Help Me Please With Hubby's Christmas Present!

carlamarie_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3533963

here is the thread, just had a quick browse on there some people are saying the tools are rubbish though....

Ailsb

Hi, sorry to hear about your rubbish year.

Last year we were short of cash - both of us had been made redundant during the year, so I did a handmade Christmas. I made some pickled onions and cabbage, some chutney and jam. Had to buy the pickling vinegar and the onions and cabbage but in total only spent about £4. Made about 3/4 jars of each and gave them to family in hampers. Kept one of each back for a hamper for hubby. Also made a small Christmas cake - I was making a larger one for family and added a bit extra to the ingredients to make his.

I also did the jar of sweets. The other thing I did which he liked and still enjoys is a useless fact for each day of the year. I printed off 365 (will need to be 366 for next year as leap year) facts - some were better and more genuine than others. I cut them up using my craft zig-zag scissors and put them in a covered shoebox. On the top I added a message that said something along the lines of "Take one a day not two, who knows some may even be true". Each night as we go to bed he takes one of the slips of paper and reads the fact out.

He has asked for another box along the same lines this year. May have to try jokes this time.

Hope that helps.

mary-op

chirpychick -you could try Wilkinbsons or Poundland for the little tool boxes...........I picked mine up from woolworths (oh bless them how I miss them) the first year for sweets then for the sos boxes I got some from a shop in Torquay last year on holiday -pure luck really that was.
If you can't get a box you can always put the sweets in layers in a jar...........any jar would do (coffee jar -something like that) and put a little 'hat' on it to pretty it up.
I did some 'pick and mix' tins for my two sons (both grown up) where I had two storage tins from charity shop, labelled them 'pick 'n mix' and filled them with daft sweets and silly quotes ..........sort of a lucky dip.
This year I'm doing a box of new year resolutions for them............not 365 though !! Just whatever I can come up with like ''do a random act of kindness'', ''smile at a stranger''-stuff like that.

Mayflower10cat

I have a very clever friend (who now lectures in Fashion) and many years ago as poor art and design students, she made a one size fits all pattern for mens boxer shorts. It was two pieces only and the one seam went up the middle with a fly opening at the front. She basically ripped apart an old pair of boxers, ironed them and drew around the fabric onto card, leaving a seam allowance. With elastic zig-zagged onto the waist. We bought mens shirts from charity shops, any unusual cotton fabric we could find (even used some red seersucker fabric with holly leaves on that had been a Christmas tablecloth!)

It was a wonderfully cheap project, we all made a selection of boxers for the Dads/brothers/uncles/boyfriends in our lives and they made excellent presents, cost per pair was less than a £1 and most of that was the elastic.

I might just have to buy a cheap pair of boxers to cut up and make a pattern from this year!

chirpychick

Ailsb i love the idea for the facts, i have some jam jars in the outside cupboard i wonder if they would serve the purpose! I could maybe cover it with coloured tissue paper (i think i have some) thats a great present that doesnt cost a penny and i know he would love it.

chirpychick

Mayflower10cat I love that idea, hubby has loads of boxers though, i just went through them all today (and the sock drawer lol) I found some bits of old clothes that i can make into hankies as he still uses one every single day! I can probably make up about 4 without it costing me a penny. Also he had loads of new socks for his birthday so i went through the old ones and found some odd ones to try and make a sock monkey as i have an old pillow with stuffing in it that i can use (ive been saving the old pillow not knowing what to do with it so this is perfect) I also thought about asking on freecycle for some fabric to make up some rice bags as i have LOADS of rice in the cupboard but im sure there was something about the safety of them so i need to google that, but i thought that is something he would appreciate when he gets in from his walk home from work in the winter and i can even make extra for other family members and if im lucky with material then i might even be able to make stuffed christmas tree decorations. I might have to have a hunt in the charity shops for some fabric if freecycle fails.

But thanks to all of you ive come up with a bit of an idea....

wicker basket with tissue paper in it (i have some already and the basket in the loft) tin of tea which i have already, the expensive mug, rice bags, homemade biscuits in a jam jar tied with a ribbon, sock monkey (considering putting olbas oil in it), hankies and maybe one of the £2.97 red blankets from asda.

it can be a winter warmer hamper? what do you think? any ideas as to what else i can put in it that i can either make or buy with the remaining £3? Im thinking maybe a dvd but i would rather put the book in and thought you guys might have an alternative solution?

I figured as he walks to and from work and we have 3 dogs to walk everyday that it could be just right for warming him up afterwards.

he already has scarf/gloves etc.

mcja

What a lovely idea. so much love and thought gone into it. I will be stealing some ideas for my hubby as we have the same limit.

Thanks and well done on getting through the past 12 months, and I hope your dad be ok

mary-op

chirpychick - you're doing so well:T
For free fabrics if you google it there's quite a few sites that offer free samples. I got some and did some xmas decorations (hearts and trees and boots)for one of my sons and his girlfriend -its a 'christmas in a box' with a 'soft tree' included. Done similar for grandson with felt for the decorations and they're more childlike if you know what I mean and I'm adding a can of snow and DIY christmas tree in a can.
To add to winter warmer hamper............sachets of hot chocolate, packets of soup (you can put them in a sort of card to present them better and somewhere on here there's a thread about how to do them)

chirpychick

mary-op great idea about the soup! Hadnt thought about that one but he has loads of cuppa soups and love heinz tomato lol also i didnt even think to get free samples!! Thanks so much i will be looking into that later for sure!!

mary-op

chirpychick - always worth looking on the 'freebie' forum on this site. I've just ordered two free tea samples from Twinings.
Good luck:)