Old Style Christmas Preparations for Christmas 2013

Broomstick

Can you get access to a local scrapstore? http://www.scrapstoresuk.org/
As home-educators, I used to use ours a lot when my children were young. You might be able to get large quantities of useful stuff more cheaply there,

Three rooms sounds like a big job for just one person with child help! Have you other adults who could help? It might make it easier if you were to split the task into smaller ones which you could delegate to others.

I wonder whether it would work to 'theme' each room eg:
- a green/red room [red and green crepe streamers, home made wreaths (raid the hedgerows if you have access?), huge cut-out green paper holly leaves stuck in pairs on the wall with 3 red balloons attatched to each like giant berries];
- a snowy room using white sheets on tables, snowflake cut outs all over the windows, snowmen made from cardboard tubes, cotton wool, twigs etc (loads of scope for children's contributions). Sparkle could be made by using any gold decorations you could get hold of.
- something else... brain's temporarily seized up.:D

Could you borrow a Xmas tree for each room and decorate it in the relevant style eg. loads of little white and gold wrapping paper covered boxes to look like presents plus cotton wool balls dotted all over it in a snow-themed room?

Christmas bunting would be another easy alternative to paper chains: triangles, or christmassy shapes, of paper or fabric, stapled at intervals to something like bias binding or cheap ribbon.

Cheap nylon net makes good bows which might also work strung together like bunting.

B x

slm6002

why dont you see if anyone on freecycle website has any going spare. You can get all sorts on there

floss2

carlamarie wrote: »

....At christmas he buys for his girlfriend, my brother. I have no issue with this. However he also buys (and asks me if I think they'll like the gifts) his girlfriends daughter, 2 kids and partner....

Perhaps he is pressured to do so .

I totally agree with your way of thinking BTW, we only buy until the nephews/neices are 21, then it stops (only 3 left!). My in-laws and my 3 brothers get a h/m cake each, my older brothers also get a pift of some sort as they are both alone & our parents have passed on so no-one else to give to them, DH doesn't do presents with his brothers & SiLs. I have two adult sons to buy for, and 3 best friends who all get h/m pressies.

Chris25

hobbitfancier wrote: »

Apologies if I've missed something in previous posts but I'm organising an event this year and need to make my own decorations that won't take up too much time, with minimum cost. Something a child could do! Any website suggestions?

if it's room decorations, bunting made from paper doilies is really quick, cheap & easy. Glue or staple them onto string or rolls of bias binding or even wool.

You can fold them over or cut them in half to make more of them.


these paper snowflakes are easy to make - but look more difficult than they are https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake you can make them from any paper - old magazines, old books, telephone directories (:)) - stick a bit of glitter on them & they'll look very festive.

You can make huge ones if you have paper large enough - they turn out larger than the sheet of paper you work with!

hobbitfancier

Broomstick wrote: »

Can you get access to a local scrapstore? http://www.scrapstoresuk.org/
As home-educators, I used to use ours a lot when my children were young. You might be able to get large quantities of useful stuff more cheaply there,

Three rooms sounds like a big job for just one person with child help! Have you other adults who could help? It might make it easier if you were to split the task into smaller ones which you could delegate to others.

I wonder whether it would work to 'theme' each room eg:
- a green/red room [red and green crepe streamers, home made wreaths (raid the hedgerows if you have access?), huge cut-out green paper holly leaves stuck in pairs on the wall with 3 red balloons attatched to each like giant berries];
- a snowy room using white sheets on tables, snowflake cut outs all over the windows, snowmen made from cardboard tubes, cotton wool, twigs etc (loads of scope for children's contributions). Sparkle could be made by using any gold decorations you could get hold of.
- something else... brain's temporarily seized up.:D

Could you borrow a Xmas tree for each room and decorate it in the relevant style eg. loads of little white and gold wrapping paper covered boxes to look like presents plus cotton wool balls dotted all over it in a snow-themed room?

Christmas bunting would be another easy alternative to paper chains: triangles, or christmassy shapes, of paper or fabric, stapled at intervals to something like bias binding or cheap ribbon.

Cheap nylon net makes good bows which might also work strung together like bunting.

B x

The snowflake on windows idea is so simple, can't believe I'd forgotten it - I could use up newspaper to pin it on the doors and walls too! Unfortunately can't get a hold of a tree - its a craft market and I'm hoping the venue I'm paying to host it in will have an Xmas tree in the main room, but depends on their budget.

I like the idea of a green and red themed room too! Oooh must make a list for the art shop! If I can get my hands on some holly and balloons for it, it'd be perfect.

Donutchops

I have told everyone I'm doing a homemade Christmas this yr, and for the first time in many yrs I'm looking forward to it.

I don't have many to do for so these are some of things I'm doing

I'm buying old hardbacks from a charity shop, sticking the pages together and cutting a hole inside. They will have goodies inside, so a bit like a reusable gift box. Inside will be bath bombs, sugar scrub and, fingers crossed, home made fudge! Lol.

I'm also making mulled wine kits and home made picallili.

Quite a lot to keep me busy

Islandmaid

Made some grapefruit marmalade last weekend - its not set properly, do you think it would be okay if I decant it and reboil it this weekend and rejar, or have I left it too late?

Thanks in advance

carlamarie_2

Donutchops wrote: »

I have told everyone I'm doing a homemade Christmas this yr, and for the first time in many yrs I'm looking forward to it.

I don't have many to do for so these are some of things I'm doing

I'm buying old hardbacks from a charity shop, sticking the pages together and cutting a hole inside. They will have goodies inside, so a bit like a reusable gift box. Inside will be bath bombs, sugar scrub and, fingers crossed, home made fudge! Lol.

I'm also making mulled wine kits and home made picallili.

Quite a lot to keep me busy

Sounds good, although if you don't mind me saying, I would probaly package the fudge separately (not in the book/gift box). Purely for the fact that the smells from the bath bombs and sugar scrubs would be scented (I'm guessing?) and this scent could go onto the fudge, which I wouldn't imagine would taste nice!
I would probaly add a flannel or body puff to it though (although that's not homemade!). Oooh I don't know if you look on the christmas board but there is a thread on there called low cost homemade christmas gifts, I think, and someone has just made some felted soaps. Might be worth checking out, they'd go great with your theme.

Love the idea of hardback books as storage!

mum2one

Islandmaid wrote: »

Made some grapefruit marmalade last weekend - its not set properly, do you think it would be okay if I decant it and reboil it this weekend and rejar, or have I left it too late?

Thanks in advance

Shouldn't be a prob, had to do that with some jam, I boiled again, and re sterilised jars, I had no probs.

have u got the recipie - sounds lovely xx

Byatt

Donutchops wrote: »

I have told everyone I'm doing a homemade Christmas this yr, and for the first time in many yrs I'm looking forward to it.

I don't have many to do for so these are some of things I'm doing

I'm buying old hardbacks from a charity shop, sticking the pages together and cutting a hole inside. They will have goodies inside, so a bit like a reusable gift box. Inside will be bath bombs, sugar scrub and, fingers crossed, home made fudge! Lol.

I'm also making mulled wine kits and home made picallili.

Quite a lot to keep me busy

Oh Donut, what a fab idea about the books (and the mulles wine kits), I can use that for my DD's present which is a gift voucher (a bird sanctuary experience). What do you use to stick the pages together?

I've popped in here because I'm feeling unusually seasonal and festive, I'm enjoying the moment, not felt it in years!