Scuff's Year of Gifting Homemade

JayneC

yabajaz wrote: »

I made a teabag wreath this Christmas - fab for the over 40's
http://www.babysavers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/teabag-and-clothespin-diy-wreath.jpg like this one.
as it has 24 pegs it can be made as an advent calendar too

That is fab - I'd be made up with one of those:D

Peanut2013

I have so many friends that would love that! My SIL is a November birthday so could do it as a run up to Christmas thing

Nanamia

Some great ideas here

Cher-Ching

Decorations are down so officially Xmas 2012 is over and the preparations for 2013 can truly begin lol.

Mum was so impressed with the home made gifts my cousin gave us all at Christmas that she's vowed to do the same this year by making homemade chuteney/ jams etc. I know what it will be like if she doesn't get organised now and will have to pay for jars but I suggested getting a box in the loft and each time throughout the year we use up a jam jar or mint sauce/horse raddish/apple sauce jar, wash it up and put it up there ready to use for one of the gifts. By then she should have saved up enough for her pressies and saved some money
It's things like that which need to be started now so you have enough when you need them. No point starting in November! I don't think we'll eat THAT much mint sauce in a month lol

Anyway the point of this is to think about what you may need come December and whether it's something you would normally throw away throughout the year that you can save.

Cher-Ching

Another thing to bear in mind if you are planning to use small pieces of fabric/felt etc.

If you only need small pieces, rather than buying a big piece it may be worth buying a bag of off cuts. You can get a great variety of colours/fabrics for relatively cheap as they will only be throwing it out. An example here a whole bag of felt for £2.

http://www.bitsandbats.com/product_info.php/cPath/11/products_id/1782

Of course there are going to be several websites/shops that offer this, some shops may give it to you free, so worth having a look around.

Just a thought

Cher-Ching

SillyLily wrote: »

anyone have any hand made ideas for an adult male?? business man/office job/moderate travel time each day....

How about a 'Pint of socks'?

Doesn't cost much but looks great and well received this Xmas!

Basically get a pint glass (can get 6 in Asda for £1.50 I think I paid)

Into the glass put pairs of black socks (thin ones for work or might try thicker pairs like sports socks, should need 2/3 pairs depending on thickness) on top of that put a pair of white sport socks. You can get socks pretty cheap from Primark etc)

Voila a pint of socks and a great way to give socks too! I made 3 and I think they worked out about £2 each, of course it depends on the quality of items you buy!

I wrapped mine in clear cellophane and added some ribbon for a finishing touch along with this poem:

Our lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink.
Thy alcohol come,
I will be drunk,
At home as in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those
Who spill against us.
And lead us not to incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers.
For thine is the beer,
The bitter and the lager.
Forever and ever,
Barman....

Got the idea from somewhere on the MSE forum but not sure where but you should be able to find it!

Scuff

Made a proper start on my first gift yay I now have 2 owl body pieces and two wings, half bondawebbed! Will do some more tomorrow, didn't get my act together fast enough to figure out what extra I needed before I went into town this morning, so have no thread to match until next weekend! Bit annoying! Might see if I can bob to hobbycraft on my way home from work one night!
Going to start on learning to crochet now, subscribed to a new crochet magazine and the first issue arrived in our postbox this morning, so I'm determined before bed to make more than a long crochet string (my talents to date haha!)

Scuff

Cher-Ching wrote: »

Decorations are down so officially Xmas 2012 is over and the preparations for 2013 can truly begin lol.

Mum was so impressed with the home made gifts my cousin gave us all at Christmas that she's vowed to do the same this year by making homemade chuteney/ jams etc. I know what it will be like if she doesn't get organised now and will have to pay for jars but I suggested getting a box in the loft and each time throughout the year we use up a jam jar or mint sauce/horse raddish/apple sauce jar, wash it up and put it up there ready to use for one of the gifts. By then she should have saved up enough for her pressies and saved some money
It's things like that which need to be started now so you have enough when you need them. No point starting in November! I don't think we'll eat THAT much mint sauce in a month lol

Anyway the point of this is to think about what you may need come December and whether it's something you would normally throw away throughout the year that you can save.

This is so true (also dangerous - I've been keeping hold of things for years that I may need come whenever ! ) but there's nothing worse than deciding to be frugal with things only to realise it ends up costing you a fortune in supplies due to not being prepared!

On the jam making front. I'd love to do this, only I have a very 'jammy' family, and the people I think would appreciate the jam the most are also the people that make their own anyway, and give it out freely come autumn. I have a feeling giving it as a gift would be 1) received as 'tight' and 2)be surplus to requirements

Cher-Ching

Scuff wrote: »

This is so true (also dangerous - I've been keeping hold of things for years that I may need come whenever ! ) but there's nothing worse than deciding to be frugal with things only to realise it ends up costing you a fortune in supplies due to not being prepared!

On the jam making front. I'd love to do this, only I have a very 'jammy' family, and the people I think would appreciate the jam the most are also the people that make their own anyway, and give it out freely come autumn. I have a feeling giving it as a gift would be 1) received as 'tight' and 2)be surplus to requirements

Absolutely. That's the thing you have to weigh it all up, if the recipient is going to think it's cheap/appreciate it then might not be the best idea!

But it's amazing how much some people do appreciate the thought. I got a nice looking bottle of cider from my cousin, nothing too special. But the fact that she had made a name 'tag' out of felt (shaped like a stocking with my name stitched on it, others had Xmas trees etc) and a small net of spices (to make mulled cider) was a really nice touch. Actually her presents were the talking point of the evening purely because of the thought that had gone into it.

SillyLily

jaynec- the men in my family (aside from my husband) are all hunters. i have some damaged camo jackets that really are beyond repair, i just haven't been able to part with them because they were my father's. They will be PERFECT for camo hot water bottle covers!!! And my guys will appreciate the sentimental factor!! :-)
WOO HOO!!! The men are always harder to get homemade ideas for than the women, don't you agree?? I'm pretty excited about this!! :-)