Making things for Christmas gifts

For the past Christmas in my life, I always buy the gifts I am giving since I don't have much time to prepare something! I always start buying and making list like 1 week before Christmas. I never tried to start always ahead since I always don't find money to do it! hahaha,,

I enjoy making things for Christmas, but have a hard time coming up with the right things. I knit, do needlepoint and embroidery. I've done it for so many years that almost everyone I know has already been gifted with the things they like.

I think that this year we will be doing gifts in a jar to save us some money on things. Im hoping to ba ll done with Christmas by November but who knows if that will happen. There are lots of books out there you can pick up at the local library to give you some great ideas.

i start in january since i only do crafts at night when i am watching tv. i have started to make gift tags for christmas already to both sell and to give out.

I have made jewelery before, but last year I made gifts in a jar..I made flavored coffees and cookies and brownie mixes that I place in a mason jar..

I did two years ago for Christmas. A few of my sister-i-law's liked my scarf and asked my to knit one for them rather than a store-bought gift. So I began knitting scarves in the early fall (think I'd get them finished early) then my sisters saw me knitting and they wanted scarves, as did my mom-in-law. And then a few of my nieces requested scarves too. So I began knitting on my lunch break in work... and the requests continued with my work mates and then a few members of family members and friends. I ended up knitting non-stop for months...lol The money was nice and it ended up turning into an online business that has now morphed into an online jewelry business. Now I get jewelry orders from workmates... custom orders, little one and two person showings, etc. I still do knit from time to time, even during lunch breaks (but I go out in my car to knit on lunch)There isn't alot of money in scarves... to time consuming, so the ones I do make I offer for sale in the fall and winter on my online site, just to give it a different look.

Since I make crafts to sell, I must admit that I usually give things that don't sell for xmas gifts, rather than making something specifically for gifts. This usually works out pretty well. That said I'll often pull something from my sale pile for a friend or family member really loves it. It's pretty fun to sprprise then with something they thought I sold to someone else!

I do make things for Christmas gifts and I do normally start early. Probably around summer time when i am not in school and have more time.