Budget homemade gift people go WOW over?

[dixonismydog]

well, i DID jam the lights in the Belvedere bottles and they look lovely!

I bet....I am going to try a couple for myself to go with my other Christmas decorations! AND for the price, when company stops in, if they love them.....they can take one home with them!!

 

[lukenick1]

well, i DID jam the lights in the Belvedere bottles and they look lovely!

AWESOME enjoy!

 

[beansmom]

I bet....I am going to try a couple for myself to go with my other Christmas decorations! AND for the price, when company stops in, if they love them.....they can take one home with them!!

only if I go swipe some more outta the trash at the bistro!

and the LED twinkly lights were $8....so I might have to say no.

 

[dixonismydog]

only if I go swipe some more outta the trash at the bistro!

and the LED twinkly lights were $8....so I might have to say no.

Ohhhhh....the LED's are a little more. It would wok with the regular mini lights though huh? I have a glass cutting bit......so I will drill a hole in the back.

You should post a pic....I would like to see it with the LED's! I am going to show friends of mine, that own an orchard and cider house. They produce hard cider and are always having fancy open houses! These would be sooooo pretty!

 

[tinkermom23]

I received a really cute pair of homemade mittens last year and LOVE them!! I found a couple wool sweaters, bought some flannel, and this weekend I will attempt these myself.
By the way, my friend is a "hockey mom" and takes orders for these. She sells them for $20/pr. and has made a lot of $$ off this idea!

There are other websites with directions but this one had the best pictures.


http://twoboysandabeagle.blogspot.com/2009/01/sweater-mittens.html

 

[leadfootlevi]

I received a really cute pair of homemade mittens last year and LOVE them!! I found a couple wool sweaters, bought some flannel, and this weekend I will attempt these myself.
By the way, my friend is a "hockey mom" and takes orders for these. She sells them for $20/pr. and has made a lot of $$ off this idea!

There are other websites with directions but this one had the best pictures.


http://twoboysandabeagle.blogspot.com/2009/01/sweater-mittens.html

You can make really cute (and easy) hats with wool scraps too.

 

[Disney Doll]

What budget gift have you made for friends and family that made them say WOW? Here is my budget "Wow" gift. Set of xmas lights stuffed into an empty wine bottle. Must be a single strand of lights (25-50 lights), not the ones that connect to more lights. So inexpensive yet so elegant looking. Any other ideas?????

Could you post a picture of this?

 

[MEM]

Could you post a picture of this?

I found this link, to give you some idea. I would probably skip the rub-on transfers...

http://www.marlenewatson.com/craft_project_lighted_wine_bottles.htm

 

[Disney Doll]

I've made the glass bulbs with paint in them before and people loved them!! Topped off with a pretty ribbon and they're very pretty. Five years later, they still look great!

The trick is using enough paint and swirling the colors instead of mixing.

My boss gave a clear glass ornament that she had put potpurri into. She took the little metal thingy off the top (that has the loop for the ornament hook), filled the clear glass ornament with a Christmasy potpurri...she tried to find one with a lot of colored stuff in it...and then replaced the metal thingy.

I thought it wass a lovely gift, I still have it and I hang it on the tree every year, invariably next to some lights and it has not exploded or caught fire yet.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

I found this link, to give you some idea. I would probably skip the rub-on transfers...

http://www.marlenewatson.com/craft_project_lighted_wine_bottles.htm

Look at page 2 as well- I really think they are pretty. I told my DH we need to go the store and find some wine or something in a pretty bottle or two, and go home and get tipsy and make these. You know, he thought it was a great idea too when I put it that way

 

[Disney Doll]

Well said! It's not that I don't appreciate a homemade gift, I do. I would love a scrapbook or homemade baked goods, love the homemade mixes in a jar. I just personally don't like knickknacks, especially not ones w/ crochet doilies on top (the one my aunt bought me). I just don't. That kind of a gift seems completely devoid of thought. It's not about getting me something from a list or that cost a certain amount. Let me throw some lights in a jar. That doesn't really seem like much thought in the same way that making a scrapbook or making some baked goods, etc. I agree with other posters, in that instance, I'd rather you not buy me anything or buy me a $5 candle from Walmart or a box of candy canes, something that actually can be used.

I'm glad you'd rather I not buy you anything because if I ever found out you had that attitude about my gifts, I wouldn't be buying you anything.

 

[Disney Doll]

Thank you for breaking my mental block on how we are going to decorate clear ornaments at my DD's holiday party! I was worried about having the paint inside and it drying in time but filling them with sparkly stuff and letting the kids paint their name on them will be perfect!

If you can find some of that shredded paper that is often around now that people used to put into gift bags, that looks nice inside clear ornaments as well. I have some that are filled with iridescent shredded paper and they look really pretty up against the tree with the tree lights shining through them before they combust and light the entire tree on fire.

 

[thebeesknees]

For those who asked, here is the orange-chocolate truffle recipe:

Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 T heavy cream
4 1 oz. squares semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 T orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. grated orange zest

Coating:
4 1 oz. squares semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 T vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, bring butter and cream to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, orange juice concentrate and orange peel; stir until melted and smooth. Pour truffle mixture into a shallow bowl. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper. Shape chilled truffle mixture by rounded teaspoons into small balls. Place on prepared baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

In the top of a double boiler set of simmering (not boiling) water, heat chocolate and oil, stilling until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to a bowl. Cool completely.

Drop truffles into melted chocolate mixture. Using 2 forks, lift out truffles tapping gently on side of bowl to allow excess coating to drip off. Return truffles to baking sheets lined with waxed paper, and chill until set.

 

[nunzia]

Yum..thanks!

 

[ilovepcot]

I make hand made Christmas gifts for friends. Here's one for a neighbor who has parrots. Never occurred to me she may view it as a "dust catcher" .

 

[beansmom]

lovepcot...those are BEAUTIFUL. I don't think anyone would consider that a 'dustcatcher'.

 

[dixonismydog]

lovepcot...those are BEAUTIFUL. I don't think anyone would consider that a 'dustcatcher'.

Agreed! I think it is beautiful!

 

[Pigeon]

I make hand made Christmas gifts for friends. Here's one for a neighbor who has parrots. Never occurred to me she may view it as a "dust catcher" .

There's a slight difference between a work of art in stained glass made for a particular person because you know she likes parrots, and jamming a string of lights in a used wine bottle. And I doubt the stained glass was all that inexpensive to make.

 

[Cruise]

I make hand made Christmas gifts for friends. Here's one for a neighbor who has parrots. Never occurred to me she may view it as a "dust catcher" .

Holy crap, that sure beats my homemade soap.

 

[ilovepcot]

There's a slight difference between a work of art in stained glass made for a particular person because you know she likes parrots, and jamming a string of lights in a used wine bottle. And I doubt the stained glass was all that inexpensive to make.

For someone not having a great deal of left over scrap glass from other larger projects, yes, it would be expensive to make. I use scraps to make gifts when possible and *try* to be thoughtful when choosing subject matter.

Holy crap, that sure beats my homemade soap.

That really did make me laugh and I sure needed to. Thanks! By the way, wish someone in my family made homemade soap.

Agreed! I think it is beautiful!

Many, many thanks!

lovepcot...those are BEAUTIFUL. I don't think anyone would consider that a 'dustcatcher'.

Hopefully you're right. Many thanks!