Homemade Gifts

MonstersMummy

My mum decided the xmas just gone was going to be a homemade one. With all us girliy members being cooks we all had foodie presents!!
Mum done vanilla sugars but also photo albums from childhood to present day.
I made various jams, relishes, oils and mustards....
I'm going to carry on with it as it is so much more personal.
I'm not much of a crafty person but I love cooking and I know everyone appreciates it. The quantities of some of the presents have meant that even the neighbours got the benefit this year!!! I didn't realise just how much 5lb of ginger marmalade would be!!! :rolleyes:

Queenie

MonstersMummy wrote:

....
I'm not much of a crafty person but I love cooking and I know everyone appreciates it. The quantities of some of the presents have meant that even the neighbours got the benefit this year!!! ....

:T :T :T Well done to you!!

That's the beauty of homemade gifts in one sense, you can contribute foodie gifts and other more crafty family members can contribute something from their own particular talents.

ocemeer

I make loads of foodie type gifts because alot of my friends love them, to the extent they are cheeky enough to ask for refills throughout the year. They do provide me with jars though and they are fantastic guinea pigs so don't really mind. Did not manage it as well this year as was away with work alot adn just found out that I'm going to be away even more this year:eek:.

However i really would like to expand my horizons a bit and make some more stuff to benefit the female relatives and friends. Plus although i cant take my beloved jam pan with me I can do other stuff whislt I am away.
Ideas would be greatly received, though i don't have much space whilst I am away to store much any ideas greatly received
I currently can't knit but its on my £2 coin list of things to do so plan on doing that, any more suggestions?

Queenie

ocemeer wrote:

....
However i really would like to expand my horizons a bit and make some more stuff to benefit the female relatives and friends. Plus although i cant take my beloved jam pan with me I can do other stuff whislt I am away.
Ideas would be greatly received, though i don't have much space whilst I am away to store much any ideas greatly received
I currently can't knit but its on my £2 coin list of things to do so plan on doing that, any more suggestions?

Not foodie, but have you thought about learning Cross Stitch? Easily transportable when travelling around.

li'l_p

Like a few others I make my own cards both for Christmas and through the year. I also make the Christmas cards that my Company send out to client's, for Christmas 2006 I made 300! (I started in July though!).

I do enjoy making things and got a lot of inspiration from the Christmas board in the run up to Christmas 06. I made two gorgeous hampers up for my Mum & my OH's Mum, which went down a treat; OH's Mum couldn't stop going on about "how much thought had gone into them". I even included a nice framed pic of me and OH ...which OH thought was *sad* but his Mum was absolutely delighted with it.

I also had to make an impromptu gift in the week before Christmas after we found out that it was a colleague's birthday on Boxing Day. No panic, a quick spree in Tesco and I got a lined basket, candles, chocolate, hot choc, mug, bubble bath, wine, scrunchie, etc and made her the most wonderful pamper hamper, which my colleagues and the recipient loved.

This year I want to do a lot more HM gifts. I have been inspired by a friend who does beadwork/jewellery, and I am going to start making beaded bookmarks and the likes. You buy the plain metal bookmark part and make your own beaded charms to attach to the end - a bit like the dangly's you get for mobile phones!

I think it's always nice to give HM because you can make a gift/card with the recipient in mind; it's all too easy to walk into a shop and pick up a ready-made gift set without much thought and even then you're paying for the packaging it comes in.

stefejb

redballoon wrote:

why is it that the blokes are harder to make for as well as hard to buy for?!?!?!

i made the blokes toffee vodka

stefejb

My family are brilliant with home made gifts - they really appreciate them. Sometimes i get a bit vexed because they don't use them but display them. a quilt that i made for my neice ended up hung on the wall and some towels i crossstitched for my little sisters were displayed on their bedroom doors for years. exdh though was always rushing out to buy a "proper" present if i made something

Squishy

FZwanab wrote:

Does anyone know where or how I could get started with cross stitching, I think it looks beautiful. Any websites that you would recommend that are easy for the complete beginner and also equipment I would need?

You could always pick up a cross stitch magazine - lots of them come with little free kits which you could try out, and then you have a good magazine to read and a lot of handy tips for the future if you decide its the craft for you.

But be warned - cross stitch is seriously addictive! :rotfl:

TKP_3

I bake for my uncle and cousins (and their families) at Christmas. I alos wrap them in cellophane and big ribbons etc which looks very pretty. 2005 I made them each panforte which they raved about. This last Christmas I made them each a Greek spiced honey cake, and just got a polite thank you from 2 of them (nothing from the third)
I guess not as good this time around. 2007 will be a quick shortbread at this rate :rotfl: (and they will probably love it!)

nannaC

I always make Christmas cakes as presents, along with other foodie goodies. Have made all my grandchildren personalised santa sacks.
This year will start making patchwork quilts/throws again