Christmas under a fiver!

Hastobe_Katt

The under a fiver presents I hate most are the toiletries. I recently stopped working so, with time on my hands, I sorted out cupboards and drawers. I found 47 bottles of shower gel / shower cream / bubble bath, nearly 30 fancy bars of soap, countless bottles of moisturising / body lotion and several bottles of talcum powder (which no-one uses)!! I had enough toiletries to fill a blanket chest. I have told all family members that, under no circumstances, are they to buy any more.

I reckon I have enough, not only for my lifetime but for those of my kids and future grandkids.

kitschkitty

lol I know the feeling, my mum used to work in Boots, so has a houseful of toiletries, and always tops us up with anything we need, and I'm diabetic so chocolates are out!

I wish people would just ask each other what they want, I could list a hundred things under £5 that I want. DVDs, books, vouchers for a number of different shops, even a few decorative/ornamental bits I've seen in the shops this year!

monkeysallsayboo

it might be a bit late for xmas this year, but for next cmas (yes organised I know!!) i am making my two SIL flavoured vodka. so the cheapest vodka i can find, which at the mo is about £4.50, then add flavour. so for one i am adding cherry drops and the other werthers original. so should just come to £5.00! and i think they will both love them!i will soak off the labels too and put some nice, handmade thing on.

i posted these bits the other days, so without wishing to repeat, but i will anyway

for 3 different children i am making post office sets, so a pack of cheap enevelopes, pens/highlighters, ink stamps (sainsburys 99p for 4), might make a postman bag myself out of old clothes/bags, some cheap paper guillotined to the right size, and some stickers.

also done/doing - breakfast in bed set - my two year old decorates a cheap plate, buy some mini preserves, cheap mug, with teabag/coffee sachet

and boxing day kit - lots of nice biscuits (when on offer) (and not a tin either as you never get many!) some pens, loads of puzzles mags

for one girl i am getting some cheap fairy wings £3, making a crown from felt, might make a wand, if not buy one, packet of bubbles and making a tutu as well.

hollysmum22

i'm thinking pound land 5 items each in a cute little bag from card factory and they are sorted

La_escocesa

lollyball wrote: »

La escocesa
I'm knitting cowl neck warmers (scarves by any other name - but not as long and button closed and look like a cowl neck top). £1.99 for enough wool for 2

Hi, do you have a pattern for these, they sound lovely, what type of wool do you buy and where do you get it from.

Thanks

Lorraine

Hi Lorraine,

It's a free pattern on Ravelry.com. You need to sign up for the website first but it's free to do that too and you can search all the free patterns. I only joined a few months ago and am addicted!

Oooh, actually I've just found it online. It's at the bottom of this page http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2010/10/frosted-glow-cowl-pattern-with-guest.html

I just used a cheap DK acrylic wool (the pattern uses alpaca but that was quite pricey). I got 100g ball and hoping I can get two out of it.

HTH

Hastobe_Katt

I've made lots of preserves, chutneys, bottled fruit, flavoured oils - even fat free Christmas puddings and low fat mincemeat etc to give as presents. I also bought lots of cheap seeds (on special offer in JTF - three packets for a pound) and some sold (again 3 for £1) for charity. I chose easy to grow annual flowers and veg...varieties you can grow in a small garden or in a container. I also made damson gin - though we may drink that ourselves

The damson gin is really easy to make - and if you make it when damsons are in season then it's perfect for Christmas. Just clean the damsons, pierce the skins with needle or sharp knife and then add them to a glass jar (screw top) to about 2/3 of the way full. Pour in enough sugar to cover the damsons then fill to the top with (cheap) gin. Invert a few times in the early days just to mix so the sugar dissolves and leave in a cool dark place for 3 months (the tricky bit!) You can make this with all sorts of fruit.

When you have either drunk the gin or decanted and bottled it, then the gin soaked fruits make a fabulous dessert served with icecream.

Edit - if you can find sloes in the hedgerows then you are only paying for the gin. (http://www.gastronomydomine.com/?p=448) We have a couple of damson trees in the garden so our damsons are free

Also - I came across this site recently (http://www.liqueurweb.com/fruitliqueurs.htm) so I may try fruit liqueurs with vodka next year. Principles look very similar to sloe / damson gin

kippers

Coffee_Diva wrote: »

Cheap baskets & stuff for hampers available at Wilkinsons/£saver/£world......or go to local garden centre--often baskets cheap there as not the growing season. Ikea also does baskets in their garden section.
I'm a hamper gal as well. I find that if you can't find a 'hamper'--use a cardboard box bottom wrapped in Xmas paper and then put all items in--wrap the whole thing in florists clear wrap( use a garden bamboo if you need height, topped with a cheap red ribbon) and it looks like a pro hamper! This is my first post so I hope it helps someone!!!

I've done hampers like this this year...they look fab but what do i do now as i can't wrap them in paper and i don't want them to know what it is before xmas day.

D4WNO

How about some cellothane or even clear/patterned cellothane with a layer of coloured paper inside?

fran-o

Last year my Auntie and Granny got nice family photos in frames - frames were from Wilkos who have a good range at good prices!

This year am trying to make something a bit like this - http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/bombus/product/personalised-nine-heart-map - for my Dad, probably with letters rather than heart shapes. Think I can make it for slightly less than the £165 advertised!!

The crafting for christmas thread is full of fab ideas!

lollyball

La_escocesa wrote: »

Hi Lorraine,

It's a free pattern on Ravelry.com. You need to sign up for the website first but it's free to do that too and you can search all the free patterns. I only joined a few months ago and am addicted!

Oooh, actually I've just found it online. It's at the bottom of this page http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2010/10/frosted-glow-cowl-pattern-with-guest.html

I just used a cheap DK acrylic wool (the pattern uses alpaca but that was quite pricey). I got 100g ball and hoping I can get two out of it.

HTH

Thank you so much, its really lovely, I would be delighted to receive one. I'll have to have a look through my wool basket.