Crafting Christmas presents

[Cinnamon]

I know, I know, it's only just October, but since I've spent most of the afternoon working on my Mum's Christmas present I thought I'd start a thread so people can post what crafting they are doing for Christmas this year.

Since neither my Mum, brother nor I have much money to spare at the moment, Mum suggested a couple of weeks ago that we get creative for Christmas presents this year. We've set a limit of £15 per present, and we can make something, use freecycle, or charity shops etc. I've got a ridiculous quantity of craft stuff so am going for the creative route and should only need to buy the odd thing here or there. At the moment I'm not sure what I'm going to do for my brother, but I found this homemade birthday card organiser shortly before Mum made the Christmas proposal and have decided to make it for Mum. I'm currently part way through making the organiser itself, which I will finish tomorrow night, but I've started this early because I'm going to also make cards to go in it - mainly cross stitch cards. Definitely 12 but I hope to have time to make 24.

So, what crafty ideas do other snopesters have this year?

[Brad from Georgia]

My older sister has numerous grandchildren to buy presents for, and a couple of years ago asked everyone else NOT to buy her presents, since she feels bad that she can't afford to reciprocate. So instead my wife sewed her an attractive apron (she likes to cook) and embroidered it with cookies. She loved it, and since Mrs. from Georgia used only spare fabric that she had on hand anyway, it cost us nothing extra.

[FredCat]

My friends and I tend to do edible Christmas and simplesavings (a websit I belong to) had a post about cookies in a jar. You basically layer cookie ingredients in a tightly lidded jar, add instructions and put a bow on them. I am definitely doing that this year. It works like a much nicer packet mix, so you do expect the recipient to have the egg and butter needed to make the recipe.

[vfwchick]

So far I have crocheted 2 dresses for my husbands grandaughters and a purse for my friend. Am working on a blanket for the same friend to give her DD. Girls at work are getting wood hoops covered in lace and filled with potpourri. Those are all made too. I have 3 people left to buy for. I can never come up with anything good to make for my dad and brother, they have enough blankets and I don't know what else they would want so it'll probably be shirts since they both could use new ones.

[ange84]

Originally Posted by FredCat

My friends and I tend to do edible Christmas and simplesavings (a websit I belong to) had a post about cookies in a jar. You basically layer cookie ingredients in a tightly lidded jar, add instructions and put a bow on them. I am definitely doing that this year. It works like a much nicer packet mix, so you do expect the recipient to have the egg and butter needed to make the recipe.

I'm doing that for my aunts and uncles and cousins out on their own this year, it will probably cause me to be in the bad books, but it is much easier and cheaper as there are starting to be too many to buy for.

[Just Jocko]

Last year for teacher gifts, the kids and I made muffins (banana, pumpkin and orange-cranberry) and put them in baskets/tins along with either homemade cocoa mix (I got the recipe from Food Network) or apple cider spices. I got a good response - I think the teachers liked that it wasn't one more knickknack they had to find a place for and they all had families, so they could share the booty. We've also done cookies in previous years, sometimes I'll buy a multi-pack of candles or little hand creams and tuck them in as well. And I always have the kids make their own cards for the teachers. They like that I pretty much throw open my supply boxes and let them use my stuff from work (with supervision), plus their craft things, so they have pretty papers (leftovers from things I made for clients), stickers, glitter, etc.

I've also used mugs I've been given and re-gifted them with cocoa mix, little marshmallows and chocolate chips all wrapped up separately.

[Algae]

I'm getting creative this year. The pre-schoolers on my list are getting crayon caddies and I'll use the scraps from that to make miniature tag blankets for the babies. My co-workers are getting glass ball ornaments that I'll rub some stickers on. I want to make stockings for my siblings. All of our grandparents are getting a hot pad with Plankton's hand print painted on (most of our grandparents have said bnot to get them gifts, but since this will cost me $1.00 each, I think they'll forgive me). The tween and teens are gettign $5 and a jar of white chocolate/pocorn/kix/fritos mix (it sounds weird, but it's delicious!).

That's about half of our list that I should be able to get done for minimal cost.

[JessBoo]

I've been knitting my brother a scarf since...ooh, forever. It's on tiny needles and is really boring so I really need to knuckle down and crack on with it. I've made my mum a necklance.

[Just Jocko]

I started making a sweater for Stinkerbelle a couple of years ago and never finished it. She's not aware of this, but I'm ripping that out and making her a new one, in a bigger size. She's going to be thrilled, as she keeps ooohing and aahing over the yarn, without realizing what it's from. I've also started making her one of those 2 balls of yard and it's done winter scarves. It's almost done and, as it turns out, it matches exactly a winter coat that a friend of hers handed down this year. She's gonna be stylin'!

Originally Posted by Algae

and a jar of white chocolate/pocorn/kix/fritos mix (it sounds weird, but it's delicious!).

Please share the recipe, it sounds good, and exactly the thing to send to my nephews in college.

[SoToasty]

My wife bought a bunch of fleese from JoAnnes. It was half off. She takes two sections, about 2 and 1/2 yards each, lays them out back to back, cuts out about 1 inch strips 2 inches deep all the way around, then ties them together. Makes a great blanket and you get 2 sides for 1. Costs about $30 in fabric. And is a breeze todo.

[Gayle]

Well, I'm not sure what I'm going to put in them yet, but I found that you can get new quart sized paint cans for .79 at the hardware store. I painted one tomato, one mustard, and one green with craft paint. Then I modge-podged a loteria card on each. These are for me, and I keep beans & rice & almonds in them. They were simple, though and would make nice holders for bath salts or the like.

[Algae]

Originally Posted by Just Jocko

Please share the recipe, it sounds good, and exactly the thing to send to my nephews in college.

This is the recipe I'm going to use. I lost the recipe from when my friend gave it to me, but I'm pretty sure they're similar. I'll just put in jars to give it to them.