Old Style preparations for Christmas 2012!!!!!

ragz_2

I did an order with Crafty Crocodiles, it arrived yesterday and I am pretty impressed (gave in to plastic in the end, price won out!) got all the kdis stocking stuff now and even with the sweets/chocolate it will come in under £10 each, half the budget! If I can resist buying any more before Christmas of course!

Savvy_sewing

Now that I am back from my summer holiday, and DGD is about to start school, I will be starting to turn my head back to Christmas. All my good intentions of earlier in the year just went by and nothing has been done so far. But with all the useful tips, hints etc on here, I hope that I will be back on track soon.!

mossy

ragz wrote: »

I did an order with Crafty Crocodiles, it arrived yesterday and I am pretty impressed (gave in to plastic in the end, price won out!) got all the kdis stocking stuff now and even with the sweets/chocolate it will come in under £10 each, half the budget! If I can resist buying any more before Christmas of course!

Ha ha, yes this is the problem!! We end up being tempted and buy lots of extra things that we see as Christmas approaches!!

My DD's birthday is at the beginning of Feb, so sometimes if I get carried away with bigger gifts, I save some for her birthday!

miss_emmajane

I have been buying some Christmas treats for Christmas Eve & day but we're going out for breakfast at OHs parents, and dinner at mine so won't need meal items. Morrisons already have half an isle for Christmas sweets & chocs, and the Cadburys stars/Magic Elves at the counters.

I got eight of the magic elves with my normal shopping yesterday and popped them in my Christmas box - they are popping candy inside and I have loved them the past couple of years!

freyasmum

boredjellybean wrote: »

Hi there I'm loving this thread though I fear it may be the new year by the time I read through it all :rotfl:

I've started making my planning lists & noting down prezzie ideas & trying to figure out a budget (no idea how I'll fund it yet tough )

I've a quick question - does anyone know of anywhere REALLY cheap for stocking ideas? I will visit then £ shop but I have 4 stockings to fill :eek: any suggestions would be great

Sarah xx

It totally depends on the ages of the people concerned, but most supermarkets have their stationery marked down - up here at least, our kids went back to school three weeks ago.

In Sainsburys, I picked up little metal tins with colouring pencils in for 80p, they had stationery packs (pen, pencil, ruler, rubber, sharpener) also for 80p and packs of 12 glue sticks for £1. There were loads of things, pencil cases and stuff, all well under £1.

hawkinsbaazar usually has a sale before christmas and you can usually pick up a few bits in there.

My daughter (who's now 6) usually gets a paper aeroplane that you put together - they're about 20/30p and some lidls santa lollies which have about 8/10 in a pack for 80p.

Try HERE as well - little popper-uppers (technical term ) for 25p, plastic jewellery rings for 25p, bouncy balls, 25p, fairy gliders 40p, dino gliders 25p, etc.

Check out the claires sales for little hair bits and pieces, etc for girls.

It's not much, but it all helps fill up the stocking and gives them something to keep them occupied.

I hope some of that helps.

boredjellybean

fuddle wrote: »

Right, I was in two minds whether to buy vodka to just do blackberry schnapps but toffee vodka? Yum!

We're turning our Christmas day on it's heat this year. We're having a Christmas meal in the evening as opposed to lunch time. We want to capture the darkness, candles flickering, cosiness element connecting our meal (just a Sunday dinner with a few extra treat trimmings)

So, for lunch I fancied doing an 'afternoon tea' idea of sandwich, cake and scone but I wanted to have a christmas twist. Any ideas? Turkey and cranberry sandwiches maybe. A cinnemon based cake - what can you do to scones to Christmas them up?

I love this idea!!!! We usually have a big christmas lunch & buffet in the evening but I'm going to suggest a late afternoon tea instead (so late it may be in the evening lol)

rosalie-lavender

I am going to try and make one of these for my Dr Who mad daughter.

[FONT=&quot]http://www.entropyhouse.com/penwiper/who/extermaknit.html

I thought I would share it with you all in case anyone else has Dr Who things to buy or make.
[/FONT]

boredjellybean

lisakay wrote: »

jellybean i will, but you may need to remind me as i'm off to bed now and sleep seems to erase all memory:rotfl:
ur all doing well with christmas preps. i've prepped all the veg for chillililli tonight and tomorrow i need to chop goodness knows how many courgettes for chutney:eek:.
2 1/2 pairs of fingerless mitts finished now.
started on the girls stockings with disney pocket kites in the asd* sale for 75p although i'm pretty sure they'll not fold back up to pocket sized after they've been used!

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chilli-jam-2692

actually, might as well get it done now x i'll have a quick hunt for the marmalade one x

http://www.food.com/recipe/confit-d-oignon-french-onion-marmalade-211001

http://www.deliaonline.com/community/yourrecipes/preserves/Onion-Marmalade.html

have used both of these, both nice but prefer the second one.

Thanks ever so much I will have a go at the marmalade soon!!!!

pollyskettle

Love the idea behind the thread and will definitely come back and read it tomorrow when the littlies are at school, but this idea is worth trying:

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/what-can-i-do-leftover-sloe-berries-sloe-gin-sloe-port-and-sloe-chocolate

I know people remove their sloes at different times so some may be doing it soon to make way for new sloe gin and I've just decanted my first bottle of Sloe Port - it may not last the night, it is delicious. I shall definitely be making more next year for presents (if I can bring myself to give it away ;-) ).

Can't vouch for the chocolate as I'm not trying it, don't like the idea much tbh.

ETA - I left mine MUCH longer than the 6-8 weeks suggested as I forgot about it then went away for the summer. I think I left it closer to 5/6 months, but I'm going to make some for Christmas so it'll be about 3 months this time.

KSB235

Just as an update - I couldn't find any glass pens that weren't just 'permanent' type marker pens. However, found some glitter glue pens in the crafty drawer I keep for when my nieces and nephew visit, and they seem to work pretty well!!

If left to dry totally overnight the glue stays on the glass well, even when washed in lukewarm water, so I'm going to have a little bit more of a practice (I've only managed some pretty odd looking snowflakes so far! Only because of my distinct lack of artistic skills though) and then I'll try and post some pictures, just think its a nice touch to add to bottles and jars of homemade foodie gifts!