LOW COST homemade christmas gifts

pinknfluffy28

When I first started reading on here I found lots of fantastic ideas for low-cost homemade gifts, but they are dotted everywhere, so I wanted to start a thread where we can all post our ideas, a little explanation of how to make, approx cost, and maybe some nice photos of finished products? I hope everyone will join in, and come december 2013 we can all be putting Kirsty Allsop to shame.
Everyone loves to recieve homemade, personal gifts, and I know how much fun they can be to make & give.
Lets get creative...

MSE Insert:

This is a fab discussion. You might have noticed it was started a few years ago. As Christmas comes round at least once a year (!) it's the gift that keeps on giving and never tires

If you're looking for the 'PINT OF SOCKS' you can find them here; :j
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4254281

Dollypop_2

Ohhhhhhh good thread

I'll contribute a tissue holder. Very easy to make, I've made them loads of times for family and friends!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/09/24/handmade-tissue-holder/

pinknfluffy28

To start: CANDY BOQUETS. I have been making these for a few months now, in all different themes for all different occassions. They can range from £2 ish upto as much as you like to make. The smallest ones I made were as an alternative to goody bags for dd 5th birthday party. We had 40 kids so I needed to make something that looked good, but didnt cost the earth! I used little gold favour boxes (£6.99 for 50 from amazon), some florists foam (I always have stacks of this laying around, but you can use polystyrene, clay, or just little pebbles instead). Wrapped the foam in tissue paper, I then stuck pre-wrapped sweets and chocs onto wooden lolly sticks (for adults or older children its cheaper and safe to use wooden skewers), I used little squares of tissue pushed onto stick under the sweet and scrunched to look like petals! Then push the sticks into the foam, and voila! These cost approx £2 each to make, and had a choc lolly, a freddo, and about 10 little moams or similar chew type sweets. For larger boquets I use bigger boxes, or glass jars/vases which can be re-used by the recipitent, and i will use pretty cupcake cases instead of tissue paper for the petals. I also wrap the whole thing in cellophane and decorate with ribbon / themed die-cuts. The largest, best I have made so far was for my mum on mothers day, all the chocs / sweets were a pink and yellow theme (took some sourcing!), It had half a dozen large choc bars as well as approx 20 little sweets, choc shapes ate, it was arranged in a large glass fish bowl shape vase, and the finished product came in at under £12!
Once I figure out how to take photos on my new phone i will try and upload/post!

pinknfluffy28

Dollypop wrote: »

Ohhhhhhh good thread

I'll contribute a tissue holder. Very easy to make, I've made them loads of times for family and friends!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/09/24/handmade-tissue-holder/

see, already there is another new one! gonna have to give these a go to include in some pamper hampers, thankyou!

English_in_Egypt

I was just looking to see what people were making for Christmas, I need some items for children and things to post abroad so very light and not bulky if anyone has any ideas?

pinknfluffy28

English_in_Egypt wrote: »

I was just looking to see what people were making for Christmas, I need some items for children and things to post abroad so very light and not bulky if anyone has any ideas?

what about flannel cupcakes? Theyre pretty cheap to make and dont weigh much. For younger children you could make the rudolphs or bunnies! Hope this link works for you:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/622943

springdreams

Rudolph candy canes

springdreams

Flannel cupcakes



Very easy to follow instructions

http://www.pompomemporium.com/content/how-make-a-cupcake-a-washclothfaceclothflannel

springdreams

Snowman cupcakes

spicyprawn

English_in_Egypt wrote: »

I was just looking to see what people were making for Christmas, I need some items for children and things to post abroad so very light and not bulky if anyone has any ideas?

Sock monkeys There is a thread here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1078021

funkydresser

Hi all - I have bought some Victorian style plastic jars which I intend to fill with various Retro sweets, I many long hours searching through google to find some labels to download without any success, does anyone know of a site where I could find these, any help will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks