Home made Xmas gifts (merged threads)

16011996

thats ok, real credit goes to mum in law, was her idea. :-*

Chipps

I have just discovered this thread in a trawl through the site, and thought it worth reviving. I can't cope with Christmas too early, it's not allowed to begin till after my birthday (in just over a weeks time)
When the kids were younger we used to pick a craft & make presents for everyone using that idea. Here are some of the things we have done:
Home made candles
Things decorated with serviette technique
Made & painted candleholders made from plaster in moulds
Bought a load of white mugs & got the kids to decorate them with special ceramic pens.
Bought blank calendars & got kids to design a page for each month on the computer, then printed the pages & stuck them on to calendars.
Another cheap pressie idea we used, but not made by us, was glass vases which double as hurricane candle holders with scented candles, both from Ikea - total cost about £3
Last year my sister Henny gave me a present labelled "Henny's Revenge" - it contained 2 candles and a plate beautifully decorated with serviette technique to match the colour scheme in our living room.

squarecat

Knitting Scarves

Having recently discovered knitting, and still being a relative novice, I just knitted one long rectangle, and have found that it rolls, so you either need to make twice the width and fold/sew or find the stitches which will prevent it from rolling.

Galtizz

instead  of buying/making cards thats a waste of money and trees make shortbread cards.

Looking through an old magazine yesterday I found a similar idea.

You make shortbread dough, cut out Christmas tree shapes then using a tiny star shape cut little shapes out of the tree then put the Christmas trees on grease proof paper on a tin and put little coloured hard boiled sweets like tom thumbs? in the middle of the holes.

Bake as normal in the oven and the sweets will melt into the holes when they have cooled down they look like glass, when you hang them on the tree the lights shine through and they look ever so pretty and they are still edible!

You can use any shapes and make baubles, snow men etc.

Chris25

Don't know what 'tom thumbs' are but if you use something like fox's glacier fruits or larger, it's best to break them into pieces first as if they're too big, they don't melt properly and you end up with big blobs

Also seen this technique used to make 'stained glass windows' for a gingerbread cottage to turn it into a church - sickening that some people are SO talented ;D ;D

Galtizz

I didn't know what Tom Thumbs were either and I was trying to think of an old sweet shop I might get them from - closest one I could think of is about 50 miles away.

Never thought of breaking up bigger sweets :-[ thanks Chris.

I'm not talented either, mine will probably be full of holes and big gloopy bits - but that makes them more 'homemade' and more loved ;D (that's what I tell myself anyway)

kathkidd

Book Floss
One to try for small children (or big ones). Take a length of very narrow ribbon or some embroidery threads. Knot one end and thread on a few glass or plastic beads like those found in little girls jewellry kits then knot again to hold in place. Leave about 10 inches of ribbon and repeat process with matching beads.
Works like a book mark with pretty beads hanging out top and bottom of book. Perfect for friends/granny/teacher or anyone who likes reading. Best of all- costs pennies per book floss and each one is different. (also works with little glittery pompoms from craft shops).
Now I'm off to try some of the other great ideas in here. Love the idea of shortbread cards etc

Chris25

I didn't know what Tom Thumbs were either and I was trying to think of an old sweet shop I might get them from - closest one I could think of is about 50 miles away.

Never thought of breaking up bigger sweets  :-[ thanks Chris.

I'm not talented either, mine will probably be full of holes and big gloopy bits - but that makes them more 'homemade' and more loved  ;D (that's what I tell myself anyway)

LOL ;D
Galtizz, I'm going to see Singalonga Elvis in the New Year - I'm debating whether I'd be brave enough to wear the knitted Elvis wig ;D ;D

Galtizz

Definately, no question, wear the wig!!! ;D ;D

I think the pink one would be best ;D

You could make a fortune if you know a fast knitter by selling them on the door. I'm sure they'd be really popular

Singalonga Elvis and his technicolour wig friends ;D ;D ;D

16011996

and we want to see a picture too. ;D