The Festive Fivers competition is back!

vikki_louise

Name of present- Christmas burst
Price-free
-homemade

Before you go to bed take a left over roll of paper and stick it to the door frame to the living room so you are left with a door of paper. In the morning the kids have to run and burst through the paper to see what father Christmas has brought

vikki_louise

Name of present- sleigh bell
Cost-£2
Shop brought

Buy a big bell, you can get sleigh bells on eBay or in shops. Attach it to a piece of ribbon and put it somewhere visible in the garden from inside. Suddenly 'spot' the bell and point it out to your child. Wow a sleigh bell fell off santas sleigh and your lucky enough it fell in your garden. How many kids have a bell from santas real sleigh??

This one is £2.49 but comes ready on ribbon, there are cheaper ones if you search though http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Christmas-Sleigh-Bell-Necklace-/300777361125?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Celebrations_Occasions_ET&hash=item4607ba4ee5

Tinkerbell960

Name of present: Personalised note book
Whether it's bought or homemade: both
Total cost: 50p-£5 depending on what you already have at home, and where you buy what you need
Details (where it's from, how to make it etc):
1. Buy a hardback note book, ideally of A5 size as it fits easily into most bags and is easy to carry around. The cheapest I have seen these were two for £1 in "The Works" book shop, but these can also be bought from most supermarkets fairly cheaply. Try to find one with decent quality paper inside.
2. Measure a piece of scrap fabric the size of the front cover plus 1-2 inches on all sides.
3. Using scrap buttons or beads sew on the recipient's name or other appropriate word (sister, mum, love, etc; 4-5 letters is about the limit if portrait) to suit that person. You can buy bags of mixed buttons/beads from ebay from about £1 if you don't have any, or you can use old or broken (cheap!) jewellery. You could even use just thread, but I think the buttons look better. Make sure you position it correctly so it is in a good place on the book
4. Using fabric glue, glue the underside of a neat seam (right side of the fabric) next to the spine to give a neat edge, lining up your word in the correct position
5. *optional* cut a piece of wadding slightly smaller than the front cover
6. Making neat seams, glue the other three sides on the back of the front cover, trapping the wadding in centrally, you may need to glue the wadding down first.
7. Tie a long piece (or two) of very narrow coordinating ribbon to the top ring, if ring bound, or glue to the inside of the back cover if not to act as a bookmark. This ribbon can be bought from a haberdashery store for about 20p a metre.

Don't worry if you can see the glue or the fabric puckers, it will dry fine in my experience!


My sister is a prolific list writer and always carries a notebook and pen in her handbag. I made her this for her birthday using a vintage-style blue and green floral fabric with blue and green buttons sewn on to spell her name. It was really subtle, very much her style and she loved it.:D This can be tailored to the recipient, using different patterned or textured fabric and decorate with beads, buttons, diamante etc, or just tailored to use what you already have in the house. Think old clothing that you never wear, old bedding that is past it's best and old broken jewellery.

falldown7timesgetup8

• Name of present: Babygrow teddy for a new baby celebrating ther first xmas/birthday etc!
• Whether it's bought or homemade: homemade!
• Total cost: roughly £1 for needle, aida, threads and stuffing material?
• Details (where it's from, how to make it etc): Ask the recipient with a young baby for 4/5 newborn babygrows that the child has grown out of. Get a free pattern for any cuddly toy off the internet and use the material from the babygrows to make the teddy! Then use cross stitch on the aida to spell out the childs name, dob and birthweight (or anything else you fancy) and stitch onto the teddies tummy....a free, personalised pressie that will be treasured forever!

vikki_louise

Someone has already suggested a vista print callender. I did one which went down great and was different. I did the usual thing of putting family photos on but you can also put text on different dates so I did lots of jokey (family jokes) on some days for example in April there was 'found that missing Christmas present', Christmas eve was 'go round to Daves to do christmas shopping (he is only able to go to the local corner shop owned by a guy called Dave and we tease him for leaving it so late). You can fill lots of days with funny comments and also add in birthdays and special family dates

Carly84

Name of present: Personalised 'Likes' Poster Print
Bought or homemade? Mixture of both
Total Cost: 70p
Details (the more, the better):
A personalised poster that celebrates every person's favourite things; a fun gift for a friend or relative.

Whether you are buying this for a friend, partner or family member, because you supply the words (they can be as fun or as serious as you like), you will be giving a unique gift that is not just personalised, but 'oh so personal'.

Write the name of the recipient then list their choice of 'likes'. You can create a unique list of 'likes'. List a minimum of ten and a maximum of fifteen 'likes' in the order you would like them to appear.
A number of colour options are available: blues, warms, pastels, brights, blues and browns, and retro brights.

The above is the description on a well known website (not on the high street) & this costs £38 from them!!!!!!

I loved it but wasn't prepared to pay that so I made one for my hubby. I bought an A4 Clip Frame Photo Frame from Wilkinsons for 70p, then at home using my basic computer I listed all my husband's 'likes' such as Pizza, Fast Cars, Laughing etc etc & made the words different sizes & colours....just like the photo of the one the website makes. Then I printed it off & put it in the clip frame. I did that for our 1st wedding anniversary (paper). It looked amazing & expensive!! My hubby loves it & it means so much more because I made it all myself :-)

suze2

Name of present: Share in a Farmyard
Whether it's bought or homemade: Bought
Total cost: £5
Details (where it's from, how to make it etc): Oxfam online. A pocket-friendly agricultural gift for an animal-loving friend. It will help provide communities with clucking, mooing and baaing livestock, which, besides the noise, will produce enough eggs, milk and fertiliser to benefit many families.
A link to the offer if it's online (where possible): unable to post link. Please visit oxfam website 'shop' oxfam unwrapped

Carriannelouise

As a student i am on a tight xmas budget as are my friends so i have loads of these

• Name of present:Star Jar
  
• Whether it's bought or homemade: A bit of both
  
• Total cost:£2-5
• Details (where it's from, how to make it etc):First of all go buy a glass jar. i bought mine from ikea for 80p, take a strip of ribbon (i got mine of a set of pjs so it was free ) and make a gift tag write a nice message or print one. then buy some "star strips" these are little strips of paper (or you can make your own in different colours using cheap coloured paper. write a memory or message or fun and free activity on each and every strip. use the Video shown below to make the stars. tell your friend to open one when they feel low they'll get a lovely pick me up and they look wonderful. your friend will know how much time and love you put into it if you are making more than one buy the strips in bulk and it is even cheaper
  
• A link to the offer if it's online (where possible):
• STRIPS - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Strips-Origami-Paper-Star-Folding-Kit-Lucky-Wishes-Star-Shiny-Heart-Mark-Wishes-/150775149035?pt=UK_Crafts_CraftingPaper_EH&hash=item231ae631eb
  
• STAR MAKING - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6D3jyhDz_M

• Name of present:Pamper pack
  
• Whether it's bought or homemade: A bit of both
  
• Total cost:£5
• Details (where it's from, how to make it etc): get a shoe box and wrap it in pretty paper, inside put the following: Any pamper related freebies off the internet, a pack of face wipes £0.49(home bargains) a bath bomb (i got 4 for £1 so 25p each from HB) a pair of cheap slippers (£ land) a hair band (39p in HB) a bar of soap (cheap tesco re-wrapped in a home made label saying wash away your troubles) Add some home made biccies or even some bought ones and seal
  
• A link to the offer if it's online (where possible):

• Name of present: bracelet hunt
  
• Whether it's bought or homemade: Bought + a bit extra
  
• Total cost:£2-5
• Details (where it's from, how to make it etc): first buy a charm bracelet (see link for sub £3) and purchase a gift box £0.99p carefully remove each charm and attatch to a home made gift tag. now start making a treasure hunt. use the clasp on the bracelet to attatch the first clue and write subsequent clues on all of the cards on xmas morning present the gift boxed chain and the first clue they'll spend the next half an hour finding all the charms
  
• A link to the offer if it's online (where possible):http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FREE-P-P-wholesale-Fashion-jewelry-SILVER-Womens-Charm-Bracelet-Bangle-Link-Gift-/181000689506?pt=UK_Jewellery_Watches_FineJewellery_CA&var=&hash=item2a247b5762

• Name of present: Glam cleaning!
  
• Whether it's bought or homemade: Both
  
• Total cost:£1-5
• Details (where it's from, how to make it etc): first buy some cheap rinestones, glue and glitter (once you have this you can make loads very cheaply) next you need household items (e.g. dust pan and brush, bucket anything really, i once did a bottle of flash) go about Blinging up your bits and bobs... personalised ones go down very well. wrap up and give your lovely gift with a promise on a gift tag of a one time only offer that you will use thier gift to help them do thier most hated chore.
  
• A link to the offer if it's online
  

Have fun x

Damzel_In_Distress

• Name of present: Flannel Reindeer
• Whether it's bought or homemade: Both
• Total cost: £3 maximum
• Details (where it's from, how to make it etc): Buy a Brown or cream coloured wash cloth, Usually around 49p-99p each. Some Shops do packs of 4 for £1.99 so you could make a few of these. Get a bar of soap. Some pipe cleaners. A set of sticky googley eyes and a Christmas coloured Pom pom, an elastic band and some ribbon.
  Open up the flannel into a diamond shape, Place the bar of soap in the middle and take the corner facing you and the corner facing opposide and bring them together to the top, then roll down with your hands towards the bar of soap. Next , take the other two corners and bring them both into the middle to make the reindeer's ears . Make sure it is done tightly. Pull an elastic band over the ears to make sure It's secure.
  Bend a pipe cleaner in two and tuck down the back of the elastic band to form the antlers. Bend the pipe cleaner in a few places to make it look more like a pair of antlers (bells can also be added to the ends if you have some available). Cover the elastic band with some ribbon tied in a bow.
  Finally add your pair of eyes and pom pom nose on the front. You can secure these either with some pva glue (washes off in warm water easily) or some sticky dots which are around 49p a pack from most shops!
  Here's a one I made this week!
• A link to the offer if it's online (where possible): Non applicable.

ih8stress

# Name of present:

Personalised Magnetic Scene

# Whether it's bought or homemade:

both

# Total cost:

£1 - £2

# Details (where it's from, how to make it etc):

Personalised Magnetic Scene - for a child:
* Not suitable for under 3 year olds *

Buy a pack of magnetic paper from the poundshop (2 sheets per pack)

1) Print a suitable background scene (eg. underwater)
(more suggestions at the end)

2) Gather together the following:
a photo of the recipient
a photo of family/friends
pictures of suitable accessories (eg. fish, anchor)
pictures of tv/cartoon characters if relevant (eg. little mermaid)

3) Print all the items in 2) onto the second magnetic sheet.
(it doesn't matter if they are in different directions),
just leave a gap inbetween them.

4) Cut all the extras out (you can just cut around the subject, you don't have to be TOO precise).

You should now have a main background scene, a cutout of the 'recipient' and a selection of suitable extras.

Wrap it up as desired (best to keep it away from electronic items though) and watch them have hours of fun as they stick the pictures onto the background and create different personalised scenes. This can be displayed on a fridge or put away afterwards. PLEASE KEEP OUT OF BABIES REACH

TIPS:

Find a suitable background scene for the proposed recipient - from catalogues, holiday brochures, gardening brochures, tv scenes etc then scan or photograph it and put it on your computer.
*You can also look online - try googling 'copyright free pictures'.

Some examples are:

BACKGROUND SCENES: underwater, beach, favourite cartoons, garden, prehistoric, regal, room settings, farm, zoo etc.

EXTRAS: accessories, flowers, the sun, animals, cartoon/tv characters, fish, vehicles, pictures of friends and family, pets, transport, food, toys etc.

* It is best not to create pieces too small, and to supervise children when playing with magnets