Thinking Ahead to 2010--Homemade Gifts

[TheBeadPirate]

I loved the Homemade thread for this Christmas. I did the journal jar idea for my aunt and she loved it! I also did the tie flannel throws from the 2008 thread and they still went over well this year! (Now I need to make myself one!)


For canning ideas, and for beginner canners, invest in the Ball Blue Book. It has a ton of recipes and complete directions for canning almost everything. The garlic pickled green tomatoes are my favorite!

 

[luvsJack]

We put together some food gift baskets this year; baskets of the basics for some of the seniors on our lists. The baskets were well received.

Another DIY project we did this year - T-shirts! Bought some inexpensive T-shirts and some iron-on transfer paper, and created some customized shirts for 4 people on our list. Most of them featured "smart-alecky" comments, compliments of my DD17.

Next year, I'll be making up food gift baskets for a few other hard-to-shop-for people as well. The contents of the baskets will be tailored to the recipient (e.g. a jam basket for the jam junkie in the family) The kitchen is not my area of expertise so I will not be making any food gifts myself. I intend to buy a few items along the way as I do my regular grocey shopping to spread out the cost, leaving the perishables 'til last of course.

I'm also doing a few simple jewelry projects for some 'tweens on my list. I don't know why I didn't think of that before!

That's a great idea too! DD loves earrings and bracelets and it would be great to make some stocking stuffers! Plus she has a couple of cousins she likes to get things for so it may be a good idea for her too.