Homemade Christmas gifts are the only way to go when you're tight on a budget and want to give something unique and meaningful. They are also fantastic ways to pass the evenings while sipping cocoa and listienng to seasonal music. I start my homemade gifts early so that I won't be piled high with projects during December. Here are a few unique and easy ideas to give as gifts.
The picture above is from Martha Steward and shows and idea on how to make bookends using pottery vases and filling them with sand. No home ever has enough book ends. What can you make book ends out of?
Learn how to make a Secret treasure Hollow book. Shop the thrift store for an old hardback book, glue the pages together and cut out the "innards" for a fun place to store treasures. (my kids love secret places to store their booty!)
Gifts don't need to be anything more than thoughtful. These Christmas sachets are perfect for teachers or neighbors and easy enough for your kiddo's to do. Use 5 inch fabric squares, glue them together, fill with 1/2 cup of poupori and glue closed. Bundle fun fabrics together and deliver them with a sweet note.
Snow globes are a childhood wonder. This tutorial shows how to make your own out of simple jars and of course... Martha Stewart Glitter. By the way, Martha, if you're tuning in today, I want to work in your glitter craft department for a whole week. I want to use all 24+ colors in your line and all 7 different textures you have for white and irredecent glitter. I want to glitter me up all the crafts in the world and let your clean up crew take care of my big ole mess. Love that glitter look! Glittler's outlawed in this house because once you spill glitter, it forever becomes a part of your house and impossible to get off your face. It's the worst for the boys who sparkle after having done their laundry after the pricess costume load!
Tell us all what gifts you're handmaking for Christmas! We can all use more ideas!
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14 comments:
I just LOVE Martha!!
This is the first year that I've started Christmas early. I made a rag quilt for each of my two kids from flannel in colors that they'll like. Rag quilts are very easy-I cut them out on day 1 and sewed them each a week later from start to pulling out of the dryer in just a few hours.
Love the book idea!
I love homemade gifts! To receive something that someone actually took the time to make just for me - well, that makes it all the more precious in my eyes. I make a basket up filled with home-baked goodies for the extended family. I will be adding a home-made gift to each one this year as well. I haven't started them yet, though.
For my sister, I bought a mini photo album that I will be filling with handwritten recipes. Then I'll 'cook up' something for the cover out of scrap paper to make it recipe friendly.
I have also been kicking around ideas like sewing up aprons and pot holders, having my kiddo make those woven potholders from a loom kit, making sweater bags, tile coasters...Decisions, decisions...
I love the sachet idea!
My kids made homemade soap last year. It was easy from the cheap kits and they turned out really cute.
I'm not sure what they are doing this year.
And I'm certainly not sure what I will be doing either! I'll stay tuned to these comments for some great ideas!
For grandparents, one of my girls is embroidering dish towels. My son just got a little coping saw, so he is going to make Christmas tree ornaments or something similar. I'm also going to include pics of the kids.
Oh dear- I've been making gifts for the past few years. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. (Instructions for most of these are in my side-bar, or elsewhere on the blog :)
Beaded eyeglass chains
Scented rice bags (hot/cold packs)
flannel baby blankets
earrings
necklaces
bracelets
etched pyrex casserole dishes
felt tree skirts
purses
moby wraps
stenciled t-shirts
dolls
bread
jam
fingerless gloves from sweater sleeves
skirts
aprons
beaded christmas ornament hooks
beaded badge lanyards
candy
baby leg-warmers
jersey no-sew scarves
fleece scarves (no sew, except for embellishment!)
throw pillows
teddy bears
flower hair clips
ribbon headbands
.... oh, I could go on and on, I've made so much stuff :) It's just too fun!!!
I'm going to talk about a cardigan I made for my baby, later this week. :)
God gives us talents..one of my favorite things to do during holiday time is to grab a friend or two who feel like they don't have the $$ to have a nice Christmas...and spend an hour or two making presents with them. Such a blessing!!
I found a neat little website I plan on making some cool gift from- wordle.net. I'll get some spiffy frames, perhaps do a pretty matting job... make them all personalized.
I love this article on home made christmas gift ideas. I thought you readers might like a cheap christmas gift ideas i found and have brought which is the make your own scalf knitting Kit, i thought this is a great way of getting children into crafts early on. Will be following your posts from now on. Jan
I'm going to try to make purses for some of my female relatives. :)
Hi! I'd love to make but really 'receive' the simple sachets... they are so very sweet!
Last year one of my students who loves to ice skate... made me a homemade note pad that had her own drawing on it of an ice skate. She autographed it and I'm sure Mom went to Office Max or Staples and had her drawing made into 5x7 notepads. I love this very special gift.
Hi! I'm new to your blog. A couple of years ago I the "martha" snow globes with my daughter and it was a lot of fun and she still loves them. I think we need to make a couple new ones this year.
Love it, so I linked it!
use tape to clean up glitter! it doesn't need to be outlawed in your house! just use a lint roller for fabrics, some scotch tape on skin (I use this method when putting glitter on my eyes but it gets on my cheek) and use masking tape for bigger messes on floors etc. Great post. it's 2011 and I'm still loving all these ideas! =)
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