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Homemade christmas gifts?

Someone kindly pointed out to me today that it is only 18 week till christmas! So it got me thinking, I am having a year of on maternity leave so october - decemeber are the months when I wont get paid So am not going to have much to spend on christmas and we have a large family! My plan is to buy LO presents then make gifts for everyone else, keeping the cost down as much as possible.

My ideas so far are:
Jams and Chutneys
Bath salts
Baked goods etc
Knitted scarves etc

Does anyone have anyother ideas?

(Sorry for bringing christmas up :evilimage
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Replies

  • e make christmas cookies and easter baskets each year for our familes and they go down a storm. i buy little wicker baskets and fill them with banana and toffee muffins,hocky pokey,cookies and ginger bread shapes.
    just pop a bit of tissue paper in bottom of the basket and tie them up with some xmas string!
  • I don't know if you can crochet, but there are some gorgeous hat patterns for those saggy beanie-type hats that are really in (or they were last winter!) I don't know what they're called - probably not 'saggy beanie hats' because no one would buy them! If you pick up some wool with a teensy bit of sparkle through it, something like that would be gorgeous. I think there are knitted versions too, might be worth looking around?

    Pumpkin Pie - if I made a batch of either of those, no one else would get a look-in and I'd have to put my skinny jeans away for a very long time...
  • My sister made cookies for us all last year. She wrapped them simply in celophane (sp) with different coloured ribbon and they were FAB! Were similar with money at the moment, but so are the rest of our close family and, as we all now have children, were buying just for the children.

    I think it sounds like a great idea, although I dont have any others! lol, sorry, just wanted to give you some good feedback from experience! xxx
  • I made calendars and added photos of LO to it - gave to grannies and in-laws and they loved it (especially as they dont see LO often)
  • double post

    [Modified by: ExcitedMummy on August 19, 2010 08:40 PM]

  • Me and dd1 made truffles last year as pressies for her teachers, just go little gift boxes and put 6 in each. They were very tasty.
  • i'm not buying presents from me and OH this year as i have a large family too and they've demanded i don't start spending a fortune or it will only escalate and end up costing ridiculous amounts. so instead we're going to do something similar to what i did with my mum when i was little.

    we're going to give everyone a little keepsake present from LO (will be her 1st christmas). i'm going to use some of her tiny socks and put sweeties/finger shaped cookie etc in and LO is going to do some finger painting for the tags and we'll put a ribbon on, so everyone will get their own little stocking off her lol
  • Ooohh I love bargains and making pressies. Here are some ideas:

    - Cakes, biscuits, jams, chocolates etc
    - Buy cheap plain glasses, mugs, plates etc and decorate them. Make them personal to who they're going to.
    - Photo calendars
    - Photo collages/frames - buy a cheap clip-frame or multi-frame and fill with photos (this is always lovely). I did a lovely one for my mum last year. I got a GIANT clip frame (about ??3.99) and a large piece of decorative paper from Paperchase (??5 but could always steal a large wallpaper sample from B&Q!). Then put lots of photos of me and her on the nice paper and framed it.
    - Paint plain terracotta flower pots or vases and fill with lovely flowers or a nice plant. Then tie a ribbon round them.
    - Get some nice fabric and make a pillow/cushion and sew on some pretty jewels and buttons
    - For the kids get those clip-lock storage glass jars (with the funny silver lock thing) and fill to the brim with smarties, jelly sweets etc and tie a ribbon around. This looks so colourful and exciting for the kids!
    - Cheap but nice bought gifts are hampers for certain things. Like a 'film' hamper/basket/box with some popcorn, slippers/PJs, coke/beer/wine and a DVD in or a 'pamper' one with smellies, face cream, nail varnish and maybe a relaxing CD

    Hope this helps with some ideas image)

    P.s. the Martha Steward website is fab
  • I love the film Hamper idea!!! Xx
  • My friend made chilli jam for all her friends and family last year and it was DELICIOUS!! She bought jars and lids from lakeland and made the jars look lovely! x
  • oooohh wasn't thinking about christmas yet but g;ad yuo brought it up am thinking ill go with the basket - sp far possible items include:

    muffins
    pinecones painted white
    handmade tree decoration from kids
    photo of boys
    a few tea lights (smelly ones)
    sweets??
    facemasks for girls socks for boys???
  • We generally make gingerbread to hang from people's trees, and I have been thinking about gifts like this today!

    Think we are going to go down a foody route, so a hamper for grandparents containing mince pies, cookies, fudge and chocolate truffles.

    Peapy's little friends we will be doing mini Christmas Puddings and stained glass tree biscuits for. The puds are just crispie cakes doen in mini muffin tins with a bit of cherry and raisin chopped through and a smidge of white choc on top. I then top with some glace cherry and glace angelica as holly.

    For our mums I picked up a ??1 paint your own put from M&S in the sale last year and these will have a hyacinth in.

    Last years cards were ace and very much appreciated by all, they involved handprints and a foot print from our daught in 2 shades of brown, put together with a fluffly red pom pom nose and googly eyes to make Rudolf! This year we are doing Angels with hands for wings.

    Another fav is cinnamon sugar, our Canadian relatives do this, but works equally with vanilla and then you just add a little bit of food colouring to a small amount in red & green, allow to re-crystalize and mix back through.

    Bets XxX
  • Great post.

    I am hoping to create a special DVD of my LO's first year and give it to the grandparents. Just need the time to put all the millions of clips into something more meaningful xx
  • Some fab ideas! Will be nicking a few image

    The only one I have to add is wrapping paper. Buy a roll of lining paper, and get/help lo to draw on it. Personalised paper at a fraction of the cost!
  • Old xmas cards are good for making your own tags. Get some pinking scissors (is that the right word?) and cut out a nice shape -stars, circles, sqaures and punch a hole in the top. Add some curling ribbon to attach to the presents.

    I've been gathering bits for Xmas since I found out I was pregnant (March time) so got quite a few bargains when shops have had stuff on offer. That's another way to do it. xx
  • One year we did a 'day in' hamper for each of our close family.... did a movie night one with a film a feather pillow, and popcorn, a pamper one - new flannels, bath stuff and a dvd, an itallian meal - lemoncillo, shot glasses, posh pasta and a pesto, a walking day - thermos, kendal mint cake, os map/note book etc.

    All really well recieved!! I think the themed meal one worked best, and you can buy bits over the year. I also really like the fact that the present was consumable, and not going to gather dust on a shelf! Really good for students, young families and foodies!!

    Em x
  • I love love love the themed hamper idea - I think I'll do that for my mum and sis and maybe the in-laws too.
    Anyone know where I can get the empty baskets?
  • Page bookmarked, some great ideas here ladies thanks!
    I have nothing to add I'm afraid - except that last night I gave my parents a photobook I'd made on Photobox as a thank you for everything they bought our LO before she arrived and since, and it made my mum cry, think it made their year! Dad said it was the best present he'd ever got...with the exception of my daughter herself! So I'll definitely be doing some personalised homemade gifts from LO for xmas.
    xxx
  • ikea or wilkinsons for baskets!!
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