Lets get started for Christmas 2011

cuddles123

Speaking of Advent Calendars, I fell in love with this one and plan to make it for my Grandson.

http://inchmark.squarespace.com/inchmark/category/advent-calendar

beccye

Hi all,

Only 176 days to go!

My gift buying isn't going too badly - currently have saved around 70% on everything I have bought thanks to the Boots Jan sale and the Body Shop savings! So doing well I think.

But I'm looking for some help! The last few years I have given gifts to family that my OH's son has made. So last year we decorated wine glasses for adults so that on Xmas day people knew who's glass was who's, and decorated trinket boxes for his female cousins. We have made xmas cakes the past few years and pots of gold with decorated jars. We have even made Skittles vodka for his mum with handmade labels.

Anyway, this year I have had the bright idea of making personalised canvas totes for all the females. I thought I could also deliver the presents in the bags too, therefore no need for gift bags! The bags themselves have worked out at £1 each from ebay. My problem is that all the crafty bits soon add up and what I thought would be a cheap homemade gift looks like it could end up being quite expensive. Do any of you know where I can get cheap, cheap beads, buttons, ribbon, etc?

Thanks in advance,
Bec

midnightraven3

we did that a few years ago now (we also bought the bags from ebay:D)

i buy 99% of my ribbons/buttons etc from ebay.com, and 99% of that is from china, its pence for miles, literally!

here are the ones we did, this we just added the black, and silver ribbon



these although they dont look like bags are the same as the ones above, (they had a boxed gift inside) but again used the silver ribbon

murie

Anyway, this year I have had the bright idea of making personalised canvas totes for all the females. I thought I could also deliver the presents in the bags too, therefore no need for gift bags! The bags themselves have worked out at £1 each from ebay. My problem is that all the crafty bits soon add up and what I thought would be a cheap homemade gift looks like it could end up being quite expensive. Do any of you know where I can get cheap, cheap beads, buttons, ribbon, etc?

Thanks in advance,
Bec[/QUOTE]

Amazon have 6m rolls of vintage christmas ribbon (2cm wide)- some pretty print and a little will go a long way I would think (maybe sew/glue/wonderweb a couple of strips across the top and bottom of bags?).
How about stencilling the recipients initial on the front in fabric paint? (possiblly in red which would look lovely on a cream canvas-very scandinavian)!
That way you wont need too much in the way of decoration- print a large font out on pc then cut round it to create the stencil. Maybe a couple of ribbons tied onto the handles? Last year The Works did some lovely sparkly ribbon on a card for 99p (nearer Christmas obviously)- there were about 4 different 1m lengths on each card. Reindeer,gingerbread men (my fave!), snowmen etc.

As another poster has mentioned -ebay is brilliant for button etc if you want to get started straight away.

Happy crafting!

murie

Forgot to say- ribbon is £4.95 with free p+p on Amazon

murie

Also if anyone is thinking of doing advent calendars for adults, Asda are doing Nescafe cappuncino sachets for £1- I think there are ususally 10 in a box so wrap those up with a small choccy( perhaps something like an Elizabeth Shaw mint? These are ususally available in poundshops or 99p shops) in a little cellophane sachet tied up with curling ribbon for a "sit back and relax for 5 min" treat. I have done this in the past with a homemade decorated cookie- always goes down well! It is ideal to encourage a bit of indulgent 'me time' at a very busy time for most adults.
So- it roughly works out at about 20p per pressie excluding wrap. (with qiute a few mints left over to tuck into as you wrap!)

karen_is_trying

Im thinking of doing an advent but maybe using little organza favour bags only a few pence each and maybe hang them on the tree (at the top away from puppy lol) does anyone know where i can get5 the little crafty coloured pegs from please? x

murie

karen_is_trying wrote: »

Im thinking of doing an advent but maybe using little organza favour bags only a few pence each and maybe hang them on the tree (at the top away from puppy lol) does anyone know where i can get5 the little crafty coloured pegs from please? x

The Works sometimes do bags of these (plain wooden). Wilkinson ususally do the pegs as part of a card hanging pack nearere the time.

Kitchenbunny

I've had a bit of luck with market stalls for buttons in the past - sometimes they'll have a jar of odd ones for a couple of quid.

No more Christmas prep for me so far, unless you count not eating the retro sweeties I bought. I have been thinking of making my own paper though - and doing the old potato printing thing! I know you can get special stamps nowadays, but I quite fancy the idea of having a go at carving a sprig of holly or something on a spud.

HTH

KB xx

Possession

I went to a boot fair this morning and managed to pick up about 12 assorted baskets for about £4 so I feel I've accomplished something! I also tidied up the garage this afternoon so I can see what I've got left from last year I'm a bit of a bargain hoarder I'm afraid and this year when we've no spare money at all I can see it all getting used at last. Otherwise I'm still at the stage of reading through all the old Xmas threads etc and copying recipes and making lists to decide what I'm going to make. Toffee vodka, shortbread, fudge, a chutney, chilli jam, chocolate bark, spiced nuts and snowman soups are definites, plus pots of gold. All the rest is still under consultation!
Oh and BTW at the boot fair this morning I saw buttons and lots of lots of wool.....I won't be doing those kinds of crafts this year at least but might be an idea for those of you that are.