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Ok so last year I did big hampers for everyone filled entirely with things I had made including: christmas pudding, chilli jam, fudge, gingerbread men etc.
This year I want to do something similar as I really got a kick out of giving things that I had taken the time and love to make. The only problem is I'm stuck for ideas.
Would love to hear of anything you have given, recieved, or anything that pops into your head.
Thanks in advance!
How about shortbread in the shape of Christmas trees?
Or mince pies?
Or going away from the food idea... a calendar with photos of the family? You can make them online, pretty cheap too. Both sets of grandparents loved that last year when we did it.
Yeah I was thinking of branching away from the food idea, or doing one or two food things and something else. I have contemplated making aprons for the ladies and something???? for the guys and then putting those and some hand made fudge in a little package?
Still looking for other idea though!
Preserved lemons
Hand made white aprons and/or tea-towels decorated with your children's handprints (or shopping bags)
Christmas ornaments for the tree
For food gifts google Jamie Oliver Christmas gifts and check out his forum.
ETA - Guys need aprons too - for BBQing :p
Thanks Onyx, haven't seen Jamies list. Will definitely look at that!
I adore making gifts for xmas! This year, I'm doing a rotation of:
Homemade cordials; lemon and lime, passionfruit, rose etc in really nice bottles.
Gingerbread men & mix; 3 homemade gingerbread men, and a jar of dry homemade gingerbread man mix (so just add the wet ingredients yourself) with a nicely written out recipe for making them and 2 cookie cutters.
Homemade chocolate blocks; so I've got a little tray about the size and depth of a normal bar of cadbury's, but without the indentations for breaking bits off. So I'm going to do dark choc and orange - melt good quality dark choc into tray, cool a bit and then lightly press thin slices of crystalized oranges on top. Yummo! And white choc and strawberry - so the same, but with white chocolate and topped with freeze dried strawberry slices.
Got all the ideas from an old Christmas edition of Donna Hay I think...
I made rum balls they are my dads fave and he taught us how to make them.
A can of condensed milk
12 weetbix crushed
2tablespoons of cocoa and mix it together
Roll balls to size if your liking
Then roll in coconut and put in fridge to set
I put about 20 balls in each container and put little Xmas tags on them
Great if you forget a gift for someone too ;)
Beauty stuff homemade
Hmmmm will have to google :)
Fabric covered notebooks for men or women, napkins, tablecloths, softies for kids, headbands, iphone/pad/laptop covers, wheat bags.
Um can't think of anything else!
oooo I would love a wheat bag!! Feel free to make me one!!!
Homemade tomato relish or fruit chutney is always a favourite. I also saw some mini yo-yos in the shop the other day. They looked really good.
Last year I made up a basket for everyone with some of my favourite recipes.
I printed them out on pretty paper and laminated it then put all the ingredients needed for it in the basket along with an apron.
Could be your hand made one??? :D
I also added little things that could go with the recipe eg; cookie cutters for the biscuits, Silicone muffin tray for the muffins etc
These were a huge hit and my family really loved them :p
Thanks girls I'm loving these ideas!
One of my friends made me vanilla ice and chocolate brownies, and wrapped them in cellophane. You know, they're the only gifts I remember recieving for Christmas last year - we took both with us on a roadtrip over Christmas and they were the perfect gift. And it was really special to receive something homemade. I'm thinking of doing something similar myself this year.
I have 3 children, so last year I took separate photos of them posing as the "3 wise monkeys" (see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil). I dressed them in white singlets each with a different pose and framed it. Cost next to nothing but looked really good and a bit different.
:bump:
Can we keep the food related ideas to the Christmas Food thread too. I will be merging all the "food ideas".
Wheat Bags are great.
Bath Luxuries (Bombs, bath oils, bath milk powder)
Soap
Aprons
Wooden toys for little kids
Wooden Blocks for Babies (using decoupage for the sides, could use modern or vintage letters and numbers print outs)
Wooden Cheese Boards
Girls / women - necklace or jewelery holders, you can buy canvas' paint them or cover in fabric get cute little hooks or use lace etc to push or hang earrings through.
There is this good program on foxtel called Grow Your Own Drugs, about all natural products and remedies. Has a great recipe for an olive leaf face mask, and lemon grass insect repellant. Lasts for ages and reasonably easy to make.
Grow Your Own Drugs: Articles & Fact Sheets
Site has recipes from the series currently showing.
I found a blog called Make It and Love It that has some really great sewing ideas.
I also found another one (can PM you the link to it if you like) with a tutorial for fabric flowers on it. I've already made 8 of them and they look awesome. The tutorial just makes the flowers themselves, and I added some stems with wire in them so they can stand up. So i'm going to make a bunch with 4 each for MIL, SIL, my mum and my nanny for Christmas and bought some handmade soap to go with them.
Make-It-Do it is also another great blog, as well as Dana Made it.
I am loving all these homely crafting sewing blogs. I desperately NEED a sewing machine.
another for little kids too- fabric fridge magnets. I'm going to make some for DD and if they turn out ok will be making some for some other little kids I know.
There's a tutorial on the BluDor blog that I'm going to roughly follow, just waiting on the magnets I ordered to arrive. She loves playing with the magnets already on the fridge, but these ones will be a bit easier for her to pull on and off the fridge. i'll make them in different shapes, like a butterfly, flower etc. I just can't seem to find any suitable fridge magnets in stores so I thought I'd try making my own!
Last year I made tree ornaments for everyone. This year I'm doing placemats and Im going to make my mum a Christmas Quilt. I'd wanted it to be ready for her to take O/S (they're going O/S for a few months - almost all of Summer!) esp since they're going to England. But I haven't had time to do it. Maybe I'll get it done in time to send to them in England for Christmas... maybe...
Another cool thing when making home made presents is funny labels...
Like "I made this so please don't say anything mean about it ok?"
;) And check out Angry Chicken she rocks too.
oooh, I'm off to checkout some of these blogs!
One year, when we were much much much younger lol, my sister made bought me a wooden photo frame from a cheapie/craft store and decorated it herself for me. I still have it. Maybe if they still have that sort of thing, the kids could decorate each one specifically for someone?
hmmm. I have some recipes somewhere...:
And how do I make home made cordial? And wheatbags! I want to make my own! how do you make them scented?
If you sew or craft check out the archives at Sew Mama Sew! They do handmade tute roundups for xmas every year, with categories for different people (the teen, the book lover, the mother etc), it is AWESOME, I have like a gazillion things on my 'to do' list because of it!
Thankyou Rouge, the creativity enabler ;)
Prudent Baby have some great ideas too (and some new sewers tips if you ever get that machine :D)
oh man..back in here again..lol. I found a cute little bag (would be great for a library bag or casual weekend bag) pattern on a site called Made By Rae (it's the Lickety Split bag). The pattern was only $6 USD (when I paid it came to $6.23 AUD- AWESOME!!). Hoping to make one for myself and then some for my mum, MIL & SIL (and anyone else I can think of :lol: ) to go with their other handmade goodies..hope it's not overkill..and that's if I even have time to put all my grand plans into action!
Thought I would add, canvas's for the kids to decorate for a particular family member with things they like
We did one for dad, ds picked motorbike stickers , pictures of cars and othe random dad stuff and I helped him stick it down, then we did handprints, and footprints..we have done a few now :)
This is what I'm going to try to attempt for my family secret santa:
(direct from a Tupperware Recipe sheet! Not quite sure how you'd do it without the Tupperware though... but don't let that stop you :))
Coconut Lip Balm
Makes : 80g
Prep : 5 minutes
Ingredients:
20g Aloe Vera Gel
20g Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly
40g Coconut Oil
Method (as on the Tupperware recipe sheet)
Measure ingredients with digital scales, placing them in the Tupperwave 1 litre jug. Mix ingredients together with spatula until well combined.
Cover jug and microwave on medium (500 watts) for 2 minutes. Stir with the spatula until smooth.
Let balm cool slightly. Pour a portion of the balm into the Travel Accessories Creme Jar and the remainder can be poured into a TupperCare Snack Cup. Let the balm cool completely and then apply to the lips as often as required.
HONEY SCRUB
Makes : approximately 300ml
Prep : 5 minutes
Ingredients:
20g sea salt flakes
40g brown sugar
40g sorbolene creme
15g 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10g honey (at room temperature)
METHOD:
Using digital scales, measure ingredients and placing them in the Quick Chef II, with the paddle whisk attachment. Cover and process until combined.
Using a spatula, remove excess contents from the sides of the Quick Chef II. Scrub should be slightly runny in consistency.
Apply a small amount to desired area (hands, feet, knees, heels or elbows) and gently massage in a circular motion. Leave mixture on the skin for 15 minutes.
Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
Use on a weekly basis to keep skin velvety smooth.
Okay...I am feeling (yes 5 days before Christmas, shut up) like non-food ideas will be good little presents. So I'm thinking...well I dunno.
Maybe a body scrub, given we're headed into summer, could be good for dry legs...
PZ! Where are those cordial recipes!! Cordial is sounding like a great idea. (yes I know technically food, but it's different to bikkies/choc). What would you store them in?
Choc coated teaspoons are my backup plan, but that's still chocolate, plus Christmas is going to be 28 degrees so...
Mmm. I'm thinking I'll go for cordial...cos it's pretty gender inspecific. Anyone got any experience here? Or any other ideas?
You could make peppermint bath salts.
Just get some rock salt (epsom are probably best) mix 1 cup with 1 teabag's worth of peppermint tea. You can get little jars from the cheep shops, or cellophane bags, spotlight has Christmas noodle boxes (I have some spares if you want them)
I have a book you could look at for beauty/bath stuff & a couple of Christmas books. I've got to go to f/gate this morning but I'll be home later this afternoon