What are all of you crafters making for Christmas?

[Beekissed]

Beekissed, Could you share your recipes for lotions, sugar scrubs and soaps?? I thing the sugar scrub sounds wonderfull ..Thanks Dixie

If I told you I would have to kill you!

Actually, I think I posted the recipe for the sugar scrubs on here once before...I'll look for it and post it on this thread.

ETA: Link to previous post about sugar scrubs.

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=137&p=1

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

Beekissed - I love the idea of the hearth baskets and fire starter pinecones. Could you please explain how to make them or post a pic. I would really appreciate it! If you really wanted you could just send me one. I share your appreciation of the good life!! Just teasin'!

I am making baskets filled with homemade items such as jams and jellies along with knit dishclothes (I always have requests for these) and if I have time (I doubt it but I am going to try!) I am going to knit market bags out of plastic bag yarn. I think there was a picture of a crochet one on another thread. I love the idea of reusing those bags to make something more useful. It was so cool that I found out how to make the yarn and I found a simple knit pattern that I think will work.

For the two younger boys I am making these cool round fleece pillows with their initials on them and probably new knit hats and mittens.

For my older son I have not yet decided. At 17 he is much more difficult to make things for. Anyone have any great ideas for a teenaged boy????

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

I forgot to say that for my nieces and nephews I am going to make these cute fleece hats. They are super easy and you can use up scraps of fleece to make them. The picture is of the one I made my youngest son. (he is also the cutie in the picture)

 

[Beekissed]

Nugget, I wish I had a pic to show you on the hearth baskets...they are so easy and turn out so pretty. Love the fleece hats..and the cutesy male model! We used to make some fleece neck neck muffs that were super easy and put the kid's school decals on(iron on). Great for football games and, man, do they sell like hotcakes at school!

For a teenager? They all want guns! For boys~ in the homemade department~ I've never given a more warmly received gift than jerky. Yep, jerky! I couldn't make it at my house because they always knew and would beg, plead, and steal some before I could accumulate enough. So, I had my mom make scads of deer jerky, using her special recipe, and filled one of those lockable(this is soooooo important for teen boys) tackle boxes for each boy.

Maybe my boys are easy to please, but they ask me for one of those each Christmas now and are hugely disappointed to not get one! I've even buried smaller gifts of pocket knives, fishing lures(in the package, of course), watches, etc. inside the box of jerky for an added surprise. Man, did I get the hugs on the Christmases of the Jerky! Girls are probably a bit more to hard to please, I don't know! Men are such simple creatures....

 

[pioneergirl]

Oh I like the hat idea!! I think I can get remnants for cheap at the fabric store and try to make them....woohoo! thanx for that idea!!

 

[TanksHill]

I thought about baskets with my homemade jams, and then a Mason jar with the biscuit mix inside. You know the kink with the recipe attached.

I have also collected a few oatmeal containers, to fill back with cookies for family.

I never seem to have enough time for sewing projects. Great Ideas from everone, thanks for sharing. Gina

 

[heatherv]

beekissed, i did similar for my 12yo's birthday this year. Great minds think alike!

Though I didn't use a tackle box, I used a lockable storage trunk, but it's a plastic one. NOt sure how else to describe it. And gave him a lock and keys w/ it (one key for me, one for him) so he has a place to lock up his valuables (jerky, etc) from the little kids! he was so thrilled! I put a bunch of other things in there as well, pocket knife was one of them, golf balls, everything was individually wrapped and it was just a big pile of presents. It was fun for him to unwrap it all, the little ones helped him half way through.

For Christmas last year I did homemade candies/cookies for alot of people.

This year it'll be sweet breads cookies and fudge.
I'll be packing them into empty coffee containers. Folger's had cute holiday printouts you could print up and glue onto the folger's containers for this purpose. ( can be used on any, but fit specifically on the folger's ones) My mom and I have been saving them.

I'm also doing some loaves of fresh baked bread (a buttermilk recipe we love) to go along with for some people w/ a knitted dish cloths, and some jars of dilly beans for my brothers.

I'm trying to figure out something for the kids to be able to make for one another. 6yo DD is knitting a camoflauge scarf for her brother. Other than that, no ideas! I'll be hopefully completing a denim (from old jeans) quilt for my 12 yo. 6yo dd will probably help w/ that. I may just have the 2 and 4yo help w/ cookies/candies or something to give their siblings.

I'm behind already this year! Planning for two conferences, that just turned into 3 today, has been taking up alot of my time. Last one is Nov 21st-22nd, and after that I'll be scrambling to get the holidays together!!!

Thanks for bringin' this topic up to keep me in check!

eta: forgot to mention that I went to a Goodwill store in a distant town (we were out of town for work) this weekend, my friend was looking for a blouse to wear to the wedding, anyways, there was a clearance rack there (ours doesn't do that) and I got a ton of stocking stuffers on that clearance rack. 70% off already reduced prices. This goodwill had brand new items, tags still on them. I got some children's shampoo/conditioner for .29cents a bottle (cherry scented) which I'll make a haircare basket for the girls and add this. I got them a brushes for .40 cents. I got them watches for ..49cents. (pink and purple) I got chapstick (2/pck for .20 cents) I picked up a few of those. Dog toys/dishes/collars all for under .50 c a piece. These were all brand new, never used... tags/stickers still on them. I spent $9 and came out w/ 3 shopping bags FULL!

I also stocked up on school supplies as they were on sale for .06 and .09c (some stuff even free) so the school supplies and the Goodwill finds will be stocking stuffers. Not homemade, but gettin' by pretty cheap this year compared to the last couple.

 

[Homesteadmom]

MAking 2 night gowns for dd out of plain white t-shirts I got at a rummage sale(brand new too). Orange maramalade for my dad, maybe some biscut mix too. And a bottle of sorghum(I bought for him). I am also trying to make my mom some shopping bags(6) I have some red material that sunflowers would look great on(her fav flower) & then she would have reusable bags. I have a pillow to make for dh's step mom too. I wanted to make a quilt for ds#1 but not enough time I guess it will be a birthday gift in March.

Nuggets, I love the hat idea, any tips for a novice sewer on how to make them?

 

[ScottyG]

Usually, we make some fun food item or something, but this year we're just going with framed portraits of our baby. The family keeps bugging us for them, and it's certainly an easy gift to put together... take cute photo, get it printed, put it in cheap frame. Done. I kind of miss the making stuff though. Last year we made fun flavored "just add water" pancake mixes for everyone. That was fun.

 

[Wildsky]

I've got all kinds of things going - don't really know WHAT I'm going to end up with.
Making soap, bath salts, bath fizzy bomb things - crochet and knitting stuff...
I'd send out jars of Apple butter, but I don't do canning and mailing it out frozen won't work! :/