Homemade Christmas gifts...what did you make?

[RCT]

someone had posted about homemade gifts and it got me curious to know if you do give them what do you make? this year I made Barbie size sleeping bags....and the famous Easy Bake Oven recipe book......care to share you homemade present ideas? :idea:

[angie r]

I don't know if I can explain the things I made ?(

I took cellophane wrap and wrapped six votive candles in a up/down, sausage like roll. Inbetween each candle I tied a piece of holiday fabric into a bow. At the top I attached the following poem on a piece of holiday cardstock.....

Wish Candles

Place these candles in a row,
Light each one so you will know.
Six things I wish for you today,
And hope that soon they'll come your way.
Peace and Love to feed your soul,
Strength to reach your every goal.
Hope and Joy to make your days bright,
Courage to always do what's right.
I hope my wishes help you through,
Whatever life presents to you.
The candle flames will burn and then depart…
But my wishes will stay, if you keep them in your heart.



I made 60 of these for my mother to give to her clients. My mom saw them at a craft show for $6.50 and I made them for about $1.50 each. They turned out really great, but were quite time consuming!

I also gave Brichard some of the "bean soup jars" to give to his female co-workers.

RCT - I wish I'd gotten around to making some of those recipe books like you did! They sound awesome! I thought you were making "barbie" sleeping bags that were "kid-sized."

[AnnW]

Cute idea, Angie!!! I may have dd do that for gifts.

I bake Red Velvet cakes for my neighbors.

[kathleen]

For some relatives that live out of state and out of the country, I am baking/have baked sugar cookies using my cookie cutter in the shape of Kentucky. On the tin I pasted a paper on which was printed "Merry Christmas from Kentucky." For some other neighbors/relatives, I am cross-stitching lid covers for mason jars (have one more to go) in which I will put cookies in.

I really like the candles and poem, and if you don't mind, think I will "copy" your idea.

[KarlaB]

Neat idea Angie!! Sounds like something I could do!! :thumb:

[RCT]

Originally posted by AnnW
Cute idea, Angie!!! I may have dd do that for gifts.

I bake Red Velvet cakes for my neighbors.

I'll ask...:lol: what is a Red Velvet cake?


I also like that idea Angie....maybe next year....

Barbie sized sleeping bags were a pain...I can't imagine sewing big ones for the kids...LOL...

[angie r]

Originally posted by RCT


Barbie sized sleeping bags were a pain...I can't imagine sewing big ones for the kids...LOL...

That was exactly what I was thinking!!!! :D

[gobble6]

Hi, I'm noew and looking for a cinnamon dough recipe. You know, the kind that you can make Christmas decorations with. Does anyone have a clue?

[angie r]

Originally posted by gobble6
Hi, I'm noew and looking for a cinnamon dough recipe. You know, the kind that you can make Christmas decorations with. Does anyone have a clue?

It's been a couple years since I made that dough. I'm pretty sure it is equal parts cinnamon and applesauce. Roll it out like cookie dough and use cookie cutters. You can add glitter, etc. if you'd like it to be sparkly! Let the shapes dry on wax paper for at least 24 hours.

[AnnW]

Originally posted by RCT


I'll ask...:lol: what is a Red Velvet cake?


I also like that idea Angie....maybe next year....

Barbie sized sleeping bags were a pain...I can't imagine sewing big ones for the kids...LOL...


It's basically a chocolate cake, but has red food coloring in it. It's a southern tradtion for special occassions or special people.
Did ya'll ever see "Steel Magnolia's"? the grooms cake that they joked about, the armadillo? that was a red velvet cake.

[RCT]

oh Ann...that's what I was thinking of when you wrote that...I loved that movie....armadillo grooms cake...well I bet you neighbors are thrilled with that...sounds good to me....

:p

[TXmom]

gobble6
Cinnamon ornaments were yesterday's idea of the day on this site. Go to the main page and click on previous ideas of the day.

I guess I'm totally into cookie cutters this year! Trey's preschool class is getting a cookie cutter (the painted metal Wilton ones - Christmas trees and candy canes) filled with candy and wrapped in cellophane. That's the only thing I've made so far except a movie night basket for our family dirty Santa exchange. It's a basket with a liner from Target filled with glass bottles of Coke, microwave popcorn and a Blockbuster gift certificate. I've done it several times before for various occasions.

[kat]

I had been collecting antique cups and saucers. I poured in some instant candle granules and voile` instant candles. I gave those to my co-hearts at school. I'm not too terribly crafty.

[darlene]

Dh is helping me make the calendars for both gramma's.
I also made up packages of "snowman soup" for the kids to give to teachers/bus driver/principal etc.

:)

[KarlaB]

Originally posted by angie r


It's been a couple years since I made that dough. I'm pretty sure it is equal parts cinnamon and applesauce. Roll it out like cookie dough and use cookie cutters. You can add glitter, etc. if you'd like it to be sparkly! Let the shapes dry on wax paper for at least 24 hours.

I want to do these with dks, but I have a question....where would I find cinnamon that comes in larger amounts than the typical small containers?? ?(

[AnnW]

Sam's!!!! or Costco

[JAK]

I haven't been too crafty this holiday season but we did my my dks teacher's gifts. They are snowmen made out of burnt out lightbulbs. You paint the glass part white and the metal part any color you want (that becomes the hat). Add a wire to the hat and paint it the smae color as the hat. Tie a piece of felt around the neck of the lightbulb for a scarf. Paint eyes and buttons with black paint and paint an orange nose. Spray the whole thing with spray adheisive (sp?) and sprinkle on iridesent glitter. They are SO cute. I know the directions aren't the greatest.

I was going to post them before but didn't know if anyone would know what on earth I was talking about. I took a picture of them. I could e-mail the picture out when I get them developed if anyone is interested in making them next year.

[KarlaB]

Thanks Ann! Sam's finally dawned on me this afternoon. :rolleyes: Will be heading there tonight....

jen - I would love to see a pic of your little snowmen to do next year! :yippee:

[JeannieOR]

I beaded some necklesses. :)

[Linda/NE]

I made some rolls and cookies for the teachers this year.

A few years back I made clothespin angel magnets. I found lacey doillies (sp?) --not paper, and folded them in 4ths so it's kind of a triangle shape. Glue that onto a spring- clothespin with the bottom part (not the point) just touching the edge that opens up. I glued wings on the back, pipe cleaner for the halo and a magnet on the back. Then I used pictures of the kids (only their heads) to make the faces of the angels. I gave these to all the grandparents one year. Dh's grandma (that lives in a neighboring town) recently came across hers and she found a place to display them in her new apartment. She told us last night that she gets lots of comments on how cute they are.

The other homemade gift I made a few years ago was a Home music video tape. Using footage of the kids I chose clips to go together with a song. Once I had the clips in the order (and length) I wanted, I dubbed music on it. I also made a song book with all the words and pictures to accompany it. Some examples of what I did were: "Don't wash my Blanket" by Hap Palmer showed footage of my dd #2 crying when her blanket was put in the washer and also all the different places she carried her blanket. (She still has that blanket by the way and she's 5).
Also, "Take me out to the ball game" showed footage of my kids playing t-ball and also playing ball at home. "Somebody come and Play" (song from Sesame street) I had footage of the kids playing at the park and playing with cousins or friends. Actually I made 2 versions of this for each side of the family. Of course I did a Christmas one too. To end the tape I used the 'Goodbye song' from Bear in the Big Blue House. I taped all the kids waving into the camera and the girls held a sign saying " We love you!" and blew kisses to the camera.

Last year I put together a couple more. I did "Sleigh Ride" with footage of our sledding adventures when the whole family was home over Thanksgiving.
I also did "We're From the Country" (by Tracy Byrd) with scenes of the kids and their 4-h calves, out helping irrigate, chopping weed in the bean field behind our house, a hail storm, and jumping into the water in our ditch after a big rain.
The kids like watching these as much if not more than other videos and movies they have.

It takes a lot of time since I don't have very sophisticated equipment to work with, but it's fun.

[TXmom]

Linda NE
Love the music video idea! such creative people in the world!

[kacee]

Angie R. Thank you for the Candle Wreath idea. I just made ten of the them. It was a great idea. Thank you!!

I love the other ideas too!! Keep posting them everyone.

[netmechwife]

I made gift baskets with Confetti Bean Soup mix, Texas Cornbread mix, Sand Art Brownies mix, a couple candy canes and a candle for each of the couples in the family. For my friends I made Mint Mocha Instant coffee and Candy Cane Bath Salts. For the 2 bachelor college brothers I am making a tin of cookies and goodies. Someone had suggested dipping oreos in the meltable candy coating stuff you can get to make chocolates and such. I think I will try red and green...