handmade gifts for christmas and celebrations 2011

cuddles123

LolaLemon wrote: »

Thakn you, i 'heart' them too

the pattern is for knitted ones, i just messed around until i got them for crochet

Adore those slippers - is it an online pattern or did you buy it?

Would love to make some for Grandson.

chanie

THank you for all your ideas ladies, they a fab and are great help to a newbie.

I really like the owls, am wondering if I could do something with them......

On another positive note, I have acquired some stuff to make my magnetic shopping lists. At work, we have a pile of old greetings cards which nobody uses. Well, I nabbed a small pile to use as the cards themselves could be used as the base for my lists and they came with cellophane bags, meaning I don't have to buy any. All I need to buy is some wrapping paper and magnetic strips (I might add a pen if I can find decent ones). I bought the note pads in 99p Store (6), so it is working out to be very economical (I'm determined that my shopping lists come in under £1 each as thats what they are selling for in Poundland).

Giggle

chanie wrote: »

I'm new - have been browsing for a while, but thought I'd jump in and join the fun.

Last Xmas, I did hampers for the family, but this year, I also want to put in a few homemade bits and pieces, so I'll be watching this thread.

I had a brainwave (I'm sure its not original). I've bought some plastic boxes from Poundland (they are in the DIY section and you can put screws etc in the handy little compartments). Anyway, I've bought 4 of them and am going to fill them up with sweeties for my nieces and nephews. My sister got my nephew one for Xmas and it was £3 reduced from £6 in BHS. I'm sure I can do each box for under £1.50, so half price from shop bought. I plan on decorating the boxes at a later date.


Similar to this, but much cheaper.....
Sorry, I can't post links, but homebase sell them for £4.99.

I did some the other year and they went down really really well i think i have some phots on my home page if you want to take a look

callas

I love reading this thread. I have been reading on and off all the ideas for hampers and home made presents and they are so fantastic.

This year I made hampers for everyone, made a fruit cake, chirstmas pudding, crab apple chilli jelly, chutneys and some spiced pears. Along with blackberry volka, brandy and sloe gin.

I have read not to use cheap gin as it ruins the taste, so I did an experiment this year and made one batch with cheap gin, one batch with Gordons and one batch with expensive duty free gin. Got my husband who has many years of experience in tasting gin and said the only difference he could tell was in the sweetness, so I blended them all together and so far every one who got a bottle liked it.

The other thing I like to make at Christmas is crackers - they are time consuming but I spend all year looking in charity shops for little bracelets and necklaces and cuff links along with other little things to put inside.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n524/callas22/IMG_12382.jpg

cuddles123

chanie wrote: »

THank you for all your ideas ladies, they a fab and are great help to a newbie.

I really like the owls, am wondering if I could do something with them......

On another positive note, I have acquired some stuff to make my magnetic shopping lists. At work, we have a pile of old greetings cards which nobody uses. Well, I nabbed a small pile to use as the cards themselves could be used as the base for my lists and they came with cellophane bags, meaning I don't have to buy any. All I need to buy is some wrapping paper and magnetic strips (I might add a pen if I can find decent ones). I bought the note pads in 99p Store (6), so it is working out to be very economical (I'm determined that my shopping lists come in under £1 each as thats what they are selling for in Poundland).

I bought magnetic strips for my bookmarks, but they weren't very strong.
Where do people buy magnets for their organisers and shopping lists please?

chanie

Giggle wrote: »

I did some the other year and they went down really really well i think i have some phots on my home page if you want to take a look

Where's your homepage as I'd love to take a look?

betterlife

callas wrote: »

I love reading this thread. I have been reading on and off all the ideas for hampers and home made presents and they are so fantastic.

This year I made hampers for everyone, made a fruit cake, chirstmas pudding, crab apple chilli jelly, chutneys and some spiced pears. Along with blackberry volka, brandy and sloe gin.

I have read not to use cheap gin as it ruins the taste, so I did an experiment this year and made one batch with cheap gin, one batch with Gordons and one batch with expensive duty free gin. Got my husband who has many years of experience in tasting gin and said the only difference he could tell was in the sweetness, so I blended them all together and so far every one who got a bottle liked it.

The other thing I like to make at Christmas is crackers - they are time consuming but I spend all year looking in charity shops for little bracelets and necklaces and cuff links along with other little things to put inside.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n524/callas22/IMG_12382.jpg

love the crackers callas and well done on the hampers :T

callas

Thanks Betterlife. Next Christmas I am thinking of making soaps and lip balm - making for the girls is much easier than the boys.

CT19720

chanie wrote: »

Where's your homepage as I'd love to take a look?

Here you go Chanie here it is. To get it you just click Giggle's name on the lefthand side of her post above, and the 'visit Giggle's Home page'.

Hope that helps.

betterlife

CT19720 wrote: »

Here you go Chanie here it is. To get it you just click Giggle's name on the lefthand side of her post above, and the 'visit Giggle's Home page'.

Hope that helps.

your blog looks great :T i love the candy bouquets, especially the lolly one (the whitey one) how do you secure it so it stays in a posy shape ? and do you wrap the stem (to hold)?:p