Home made Xmas gifts (merged threads)

needmoney

ribenagirl wrote: »

Here's my idea, one for the ladies (and sorry cause this one DOES come in a jar :-/)

Get a kilner jar or any nice jar. Fill 3/4 full with very coarse sea salt, add a cinnamon stick and a star anise , a few cloves and the zest or finely grated peel of half an orange or grapefruit. Add a few tablespoons of sweet almond oil, or other good quality, non-scented oil, and a few drops of an essential oil of your choice (grapefruit is nice and uplifting).

You can make any variation you like - for instance, lavender flowers and a few drops of lavender oil, rose buds and rose oil, the list is endless!

Hey presto, your very own fancy schmancy body scrub, The Sanctuary (10 squids for a tub of salt and oil my backside!) eat your heart out!

This one went down very well with my female rellies a couple of christmases ago ;D

Thought you might like to know I just found your recipe via google
Thanks :beer:

mollymunchkin

This year I'm going to dig out my sewing machine and make draught excluders, fabric door stops and matching aprons. Last year I made all my own Christmas decorations, mainly felt gingerbread men, stockings, hearts, Christmas trees and cinnamon scented decs (similar to salt dought but made with cinnamon and pva glue). I might make a few more as extra pressies as I have loads of felt left over.

dom300186

ok so last year me and my 4 year old were very successful by making all the ladies in the family sugar scrubs in kilner jars, and they went down so well even now im getting told they still use them and they feel like a godess after a soak.

This year we have decided to make fudge for grandparents and the kids as a stocking filler, for grandparents as a main present along with a picture of our son in a nice frame.

What are you making for family or friends???

rowsew

hello! I am making my OH a lovely knitted tanktop (cos the one he liked in the toast catalogue was over £100 :eek: ); all the grannies and grandpas are receiving a hand painted dish from the children - not quite hand made as the pottery place provided the dishes, and the kilning thereof, but as close as I can get without buying a pottery wheel; my brother is getting a quilt which I started three years ago and am only getting round to quilting now; another brother and his girlfriend will get a crocheted blanket; the one in America will get whatever I can think of making in the next week or so, and everyone gets a basket of homemade food bits which normally includes jam, some kind of booze like sloe gin or limoncello, bread, biscuits and so on. New this year is homemade soap too! Must point out all my sibs are adults . The kids always have something handmade, probably this year my son will get a scooter carry bag for his new christmas scooter and my daughter wants a proper long sleeve nightie. And for the very few special friends that I want to give gifts to, they all get a pot of scented bulbs - hyacinth or narcissis - to bloom and scent those dreadfully dark January days.

knittingcathy

I knit and Crochet every year this year it is matching mother and daughter crochet hats bath/shower mitts for the men and women who wouldn't appreciate a hat. For my Grandpa a loaf of HM bread a dozen scones a fruit loaf all of which he cuts up and freezes and takes out a portion at a time as my Gran can't eat these things so never buys or makes.

splodger_seedswapper

my friends and family will get homemade wine this year

lizimuffin

Everyone this year is geeting a jar or homemade jam and chutney, oatcakes and a chunk of christmas cake in a lovely bag. And I've printed the bags myself and made the gift tags.

squeaky

Hi

You'll find lots of ideas in our older thread.... Home made Xmas gifts (merged threads)

I'll add your query to it shortly.

There will be ideas that you can use from this thread too: Homemade Gifts

THIRZAH

I've knitted my grandson (aged two months) a hat for his stocking -in the colours of his Dad's favourite football team.

For my eldest DD I've made up a little sewing kit in a basket with a lid.I bought threads, scissors and a tape measure but have made a pin cushion and a needlebook in canvas work. She only had a little sewing kit from the pound shop and it was falling to bits.

For my other DD I am planning to knit socks. She's been reading the "Yarn Harlot" blog and books and has dropped hints about hand made socks. I've only knitted socks once before and the toes went a bit funny so I ended up wearing them as bedsocks.I will have to pay more attention to the pattern this time.

valk_scot

I'm currently knitting half a dozen patterned balls for the Christmas tree, two of which will have the kids' initials on them. I've also made fabric bunting from scraps of fabric in red, green and Christmas type prints. They always get knitted hat, socks and mitts or gloves for Christmas as it's a bit of a tradition round here. This year it seems to be earflap hats again that they want, made from this all-purpose pattern and embelished with stupid plaits, pom-poms etc so I'm making a couple for my nieces as well. My sister always gets some sort of scarf and the ribbed scarf I made my BIL last year was such a roaring sucess he's getting the hat to match this year. Hubby has never worn anything I've knitted him apart from one jumper before we were married so he's been struck off the list for hand made gifts...unworthy, you see.