Homemade Gifts

DigForVictory

I get all the cello wrap I use from florists - Interflora Require them to use certain cello's & then the new season's patterns come in & the old cello is just sat... So I toddle around cadging roll ends of whatever they can spare. :j
Ribbon I get from the market, but I have been caught feeding "broad" ribbon through a hairraising collection of craft knives to make several strands of narrower ribbon.

Hadley

Katyboo123 if you like Martha Stewarts website you may like her magazine Martha Stewart Living which you can get in WH smith it's a really good magazine

katyboo123

Hadley wrote: »

Katyboo123 if you like Martha Stewarts website you may like her magazine Martha Stewart Living which you can get in WH smith it's a really good magazine

Thank you so much what a lovely suggestion!

I will probably have to wait until after Xmas though as I can't justify another magazine purchase (OH would kill me!)

Hope your Xmas preparations are going well X

MuchAdo_2

I've just come across this thread, stealing lots of lovely ideas

One of my favourite HM gifts is herbs! They're so cheap & easy to grow on my kitchen windowsill

I re-use any pretty baskets or pots I can find, or pick them up if I see them cheap in Wilkos etc. I grow 4 kinds of herb per pot, wrap them in pretty tissue & finish with gold ribbon & a hand-written tag.

Last year I went with themes - Italian for my mum (basil, oregano, marjoram & thyme), Stews & Cassaroles for MIL (rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme)

katyboo123

MuchAdo wrote: »

I've just come across this thread, stealing lots of lovely ideas

One of my favourite HM gifts is herbs! They're so cheap & easy to grow on my kitchen windowsill

I re-use any pretty baskets or pots I can find, or pick them up if I see them cheap in Wilkos etc. I grow 4 kinds of herb per pot, wrap them in pretty tissue & finish with gold ribbon & a hand-written tag.

Last year I went with themes - Italian for my mum (basil, oregano, marjoram & thyme), Stews & Cassaroles for MIL (rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme)

Think this is a lovely idea - my Aunty made my Cousin a herb box for his flat when he moved away. It's small enough to fit on his tiny balcony (his only outdoor space) but also crammed with about 20 types of complimentary herbs. It smells wonderful!

I like the idea for Christmas. It's a good take on the Christmas hampers I suggested. X

chewy62

Great thread! Where wold I go about finding hampers as cheap as possible, or is there something else I could use?

katyboo123

So, my Mam told me that Christmas Cake is traditionally cut on New Years Day which means a beautiful Homemade Christmas Cake might make a great present for a friend or relative. Especially someone on their own as they probably won't bother making one just for themselves...

This is our old family recipe for making one. http://nanna-kate.blogspot.com/2011/10/piece-of-family-tradition-cake.html then you can just wrap it up and make it look pretty... Good luck!!!!

snowleopard61

Thank you for this thread, which is brilliant - I'm really hoping to make a little money go further this year by making some presents. There are some great ideas here.

For my ex-husband's 50th this year (we are still good friends) I made him an album of photographs as I realised I had a lot of the photos of our friends and places we'd been when we were younger, as well as most of those of the children as they were growing up, so I copied a lot of them. It was sort of a 'This Is Your Life' thing. I didn't make the album itself but covered it in a fabric I knew he'd like. Also gave him a wicker basket I'd filled with shortbread, chutney, savoury biscuits, potted Stilton etc. and he was delighted.

I recently saw a mail order advert (slightly oddly, from Card Factory who have taken over the vg website Getting Personal) for chocolate 'pizzas', which were £14.99 - I thought this was extortionate, although I realised they were on solid chocolate bases, which would make them very expensive. However, I thought I could make some, using a homemade chocolate biscuit base and using things like grated white chocolate for cheese and glace cherries for tomatoes, and chopped up Flake bars for sausages. Would be a great present from me to my elder daughter's boyfriend (aged 21 and just loves pizza). It also gets over the awkwardness of the fact that his family have far more money than I do, as they don't tend to make anything at home and it would be special. I'll probably make them as an extra present for my two daughters (18 and 20) as well. Does anyone know where I might get something that looks like a pizza box to give them in?

snowleopard61

Chewy62, you could try to get hold of some strong cardboard boxes and line them with pretty paper or fabric?

tea_lover

There are some brilliant ideas on here! I was thinking glittens for my sister (have started these) and some biscuits in a jar or basket for OH's dad and stepmum.... but having been inspired by this thread I may make some more things too.