Old style Preparations for Christmas 2010!!

kymbogs

esmf73 wrote: »

Just a thought for those who have young children. On rainy days this summer hols, get the children to do potato prints on plain paper. Mine did them in January. Paint and a bit of PVA mixed with glitter, potato cut into the shape of a star - lots of different colours - and you end up with loads of wrapping paper (cos they love doing it), half the amount of potatoes you thought you had and a kitchen COVERED in tiny spots of paint where its splashed. Don't get me started on where the glitter ends up!

BUT it is a cheap easy way to keep the kids entertained on a wet day - AND to get something useful out of them! Have got most of the gifts sorted (thanks to charity shops and spotting bargains) but will get back to it when we've finished moving.

Movers in tomorrow xx

Well on behalf of Yorkshire may I offer you a slightly pre-emptive (and mostly off-topic) very warm welcome :T

kymbogs

Well compared to you organised bunch I'm way behind. I've got no money saved for Christmas! I'm a full-time student and so getting 'paid' 3 times a year, the last payment was around Easter time and I don't get the next till September 20th. I put money away from my Jan and Easter payments for summertime activities - so Christmas shall be coming out of the September payment.

We don't go overboard on Christmas anyway, I try to get something small and meaningful and usually we just buy for immediate family. For several years I've toyed with the idea of giving home-made hampers but been put off, being worried about people not thinking much of them but TBH everyone is now so used to me going on about making everything from scratch, foraging berries and sewing things they are really coming around to the idea lol

One thing I could do with some advice on is, what do you use or plan to use to put your hamper goodies in? I haven't costed it up or anything but won't buying little baskets to put the gear in get quite pricey?

powie69

One thing I could do with some advice on is, what do you use or plan to use to put your hamper goodies in? I haven't costed it up or anything but won't buying little baskets to put the gear in get quite pricey?

One thing I did when doing food hampers last year, was to get some free cardboard fruit boxes (especially banana ones), cover it in wrapping paper, and finish it off with some cellophane and curled ribbon. I bought my cellophane cheap off ebay, but you can also get it from a florists.

kymbogs

powie69 wrote: »

One thing I could do with some advice on is, what do you use or plan to use to put your hamper goodies in? I haven't costed it up or anything but won't buying little baskets to put the gear in get quite pricey?

One thing I did when doing food hampers last year, was to get some free cardboard fruit boxes (especially banana ones), cover it in wrapping paper, and finish it off with some cellophane and curled ribbon. I bought my cellophane cheap off ebay, but you can also get it from a florists.

I shall bear that in mind though I'm thinking of something quite a bit smaller, maybe more of a shoe box lol!

midnightraven3

i made homemade hampers last year for the 1st time
i made lots of goodies jams/marmalades/relish/chutneys
soaps/bath bombs etc etc

i also worried what people would think
it wasnt even money that made me do it
i was fed up buying the same stuff each year

within a couple of days i got calls asking for more sweetcorn relish etc

this year i am doing different things in mine
but, the people i made them for last year have asked if i can make 13 more for them to give as gifts to other people

people love homemade
especially when you put the time in to present it nicely

psso

kymbogs wrote: »

I shall bear that in mind though I'm thinking of something quite a bit smaller, maybe more of a shoe box lol!

Do you have a shoe shop near you - ask in there. Most shops ask if you want the box and lots of people refuse them.

gailey - don`t go spending nearly a £ for a jar. :eek:
Ask on freecycle/ freegle or put a card in the local shop window asking for unwanted jars. Other option is buy some of the jars of cheap curry sauce for chutney. Asda`s one is quite nice with some chicken or beef thrown in or even poured over hard boiled eggs with some rice for a quick and easy tea. And buy the cheap jam (mixed fruit type of thing) for jars for your home made jams. Use up the cheap jam for puddings or jam tarts etc.

jollymummy

I've been cutting down on grocery bills etc and paying what's left into a savings account every month, we've also taken coppers etc and paid them in. I'm making marmalade this week for Christmas pressies and will start making cards and making tree decorations next month after DS is back at school. I'm also on the look out for bargain gifts now.

[Deleted User]

made all my Christmas cards a fortnight ago
started to buy 'stocking fillers' in March
already knitted a Chelsea FC blanket for one of my DGS
That's about all so far but when I'm on holiday at the end of this week I shall ba actively looking for gifts to bring home with me for friends

Butterfly_Brain

Luckily our list is quite short this year we don't buy for brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews or great nieces (It amounts to 18 at last count) you have to stop somewhere so we only do close family.
I got all my, cards, paper, gift tags and new tinsel in the January sales.
I have got some charms for DD's bracelet and some warhammer stuff for DS They have both been told that the money is not there this year
I have been getting a book every couple of weeks from Amazon and have been buying smellies and hair products for kids stockings.
I have a book for MIL and on the look out for something else, some long johns and a jumper for FIL and I have also managed to get a nice basket from 99p stores so that I can make them a hamper of stuff.
The kids are old enough to get their godmothers a nice pressie.
I make a few hampers up for just in case someone turns up with a pressie - it can save a lot of embarrassment

pigpen

notjustlaura wrote: »

Gosh, you're organised! My forward planning gets as far as 'Holiday in November - wheee!' and then stops!

My planning goes as far as.. tomorrow, I will wake up...