Homemade Holiday Presents! Lets help each other! Ideas WANTED!

[KLAIT]

I bought mine on Ebay...was 1 lb for less than 9 dollars shipped...and you don't have to use much at all...the 1 lb should last me a long time. My mom has bought it at a store specializing in soap making supplies...It works great as I had to try it as soon as I received it...a little sure does go a long way!

 

[snowwhite84]

Here are a few more ideas I found online, with links for detailed instructions and photos of finished product.

Measuring cup wind chimes:
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/measuring-cup-wind-chimes.shtml
This looks really cute!

Flower washcloth soap
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/floral-washcloth.shtml

 

[Kycha]

I just got poker chips at TRU for $1.48 clearanced! They are in a tin container that is about 8.5 x 5.5

Thanks It's A Happy Day!! I stopped at TRU today, looked high and low and almost gave up finding the poker chips. But, there they were right near the registers. I wasn't expecting them to be such a nice set. They will go perfectly in my baskets!!

FYI...for the jelly jar scents, Michaels has big bottles of liquid potpourri on clearance for $2 for a 32 ounce bottle. I got raspberry geranium and vanilla scents. They have 5 or 6 different scents. I also got unfinished wooden frames, 4x6 size for .75(25% off).

 

[OKW Mom]

For hands and feet.
I use Ball jars for them, discount stores sell all sizes and holiday decorated styles.
I start with sugar-it does not burn like salt!
Find an oil in the grocer-look for grapeseed or a mild olive oil.
Tee Tree Oil (Walmart drug area).
Your favorite massage oil (Bath & Body Works sells these cheap when they change labels-Rose or Lavender is especially popular)
A large spouted mixing bowl is helpful.

If you are mixing 6 Ball Jars of scrub to this:
5 Jars of Granulated Sugar into the mixing bowl
Mix in Oil with plastic spoon until fairly thickly wet.
Mix in 6 drops of Tea Tree Oil for each Jar of scrub.
Mix in fragrant oil to your preference.

Print a label from your computer with the ingredients and the directions to apply in a circular motion and rinse in warm water, pat dry and relax.

Spoon the scrub into jars and enjoy the remainder in the bowl for yourself!!!!

 

[pixidust princess]

The great ideas just keep coming. I really need to get started so I have all my ideas done before the holidays!!!

 

[englishteacha]

This year, I'm putting together cake baking sets for my family. I found pretty mixing bowls and "professional" cake pans at a surplus store called Marden's (There are several stores in Maine). I will make homemade cake mixes of our mom's famous chocolate cake and sugar cake recipes, and maybe cookie or brownie mix in a jar. All they'll need to add is the wet ingredients. I also give everyone a Christmas ornament each year. Not sure what it will be this year. I have some plain blue orbs I could paint with a snowman, and add their names and the year. I'm not terribly artistic but snowmen are easy to paint! I'd like to add a "spoonula" (a cross between a spoon and spatula) to the sets, but haven't found any that are inexpensive. I'll keep looking, though.

 

[Kycha]

For hands and feet.
I use Ball jars for them, discount stores sell all sizes and holiday decorated styles.
I start with sugar-it does not burn like salt!
Find an oil in the grocer-look for grapeseed or a mild olive oil.
Tee Tree Oil (Walmart drug area).
Your favorite massage oil (Bath & Body Works sells these cheap when they change labels-Rose or Lavender is especially popular)
A large spouted mixing bowl is helpful.

If you are mixing 6 Ball Jars of scrub to this:
5 Jars of Granulated Sugar into the mixing bowl
Mix in Oil with plastic spoon until fairly thickly wet.
Mix in 6 drops of Tea Tree Oil for each Jar of scrub.
Mix in fragrant oil to your preference.

Print a label from your computer with the ingredients and the directions to apply in a circular motion and rinse in warm water, pat dry and relax.

Spoon the scrub into jars and enjoy the remainder in the bowl for yourself!!!!

Do you know what size jar you use? I saw a case(I think that's 12 jars) of pint size ball jars with bands and lids at Wal-mart for $6.68 today.

 

[DisneyObsession]

I am in the process of making Christmas Placemats for a co-worker. They are easy and fun to make.

1 yard fabric (top)
1 yard fabric (bottom)
1 yard fusible fleece

Cut each of these in 6/ 13x18 rectangles. Place the fusible fleece with the glue side up. Place the top fabric piece on that, right side up, and iron together. Place the bottom fabric piece wrong side up over the top piece. Pin together and sew around, leaving a 5" opening. Turn right side out. Stitch around entire placemat. (I double stitched perimeter of placemat.)

These are very nice and take minimal time to make.

 

[phillipsphamily]

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I try to make as many family type gifts as I can every year. Everyone seems to appreciate them and are always awaiting next Xmas to see what I have come up with.

 

[pigeonmom]

Fantastic ideas. Keep them coming

One year I found some inexpensive small baskets and embelished the edges with stuff from my left over pile: lace, moss, beads, silk/dried flowers, ribbon, etc and attached with glue gun. Easy and very cute

 

[timzagain]

This evening I was contributing to a similar thread on another website and remembered quite a few projects that I'd done over the years

Here's a copy of a section of my post on that site:


From the Computer

"Business" cards - a few years ago, my older girls went through a major phone number swapping phase. I created customized business cards for them using Microsoft Publisher. I used free clip art that reflected the kids' hobbies and created job titles such as Future Olympian and World Famous Artist
Personlized stationery - similar concept to the business card project, using copy paper and envelopes from my home office

From my fabric stash or craft cupboard

Jeans journals - I bought basic composition books and make book covers for them using old jeans (large sized jeans work best). On the front, an old jeans pocket was personalized and decorated with glitter, buttons, sequins - whatever I could scrounge from my sewing kit. Then I stuck an inexpensive novelty pen into the pocket. Using the standard composition books allowed me to easily replace the books when they were finished and reuse the jeans cover.
Superhero/ magician capes from the fabric stash - very simple and a big hit with the recipients
Personalied chalkboards - I bought simple unfinished chalkboards and wooden letters to spell out the recipients name. The boards could be further embellished with craft foam or wooden shapes. Made one each for youngest DD and nephew! They used them for drawing, practicising their letters, doll school etc. Now that the kids are older, the boards are now used for reminders. I'm going to do one for another child - I have access to suitable wood scraps and paint, and I can make the letters etc from polymer clay that I already have on hand.
Personalized aprons - depending on the age of the child, I added a make believe cooking set, a kids recipe book etc. I had bought the recipe book on sale of course, but if I do it again, I'll try to find some free kid-friendly recipes online and make my own book (I have access to laminating and binding equipment that will make it look more professional)
Personalized fabric wall hanging - Old jeans provide a universally appealing background. Recipients name was appliqued. The only thing I had to buy was a dowel rod for hanging. I used large wooden beads from another project at the ends of the dowel to stop the fabric from sliding off!
A Barbie sleeping bag - fabric remnant, batting from another project. If I didn't have "real" batting, I might have used a piece of an old blanket. The only thing I had to buy was the zipper



Enjoy!

 

[coconutsunshine]

I'm reading through this thread now, so if someone has already mentioned this earlier, I'm sorry.

Everyone has sooo many good ideas.

One of my favorite gifts that I recieved was from my mom. It was a beautiful stuffed dog (I collect them) and around his neck he had a home made velvet bag and a letter. The letter had my name on it and told the name of the dog and explained that in the velvet bag I would find wishes and kisses for whenever I needed them and that they would never run out. In the pouch was hershey kisses and little paper scrolls tied in ribbon that when unrolled revealed wishes...

example " i wish that the sky is blue and that the sun shines on your face"

I love this dog and I hold it very dear to me. I think its a great thoughtful gift.

To make it christmassy you can use the christmas colored kisses and gold and silver ribbon for the scrolls. Well you are all soo creative you would know what to do!!

Now back to my reading. I just thought I should add something before I take.

Have a happy day everyone!!

 

[autumnsmommy]

I use the chunky knitting needles and 3-4 strands of yarn to make scarves in about an hour, uses up lunchtime at work, keeps me from eating junk. The needles are #50, I think, about the size of a broomstick. You can use odds and ends of yarns, or go with whatever dollar tree has in stock.

 

[tink576]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this because I'm still working my way through all the wonderful ideas...

For my Grandmother last year, I took all her old photos of her parents, grandparents and herself from when she was little, scaned them into the computer, and then used photo shop to restore them myself...I just have the minimal high school photo class experience from some years ago to help me on photo shop but she loved it...I was able to remove big distracting creases from the photos and (I don't know the proper term) de-fade the photo so that they were chrispers and pulled back details that we had thought had been lost...She loves it...not only because the pic's are fixed up but because now she can have these photos out and about in an album to show her friends, etc... Before she was so afriad of having the pictures out in fear of ruining them because there is that one old copy and that's it...Even if you don't know how to restore photos, just scanning the photos as-is and putting them on a flash drive and taking them to the photo machines at walmart or wherever I believe would be an appriciated gift.

 

[MMluvsWDW]

Thanks for all the great ideas guys! I found so many perfect ideas.

 

[bradyloganmom]

subscribing

 

[snowwhite84]

Hi all. This link was posted in another thread but I thought I would share it here. Looks cute and there are lots of possibilities with it...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bvaRCEwZTm4

 

[MerryPoppins]

I just thought of something I've made that hasn't been mentioned here. It's for a fabric loaf basket. You'll need Christmas fabric, contrasting solid fabric or you can just use another rectangle of the same fabric, thread, and thin quilt batting.

Get out a loaf pan that you like or buy some disposable ones if you'd prefer. Measure from the lip, down under the bottom and up the other side. Add 1 inch the the measurement. Then take the same measurement the other direction and add 1 inch.

For example my favorite loaf pan measures 9 x 12. So I cut a rectangle from Christmas fabric that is 10 x 13. Also cut out the contrasting fabric for lining (or another rectangle of the same fabric). Cut out thin quilt batting the same size. Layer the two fabrics together, right side in. Top with batting and pin. Sew around the whole rectangle, leaving an opening large enough to turn. Cut the four corners and trim the batting close to the seams. Turn the rectangle and slip stitch the opening closed.

Now, bake a loaf of your favorite sweet bread. I usually do banana or pumpkin. After it cools, wrap it in saran wrap and seal it securely. Label the top of the loaf with the type of bread and "gift from....".

Last step (and I do this at the last minute so I can store the "baskets" flat until I'm ready to give them). Center the loaf in the middle of the finished rectangle. Pull up the sides and tack the corners. You'll end up sewing about a half inch or an inch from the corner...can't really remember. This will leave a little point that sticks out at each corner. I've also heard you can sew on little snaps or hooks and hide them with little ribbon bows so that the basket can be easily stored during the year.

We have a church bazaar each year and these sell out quickly. They look like a lot more work than they really are. And you can make them in non-seasonal prints too if you'd rather. Hope my instructions are clear enough. Wish I had one to show you, but I've given them all away.

 

[Crazy Mother of Two]

ooohhhh! I'm just subscribing!
This is an awesome thread! (I like that there is stuff for someone who is as uncoordinated as I am to do!)

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Just treated myself to going through this whole thread! Great ideas. I make granny square christmas stockings. 9 granny squares for the body of the stocking. (three rows of three) One square for the heel. (folded over like a triangle.). Two for the pieces to attach to the heel. Sew all together and then single crochet a cuff for the top and some round work for the toe. Thanks for all the good ideas. Grammy