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

We have made

no-sew fleece blankets

no-sew fleece pillows (can make a set with the matching blanket)

no-sew fleece scarves (easiest craft ever-cut the fleece to scarf-size, use scissors to make a fringe on each end, done! We used shamrock pattern fleece on clearance for the Irish side of the family-they loved it!

Can you tell I cannot sew!!! :laughing:
 
Wow i found some great ideas on here. I love the family cookbook one and might try to do that. I make cookies for each family and this year i might try candy too.:thumbsup2
 
So, you guys have me on the ball this morning and I'm making my cookie list. Does anyone make dough ahead of time and freeze it? I'm prego this yr and get tired fast. If so, does it taste the same?
 


One year, we picked and pressed flowers and leaves at the end of the summer.

I bought inexpensive white/natural cube-shaped candles at Pier 1.

DDs arranged the dried flowers into pleasing designs and used thinned Elmer's glue to attach them to the candles. You put the dried flower on and then paint a layer of glue on top.

These were absolutely beautiful. The candles are thick enough that only the inside burns and the "walls" of the candle with the flowers on them remain.
 
Another year we gave sets of magnets. You can buy strong magnets at a craft store. We collected beautiful stones from a nearby woods and glued these on. Be sure to use strong glue.

You can also decorate the insides of bottle caps with photos, pictures cut from magazines or child's artwork, embellish with glitter or confetti, and glue them to magnets. (See the "Capsters" kit by the Klutz company.)
 


An idea I love, is to take a large glass jar and fill it with tons of "memories". Fill it with slips of paper, and on each slip of paper include one memory. Put a note on the jar that 1 paper is to be opened each day. Fill it with lots of memories. This is perfect for parents or grandparents!

Family recipe books. I am currently in the process of making one for my mom, and I am including 1 recipe for each family member (their favorites).

Make copies of treasured photos and put them in an album. Now there will be one "good" album, with all the best/most meaningful pics.
 
Please share the recipe!! YUMMY

Chex Muddy Buddies

9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Into very large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1 qt. microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute. Stir; microwave 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.

2. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2 gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powedered sugar; seal bag and shake until well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool, about 30 minutes.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

* You can also melt the chocolate mixture on the stove top in a saucepan :)


I really like the Candy Apple idea, I think I'll do that one next year :thumbsup2
 
I'm making a recipe book for my Mom to give to the grandkids and other family members. My Mom picked out all her favorite recipes and I'm typing them up, adding photos, getting it copied and bound. It will be something they'll have for awhile.

I'm also planning on doing family scrapbooks for my sisters. I'm starting from the day they got married and adding pages for the kids, grandkids and special events.
 
This is something my 10y dd made for herself this year and is making more for her friends for Christmas.

Take 6 empty tin cans (soup, speghetti Os ,etc), rinse well and remove labels.

Find scrapbook paper you like and cut to wrap around the cans to cover them. She usually chooses 2 coordinating types of paper. Tape them on the cans.

Then using a hot glue gun (and help from me), glue the 3 cans together side by side. Then glue 2 together, place on top of the three. Put the last one on top. It looks like a pyramid with the cans on their sides, openings facing out towards you.

Put it on a desk and it is a desk organizer. She has erasers in some of her cans, paper clips, lip gloss, etc.

It is cute, made of some recycled goods and with all the scrapbook papers out there can really be customized to the receiver.

Allyson :)
 
Last year for the grandparents, I went to Kodakgallery.com and made calendars. They loved them BUT they refuse to use them because it has the kids' pictures! So basically, I got what I thought would be a practical and very useful gift that they won't use! I think I'll come up with something else this year. I'm enjoying this thread!
 
Last year for the grandparents, I went to Kodakgallery.com and made calendars. They loved them BUT they refuse to use them because it has the kids' pictures! So basically, I got what I thought would be a practical and very useful gift that they won't use! I think I'll come up with something else this year. I'm enjoying this thread!

My Aunt and Uncle did this, but they put in photos of adults who don't get along with each other. Did not go over too well.:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: Did that stop them from doing it again the next year? NOPE!!!:confused3 :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
 
Last year I made:

No Sew Tu Tus for my nieces, applebutter and homemade bread for DH and I's Grandparents, filefolder games for my boys and nephews, and a photo calendar for my parents. I'm not at all crafty but these projects were pretty simple and gave me a little quiet time doing the busy holiday rush.

As for my favorite homemade present that's an easy one. My DH's Grandmother is an awesome cook. She is amazing and has kept some of her favorite recipes a secret for many years (her reasoning is that no-one would invite her to the event if they could make her pasta salad :) ). About two years ago, she sat down and hand wrote(it's so nice to see Grandma's pretty handwriting on each page and that in itself is a little part of who she is) each of her favorite recipes and put them into a book for each of her granddaughters and her grandson's spouses. She included a photo of herself and a little of her family history with each book, she also included a favorite memory of either her granddaughter or grandson in each book. It is wonderful keepsake that I'll treasure always. When my sons get married, I can give their wives Grandma's Chicken Noodle soup recipe and it will be a chance for us to honor Grandma.
 
Last year for the grandparents, I went to Kodakgallery.com and made calendars. They loved them BUT they refuse to use them because it has the kids' pictures! So basically, I got what I thought would be a practical and very useful gift that they won't use! I think I'll come up with something else this year. I'm enjoying this thread!

LOL I made my mom one last year using Shutterfly. She loved it and said it was her favorite present. She even put it up but she also put a post-it on it saying "Do not write on this calender!!" :laughing: I think I might give her a Shutterfly photobook this year.
 
I also make calendars but I scrapbook them. My theme is One Year Ago and I have pictures of my daughter each month from the year previous. That way her grandparents can see how much she has grown. I use blank calendars (but with the months and days) and then scrapbook the top part. I have made them the last two years and they love them! It does take time though. In fact, I will starting soon for next years calendar.
 
These are some great ideas! Last year I made Spa baskets from things I got at Targets dollar spot! They turned out really cute! This year I am planning on doing movie baskets. I got large plastic red and white "popcorn" baskets at the dollar store. I have gotten some "movie" candy boxes for .88 at Walmart, 3 pk of popcorn at the Dollar tree and a couple of $5.50 movies at Walmart! Any other ideas of things to add to movie baskets? Also, would love any ideas for $25-$30 basket for teen girl?? or any ideas for baskets for men??? Thanks for all the ideas!:santa:
 

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