Home made Xmas gifts (merged threads)

This might be a little expensive, but as it's homemade I'll post it anyway!

Buy a bottle of the cheapest vodka you can find and flavour it by putting in sweets or fruit.  I just made toffee vodka using a packet of Werther's originals (hard ones).  The vodka disolves the sweets.  It's really delicious and I don't even like vodka!  Other good ones to try are Extra Strong Mints, chocolate, pear drops.  Or for a more culinary treat use lemon grass, chilli's, peppercorn's etc - these are good with bloody mary's (excellent for hangovers!).

liquorice is good for this too, though takes ages to disolve. sadly doesn't work with malteasers.

and mint imperials makes a drink that kicks the back of your thraot (good in gin too)

Here's my idea, one for the ladies (and sorry cause this one DOES come in a jar :-/)

Get a kilner jar or any nice jar. Fill 3/4 full with very coarse sea salt, add a cinnamon stick and a star anise , a few cloves and the zest or finely grated peel of half an orange or grapefruit. Add a few tablespoons of sweet almond oil, or other good quality, non-scented oil, and a few drops of an essential oil of your choice (grapefruit is nice and uplifting).

You can make any variation you like - for instance, lavender flowers and a few drops of lavender oil, rose buds and rose oil, the list is endless!

Hey presto, your very own fancy schmancy body scrub, The Sanctuary (10 squids for a tub of salt and oil my backside!) eat your heart out!

This one went down very well with my female rellies a couple of christmases ago ;D

Pleasure! It works just as well as the expensive ones too ;D

a few years ago I made an art set for my daughter.I bought a big cassette case from a charity shop,added paper ,a pair of scissors ,pack of felts,pack of crayons and printed 'stickers' on ready gummed paper.I put in a packet of balloons and printed eyes,ears,noses and feet to make balloon people.
Printed out a cut out doll and cut out clothes.
Most of the items were from poundland or wilkinsons and the whole thing was very cheap.
We made a mini art set for a friends present,bought a basket and pens etc.was about £5
I made her a sewing set one year with felt,wool,cotton,scissors,a packet of sewing needles ,thimble and small knitting needles.