Anyone "Making" Christmas gifts this Year?

[FlyingBelle]

I've done pillowcases for the kids... I draw a simple large picture of either a girl or a boy and write all over the back of it "Sweet dreams, Sara" or whatever the name.


This was many years ago and I know some of the kids (now college age or older) still use them!

 

[mjbaby]

I've done pillowcases for the kids... I draw a simple large picture of either a girl or a boy and write all over the back of it "Sweet dreams, Sara" or whatever the name.

Oh! You reminded me of the thing I forgot. I'm making my daughter two satin pillow cases, lined in flannel. She has a lot of very fine hair that often gets tangled after she sleeps on cotton pillowcases (cotton allows individual hairs to "pierce" the fabric and the result can be some terrible knots, where on satin the hair just sort of glides over it) so I'm using fabric left over from a princess dress I'm making for a young friend for Halloween. It doesn't match her room exactly, but close enough and I think she'll like having "princess pillows".

 

[tinytink]

Oh! You reminded me of the thing I forgot. I'm making my daughter two satin pillow cases, lined in flannel. She has a lot of very fine hair that often gets tangled after she sleeps on cotton pillowcases (cotton allows individual hairs to "pierce" the fabric and the result can be some terrible knots, where on satin the hair just sort of glides over it) so I'm using fabric left over from a princess dress I'm making for a young friend for Halloween. It doesn't match her room exactly, but close enough and I think she'll like having "princess pillows".

every year my boys and I make personalized candles for all the teacher and office staff. They look forward to getting the candles every year.

 

[Deesknee]

Last year I made a batch of homemade fudge. Then wrote the recipe on an apron for a friend of mine. I personalized the apron with her name and some fabric seashell tranfered on.

 

[disneysnowflake]

What would you guys think if you got "freezer" meals for Christmas?

I would really, really like getting a freezer meal as a gift.

 

[rumblytumbly]

Lots of ideas here:

http://craftster.org/

Careful though...I've spent tons of hours there!

 

[AdventureGuru]

I make something every year...So, far:
Quillows
Scrapbooks
Jewlery
Wine Glass Charms (this years gift-they are easy and quick..relatively cheap too)
Hope this helps!

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

I am so thrilled seeing someone else doing "dinners" for Christmas gifts. I asked my DH if he thought the idea was "cheesy" and he said it depended on what I made and how much cheese was in the recipe - yes he knew what I meant. Anyway...I had decided to do that for my sisters and mom because that's one thing we all struggle with - "what's for dinner". And it's definitely a gift from the heart that won't just take up space. I was over at my mom's last night and they don't use their living room very often - I was in there and tucked under a table was a Christmas gift from last year still in the box. I think it just proves that we have too much STUFF. So - I decided to be different - I'm just wondering how it will go over. What would you guys think if you got "freezer" meals for Christmas?

It would depend on who it was from of course. I hate the way some of my relatives cook! LOL.... Otherwise, if it was from someone who's cooking I love, and espeically if it was a fav meal (I'm thinking mom's stuffed shells.. .yummy.. .maybe I could call and beg) it would be a HUGE HIT!

 

[FlyingBelle]

every year my boys and I make personalized candles for all the teacher and office staff. They look forward to getting the candles every year.

Can you tell us more about these?

 

[kittythepoohbear]

In my spare time I make simple beaded jewelry like earrings, necklaces and bracelets and usually give them as gifts. It is amazingly easy to make beaded jewelry and you can find everything you need in most craft stores. Kids love to help so perhaps it would be a fun holiday gift project. A big plus is that you can start now and be ready for December!

PS - A variation that has been well received by non-family as a gift has been to make a bookmark and then package it with a gift certificate from a bookstore.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

This year I am tackling beaded clothes. My daughter fell in love with these jeans that were jeweled but they were over 50.00 I went to Michael's and bought the BEDAZZLER (yes the same one from the 90's) and I am now doing my girls own clothes. I picked up some nice & plain levis from Salvation Army (my SA is pretty nice) and I am going to add sparkle to jeans, a few tops and a purse and it has cost me WAY under 50.00

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I am so untalented so I thought these would be great to make. Does anyone have a link for the directions?
THANK YOU!!

 

[msdznyduck]

Epsom salts with a few drops of perfume/cologne and food coloring (but only a drop or two......shake well) and put in a cute little bottle from the dollar store. Tie a ribbon around the top

Baby food jars with potpourri and a small doily on top, just big enough to hang down a bit. Wrap a ribbon, tie a bow, and add a small ribbon rose. I have gotten these for baby showers, and also given them for Christmas, just change the color ribbon, doily (white is always a good choice, then just dress it up with the ribbon color)

A few years ago DD and I made soap..really easy and not too messy. Melt and put coloring, scent, etc. We used a loaf pan and cut in slices, wrapped in plastic wrap with fabric Christmas ribbon. Came out really nice.

Check out the easy Christmas snack thread.......it has been revived from last year. If I can find it, I will bump it..........lots of great ideas.

 

[rie'smom]

we need to pop that christmas snack list thread that we could give as gifts....I think it started last year. There were a ton of great recipes in it!

I saw this on the Community board the other day. Last year,I made tons of about 11 of the recipes and then put them in baskets from Wal- Mart. It really is a great gift because of drop-in Christmas company. There have been a few additions to last year's recipes which I'm going to try this year.

One year,I decoupaged the backs of clear glass dishes with old fashioned Christmas pictures. Another year,I hand stitched little lace teddy bears that I filled with potpourri. I bought small and medium sleighs that I filled with bath goodies and then shrink wrapped them. When I pulled an inlaw's name once,I made a wreath that was good year round.When my BIL died,I downloaded a picture of the Madonna and Child(freeware), and ironed it onto a pillow,then beaded it for my MIL-she still keeps it on her bed.

 

[neatokimmo]

I feel very uncreative when I read these posts!

I am making the pretzel rods dipped in almond bark for my co-workers. I make 30 bundles of 4-5 rods and it costs around $10.

I do put sprinkles and tie curly ribbon on the clear bag, do I get points for that?

Kim

 

[DawnM]

My friends make their own massage bags. They sew a simple tube shaped "holder" and fill it with corn (the kind you would see on a farm for feed) and then tie ribbons with "made with love" and instructions on how to microwave and freeze it.

I will be doing a lot of sewing this Christmas.....but mostly on pre-made towels. My sewing machine also embroiders, so I am working on several projects.

Another idea someone told me about was to get those plastic tissue boxes and decopash (sp?) family photos on it.

Dawn

 

[tinytink]

Can you tell us more about these?

I am really into rubber stamping so I hand stamp an image (my kids go to catholic school so I do the virgin mary, the navitiy scene, snowglobes, xmas trees...) onto tissue paper, I use a pigment stamp pad and embossing powder(I use the glitter one but you can get it in different colors) to make it a raised image.(you will need a heat gun to set the embossing powder) then either myself or the kids cut out the image(as close to the image as possible). Then I use the same heat gun to melt the tissue paper onto the candle. I also add some embellishment such as star shaped eyelets just push them into the candle

I find that sented pillar candles work best for the larger images but the small images work really nice on small votives. I usually get these from Michaels or ACMoore when they are on sale >$2 for the big ones, >$1 for the medium ones, and the votives are usually in a 6 pack for >$2. Or just keep an eye out for the clearance candles through out the year and keep them around till you need them.

We usually package them in a hand stamped gift bag with hand stamped tissue paper, you can coordinate the gift bag/tissue with the same image that is on the candle. ( the kids can do this while you do the candle)

I tell you everybody loves sented candles and I even get comments months later that the candles are still being used and how much they love it. Even if they don't burn it they can use it to decorate for the holidays. I usually package up sets one tall pillar, one medium pillar, and 1-2 votives.

Here is where I get all of my stamping supplies but you can always find it at your local Michaels or ACMoore. www.stampinup.com or the online cataloge for the U.S. Residents: http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/stampinup/index.aspx?pagename=storefinder&storeid=1038724

This also works for birthdays, thank you, hostess gifts or really anything you want.

sorry to make it such a long post but if anyone has any questions just send me a pm.

 

[mum4jenn]

I anyone you are giving gifts to have fireplaces you could make fire starter baskets. I did this one year and they were a HUGE hit!!

You melt paraffin wax on the stove and then dip pine cones into it. Next you put paper cupcake liners inside muffin pans and then place the waxed pine cones in each one to drip(cool). After they are cool you wrap each pine cone in non metallic tissue paper and tie at the top with pretty ribbon. I placed several of these in a basket and added some fireplace matches and some kindling wood.


Another idea is to give pretty mugs with spoons dipped in chocolate with cocoa mix and individually wrap with pretty cellophane wrap.

Another idea that you could do with your child would be to buy some think straight pretzel rods and dip in different kinds of chocolate(milk,dark,white) and then roll in different colored sprinkles and ind. wrap in clear wrap and then tie in a bundle and place in a pretty container.

 

[Breakfast@Tiffany's]

Goofy4Donald-I don't have a link, but I saved the directions from the newspaper a few years ago. The pieces of fleece I bought weren't the same size, so I started trimming to make them exact, but in the end, I realized it didn't matter because the ties cover up any discrepancies. It really is easy.

Materials:
2 pieces of fleece, cut the same size (54 inches long for a children's throw, or 72 inches for an adult-sized throw)

scissors, straight pins and masking tape

1. Lay 2 pieces of fleece together, wrong sides facing in. Pin together with straight pins.

2. Cut a 5 inch square from each corner.

3. Use tape to mark a cutting line 5 inches from the edge all around the blanket.

4. Cut fringe, each strip 1 inch wide, up to the cutting line. Be sure to cut through both pieces of fabric.

5. Tie corresponding pieces of fringe all around the border. The ties will look like bows.

 

[hollyb]

I wish I was crafty Every year I say I am going to make gifts then I back out because I am so untalented.