyone I buy for except my mom & MIL aren't craft people), but I do a lot of cooking. We're planning on hosting a big cocktail party this year for the holidays instead of exchanging gifts with friends, though I think it'll probably cost us more than gifts would have!
For people that I feel I need to gift but can't imagine spending much money on (co-workers and the like), I tend to do a lot of baking. I'll bring in cakes, cookies, or something like that around the holidays.
I'm planning on candy making this year for relatives outside of immediate family. We normally see extended family before the holidays, so they can give it out to people who are visiting their homes over the holidays if they don't like/want it.
keriamon
08/04/08 11:17 AM
Bath salts:
Buy a bag of epsom salts. Divide it into two bowls. Get some peppermint extract and pour into both bowls and stir. Then take red food coloring and add to the salts in just one bowl. Stir. Then using a clean wine bottle, pour some white salts in, then some red, then some white, and so on until you fill up the bottle, then stopper with a cork. Candy cane bath salts! They will turn the bath water pink, but don't stain you or the tub.
This is a good present for female co-workers, teachers, or anyone else you need a cheap, fast gift for. Depending on the size of your bottle, one bag of epsom salts will do 2-3 bottles. I did this one year for Christmas and it proved very popular. My SIL said her daughter and son made off with her bottle!
Neck wraps:
Cut two rectangles of soft cloth (I used flannel scraps), sew it up on three sides (leave one long side open) and divide vertically into three or four channels with a line of stitching. Next take uncooked white rice and mix it with a scent (I used jasmine oil for a simmering pot). Add the rice to all of the channels of your bag and sew the top shut. This can be heated in the microwave or chilled in the freezer and then wrapped around a neck or sore limb. You can also make small squares and use them as pocket warmers or eye coolers.
For the knitters:
I haven't tried these yet, but I really want to make the fox this year.
Vegan fox stole: www.notmartha.org/tomake/veganfox/
Vegan bear skin rung: www.knit1mag.com/extras-faux-bear-rug.php
Twine door mat: www.fjsmjs.com/Mary/twinerug.htm
Ice Scraper Mitts: born2knit.blogspot.com/2005/12/ice-scraper-mitts.html
doingokay-sorta
08/04/08 11:36 AM
I always put up several jars of pear preserves (from my tree in the backyard) for my relatives. They really enjoy them a lot and look forward to them for a year.
The bath salts are a neat idea - you could do other fragrances, too, like lemon, coconut, etc.
doingokay-sorta
08/04/08 11:37 AM
Anyone have any experience sewing teddy bears? Just how hard are they to sew?
gatogrande20
08/04/08 12:06 PM
I like to make the gifts in a jar, so many simple recipes online. You can even use decorated bags. I also like to send baked goods, with a copy of the recipes. For the families with children I often send cookies with a bag of pre-made mix, instructions, and a cookie cutter or two.
If you are good at lettering I bought some inexpensive glasses and painted my cousins Sorority symbols on them in their colors, a set of 6 cost me about $5 and they loved them. I have also done that on cheap candleholders and it looked great, or even on a simple plate they can hang up. There are all kinds of simple house wares you can "personalize" or decorate with symbols of the season. You can paint soap also, I like to make little Christmas guest soaps, which I just re-wrap in Xmas paper scraps or place in fabric scrap bags I make.
I'm getting in the Christmas spirit already just thinking about it.
TryinHard
08/04/08 12:22 PM
We are making a family cookbook for christmas this year. Including some of those tried and true favs that a few people in the family know how to make and adding to it some of the recipes my kids and I have created along with a few that we alone know how to make and get requests for. Since we live 1000 miles away from everyone now, they don't get our personal creations unless we are visiting so we are compilating a cookbook for everyone. I have solicted requests from everyone (without giving away the reason) so we have a pretty good idea of what is going in. Now we are in the process of taking pictures as we make each in the course of our cooking activities and my DD is writing a little story for each. The kids are keeping a list of what they want to include so by Christmas we should be good to go!! Now all I have to do is write down some of those recipes which I know by heart and just throw together...
Also, my kids learned how to knit this year and are knitting scarves for everyone. They aren't perfect but, hey, they are made with love and thier own two little hands.
keriamon
08/04/08 12:33 PM
Anyone have any experience sewing teddy bears? Just how hard are they to sew?
My grandmother sewed the devil out of bears made from old quilts and chenille bedspreads. Did it for a good 10 years and sold them on the craft show circuit. Wore her poor old sewing machine out!
As with any sewing project, the smaller it is, the harder it is to sew. So I would go with a larger bear pattern over a smaller one. Also, I might get a pattern where it has a seam down the foot instead of a circular piece set into the bottom of the foot; this is one less piece to cut out and it's a lot easier to sew a pinched seam than to sew something round into the bottom of a tube.
Sheila in Cali
08/04/08 01:22 PM
My grandma made teddy bears out of old fur coats. She volunteers at a thrift store and they give her all the old fur coats. She makes them into teddy bears and donates them to the local sheriff's department. They keep them in the car in the event a kid is involved in an accident or has to be removed from a home. She has made similar bears with old chenille blankets and things like that too.
We talked to our son and this year he is getting a coupon book of activities. This way he doesn't have more toys to move around and we can spread the fun out all year long. Things like- mini golf, trip to the beach, movie of his choice, museum of his choice, hiking, etc. Trip to Disneyland would be mixed in with other less expensive options. Please note we live in So Cal so a trip to Disneyland is a 35 minute drive -- not a long involved family vacation.
We found a soap kit on clearance at Michael's so DS has made up soaps for his grandparents this year.
Tryin: I love the cookbook idea. I may borrow that idea.
startsmart
08/04/08 01:47 PM
Last year I made my parents photo albums by borrowing and scanning photos from my grandparents. Most were pictures long forgotten and very old, LOL. The supplies had some cost up front but were cheap compared to buying some useless trinket they won't be able to find or use.
for special occasions I make my grandparents photo frames for their Assisted Living Home including a very very large frame with all the grandkids photos. Since my grandma has Alzheimer's Disease I put everyone's name next to a very good print and when we talk about the grandkids I can point to a photo and help her remember.
I bought shadow boxes at Target for $17 and filled them with my grandparent's work pins and pictures. Another shadow box held all their name tags from square dancing competitions in the 70s.
Last homemade gift idea is an interactive one for kids. I stock up on misc candy when it's on sale, buy graham crackers in the summer for s'mores and spend the day after Thanksgiving making ginger bread houses and such. Decoration is half the fun and if I make enough I give an extra set to friends so they can entertain their kids during the busy Christmas season. And it's fun for all ages, my friend and I made anatomically correct gingerbread men last year for our friends
gatogrande20
08/04/08 02:15 PM
Startsmart helped jog my memory I couldn't find the gingerbread house kits one year and a friend suggested glueing graham crackers to a small box and using that. I folded a peice of sturdy posterboard and glued it on top for the peaked roof. Worked great, and the kids didn't notice the difference.
keriamon
08/04/08 02:42 PM
My grandma made teddy bears out of old fur coats.
Oh man, I've worked with real fur before. Had fur up my nose for a solid week! And that's not counting the rolling balls of fur all over the living room and kitchen floors. Next time I work in it, a dust mask will be a requirement! Also, be careful with your hands. I found out that some furs have been preserved with something I'm allergic too and it leaves a itchy rash on my hands for days, so I had to work with it while wearing cotton gloves (note: do not try and rub fur out of your nose while wearing gloves covered in fur).
Fake fur is still a mess on the floor and everything, but it doesn't fly around nearly as much, so you're not likely to get it up your nose. You're also not likely to be allergic to it (sewing, especially by hand, while wearing gloves sucks).
TryinHard
08/04/08 02:45 PM
Tryin: I love the cookbook idea. I may borrow that idea.
Well... to give credit where due it was actually my older DDs idea... I thought it was a brilliant idea. She is so smart
Honeylioness
08/04/08 02:51 PM
I do mostly food gifts when I do homemade. Granted I like canning and I do a lot of it during the summer when produce is abundant and cheaper when you pick your own. But it can be done on a smaller scale than I do it - and for not that much money.
Berry preserves - using any kind of berry you have available and at a reasonable price.
Berry liqueur - one bottle of vodka, two-three cups of heavy sugar syrup (depending on taste), and four-five cups of berries. Lightly smash the berries to speed up the process. Pour everything into a large sealable jug or container and let sit in a cool dark closet from now until Christmas. Shake gently once a week. Strain out the fruit bits and pour into pretty, and cheap, glass containers from Michael's, wrap a bow around the neck and you are done.
Buy plain gift bags now and use holiday stickers to decorate. I will often give these to co-workers filled with an assortment of cookies and/or fudge. I figured it costs me about $2.50 a gift.
Decorated candles - start with simple white candles, tapers or pillar types. Collect small flowers, leaves, etc from the garden or fields and press them between layers of newsprint for 1-2 weeks until they are dry. Get a small chunk of good wax from the craft store and melt it in a double boiler. I use a pan with water for the bottom, then a tall clean soup can to melt the wax in. Gently use elmer's glue to attach the dried foliage in a pretty design along the bottom third of the candle. Let dry. Then dip the candle into the melted was to seal in the flowers. I often dip - cool - and dip again.
Try tying the wicks together first if they are not already attached. then you can put newspaper on the floor and hang them to dry over a broomstick laid across kitchen chairs. For the pillar candles you can set them upright onto wax paper to dry. Wrap in pretty tissue paper and a bow.
Hope these ideas are helpful
thredbear
08/04/08 03:30 PM
I've bought potpourri, made tied bundles from ladies hankies or other squares of fabric, tied with something interesting like a bow or beaded strand. String or wire would work. Micahael's would have may offerings including bottles of aromatic oils with stoppers to freshen the sachets if you want to spend a little more. I'll bet a Michael's browse would yield ideas.
I enjoy baking cookies or sometimes fruit bread and get really excited if anyone asks for the recipes. If you have or find some nice recipes this is as good as any mail order food gift. Decorative tins at Michael's are inexpensive and you can use any pretty paper liners you like.
I've made gift baskets by buying all the items individually but this can be just as expensive as getting them mail order.
I've also drawn imaginative floral motifs on sqaure fabric, embroidered the design on one side, sewn plain matching fabric to the other side to make a pocket, stuffed it with batting and given these as handmade pillows wihich people seem to like.\
Giggle Loop
08/05/08 01:54 PM
I did the family cookbook a few years ago. It was a huge hit. I took all the old family favorites and added in some new recipes as well and personalized it with a funny story or few comments before the recipe. It was actually funny because I knew the majority of the family recipes, but there were a couple I was unsure of. At Thanksgiving, I was following my mom and aunt around the kitchen with a notepad. I made up some excuse about feeling bad that I didn't know how to make them. They always pick on my because I'm very organized and like to have things written down, or logged in a spreadsheet, so they just laughed and told me what to write. Then, when everyone opened their cookbooks at Christmas, they understood and loved it.
Last year, I did a calendar. I put everyone's birthdays and anniversaries and a few other funny family events that have happened in the past. I used pictures from both recent times and years ago. I have a pretty good printer, so I did it myself, but a friend of mine did the same thing and used Snapfish, they have calendar templates and you upload your pictures, add any comments and they print and send it to you. They had specials fairly frequently in November and December, so she said she ended up paying a pretty reasonable price.
My mom likes to paint and is pretty good, she has given us handpainted glasses, plates, candleholders, spice jars. One year she bought some of the smaller sized ceramic tiles and painted those (mine had herbs on them) and I use them in the kitchen as trivets.
sunny_1
08/05/08 02:11 PM
I noticed that Michaels has some of those cute 2009 photo calendars in their dollar bins. Just add a photo for each month and you have a cute gift for $1.00 plus the price of pics.
DramaQ1015
08/05/08 02:23 PM
I tend to get REALLY carried away when I do a theme, but since I am not crafty (I needlepointed a quilt for my fiance and then about 80 pokes to the finger later. .. I remembered why I stopped.), I like to do themed presents.
This year I did Sunflowers for my grandmother. I bought coasters 5/$1 I got really pretty dishtowels for $5. Then I added other bits and pieces to them.
I did chickens for my grandmother the year before that. I cross stitched a towel and then added place mats and stuff.
I tend to get carried away b/c once I start I see TONS of stuff to fit my theme, it is insane it is almost like the store knows what I am doing!
But if you have a little more discipline than I do it is a great way to make an inexpensive gift. It limits your choices since you have to stick to the theme and makes it easier to stick to a budget too b/c you can't get out of your "theme zone" which means even if you see something you would REALLY like to buy for someone, you can't buy it b/c it doesn't match the theme.
Irishpebbles
08/05/08 02:24 PM
Just an idea, I make photo albums. I buy the ugly clearance albums and them cover them. I hot glue batting to them so they are puffy then cover them with material. I usually do things like disney for the kids and hunting or camo for our guys and pretty for the ladies .... I sometimes make little ones as granny brag books with baby material. They usually go over great especially if you put in a few pics to get them started.
skammons
08/05/08 02:26 PM
I did family photo books one year for everyone. Another year I did genealogy books with the family tree and photos and stories I'd compiled.
I made a mix CD as a favor at our wedding. It had lots of love themed songs. For our anniversary I made an updated one for my husband.
For my niece I made mother-daughter aprons. And I ordered a children's cookbook to put with them.
I saw a pattern online to make christmas ornaments using a photo and adding a beaded loop at top and beaded fringe at bottom. I'm going to make those for family members this year.
The berry liqueur recipe posted above reminded me that I used to do the same thing, except I'd make Creme de Menthe. Follow the same recipe except use fresh mint leaves instead of berries. Crush them up before putting them in the bottle to increase the mint flavor. After you put the mixture in bottles add green food coloring if desired. I would also attach the recipe to make Grasshopper Pie to the bottle. I've also heard that you can buy a vanilla bean, split it and soak it in vodka to make homemade vanilla. I've never tried that one but it might be a good gift for a friend that bakes.
It's funny that this topic came up because I was thinking the other day about how I need to get cracking on making some presents.
08/02/08 11:55 AM
I'm starting to make my Christmas list. I'm trying to make a fair number of gifts, so I'm looking for ideas. Here's what I have so far:
- For MIL, I took pictures of flowers blooming in her garden. I'm going to frame them in a collage.
- For DH's grandparents, I'm going to make some spiced nuts we'd made for snacks in the past.
- For DH's sister, I'm making wine charms and probably will buy a bottle of wine to go with it.
- We have a young relative who's *really* into horses, so I'm making a needlepoint picture of a horse to frame for her.
My younger sister is really devoted to her sorority, so I'd like to make something for her with their letters on it. I don't know what.
DH will be making a train table for DS.
iriswatcher
08/02/08 12:25 PM
Who else do you have to give gifts?
I know we try to make family gifts for all the miscellaneous relatives (same gift for all - sometimes we only label them to make sure everyone gets one), so we've done calendars with family pictures on the top and birthdates on the calendar, made clocks, made nativities out of various media (including polymer clay, yarn (crochet), wood, etc.), jars of candy (and, yes, sometimes homemade), fruit baskets, family trees, etc. We've done a lot over the years because there are a lot of us. I think my cousin is planning to finish her plan from last year for this year's Christmas - I wonder what it is. (Some years we go with a much less complicated "Plan B" gift.)
If you need to do a lot of individual gifts, well, you are more ambitious and productive than I.
A clock with the sorority letters stenciled on it should fit well in the time and monetary budgets - as a suggestion.
ColdinUtah
08/03/08 03:02 PM
Hi BrandiR,
I do not know how crafty you are (though you mentioned needle point) a blanket with the sorority letters on it would be nice.
I recently crocheted a baby blanket then cross stitched skulls on it (you have to sew fleece on to the back side to cover up the ugly side of cross stitching
) as a request by the mom, but it turned out ADORABLE! When my 7 year old seen it she requested one of her own. A grey blanket with pink skulls that have bows. So that will be one of her christmas gifts. One of my nieces loves the disney princesses and looks just like snow white, I found a pattern from a friend for a snow white blanket (all white with the snow white pattern cross stitched in) that I am going to make for her. She loves home made blankets so I am pretty sure she will like it. A few years ago we took all the pictures of us kids that my mom had stored in boxes and scrap booked them for her for christmas. Little did we know we triggered a scrap book monster, but she loves it.
Oh and for the neighbors I went to bath and body works outlet where you can get their great smelling hand soaps and sanitizers for a dollar, made matching sets (sea cotton soap with sea cotton sanitzier) tied them with a christmas bow and left them on the neighbors porches. I handed those out at work also, the girls at work LOVED them and the guys at work took them home to their wives that loved them
It was a cheap hit! I find the thoughtful home made gifts are the best ones.
swimmingupstream
08/03/08 05:14 PM
I have given people ready to make recipes in a basket. For example: fancy hot cocoa w/ homemade marshmallows, cookie mix, muffin mix etc. that I have made up myself for friends who like to eat but hate to cook. For friends/relatives who like to cook, I have made a cookbook of favorite recipes with a theme and had them bound (pretty inexpensive for a nice cover) and given that with a bottle of wine etc. I have also made up baskets of diy beauty treatments and put them in a basket. I have also found used hardcover books for for $1-$2 for friends that are readers and put them togther in a basket w/ cocoa mix etc. Also, I trade gifts of date-night babysitting with friends.
I think your ideas sound very nice and thoughtful.
ATee7
08/03/08 09:31 PM
Those are some great ideas!
I'm definetly going to be watching my Christmas spending more closely this year. One thing that I really enjoy doing is knitting. I'm planning on making my grandmother, future step-mother-in-law, and my fiance (he really wants a Dr. Who scarf) scarves as presents this year. By next year, I hope to progress onto something a little more complicated!!
TheFrugalPlace
08/04/08 04:40 AM
This year I am working on knitting patterned cotton dishcloths. They look pretty cool, work great, and are simple and quick to make.
Misplaced Brit
08/04/08 11:01 AM
My family is in the UK, and it doesn't look like I'll be able to make it home this Christmas.
Sooo.. a CD of my DS playing Christmas Music (and another for the rest of the year) the Guitar was his Birthday present from my parents this year.
My Mum LOVES Christmas, totally loves it, she also loves snowmen, so I'm making little snowmen out of tin and this melty craft stuff, to cover her tree. (She has a french horn that I gave her many many years ago, with a ratty bow, that she wont replace because I made it) also making bows and a tree topper.
More ideas will come to me, but I have to keep in mind, weight and size for shipping.
misslilian
08/04/08 11:10 AM
I tend to not make crafts (most everyone I buy for except my mom & MIL aren't craft people), but I do a lot of cooking. We're planning on hosting a big cocktail party this year for the holidays instead of exchanging gifts with friends, though I think it'll probably cost us more than gifts would have!
For people that I feel I need to gift but can't imagine spending much money on (co-workers and the like), I tend to do a lot of baking. I'll bring in cakes, cookies, or something like that around the holidays.
I'm planning on candy making this year for relatives outside of immediate family. We normally see extended family before the holidays, so they can give it out to people who are visiting their homes over the holidays if they don't like/want it.
keriamon
08/04/08 11:17 AM
Bath salts:
Buy a bag of epsom salts. Divide it into two bowls. Get some peppermint extract and pour into both bowls and stir. Then take red food coloring and add to the salts in just one bowl. Stir. Then using a clean wine bottle, pour some white salts in, then some red, then some white, and so on until you fill up the bottle, then stopper with a cork. Candy cane bath salts! They will turn the bath water pink, but don't stain you or the tub.
This is a good present for female co-workers, teachers, or anyone else you need a cheap, fast gift for. Depending on the size of your bottle, one bag of epsom salts will do 2-3 bottles. I did this one year for Christmas and it proved very popular. My SIL said her daughter and son made off with her bottle!
Neck wraps:
Cut two rectangles of soft cloth (I used flannel scraps), sew it up on three sides (leave one long side open) and divide vertically into three or four channels with a line of stitching. Next take uncooked white rice and mix it with a scent (I used jasmine oil for a simmering pot). Add the rice to all of the channels of your bag and sew the top shut. This can be heated in the microwave or chilled in the freezer and then wrapped around a neck or sore limb. You can also make small squares and use them as pocket warmers or eye coolers.
For the knitters:
I haven't tried these yet, but I really want to make the fox this year.
Vegan fox stole: www.notmartha.org/tomake/veganfox/
Vegan bear skin rung: www.knit1mag.com/extras-faux-bear-rug.php
Twine door mat: www.fjsmjs.com/Mary/twinerug.htm
Ice Scraper Mitts: born2knit.blogspot.com/2005/12/ice-scraper-mitts.html
doingokay-sorta
08/04/08 11:36 AM
I always put up several jars of pear preserves (from my tree in the backyard) for my relatives. They really enjoy them a lot and look forward to them for a year.
The bath salts are a neat idea - you could do other fragrances, too, like lemon, coconut, etc.
doingokay-sorta
08/04/08 11:37 AM
Anyone have any experience sewing teddy bears? Just how hard are they to sew?
gatogrande20
08/04/08 12:06 PM
I like to make the gifts in a jar, so many simple recipes online. You can even use decorated bags. I also like to send baked goods, with a copy of the recipes. For the families with children I often send cookies with a bag of pre-made mix, instructions, and a cookie cutter or two.
If you are good at lettering I bought some inexpensive glasses and painted my cousins Sorority symbols on them in their colors, a set of 6 cost me about $5 and they loved them. I have also done that on cheap candleholders and it looked great, or even on a simple plate they can hang up. There are all kinds of simple house wares you can "personalize" or decorate with symbols of the season. You can paint soap also, I like to make little Christmas guest soaps, which I just re-wrap in Xmas paper scraps or place in fabric scrap bags I make.
I'm getting in the Christmas spirit already just thinking about it.
TryinHard
08/04/08 12:22 PM
We are making a family cookbook for christmas this year. Including some of those tried and true favs that a few people in the family know how to make and adding to it some of the recipes my kids and I have created along with a few that we alone know how to make and get requests for. Since we live 1000 miles away from everyone now, they don't get our personal creations unless we are visiting so we are compilating a cookbook for everyone. I have solicted requests from everyone (without giving away the reason) so we have a pretty good idea of what is going in. Now we are in the process of taking pictures as we make each in the course of our cooking activities and my DD is writing a little story for each. The kids are keeping a list of what they want to include so by Christmas we should be good to go!! Now all I have to do is write down some of those recipes which I know by heart and just throw together...
Also, my kids learned how to knit this year and are knitting scarves for everyone. They aren't perfect but, hey, they are made with love and thier own two little hands.
keriamon
08/04/08 12:33 PM
Anyone have any experience sewing teddy bears? Just how hard are they to sew?
My grandmother sewed the devil out of bears made from old quilts and chenille bedspreads. Did it for a good 10 years and sold them on the craft show circuit. Wore her poor old sewing machine out!
As with any sewing project, the smaller it is, the harder it is to sew. So I would go with a larger bear pattern over a smaller one. Also, I might get a pattern where it has a seam down the foot instead of a circular piece set into the bottom of the foot; this is one less piece to cut out and it's a lot easier to sew a pinched seam than to sew something round into the bottom of a tube.
Sheila in Cali
08/04/08 01:22 PM
My grandma made teddy bears out of old fur coats. She volunteers at a thrift store and they give her all the old fur coats. She makes them into teddy bears and donates them to the local sheriff's department. They keep them in the car in the event a kid is involved in an accident or has to be removed from a home. She has made similar bears with old chenille blankets and things like that too.
We talked to our son and this year he is getting a coupon book of activities. This way he doesn't have more toys to move around and we can spread the fun out all year long. Things like- mini golf, trip to the beach, movie of his choice, museum of his choice, hiking, etc. Trip to Disneyland would be mixed in with other less expensive options. Please note we live in So Cal so a trip to Disneyland is a 35 minute drive -- not a long involved family vacation.
We found a soap kit on clearance at Michael's so DS has made up soaps for his grandparents this year.
Tryin: I love the cookbook idea. I may borrow that idea.
startsmart
08/04/08 01:47 PM
Last year I made my parents photo albums by borrowing and scanning photos from my grandparents. Most were pictures long forgotten and very old, LOL. The supplies had some cost up front but were cheap compared to buying some useless trinket they won't be able to find or use.
for special occasions I make my grandparents photo frames for their Assisted Living Home including a very very large frame with all the grandkids photos. Since my grandma has Alzheimer's Disease I put everyone's name next to a very good print and when we talk about the grandkids I can point to a photo and help her remember.
I bought shadow boxes at Target for $17 and filled them with my grandparent's work pins and pictures. Another shadow box held all their name tags from square dancing competitions in the 70s.
Last homemade gift idea is an interactive one for kids. I stock up on misc candy when it's on sale, buy graham crackers in the summer for s'mores and spend the day after Thanksgiving making ginger bread houses and such. Decoration is half the fun and if I make enough I give an extra set to friends so they can entertain their kids during the busy Christmas season. And it's fun for all ages, my friend and I made anatomically correct gingerbread men last year for our friends
gatogrande20
08/04/08 02:15 PM
Startsmart helped jog my memory I couldn't find the gingerbread house kits one year and a friend suggested glueing graham crackers to a small box and using that. I folded a peice of sturdy posterboard and glued it on top for the peaked roof. Worked great, and the kids didn't notice the difference.
keriamon
08/04/08 02:42 PM
My grandma made teddy bears out of old fur coats.
Oh man, I've worked with real fur before. Had fur up my nose for a solid week! And that's not counting the rolling balls of fur all over the living room and kitchen floors. Next time I work in it, a dust mask will be a requirement! Also, be careful with your hands. I found out that some furs have been preserved with something I'm allergic too and it leaves a itchy rash on my hands for days, so I had to work with it while wearing cotton gloves (note: do not try and rub fur out of your nose while wearing gloves covered in fur).
Fake fur is still a mess on the floor and everything, but it doesn't fly around nearly as much, so you're not likely to get it up your nose. You're also not likely to be allergic to it (sewing, especially by hand, while wearing gloves sucks).
TryinHard
08/04/08 02:45 PM
Tryin: I love the cookbook idea. I may borrow that idea.
Well... to give credit where due it was actually my older DDs idea... I thought it was a brilliant idea. She is so smart
Honeylioness
08/04/08 02:51 PM
I do mostly food gifts when I do homemade. Granted I like canning and I do a lot of it during the summer when produce is abundant and cheaper when you pick your own. But it can be done on a smaller scale than I do it - and for not that much money.
Berry preserves - using any kind of berry you have available and at a reasonable price.
Berry liqueur - one bottle of vodka, two-three cups of heavy sugar syrup (depending on taste), and four-five cups of berries. Lightly smash the berries to speed up the process. Pour everything into a large sealable jug or container and let sit in a cool dark closet from now until Christmas. Shake gently once a week. Strain out the fruit bits and pour into pretty, and cheap, glass containers from Michael's, wrap a bow around the neck and you are done.
Buy plain gift bags now and use holiday stickers to decorate. I will often give these to co-workers filled with an assortment of cookies and/or fudge. I figured it costs me about $2.50 a gift.
Decorated candles - start with simple white candles, tapers or pillar types. Collect small flowers, leaves, etc from the garden or fields and press them between layers of newsprint for 1-2 weeks until they are dry. Get a small chunk of good wax from the craft store and melt it in a double boiler. I use a pan with water for the bottom, then a tall clean soup can to melt the wax in. Gently use elmer's glue to attach the dried foliage in a pretty design along the bottom third of the candle. Let dry. Then dip the candle into the melted was to seal in the flowers. I often dip - cool - and dip again.
Try tying the wicks together first if they are not already attached. then you can put newspaper on the floor and hang them to dry over a broomstick laid across kitchen chairs. For the pillar candles you can set them upright onto wax paper to dry. Wrap in pretty tissue paper and a bow.
Hope these ideas are helpful
thredbear
08/04/08 03:30 PM
I've bought potpourri, made tied bundles from ladies hankies or other squares of fabric, tied with something interesting like a bow or beaded strand. String or wire would work. Micahael's would have may offerings including bottles of aromatic oils with stoppers to freshen the sachets if you want to spend a little more. I'll bet a Michael's browse would yield ideas.
I enjoy baking cookies or sometimes fruit bread and get really excited if anyone asks for the recipes. If you have or find some nice recipes this is as good as any mail order food gift. Decorative tins at Michael's are inexpensive and you can use any pretty paper liners you like.
I've made gift baskets by buying all the items individually but this can be just as expensive as getting them mail order.
I've also drawn imaginative floral motifs on sqaure fabric, embroidered the design on one side, sewn plain matching fabric to the other side to make a pocket, stuffed it with batting and given these as handmade pillows wihich people seem to like.\
Giggle Loop
08/05/08 01:54 PM
I did the family cookbook a few years ago. It was a huge hit. I took all the old family favorites and added in some new recipes as well and personalized it with a funny story or few comments before the recipe. It was actually funny because I knew the majority of the family recipes, but there were a couple I was unsure of. At Thanksgiving, I was following my mom and aunt around the kitchen with a notepad. I made up some excuse about feeling bad that I didn't know how to make them. They always pick on my because I'm very organized and like to have things written down, or logged in a spreadsheet, so they just laughed and told me what to write. Then, when everyone opened their cookbooks at Christmas, they understood and loved it.
Last year, I did a calendar. I put everyone's birthdays and anniversaries and a few other funny family events that have happened in the past. I used pictures from both recent times and years ago. I have a pretty good printer, so I did it myself, but a friend of mine did the same thing and used Snapfish, they have calendar templates and you upload your pictures, add any comments and they print and send it to you. They had specials fairly frequently in November and December, so she said she ended up paying a pretty reasonable price.
My mom likes to paint and is pretty good, she has given us handpainted glasses, plates, candleholders, spice jars. One year she bought some of the smaller sized ceramic tiles and painted those (mine had herbs on them) and I use them in the kitchen as trivets.
sunny_1
08/05/08 02:11 PM
I noticed that Michaels has some of those cute 2009 photo calendars in their dollar bins. Just add a photo for each month and you have a cute gift for $1.00 plus the price of pics.
DramaQ1015
08/05/08 02:23 PM
I tend to get REALLY carried away when I do a theme, but since I am not crafty (I needlepointed a quilt for my fiance and then about 80 pokes to the finger later. .. I remembered why I stopped.), I like to do themed presents.
This year I did Sunflowers for my grandmother. I bought coasters 5/$1 I got really pretty dishtowels for $5. Then I added other bits and pieces to them.
I did chickens for my grandmother the year before that. I cross stitched a towel and then added place mats and stuff.
I tend to get carried away b/c once I start I see TONS of stuff to fit my theme, it is insane it is almost like the store knows what I am doing!
But if you have a little more discipline than I do it is a great way to make an inexpensive gift. It limits your choices since you have to stick to the theme and makes it easier to stick to a budget too b/c you can't get out of your "theme zone" which means even if you see something you would REALLY like to buy for someone, you can't buy it b/c it doesn't match the theme.
Irishpebbles
08/05/08 02:24 PM
Just an idea, I make photo albums. I buy the ugly clearance albums and them cover them. I hot glue batting to them so they are puffy then cover them with material. I usually do things like disney for the kids and hunting or camo for our guys and pretty for the ladies .... I sometimes make little ones as granny brag books with baby material. They usually go over great especially if you put in a few pics to get them started.
skammons
08/05/08 02:26 PM
I did family photo books one year for everyone. Another year I did genealogy books with the family tree and photos and stories I'd compiled.
I made a mix CD as a favor at our wedding. It had lots of love themed songs. For our anniversary I made an updated one for my husband.
For my niece I made mother-daughter aprons. And I ordered a children's cookbook to put with them.
I saw a pattern online to make christmas ornaments using a photo and adding a beaded loop at top and beaded fringe at bottom. I'm going to make those for family members this year.
The berry liqueur recipe posted above reminded me that I used to do the same thing, except I'd make Creme de Menthe. Follow the same recipe except use fresh mint leaves instead of berries. Crush them up before putting them in the bottle to increase the mint flavor. After you put the mixture in bottles add green food coloring if desired. I would also attach the recipe to make Grasshopper Pie to the bottle. I've also heard that you can buy a vanilla bean, split it and soak it in vodka to make homemade vanilla. I've never tried that one but it might be a good gift for a friend that bakes.
It's funny that this topic came up because I was thinking the other day about how I need to get cracking on making some presents.
