I know we've had these before but they are always such fun and filled with such good ideas!
Now that Halloween is over we sat down and formulated a plan. We decided this year we'll be giving jars of Pasta e Fagioli mix each with a can of tomatoes, a jar of Focaccia mix, and a little four-ounce bottle of olive oil (possibly with a sprig of rosemary in it); I found a website where I can order little pretty glass bottles for less than $1 each including shipping and there's no minimum order, we'll buy the olive oil in a big tin or bottle and fill them from there. The only ingredients that will be needed to make the soup and bread will be water and salt and a little oil, everything else included; it will work out to less than $9/person, including the packaging and all; the jars will be reusable and the gifts themselves consumable; all we'll have to do presentation/wrapping wise is print out labels with instructions for each thing and stick them on, then put in a gift bag and tie up. Easy, fun to make, and I think my family will appreciate them.
Have any of you come up with ideas that you'll be using this year for home-made gifts? Or would you like to share things you've done in the past that have been well recieved? Let's inspire each other!
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
My plan is a basket of assorted homemade preserves (wild grape, wild raspberry, and spiced peach) and a knitted cotton washcloth. I may also include some baked goods for people that I know would like that. It's a pretty traditional homemade gift basket, but I think my family will like it.
--Mel
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I've done a bit of knitting and crocheting - bears and toys for my little cousins.
Aside from that, it's not a very homemade Christmas - I have other things on my mind. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
No, really? I never would have guessed. Posted by TH (Member # 11441) on :
When I was a kid, my mother bought a few big, thick candles, and had my brother and me decorate them with gold stars and doodads from Micheal's, and wrapped them in ribbon. My relatives loved them, and my grandma still puts hers on her mantelpiece every Christmas.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I'm really looking forward to when the kidlet is old enough to get involved in craft projects. Homemade all the way!
Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :
Ace thread! No sugestiions from me (yet), but as we have spent our Christmas budget for the next zillion years on tickets to the UK to spend two weeks with my parents, I think homemade will be the way to go.
I'm looking forward to hoovering up and good ideas and passing them off as my own. Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Last year, I made jars of mozerella for my family and close friends, using herbs from my garden. Good olive Oil, 3-4 balls of fresh mozerella, a couple sprigs of rosemary, basil, and thyme from my garden, and red pepper flakes.
I've been working on putting together my recipes over the last couple months (I lost a recipe that I really didn't want to lose, so decided to get organized about it). So this year I'm giving my family copies of "Paul's recipe book," which will also include a fair number of tips of things I've learned cooking or working with food. A lot of the recipes are things that I've found on the net, and then slightly modified due to problems I discovered when making them on my own, so hopefully the family will get a lot of use out of it. I plan on putting them in 3 ring binders with tabs, so that they are easy to add to.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
I am going to make my toddler into a gift factory. Set her up with some paints and glitter, let her go wild. Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :
My niece is just hitting dating age. I am creating for my brother the "Fathers guide to daughters dating years."
I am considering including rope, antacids, some kind of generic alibi form, and the following quote. "Remember, all boys are after only one thing--surviving the meeting with their date's father."
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Originally posted by scholarette: I am going to make my toddler into a gift factory. Set her up with some paints and glitter, let her go wild.
LOL! This actually works fairly well.
Last year we had my then-three-year-old color pictures for everyone. I scanned them, flipped them, printed them on t-shirt transfer paper, and ironed them onto white tote bags (I was in a hurry and bought mine for about $1.50 each after coupon from Michael's but it would be really easy to make these.) Then I included the original drawing, complete with description/story about the picture on the back as dictated to me, and each person got their own individualized tote decorated by their granddaughter/greatgranddaughter/niece/whatever. They all LOVED them and who can't use a tote? Good for groceries or hauling musical instruments, books, knitting, whatever they're into.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I'm knitting and crocheting- I'm making sweaters for my kids and hubby, socks for my best friend, and various small crochet for other friends. Lots of truffles, too.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I used to have this homemade gifts book that had a cute idea called "Pesto now & pesto later" -- a cute basket with a jar of homemade pesto along with a basil plant in a pretty pot. I don't think I'll ever give this as a Christmas gift, though; it's gonna need to be a gift for friends with summer birthdays!
For my "homemade" gift this year I'm going to transcribe my dad's journals. They are binders with handwritten looseleaf pages falling out of them, and I plan to type them up and print them out and have them spiral bound for my mom and brother. None of us have sat down and read them yet. Although, who knows what I might find in there that could change my mind!
Posted by Hank (Member # 8916) on :
You can order totes pretty cheap from Oriental Trading, FYI.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I haven't knitted as much this year as in years past. I'm just not feeling it these days. I do have a hooded sweater I made for my grandson though.
I've made Christmas pillowcases for my grandson and other family members. I got all into it and made some Halloween ones as well. I'll be sending the pillowcases out around Thanksgiving so they can be in use for the entire Christmas season.
I'm giving 4 of my children a microplane grater along with a collection of recipes that I use mine for.
In past years, I've made lilikoi jelly for friends and family on the mainland, but this year I didn't get the fruit from my coworkers like I have in the past, and shipping is starting to be an issue (unless I use the flat-rate boxes, which is just silly for a single jar of jelly). I'm sad to stop the tradition. I'll try to think of something else local to send in the boxes for my children to give them a taste of home.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I'm not thinking about Christmas at all until Sunday. By then we'll see what kind of gifts I already have done.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
I bought a bunch of gorgeous gems from a wholesaler in Thailand and am in the process of buying chains and settings for pendants and earrings. I'm seriously thinking about next year getting some molds to cast my own settings and buying some gold to work with.
If you had told me that I'd develop a strong interest in making jewelry, I'd have laughed at you, but I'm really enjoying myself.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I have some old family jewelry that I've thought about re-setting for my daughters. I'd love to learn how to do it myself. I'm thinking next year I may look into a continuing ed class on jewelry making.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That is a really cool idea, maui babe!
I really enjoy making jewelry but I don't buy anything better than small seed pearls, gem chip pieces, sterling silver, and very nice crystals to work with.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Ok, my sale is over so now it looks like I still have quite a few purses, as well as some scarves, holiday pins and ornaments to give away for the holidays.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Re-setting jewelry is a lot of fun, and not that hard once you get into it. You can try thrift stores for old jewelry with broken clasps and stuff that is pretty easy to repair. Or, take them apart and use the beads and findings elsewhere.
I love making bookmarks too - similar to these. That pic is not one of mind, by the way - I don't use cording like that for mine.
I use embroidery floss - three strands, and make loops at the end, tie them off and then put a crimp bead around the knot to hold it. I add a charm and there you go.
They're really easy, and embroidery floss is like 33 cents a pack and you can make dozens of bookmarks from each one you buy. Crimp beads are really cheap and I also use seed beads and various bead that you buy in those multi-packs, really cheap. I have fun matching them up and making something pretty out of an odd assortment of beads.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Hey, I thought some of you here might like this: I found this blog post with a huge ton of links to all kinds of DIY gift tutorials. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darth_Mauve: My niece is just hitting dating age. I am creating for my brother the "Fathers guide to daughters dating years."
I am considering including rope, antacids, some kind of generic alibi form, and the following quote. "Remember, all boys are after only one thing--surviving the meeting with their date's father."
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