A Holiday Challenge
By newtondak
@newtondak (3946)
United States
July 22, 2008 5:24pm CST
I've read so many interesting discussions from the people in this category and acknowledge that you are a very creative bunch!
That said, it's about 4 1/2 months until Christmas, which is ample time to get your creative juices running. My challenge is to make yours a homemade Christmas, making presents for your family and friends, rather than spending major bucks for purchased items.
Let's start with some ideas - what can you make to give as a gift?
I've started buying fruit that is on special at the store or that I can find for a reasonable price at the farmers market and making jams and jellies to put in gift baskets of food items for my three grown children and their families. I caught some blueberries on sale last week and made and canned some blueberry syrup to use on pancakes or waffles.
The kids can always use stocking caps and mittens, so I need to get my knitting needles busy in the evenings and do some knitting. I've also seen some made from fleece that would be great if you don't knit or crochet.
Please share your ideas!
2 people like this
10 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
23 Jul 08
I've tried to do a completely homemade Christmas before, but there are members of my family who don't appreciate it, so I just make some things. Since I knit, I'm always thinking of things to knit. This year I'm making my daughter a throw, but don't know what else. I made family calendars with everyone's birthdays and special days on them a couple of years ago and that went over well.
3 people like this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
23 Jul 08
Some people would rather just shop, but I find that I can usually make a higher quality gift for less money than buying in the store. Of course, some people just don't have the time to commit to doing it, but it give me a sense of accomplishment when I make something.
@Humbug25 (12540)
•
22 Jul 08
Hi newtndak
I always like my kids to gifts to their teachers for Christmas but can't always go to the expense of buying boxes of chocolates and so on. What we always do is make pomanders. I don't want to under-estimate your intelligence but if you want me to be more discriptive then please let me know. It may be an Enlish thing Pomanders, but then I have met English people that don't have a clue what one is!!
All the best
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
22 Jul 08
That's a great idea and I'm sure the teachers enjoyed them!
While not everyone appreciates a homemade gift, I think that most people do when they think about the thought, time and effort involved.
1 person likes this
@Humbug25 (12540)
•
22 Jul 08
Well I usually do the tricky bit of tying the ribbon around the orange and the kids do the rest and I am sure their teachers appreciate the effort my kids have gone to. We also give them to the lollypop ladies who help all the kids cross the roads safely on their way to school oh and the lady on the reception because she does a fantastic job which is sadly unappreciated by many!
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169439)
• United States
23 Jul 08
Find villageanne on here. She has gifts in a jar ideas, and master mixes, etc. I used her recipe for holiday muffin mix as part of last year's gifts. I will need to post pictures later. I painted various cans dark blue, added snowmen scenes and snow flakes. I made curly wire handles out of wires saved from old notebooks. Little tomato sauce cans held cinnamon votive candles. Another size got muffin mix. Yet another size had homemade cappuccino mix. I was making myself a set for the kitchen to hold random utensils, but I did not finish them, LOL.
2 people like this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
23 Jul 08
My son-in-law loves to barbecue - it's his "specialty" - so I like to find mix recipes for various grilling spices and rubs and make those up for him.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
23 Jul 08
Sorry you're having a bad day!
Whenever possible, I like to get an early start on presents or I tend to get really stressed out the closer it gets to Christmas. If I do it over the year, I can also give a little more than if I wait until the last minute to go shop.
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
22 Jul 08
I'm not the greatest to spend time in the kitchen to do any jelly making or anything like that. Homemade jams, jellies, and syrups sound really yummy, though.
I do have a kit from Tandy Leather that I bought a few years ago at a great sale price. The kit has pieces from which I can make key fobs and other small items. I just need to get it out and get busy on them. I could use those as gifts for my grandkids.
I'm sure they would all like something from Grandma that she made.
I would love to learn to knit socks so that I can knit a pair for everyone in my family. They would have to be nice and thick and soft and comfy enough for the cold winter nights that occur here in the midwest.
I'm sure they would all like something from Grandma that she made.
I would love to learn to knit socks so that I can knit a pair for everyone in my family. They would have to be nice and thick and soft and comfy enough for the cold winter nights that occur here in the midwest. 2 people like this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
23 Jul 08
I have never mastered socks or anything that is knitted with more than two needles. I recall one year when my sister decided she would knit socks for our uncle - she only finished one that year and the other took all the next year!
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
23 Jul 08
Hopefully it won't take me that long to make a pair of socks!!!
There were a few Christmases when I was growing up that I knitted a neck scarf and an afghan for my dad.
1 person likes this
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
22 Jul 08
We did a Christmas like this a few years back. My dad made everyone a jar of jam from the raspberries he grew in his garden; my mum made lavendar bags (from home-grown lavender) and knitted hats and scarves; one of my sons made computer games/puzzles and the other made an assortment of presents including a 'Beanie Babies' picnic scene with a little table for me to display my beanies; my husband made various wooden items including a candle holder and chess board. I wasn't working at the time so went a bit overboard and made a board game for each of my sons, calendars, cross-stitch coasters, painted glasses, printed writing paper sets, pen holders (from Steradent tubes and free internet cds), plaster of paris fridge magnets, fabric painted on plain white hankies....
We all enjoyed making the things and all received individual gifts.
2 people like this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
22 Jul 08
Several years ago at Christmastime, we agreed that the next Christmas would be a homemade holiday and all gifts were to be homemade. It really brought out the creativity in everyone and with a year's notice everyone found the time to comply. We made silhouette outdoor nativity scenes from plywood for each family and I made a lot of homemade mixes and put into a gift basket for each.
1 person likes this
thanks for b/r 
@cher913 (25781)
• Canada
24 Jul 08
sounds like you are well on your way. i make a lot of stuff that is home made such as scarfs and this year, i am making 4 scrapbooks for 4 nieces for christmas, so that will keep me busy (i am using a lot of stuff - paper and stickers that i have amassed over the years)
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
27 Aug 08
I am sure your nieces will love their scrapbooks - what a wonderful thing for you to do for them!
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
24 Jul 08
I am not one for being prepared when it comes to holidays. I usually let my wife do the shopping and these days, money is scarce and we can hardly buy gifts in advance. Good luck on your creativity and preparedness.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
27 Aug 08
I can due a couple of gifts each month, it's doing all of them in one month just before the holidays that gets to me.
@neelygal (1022)
• Bahamas
23 Jul 08
I am already starting to make some Christmas gifts to cut back on my Christmas shopping this year.I am making purses for the little girls in my family or friends kids.I am making character banks for the little boys that are on my list.These things are being made from plastic canvas and look really cute.I make them to sell for a few extra dollars so I know that kids like them.
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
23 Jul 08
I had hoped to have more done by now, but I have needed to be outside helping with the livestock and in the field more than I had anticipated. When the weather gets cold again, I should be able to work on things more.
@liltunergirl (467)
• Canada
23 Jul 08
I usually get my daughter to make something for people on occasions. For mothers day I took her to the Dollar store and had her make a flower pot for my mother. We bought a plain pot, some ceramic paints, a bag of little flowers and some other things she wanted to put on it. The total cost $5.00. We spent an afternoon painting and glueing. Not only does making things give more time with the kids, it also shows you were really thinking about what that person likes and customizing something for them. Sure I could have gone out and bought a flower pot for the same price that was already decorated but that wouldn't have been as fun or caring.
I also like doing shadow boxes for engagements (again, everything bought at the dollar store). Take their wedding invite and some white lace, flowers, things that look like rings and create a "picture" of invite. It always turns out beautiful and it cost me pennies!
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
23 Jul 08
I love getting things that my grandchildren make. Their mothers tell me that they bring so much artwork from school and they have no place to put it, so I tell them to send it to me!
