Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas for 2012

[KelliLee702]

Hey Crafters!

Let's start here with ideas for homemade gifts for this coming Christmas.

Last year I made Rice filled heating pads out of small hand towels.

What have you made that was successful?

Thank you in advance for all your ideas . . .

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

Subscribing to this...especially with my job situation, any help is needed...let the ideas flood in!

 

[jdcthree]

I love to make gifts, so I know I won't remember everything, but here are a few:

Lotion bars
Picture frames
Scarves
Dishcloths
Wreaths
Scrapbooks
Pillows
Blankets
Jewelry

This year I'm making movies with photos and video clips using Windows Movie Maker. I'm really excited about this as I know my family will cry, lol!

 

[Goofygirl17]

I would love some creative ideas.

How did you make the heating pads?

 

[staciepm]

I am thinking of making chalkboard frames for my family. I have a bunch of old frames from Target and other places that have small scratches etc. I am planning to buy a small thing of chalkboard paint and repaint them. I will put a cute picture in each- black and white looks good in the black frame. Probably gift with a cute piece of sidewalk chalk.

For my teen I will paint a cheap locker mirror for this. Might be cute for all her friends. Hmmm might pick up the paint today and try it.

 

[mward73]

A couple of scrapbooks, a couple of cross stitched things.

then non-crafty - I put together food baskets for each family with homemade bread (I use the small pans and do a few kinds), salsa (hot & summer), homemade chips, pickles (dill, bread & butter and watermelon). Might put spaghetti sauce in this year as well. I usually include some new dish cloths to match their kitchen or are neutral. Friends that bake, I add a cookie cutter (or baking item) and some homemade vanilla. Baskets aren't always in an actual basket - my mom is a gardener, so hers is in a huge flowerpot, etc.

That's pretty much all the adults I buy for. If they have a kid in the family, I include a toy (legos, barbies, etc) for the kids, but this limits how much stuff people have to store after Christmas.

 

[disney fan4]

We always give the grandparents and great grandparents homemade gifts. Let's be honest, they could go out and buy anything they wanted. And they alway love stuff made by the grandkids. I have made

Ornament - paper mache painted with metallic paint and covered in seed beeds. This was a hit, they thought the ornaments were store bought.

homemade scrapbook hanging calender - I liked this better than the printed ones you can buy. By the time you get to December, you are looking at a year old picture. I decorated each month, gave it at Christmas. Then at the beginning of every month gave them a picture to put on that months page. This way they were looking at new pictures not old.

Plates - We have a local pottery store where you can pay for classes to decorate plates etc. But you can also go in and buy everything and do it yourself, (which is sooo much cheaper). I bought plates and three colors of paint. Used my kids fingerprints to make grapes, outlined them with a darker purple and free handed a stem and leaf in green. Then had the store glaze and fire them. I don't think I will ever top that present.

Memo board - Not very expensive if you use scrap wood and takes very little fabric. I got my ribbon 50% off at hobby lobby.

I have no clue what we are going to do this year.

 

[4 Ears]

This year I have either done am planning on it. clear round and square ornaments from oriental trading that i ave painted, a wooden step stool for my grandson, a blanket that I painted snowman on with fabric paint, coasters with their state on them oh and have started on Xmas cards; palm trees with lights and the hi there, hey there, Ho Ho ho there.
Looking forward t some ideas.
What people love, calendars.

 

[Soulsearching]

I made these for my half bathroom and have gotten asked where I bought them all the time. They are framed fall leaves.

I bought frames from the dollar store, textured paper from the craft store and fall colored large leaves from my neighborhood.

I used black frames, tan colored textured paper and colorful fall leaves in different shapes and placed them in the frame.

I made a set of three, the center frame has one large leave and the other two have two smaller leaves in them each.

They work very well with the decor in that bathroom, but honestly they can be used anywhere and you can make them any size you wish.

Using a very small signature "made with love by Jane Doe" in the corner makes it extra special.

 

[DOREEN1779]

I make chocolate houses. All chocolate with sugar candy decorations. I make 15 a year because they take so long. I paint the trim and edging different colors so each wall takes about 30 minutes. I wrap them in cellophane and a nice bow and deliver each one 10 days b4 Christmas. You can also make sleighs, pops, trees, or smaller pieces. It is very labor intensive but very affordable.

 

[KelliLee702]

I love to make gifts, so I know I won't remember everything, but here are a few:

Lotion bars

What are "Lotion Bars"?

Thanks

 

[KelliLee702]

I would love some creative ideas.

How did you make the heating pads?

I used the small "finger tip" size hand towels. I folded it in half (right sides together). Sewed both "sides" of the folded towel leaving the "end with fringe" open. The I turned it right side out. I pinned the end and sewed it leaving about a two inch gap opening. I filled it with plain white rice. Then sewed the "opening" closed. You can heat it up in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. I do not recommend using towels with any "metal" thread decoration as it might be a problem in the microwave. I have been told that you can add essential oils to the rice to make it smell good. I have not tried this.

 

[jdcthree]

What are "Lotion Bars"?

Thanks

They look like little soaps, but they are lotion. The heat from your body warms the bar as you rub it on your hands, so you get the creamy lotion in a bar instead of pumping or squirting it out like regular lotion. I found a recipe online that used beeswax, coconut oil, and I don't remember what else!

You can decorate cute little containers to keep them in, and you can use soap molds to make different shapes. If you google lotion bars you can get an idea of what they look like.

 

[BusyMom2Three]

DH's aunts/uncles and grandparents always tell us and DH's adult cousins not to buy them anything, but we still like to do something for them. I bake a lot, so I often fill decorative tins (either recycled amongst family members of from the dollar store if I rarely run out) with different types of homemade cookies and fudge. I've also layered cookie ingredients in a mason jar, tied a pretty fabric remnant over the top w/ a ribbon, and attached the baking directions. Sometimes I just assemble baskets of treats people like that are inexpensive (single serving of coffee/tea/cocoa, a chocolate bar, a bag of popcorn, a soup mix, a pretty bar of soap, tea lights, anything really).

I would like to start making more things that don't take too much time/craftiness (I'm not patient in the crafting dept lol), so I'm looking forward to what others post.

 

[Mouseless2Long]

Last year, I made homemade vanilla extract (vodka and vanilla beans) and vanilla sugar. Made a nice gift set...not really something for guys, but my female friends and family loved it!

 

[Amii]

What are "Lotion Bars"?

Thanks

Here is a link to my favorite recipe for lotion bars. There are step by step instructions and pictures showing you what to do. It is my favorite hand/foot lotion in the winter.

http://www.herbmentor.com/make-your-own-lotion-bars-for-holiday-gifts/

 

[Arynrm1]

I grew gourds in my garden this year, way more than I thought I would, so I plan on making birdhouses or just pretty decorations with them. Let them dry and shellac them, they are so pretty!

 

[dvc at last !]

I am in for some ideas...

 

[PebblesMom]

The past couple of years I did soap and different "flavors" of epsom salts! This year I think I am going to try to make paper bag photo albums! I am up for any ideas! I love making homemade gifts!

 

[KigerKat]

I have made soap in the past to give away as gifts. I used to make soaps and sell them on Etsy, so I have a lot of the supplies to make it with oils and lye. But you can go to your local craft store and purchase melt and pour soap bases, fragrance/essential oils, and coloring to do it the easy way. You can also purchase inexpensive molds at the craft store, or use a variety of household items as molds (muffin tins, tupperware container).

You simply just cut the soap bases into small chunks, add fragrance and color, then pour into a mold and let cool. Then pop them out of the mold, wrap, and give as gifts!!