ok Crafters, it's time to help...
By samsonskola
@samsonskola (3357)
United States
November 25, 2006 11:28am CST
Finances are very low this year and I have quite a few people that I would like to make a little something for...ranging from children to older adults..give me some ideas please??? Nothing involving a sewing machine, mine just fried!.(which blew my plans for sewing things)..Please help!
7 people like this
22 responses
@loved1 (5328)
• United States
27 Nov 06
I am crocheting afghans for people this year. In the past I have given away jars of home canned apple butter, salsa and spaghetti sauce. I have also gone to the Family fun website and looked for gifts kids can make. They have many good ideas there! I always give plates of cookies and baked goodies. Last year my sister in law gave beaded necklaces and bracelets to all the girl children. They were thrilled! Have you thought of personalized gift certificates? Many people would love an afternoon of free babysitting or yardwork. Just use your imagination and I am sure you can come up with something!
3 people like this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
28 Nov 06
great ideas! thanks so much for all the ideas to think about!
2 people like this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
28 Nov 06
still a great idea....thank you so much
2 people like this
@sunrisekn (1466)
• United States
28 Nov 06
I am making sweatshirts and t-shirts with my sons handprints and feet prints for his grandparents and uncles and aunts. It's his first Christmas and my only child, so I wanted to make some-
thing that they all would remember. I'll am also going to make hot chocolate spoons for everyone.
Good Luck and happy crafting!
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
28 Nov 06
what a cool idea...thanks very much
1 person likes this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
26 Nov 06
What about cookie mixes in a jar? We have done these for years. You can get the instructions off the web. They are super easy and quite lovely. Also get some Christmas fabric for the lid makes it extra special.
3 people like this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
27 Nov 06
very good idea..i had forgotten about those..thanks a lot
2 people like this
@ContentWriter (954)
• South Africa
25 Nov 06
I can identify with low funds for christmas! I have worrying about what kinds of gifts I can afford for a month already.
I am making photo collages for everyone special. I have been using my camera to take some extra special photo's for them. I saw a great article in a craft magazine about making some pretty photo collages and I am going to try it out - maybe using some scrapbooking kind of ideas to make them really beautiful.
IF there's enough money left over after photo printing and materials then I can have them framed :)
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
25 Nov 06
very good idea, and something they can look back on for years to come, and pass down. I will look into that...thank you for sharing your ideas!..happy holidays!
2 people like this
@theartofmegan (33)
• United States
29 Nov 06
Here's some of my favorite last-minute-cheapo ideas:
Pin Cushions made from felt or scrap material (I recently made a felt wedding cake cushion for a friend who just got married)
Wet felted flower brooches (wool roving is pretty cheap in comparison to how many flowers it can make, and these can be put onto pins or sewn to hair bands for a neat fancy pony tail holder)
if you know how to crochet or knit, wristbands work well for a younger crowd, and don't take up much yarn or knit time.
Though decoupaged frames are all well and good, I usually prefer to decoupage mirrors with wooden frames. For some reason, most of these that I have given as gifts have ended up in bathrooms.
The all-fabulous glass magnets are cheap as can be! The most expensive part of this project are the magnets, and they're not very expensive either.
Occasionally I'll do topiaries by taking apart flower garlands, gluing them to a styrofoam ball, putting that on a fancy stem aparatus, and putting all that into a cheapo clay pot. It is a little more expensive than the rest of these ideas, but the costs really break down if you make more than one. And you can usually get about 5, depending on the size, out of the flowers on a garland.
If you like any of these ideas but need more information, send me a message, and I'll give you a deeper explanation :)
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
30 Nov 06
you have really wonderful ideas! and very unique ones at that...i will definitely look into some of these ideas, as i've suddenly realized my gift-giving list is growing by leaps and bounds!...thanks again for sharing!
1 person likes this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
7 Dec 06
Do you crochet? The simple crochet square? One year I used a small crochet hook and floss like string (not floss, it's too expensive, but real thin yarn or colored string) and crocheted small tablecloths, either red and green for christmas or other colors, especially shades of blue. I thought they were very nice. And had to make a couple for myself too, which the christmas one I use every year.
There's a cute pincushion chair you can make with
a tuna fish can, with the lid opened but still attached about 1/4 inch(?)
two 'rings' whether made of a bread twister, hobbie pipe cleaner.. or something else
make a cloth, or something else, filled pincushion which is going to fit in the tuna can.
crochet by single crochet, or otherwise cover the rings, which will be attached by sewing or crochet as the arms of the chair.
cover the tuna can, and the still attached lid with crochet or cloth - don't cut yourself! cover the edge enough that no one else does either.
then put the pincushion in the chair. It's very cute! And can be put on a shelf.
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I forgot ya lose the sentence spacing after adding an image!
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
10 Dec 06
what a cute idea!...how clever!...thanks so much and i just might try that
@funnysis (2619)
• United States
30 Nov 06
I would say for kids if you have a printer print some color picture out and make coloring booksand you can use different colors of paper and mod podge and decorate a bowl or a can.You can paint on a plate or something I have used cardboard boxes to make doll beds I have used old towels to make a mitten wash cloth you can make a necklace with yarn and noodles.The ideas are endless.If you are interested in more ideas let me know.I will be glad to share.familyfun.com is a good site to check out.Good luck and Happy Holidays.
1 person likes this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
1 Dec 06
thank you for your ideas...i have actually looked at family fun and they do have good ideas..thanks so much
@carmat (2849)
• Canada
1 Dec 06
You could try making candles for people that is pretty cool, another idea if your really crafty and depending on supplies, one year my wife made wooden nativity scenes, she had me cutting out little shepards, and baby jesus out of pine board for weeks and painting them up and giving sets to people for xmas. They were so popular she actually did different Christmas themes for a couple of years after for the people who really liked them. Another idea would be family portraits in picture frames from the dollar store and decorate the frame. Hope this helps good luck
1 person likes this
@Kylalynn (1771)
• South Africa
29 Nov 06
What about keyrings made from crystals & beads. I just made two tonight for my grandson & neice to give to their teachers for Christmas (they break up Friday). It's not too expensive, and they look nice. Also made a couple of watches & suncatchers for family presents. Hope this helps.
@sweetpea_216 (1470)
• United States
30 Nov 06
This is a great topic. I'm actually excited about reading and trying to suggest too. Here's my suggestion: It's easy and cheap. Make some people matching scarves. Hopefully you haven't done this yet. There are a variety of fleece prints out there. Go wild!
1 person likes this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
1 Dec 06
sounds interesting....but i'm not sure what you mean by "people matching" scarves...please tell me more
@Monkeymia (206)
• Australia
29 Nov 06
What sort of craft do you do?
I do scrapbooking and this Christmas I am planning (and i use that word loosely) to decorate canvases for family and photo frames.
I got 6x6 cnavases here for $2 each and photo frames for $3.30 each so that should price the present at roughly $10 which is cheap but handmade is always nicer.
1 person likes this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
30 Nov 06
i do just about everything, i'm just having trouble this year because my time is so very limited!....lol...so how are you going to decorate the canvas? sounds interesting
@krankies (811)
• United States
6 Dec 06
cookies, candles, book markers, beaded jewelry. There is a simple craft made with candy canes. you turn them over, the top of the cane will be the base of candle, hot glue together so the are in a circle, place a taper candle in the center and there you have christmas candlestick holders. Add ribbon or a bow if you like.
1 person likes this
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
6 Dec 06
Great ideas from both of you...thanks so much for the tips
@auburndreams (838)
• United States
6 Dec 06
Please let us know what you end up making after all these suggestions.
@auburndreams (838)
• United States
6 Dec 06
Here is a gift that costs $1.00 per person, assuming you have the normal craft leftovers most of us accumulate.
It is called a prosperity magnet. Based on the principal that money attracts money, and uses the intent to invite more money into your life.
How to make it:
Get a new dollar bill or one in good condition.
Get a piece of cardstock the size of an index card. Try to get the color of the money you want to attract (for most of us that will be green).
Cut off the corners of the dollar bill so each piece is a triangle. Glue each corner to a corner of the cardstock.
Decide if you are going to hang it up, pin or frame the piece when you are done. Then you can plan ahead where to put the hanger. Pencil that in for now so you don't glue anything over that spot.
In the center paste a photo of any image that means money or wealth to the person the gift is for. It can be a car, a photo of a ring, a house, etc. This can be cut out of a magazine or printed out on your computer.
Then fill in whatever space is left with glitter or beads or gold-leafing or whatever you have handy in your craft box. Conch shells are said to attract money. Feathers attract divine inspiration. Triangles attract protection. Squares attract stability.
Use your intuition. Add a ribbon for hanging or laminate it if you like, or put it in a fancy envelope. Include a note explaining what it is and what all the symbolism means. It should be displayed where you can see it often, like on a mantle or over the bathroom mirror.
@desmynaa921 (23)
• United States
6 Dec 06
well you know I'm making those pretty snowglobes that cost a fortune in the store. All u need is and ornament with a flat bottom , cleaned babyfood jars, poxy glue, distilled water, glitter of your choice and some ribbon and lace to decorate the bottom . And there you go you can make a lot of different ones.
@happygal68 (3275)
• United States
7 Dec 06
If anyone likes to do journaling, you make a homemade journal for them. Make up a basket filled with candies and cookies or homemade breads. That always seems to go over quite well. You could even make up honey butter for those that like it. It is cheap and easy to make. You could do the brownie/cookie mixes in jars too, my family and friends really seem to like it when I do that for them. I also include my homemade coffee I make with the flavor they like best. Hope these help.
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
10 Dec 06
thank you so much for the suggestions...belive me, i'm considering each and every one...i'll let y'all know when i'm done...
@Monkeymia (206)
• Australia
29 Nov 06
What sort of craft do you do?I do scrapbooking and this Christmas I am planning (and i use that word loosely) to decorate canvases for family and photo frames.
I got 6x6 cnavases here for $2 each and photo frames for $3.30 each so that should price the present at roughly $10 which is cheap but handmade is always nicer.
@iloveit (316)
• Canada
29 Nov 06
If you have some free time you can do surveys online. I have a friend who made $600 in a few days. I have found this site and am making some money. I suggest readup on it.
http://www.cashcrate.com/index.php?ref=130529
They dont charge any fees to join like mylot and is totally free. I have been able to make some cash through them. most other that I have come across charge fees.
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
30 Nov 06
thanks! i'll check it out...always up for making more money!
@udayhase (173)
• United States
1 Dec 06
I used to simply use a bunch of pipe cleaners of different colors and make animals, flowers or what-have-you's by bending it, twisting it together and such. It's nice because there's a lot of room for creativity, it's cheap, and you don't see it too often.
@patgalca (18198)
• Orangeville, Ontario
12 Dec 06
I am doing what someone suggested in my post about my first Christmas without my father. I decided to make a Christmas ornament to honour him. Then I decided I would make one for every member of my family (mother and siblings). I bought 5 styrofoam hearts and painted them red. They will have a green stripe around the side. A picture of my Dad will be decoupaged on one side and a picture of that someone with my Dad will be decoupaged on the other. A little glitter and a piece of wire for a hanger and they will be good to go. I spent all day today going through photo albums, photocopying and cutting photos (must use photocopy to decoupage, not actual photo). I'm almost there. I hope my family members will be very touched.
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
14 Dec 06
what a wonderful way for everyone in your family to remember your dad year after year!..i'm sure your family will love them...i may try something like that...thank you so much for sharing
