Homemade Gifts

Queenie · 7 February 2005 at 9:06AM

Do you make your own gifts? If so, what do you make?

Perhaps you've tried giving HM (homemade) gifts and have had a negative reaction and felt it wasn't worth your effort due to lack of appreciation?

Have you any success stories of HM gift giving that you would like to share?

Would you feel too embarassed in this commercialised age to even *think* about giving gifts that you have made yourself?

Lillibet_2 · 7 February 2005 at 10:02AM

Last year I made bathsalts & gave them to a few people, everyone seemed pleased, espeically those with sensitive skin who can't usually use toilteriets but can use these because there is nothing in them to be allergic too. I also have a friend who makes flavoured cooking oils & home made wine & gives these at Xmas, the oils are lovely but it has to be said that the wine is a bit hit & miss!

culpepper · 7 February 2005 at 10:34AM

I knitted OH a jumper once.He spent ages examining the 'quality' and commenting on the style despite having picked it out from the pattern book himself!!(never again) .Now I just knit for myself and the kids.
I made my father in law a Peking chess set using rubber moulds and metalic resin. I packed it into tissue and boxed it up.It looked quite impressive! He keeps it out on display.
We made an art set for my daughters friend for her birthday.We bought a little wicker basket in a charity shop and filled it with pens and pencils and paint brushes ,ruler,rubber,sharpener.She was thrilled.

Allexie · 7 February 2005 at 10:54AM

I used to be into arts and crafts, especially lacemaking and needlepoint....but sometimes, after having spent weeks and sometimes months on a piece of work that was intended as a gift, I just couldn't bear to part with it!

Galtizz · 7 February 2005 at 3:01PM

Have a look at the Christmas links thread here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=7238. There are lots of links to home made presents most of which can probably be used for any time (not just Christmas).

I had a home made Christmas and I made almost everything (but I don't buy for anyone under 12 and that isn't a close relative so they got cookies).

I made; loads of cookies and bought a nice jar to keep them in (made 4 of these); a cushion; a hamper of chutney, pickles etc.; plants, either a cutting from a plant or bulbs (hyacynths planted in a small, looks like a fish bowl with bright one colour fish gravel instead of soil); knitted a hat and scarf; bought some olive oil and put some chilles or basil in for 'fancy' flavoured oil, fridge poetry and (my favorite) an emergency food tin (see the thread for details).

All were really well received, I keep getting texts even now 2 months after Xmas, re the e.food tin i.e 'I made soup for tea and it was yummy.' It sounds daft but I can remember everything I made for people and I feel really good when I see that people are wearing the hat or eating the food.

Apart from the chutney and pickles hamper and the scarf everything is being used or on display. Even people who I thought might think I was 'cheap' or a bit weird loved it and said they appreciated the amount of time and thought put into the gift.

I think if you are worried about peoples reactions do as I do and 1/2 make everything i.e I made the cookies but bought the tin that way you have still bought something they can keep. Or be brave and tell them not to be so materialistic. I tested the water first by telling one person I was making something for someone else and saw what the reaction was. The other thing is think about the person you are giving the gift to. I couldn't knit the 12 year old a jumper, no matter how trendy the design so I made food and he wolfed it down

The most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing and to remember that you are not being 'cheap', try working out how long you have spend making the gift and price it based on minimum wage (£4.50 per hour?) then see how much it 'cost'.

Trow · 7 February 2005 at 3:05PM

I made homemade sweets one year - truffles, chocolate coated brandy cherries, chocolate coated rum raisins and fonants, they seemed to go down very well.

'Fraid I don't have as much time nowadays.

tiff · 7 February 2005 at 3:19PM

Sometimes I wish we were more like America in this respect. They do a lot of crafts, make things at Christmas to give the neighbours, when we moved into the street a couple of the neighours came and gave us some home made cake. I think they are more into "thrift" stores too. Although lots of people on here shop at charity shops etc, most people I know are very materialistic and would look at me as if I was strange. Thats the hardest part to get over. I was looking at dressing gowns on ebay earlier for my daughter and ummed and ahhed over weather to get one, what would my mother say!

My husbands family spend £40 on each adult at Christmas (none of the others have children except us) Therefore we are expected to pay the same and when there are 10 adults that comes to £400 before our own children are taken into account. I just dont know if I'm brave enough to make them their gifts and see their reaction. They would happily pay over the odds for something home made in a shop though!!

Queenie · 7 February 2005 at 3:45PM

tiff, I understand your dilema.

Certainly Christmas is not the time to bring up the subject, but during the course of the year, say on smaller events - Mothers Day, Easter, you could perhaps get away with a test run and see what reaction it gets? I especially like Galtizz's idea about presenting some hm cakes/biscuits etc in a bought pretty tin/box that can double up for something else afterwards. You could get really imaginative with that too!

For example: Buy a colander, put in hm jam, hm bread, maybe a bottle of hm flavoured oil, etc., (I'm not sure of your childrens ages, but they could "help" in the making of these things - make it easier for relatives to receive it

)

Another thing I have done in tighter times when I really haven't had the money - is to turn to humour! My brother in law got a "Belly Button Blowdryer" (a straw with poem stuck to a card). Another male friend got "Essex Boy Home Made Bubble Bath" (a tin of baked beans with my own design label stuck over the top of the original with clipart added). My dh got a "Duct Tape Wallet" (he fixes *everything* with duct tape so this was truly hilarious.

If you get the feeling that your hm goodies aren't going down so well, you can at least boast that they are original and UNIQUE therefore ... PRICELESS.

cath-w · 7 February 2005 at 3:52PM

I make most of my gifts and cards. This Xmas I made cards for all the family and close friends and just bought a pack of 20 cards for everyone else.

I do a lot of crafts, mainly knitting and sewing. This year I made a scarf from the most beautiful, soft angora wool for a friend. For another friend I made a bag. Another friend got a lambswool, beaded scarf. Everything was made by myself and much appreciated by my friends. My friend who got the bag has had loads of people asking where she got it from. For one of my nieces she also got a knitted scarf and I made her a quiz book too full of word searches and puzzles I created myself and printed out in a folder I decorated.

I am already planning gifts for next year also. I am lucky in that I am fairly skilled at needlework to the extent that I am hoping to start selling some of my designs commercially next year if possible. So far everyone has genuinly been happy with their gifts which was lucky. .

C.

Galtizz · 7 February 2005 at 5:42PM

Tiff, You design and print really well done lables and tags (on card), some trendy shops attach there lables with old fashioned string or raffeta or a safety pin, and say you bought them from a 'quaint little homemade place' somewhere miles away (like, where you went on holiday) so that they'll never go, (or say the shop was only open for Xmas and has closed down now)

Or, tell them before hand that you are going to have a 'proper' traditional homemade Xmas and they can re- adjust there budgets if they feel they need to. I was quite surprised that a lot of people I thought would be snobby said 'oh that's a lovely idea, I wish Xmas was more like that, it's so commercialised now :rolleyes: '
Or, as Queenie suggests try testing the water with a home made hamper with a few homemade stuff in. Check out the link I posted, there is a whole thread on hampers, not just food, candle hampers, drink hampers (I made a coffee hamper with a nice quality big mug from Denby 2nd shop £2.50ish, add a few sachets of instant cappuchino and make some chocolate spoons so that when they use those to stir it it makes a mocco-chino). Give it a go, you might be surprised at peoples reactions.

Good luck

Ticklemouse · 7 February 2005 at 7:25PM

My MIL's next door neighbour knitted her, my SIL and even me one of those fluffy scarves that are so fashionable this year. It was totally unexpected and I loved it. See, you just never know.:)

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