Wondering what Mommy Homework is??? Each week you will have an “assignment” here to share in our comments here on this site. You will love this-both sharing AND enjoying answers by others. Some of them, I compile into an ebook (contributors can resell as a product of their own–be sure to submit your email and full name when you register so I can credit you appropriately!).
The result is AWESOME!
We get to know each other…we are encouraged in our journey…and we glean super ideas from other great moms!
Ready for this week’s MH? This is a good one!
Our topic this week is “Christmas Gifts on a Shoestring”
Your Assignment This Week…
The 2008 Holiday Season is here! We have already started getting things ready around here. This year, I have some very special gifts that I am preparing. Shhhh…I am writing each of my family members a very special letter. I am also on the hunt looking for the perfect “letter box” for each of them. Want to know more about what I am doing? Check out my recent Mom-to-Mom Radio Show with Lorrie Flem. See it here!
Now, back to Mommy Homework for this week…
The best gifts are not always the most expensive. In fact, my favorite gifts through the years where those where my loved ones took TIME and EFFORT to make something special JUST FOR ME. It took knowing me well enough to know what would bless me. It took getting to know me in order to know what I really wanted and could not get anywhere else. The greatest cost was in T-I-M-E! They gave me THEMSELVES in giving those gifts.
So, what are you preparing? What are you making for those you love? Share what you are doing for those you love–that something that will give them YOU for Christmas. What are you planning to give that will stretch the budget? Any ideas for gifts that matter on a “shoestring” budget?
Ready to dig in? Grab a cup of tea…settle in for a bit. You will want to dig into this one sweet friends!!
Love ya!
Cindy
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Deadline–Friday at midnight CST.
I love MAKING things for Christmas! One year I made my mother in law a quilt. That is something that takes planning and time. I started the beginning of the year and stitched my last stitch Christmas EVE!! I also love yarn. You can make so much with a skein of yarn. I’ve made my daughter 2 scarves for Christmas that she absolutely loves. Did I mention we live in Florida? But it’s more a fashion statement then for warmth for her lol. I made my husband a flannel man quilt with big block squares. That was pretty quick as I made the squares bigger to cover more ground more quickly. Fun little gifts can be a cute Christmas mug with your homemade cocoa wrapped inside and a peppermint stick to stir it with. I just love homemade things. I plan on making a personalized calendar for my parents this year. You can do almost anything with a photo now a days. I saw pillow cases, mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, playing cards, etc. So that’s an idea as well.
I love things that come from the heart. They are always my favorite present to give and to receive.
Hugs and blessings to you all.
Kim Wilson
Even though I must admit to having been one of those Black Friday bargain hunters, we enjoy making gifts for our family too, as well as some of those little gifts that seem to add up (scout leaders, Sunday School teachers, etc). One of the things we tood advantage of yesterday was the 30% and more off craft supplies at our local craft chains. We really stocked up!
One of my favorite gifts, being a scrapbooker AND having a very talented photographer in our family, is anything photo related. For my husband’s aunts and a few of the other extended family members, we make photo calendars every year. We have ours professionally printed (mainly because I develop so many photos over the year they send us GREAT coupons!!) but my best friend does hers on the computer and they’re just as nice. You can do one photo and tear off pages, or a new photo for each month. We also do handmade frames of special pictures, mini-scrapbooks, etc.
Soap & candles are fun and relatively inexpensive. This year we’ll be making small jar candles with canning jars (often available at great prices right after canning season). Last year dd11 made all sorts of small molded, scented soaps that we put in these cute little buckets I got in the Dollar Zone at Target.
We’re also done a lot of Gifts in a Jar, there are some great recipes out there. I don’t usually get too complicated, chocolate chip or M&M cookies are great (the M&M’s add a lot of color) or drink mixes. Maybe this year I’ll remember to actually give ours to the mail-lady :)!
Sometimes for the grandparents I’ll frame kids’ artwork or cover with contact paper for placemats. Other grandparent ideas I’ve done over the years have been sweatshirts with each grandchild’s handprint & name, Christmas ornaments, etc. They’re really the easiest — if a grandkid made it, they really don’t care WHAT it is, LOL!
The biggest suggestion I would have — but I guess it’s a little late this year, though — is to plan ahead. If you collect supplies over a longer period of time — our craft stores typically have a 50% off one item coupon almost ever week — you can get what you need much less expensively. After the holidays, anthing Christmas related will likely be as much as 75% or more! And you need to start ahead with making things, or either (a) you’ll be cranky and miserable the week before Christmas trying to finish projects or (b) you’ll end up having to run out and spend extra money on something else when you run out of time.
Hope this helps someone a little bit — now if only I would practice some of my own ideas!
Cari
Each Christmas I try to come up with something homemade to give out to family and friends.
Here are some things that I have done in the past:
Homemade apple pie filling in quart jar with box of pie crust in gift bag
Any type of gift in a jar….soup, brownies, cookies
This year I found a Garlic Dill Seasoning that I bought and loved on grilled vegetables or breads. It was expensive, though. My plan for this year is to try and duplicate that seasoning blend from looking at the ingred. on the bottle. I bought the small, 4 ounce canning jars that are shaped pretty. I bought all the seasonings in bulk and will make the mix, fill each jar and wrap it pretty.
I think that this will be a unique gift that many will like.
Julie Bertsch
This is a subject that has been dear to our family for years. With having to live on at tight budget due to medical bills, etc, we make most of our gifts.
Since my husband and I were married I make a personal calendar every year for every person in the extended family. I choose a different topic for the calendar every year so that it is new and different. I’ve done baby pictures of the family members, family pictures and this year I am filling the calendar with the grandkids. I also, choose a verse, song or special saying to put under each picture that can help encourage throughout the year.
This year I am making kitchen baskets for each girl in the family. I am using material that was left behind after my husbands grandmother passed away – so the material means something and is free – and I am making hot pads, coasters, apron. There are two granddaughters so I have made the mother/daughter chef hats look a like.
I have had the help of my husbands grandmother that has health problems to embroider the Last Supper for all the kids and grandkids in the family and then we have matted them and framed them. We have also had her do pillows for all the great-grandsons and bed dolls for the great granddaughters. Unknown to her she has made herself a picture of the Last Supper.
We even make homemade items to hang on our tree, this makes it more special (at least to Mommy and Daddy).
One of the favorite things that we like to do is make candy, cookies and other favorite items to give. We also do special projects every year for the battered home for women in the area. One of the most fun items we have done for them was making small toys for the kids and bath salts for the moms.
This is a wonderful time of the year but the most important thing we try to do is have our family remember the Lord’s birth! I hope that I have been able to suggest something to help someone that needs a suggestion.
Blessings,
Orilla Crider
Well, I am not sure exactly what I will do yet, but we have done a few fun ones that weren’t exactly homemade, but very well received…
I used to be a Stampin’Up! demonstrator, so I bought their clear cellophane bags (large)(you can find them at Michaels or Joanns too), put in some shredded paper (kind you find at craft stores-usually red or green), a gift card for Blockbuster ($5), a box of concession stand candy (you know the big ones you can buy at the dollar store and most super markets, the big!!! ones), a bag of popping corn (buy them in a carton of 3 or more and you have plenty to go around) -organized it all tidy like, then made a paper header with Merry Christmas on it and an image (had to use all those stamps I had ya know?) or you can tie a pretty ribbon on, attach a wee little card that says M. C. and give them away to Sunday School teachers, Scout leaders, mail person, sport instructors/coaches, and so on. For less than 7 or 8 bucks, you give a very nice and thoughtful gift.
Another one that was a HUGE hit was the Angel’s Snack packed in tins from the dollar store or in those clear cellophane bags with a simple tag or note card….my did I become popular after giving those out..that stuff is so awesome! And for about 15 or so bucks you can make a lot (maybe 5-10 gifts, depending on the sizes) to give away to those you want to thank, but do not want to go broke buying for.
Again, these are not necessarily homemade completely, but I have found these to be enjoyed by those who received them.
Oh, just thought of another one we did a few years back….I made that dough you bake to make ornaments….then cut out a bunch of crosses. Once cooled, we decorated them with those tiny beads (perhaps the ones for bracelet making) using the good tacky glue, let them dry, sprayed em with clear spray paint, let dry, attached a ribbon with a note wising folks a happy Christmas and a Bible verse about Jesus’ birth to all our neighbors…again-a well received gift that really didn’t cost much at all. It was fun making them and the colors we used were golds, browns, reds, silvers and so forth, so they looked very classy. I still have to unpack and decorate the tree (smells so good and outdoorsy here tonight! Love those evergreens!) this weekend….
HTH
Sheri Hagemann
I have given homemade/handmade items for gifts in the past, but this year I am blank for ideas! So I am really excited about reading all the ideas this week! some of the things I have given have been: #1 Hand towels with the little ones footprint (in brown paint) and handprints on each side to form a deer and adding the words “Nana’s little deer”, #2 Christmas chex mix w/ melted white chocolate and christmas m&m’s (I made a huge batch and then divided into different containers, this is really festive), #3 This was a gift given to me and it was one of the most precious gifts ever, my mom re-made me a porcelain doll to look just like me on my wedding day! She purchased the doll and made the dress and the trimmings! I was so touched, I could only cry. That was very special. #4 I have also given calendars and magazine subscriptions. Personally I received a subscription last year and enjoyed it so and as well thought of this person every time I received it! As for calendars, there are so many to choose from, last year I sent paper airplaine making (one for each day), origami each day, tangrams a day! #5 I also love to give monogrammed gifts! One year I purchased nice blankets and had these monogrammed( gave them as a couple or family gift), they turned out great and I really didn’t spend that much ! One last idea is a personalized wreath. My friend gave me a wreath several years ago the she had purchased the greenery and then added ribbons and a special ornament, I just unpacked the wreath and it is one of my favorite Christmas decorations!
Tina Ketchens
We plan to make some Homemade Gift Mixes in a Jar for this year. And at our co-op group we made some Snowman Soup in a empty soup can that was decorated with a strip of wrapping paper on the outside, (preferrably snowman or snow paper) and inside it had a package of hot chocolate a few Hersheys kisses a candy cane and 5 mini marshmallows. There was a little poem but I don’t have access to it right now. (You can get one online with a google search for snowman soup poem.) We drilled one hole near the top of 2 sides of the can and put a gold pipe cleaner handle on the can with those holes. My kids are going to make some more can gifts using stocking stuffers like pencils, erasers, candy, toothbrush etc for some cousins and close friends. You can use all sizes of cans and they are super cute.
Have fun making gifts and I can’t wait to read your ideas!
Lori Duncan
Every year I try to bake something or make candy for each person. Since Christmas is a time when EVERYONE has a ton of candy and cookies and such, I make something special for someone who is traveling a long way that isn’t necessarily Christmas-y. Some people love my spice bars, so I make some for them. Others love banana bread, so I bake them a few loaves that they can take home (we freeze it, so they can get it home in good condition!!)
For those nearby, I make a coupon for them so that they can have a treat, all they have to do is call ahead of time to arrange when they want it. This is kind of a double-present because we get to visit when they come to get it or when I bring it to them. Often if they are coming here, they stay for supper, too. Without this, we hardly get to see some of our siblings or friends!!
Some are on special diets, that I don’t want to mess with, so I make something else.
One year I did cross-stitch bookmarks (we have a family of readers!!) with cars and such for men and flowers for women. Except one person collected owls, so I did an owl for her.
I have been thinking about next year (won’t have time this year anymore) making wall-hangings and table runners and possibly some jar mixes.
Elizabeth Bowen
We’ve done a couple of fun things the last couple years that didn’t cost too much but involved the cooperation of multiple families to turn out. (FYI, siblings and cousins get irritated if you don’t give lots of time and warning for things like pictures!)
A couple of years ago we got an poster sized frame (love those 50% off coupons!) then printed out a poem my sister found that fit my mom. The grandchildren that lived close got together and put handprints on a large piece of posterboard around the edges, the rest mailed them in, the poem went in the middle surrounded by handprints with name and age written underneath.
Last year we got inexpensive scrapbook binders. Each grandchild and daughter made a page expressing what they loved about Grandma / Mom and PopPop / Dad. One sister compiled the pages into scrapbooks for each parent. Big hit!
For one of my grandmothers, an aunt has made a photo calendar the last couple of years. Each of my Grandma’s 5 children and their children (average 3.5 each) have contributed digital pics of child/ grandchild/ great grandchild in some combination. My aunt then arranges them and adds all anniversaries, birthdays, adoption dates along with the number / age to the calendar. We each get on and check the info and she gets it printed at Costco. Cost about $15 and she adores the calendars.
For my own children, we’ve made a tradition for several years of going to the zoo Christmas day. (Well, we missed one year due to a blizzard and went closer to New Years). We have a family membership, so the only added cost is hot chocolate and maybe a carousel ride. We stay to watch the zoolights display come on. Now, they do enjoy their gifts but what they talk about for weeks after is the zoo and what they learned from the zookeepers (they are generally free to answer questions because no one goes to the zoo on Christmas day). Of course, we take lots of pictures to remember each year.
As for budget stretchers, my 10yo daughter has saved $150 to buy a pastel painted dragon that she’s been studying about and wishing for for months. We’re gifting the cage and equipment so that she can get her lizard for Christmas. These lizards are a big upfront cost!! But they live around 10 years so she’s hoping it will be her pet for the rest of the time she’s living at home. I think this will be a good thing and I know she’ll be thrilled.
Bobbi
I have been making baskets of goodies for the past several years. I have put all kinds of things into them. Homemade soaps, homemade laundry detergent and dishwasher detergents are a few of the items I included one year. I always include baked goods as well. Salsas are always a hit with family and friends who enjoy spicy things.
I also like to include memo pads or note cards, pens and special bookmarks. As our parents have gotten older they really don’t want more knick-knacks or things that they have to store so I try to make everything in the basket consumable. Another wonderful gift that my mother particularly likes to get is a gift card to her favorite grocery store. As prices soar, I’m sure that she will enjoy that one even more!
My father-in-love who just passed on after last Christmas thought that I had included some fudge and took a big bite out of my homemade soap. That was one funny Christmas surprise!
I just made a gift for my good friend. What I did was take a photo that I took and on the computer put it onto a page and then added a verse to it. I put it into a picture frame that I used a coupon for Michaels on. Hobby lobby also has weekly coupons. Anyhow, I actually made 3 different pages with different verses so that that could be interchangeable.
I am going to take pictures of all of the grandkids for my in-laws. You could also make a small scrapbook for the grandparents too!
Rodna James
I love to make Christmas gifts. We do have some “hard to buy for” family members.
For my aunt and uncle, they are like grandparents to our children, I am making a photo calendar. I found calendars with decorative pages on them at Michaels for $1.00. I picked out 12 pictures of them with our children and had them printed out at Wal-mart for less than $3.00. Then all you have to do is attach the pictures for each month. It is definitely something that they cannot buy anywhere!
We also like to can jellies and preserves that we can give away.
My girls love to make gifts in a jar. They make great gifts.
For the girls this year, I found a kit at Michaels that you can print “shrinky dinks” from your digital photos. Then you shrink them down in the oven and attach them to jewelry accessories. You can make earrings, necklace charms, key chains, and anything else that you can think of to make. I am also printing them t-shirts with a picture of them with their pets on front. They love these personal items that cannot be purchased in the stores.
I have ordered in the past from LTD Commodities online. They have great deals on items that you cannot find in stores. Just be careful, sometimes they ship your items separately and charge you lots for shipping. I have also shopped on Amazon.com. They have toys, books, audios, and household items. They offer deals on shipping and most items are a lot less than what you would pay in stores.
Happy shopping!
Katrina Boatwright
I don’t usually watch Oprah – but there was a GREAT show the other day on inexpensive Christmas gifts – and she had some fun ideas. My favorite was the “Ice Cream Cone” Hot Chocolate bags – which I’m now making for a TON of people for cheap. Basically, you go buy a box of the clear plastic Wilton cake frosting decorator bags – the kind you use when decorating cakes. Buy a big “Sams Club” can of hot cocoa mix. In the decorator bag, layer hot cocoa mix, mini marshmellows and a handful of chocolate chips – tie with a cute bow – and it makes the cutest gift! I haven’t met one person yet who doesn’t like hot cocoa. Here’s the link if you need a visual:
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081118_tows_holiday/4
I also loved the idea of the “Gratitude Box”
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081118_tows_holiday
Decorate a cute box for your recipient, and then have friends and family write a heartfelt message on a preprinted card (See link above for free download). What a cool gift for someone in your family who has “everything” but needs a little “love” – and it costs next to nothing, but you end up with a priceless gift!
My SIL and i agreed a couple of years ago that gifts for grown ups were impossible LOL so we decided to exchange goodie baskets. We each take a sampling of the special Christmas goodies we make and exchange them so we can share the yumminess! It’s so much better than wandering around the store before Christmas trying to come up with something that the other person does not already have!
For my nieces and nephews I have done knit or crochet washclothes with handmade soaps and bath crystals. (nephew is still a little guy and loves the bubbles that smell like chocolate or other candies 🙂
I have made the girls fancy crocheted barbie or 18 inch doll clothes.
Plastic canvas ornaments are quick and easy.
I also made all the girsl cozy warm ponchos about 3 years ago and they all still use them!
Little doll purses, funky hats, all kinds of crocheted things over the years!
The number one homemade gift i get requests for though is my cinnamon rolls. From people at church to family members everyone loves a big gooey homemade cinnamone roll 🙂
We are using the shrinky dink machine to make ornaments this year, oughta be fun. They kind of look like stained glass when they are finished.
Best holiday wishes
Kimberly
I love to sew and crochet, but I don’t have a lot of time to make something for everyone. Usually I’ll pick 2 or 3 people to get something homemade, like a quilt or a hat and scarf set. Then the next year I pick another 2 or 3. Every few years I might make everyone something small, like a stitched ornament, or maybe all the ladies in the family get an apron or a decorated journal … depends on my mood (and the budget!) Hmmm … only 24 days until Christmas, so I better start planning something soon …
Jennifer Neuman
Well, I am not exactly what you would call “crafty”…so making gifts has not been huge on my list. But over the years, I have learned a few things.
I taught myself to crochet. I have made afghans for most of the members of our extended family over the years.
One year, my husband and I made candles for everyone. We poured them and then painted them.
I enjoy looking at ideas in magazines at the library and in shops and “duplicating” them for gifts.
Baking and making homemade mixes and seasonings, etc. are always a hit.
I like making up gift baskets for families. When there is a family we want to buy for, I will often make up a basket with small items for everyone in the family. This is less expensive than buying a larger gift for each person that is wrapped individually and the presentation is very nice. I usually include items for the family to enjoy together and maybe little trinkets for individuals. For example, a family movie packaged with popcorn and candy in a cute popcorn serving bowl. When everything is packaged together in a pretty basket, people enjoy digging in to find the personal touch included for them. This is a great way to give a small toy to children when wrapping it alone…doesn’t “look” like enough.
Laney Homan
I have a lot of scrapbooking materials (cardstock, paper, punches, stickers). I love homemade cards. A lovely gift to give is a package of homemade cards (maybe Thank-you, Birthday, whatever you think that person would use) and bundle them with envelopes, tied with a ribbon. Sayings for inside can be gotten from past cards received that I save or from the internet. Type them up and print out to glue on. Or if you have lovely handwriting, do it by hand.
I have made caramel popcorn and bagged it up for small “thinking of you” gifts.
For family members, you can make “coupons” to give. E.G. “Good for a night of babysitting” if your sibling has little ones and may need a night out. Kids can make coupons saying they will help mom/dad/gramma/grampa out with a job they wouldn’t normally do. However, sometimes the receiver forgets to cash in on them. I know I have sometimes.
How about a loaf of homemade bread or a jar of your homemade jam. Especially if the receiver doesn’t have a breadmaker.
We’re doing mostly homemade gifts this year. I love to bake, so my 6 year old daughter and I will be baking LOTS of cookies (and maybe some quick breads) to give to people. I’ll either arrange them on pretty paper plates or put them in those toss-or-reuse plastic containers.
My daughter will also be making lots of crafts for family. She loves to paint and work with clay, and I’ve found some terrific ideas from magazines.
Also, my parents requested a photo calendar. Snapfish often has some good coupon codes or sales, so I might take photos of the family or scan some of my daughter’s artwork and make a calendar out of it.
Another edible gift is something my mom used to make for the holidays: Oreo lollipops. Soften double-stuff Oreo cookies in a slow oven for a couple of minutes, poke lollipop sticks in them, freeze to harden the frosting, dip in melted chocolate and add some sprinkles, then freeze again. They’re a great gift for classmates or you can bunch them up in “bouquets” for people.
For my daughter, we’re taking it easy on the gifts and going for the basics: construction paper, modeling clay, maybe some new crayons. Things that won’t be forgotten in the bottom of a closet come January.
Well I am all done my Christmas shopping and wrapping!
Last year I made gifts in a jar, which everyone loved.
This year I went island style. After spending 3 weeks on the beach at my parents I collected tons of sea glass and shells. I have made beautiful photo frames with them both. I have also made candel sets with them too. I have potted Aloe plants from my garden and they are just waiting to be dressed in a little Christmas material. I love to give homemade gifts.
Last year I gave my husband a book of love letters I wrote to him. The year before I gave him a book of prayers I had written for him.
I find the homemade gifts truely come from the heart.
Bahama Blessing
Heidi Jo
I love the homemade Christmas gifts.
This year Great Grandma (91) and I made homemade Plum Jelly and Peach Preserves. This will be a great gift to all the family just knowing that Grandma made it special with alot of love. The baking at our house is always a treat.
We do alot of banana bread, fudge, cookies, candies, etc. The kids love to
help and we wrap everything up in special bags and fill a tin with goodies.
Last year my 9 year old made shrinky dink key chains for everyone and my daughter made beaded necklace and earrings for all.
I’m working on some embroidery (hope I can get it done) and bookmarks.
My husband and daughter are beautiful singers and have recorded a CD for all
the family members. It is a one of a kind.
Blessings,
Katy Horn
I haven’t made many of the gift mixes in a jar but I have a recipe book with a bunch in and plan to make some this month. I made some carmel popcorn and brought it to church one day and so many people loved it. Our children’s pastor said she’d love some for Christmas so we’ll make that for her and her family.
My mom makes a plate of fudge for my husband every year for Christmas and a little plate for each of the kids. Don really looks forward to that and never lets the kids have any of his! 🙂
A friend gave me a picture of my family in a real nice frame for Christmas a couple years ago – I still have it in my living room so that was a great gift for us.
One of my sisters-in-law gave the kids plain white coffee cups and wrote their names and decorated them with a marker and put a cocoa packet and marshmallow snowman in them and signed the bottom. Only thing is you can’t put them in the dish washer cause the words will all wash off. We’ve had the cups a few years now and only one of my kids still has their name on the cup now.
Our 4 kids put their names in a hat and draw one. They have the best time finding the perfect gift and not spending a whole lot of money doing it. That’s something we’ll be working on the next week and they’ll have a blast trying to figure out who has who. I also give them a new ornament every year too when we put the tree up.
Katie Anderson
I have a great gift that I discovered this year and the best part is it is free. Currently, anyone can go to http://www.restaurant.com and send three (3) completely free $10 restaurant gift cards each day. Restaurant.com is doing this for 30 days so I will be able to give one (or more) to everyone I can dream of. (This is such fun because I usually don’t do much for gifts.) They get to pick the restaurant of their choice to use it at so I know each will enjoy it.
Becky Delvaux
One of the fun gifts that I like to do is crocheting afghans in favorite colors of family members. You can also make ornaments each year, it can just be pretty or commemorate a special event. I actually bought a little kit from walmart and once I had made that one I was addicted and since they are pricey kits I started buying the little beads, etc and did my own designs. A pretty original poem or family story printed with a nice back ground and framed is a great gift to personlize and inexpensive. I can vegetables,fruit, and misc other things yearly, its easy to do a little extra and can in the gift jars ahead of time, salsas or pickled veggies are always a hit. A inexpensive bible monogramed is always nice for a young person or new family member. My husband and I both like wood working and carpentry so as soon as our woodworking shop is finished this year we hope to do cars and trucks and other fun things for our grandsons next Christmas.
Merry Christmas
Carrie Clark
Hello Smart Mamas!!
This holiday season I have made crocheted hats for my dear friends (about $2.50 for a good bit of yarn & time: although I am getting quicker!!…I can crochet one a day……and it’s great for stress!!)
I have bought some thought out gifts on sale…..the thing is, I thought them out this year!!
I have also made “Yoga bags” for my work mates and people that I would love to gift and give a little something. I made a simple pattern for an eye bag, stitched them up, filled with rice & lavendar……..smells lovely!! Added in a copy of some yoga instructions in a cute bag with tissue paper. Because I made so many with recycled material that I already had, rice on sale and my own lavendar……each bag is costing me about .85 cents.
Thanks for all your ideas!! I am thankful!!
Kelly Martin
Wow Ladies,
I am not sure I am ready for what all I need to do this month. I know some of the things we have done in the past were:
cut wooden trees out and painted them, attaching little apples or hearts with family members names written on them. This made an interesting family tree to give to grandparents.
We have also made small snowmen cut from thin wood for families with a snowman or snowwoman to represent each family member. These were fun to cut and paint and took almost no money… just time and effort during the busy season (since I tend to procrastinate).
This year I have gotten really good at making cookies in bulk due to our ministry with college students… so I thought I would make homemade cookie dough (kind of like a gift in a jar) but mix the cookies completely and freeze them. I thought this would be nice so that any time they can have truely have homemade cookies without the effort. I bought buckets for them at the dollar store so it only will take supplies now. I just wish I could ship them to family out of town too.
Our local library has a room of books for sale…donated or pulled from the shelves. They just had a month long sale of all books for 10 cents so I found some good gifts there and we will ship them media mail. They also had VHS tapes and cds for fifty cents so my children and mom will be receiving those this year.
Can’t wait to hear all the great ideas from everyone else. I need to get busy on trying to find what to give everyone that will be truly special.
In His Abounding Grace,
Jeniver Boyer
And Merry Christmas to All of You
Well I have to admit this year snuck up on me. My daughter however is making everyone gifts since she recently taught herself to crochet and crossstitch. GO daughter!! In the past I have always loved cooking gifts for extended family. Cookies, breads, jar mixes are fairly inexpensive and can be made in bulk. I would love to sew some things for everyone but that takes more planning (like starting in September).
My littlest daughter will benefit from my sewing this year since I’m making her a baby doll sling (she’s getting a baby doll as a present too) She’s 2 so that was easy. My sons (9 and 7) might be getting costumes. They’re into Star Wars and knights/kings and soldiers of different eras so I’ve been browsing about for good sewing patterns for those. The knight/king cape will be reversible. Knight on one side and king on the other. Add a sword, crown, and a helmet and you’re set there.
As for my extended family this year, they will be getting photo calenders that I picked up cheap at the local dollar store. All I have to do is add photos. LTD Commodities also has photo calenders pretty inexpensive.
Happy Planning!
Suzette May
Thanks everyone for the great ideas!
I have been so busy this fall that I will probably be buying most of the gifts this year. I still have not sewed the robes I promised to my kids last year!
In the past I have enjoyed giving home made gifts. Some of our favorites…
Wire and bead Christmas ornaments: Shape heavy wire into words or names, then wrap it with thinner wire, stringing on a few beads as you go. I have found that the word JOY is one of the easier ones to form with the wire, but I did all of the kids names last year as well as Love, Peace, etc.
Fudge: My son loves to make chocolate and peanut butter fudge to give to everyone. This year we have found several other flavors we like to give a mixed box/bag to friends and family. This was a big hit for Thanksgiving.
Photo Calendars: We have done these several times through several different printers. Many places give a quantity discount if you purchase more than one of the same calendar. We especially like the ones that let you add your own birthdays, anniversaries, etc to the calendar. My dad really liked having all the grandkids days on his gift.
Other homemade items I have made before are beaded bookmarks, hair scrunchies, stuffed animals, tote bags and other easy projects.
As others have said, if you shop the sales at your craft and fabric stores throughout the year you can purchase supplies for just about anything very inexpensively.
Terri Griffin
Here are some things we’ve made in the past:
Picture Calendar – I made a calendar on the computer with pictures of the kids. For their birthday months, I had them draw a picture. For the other months, I just put random cute pictures!
Handprint T-shirt – We made my Dad a shirt that said “Our Papa is so great he deserves a pat on the back” on the front, and the kids put their handprint on the back with their name and date.
For my nieces, I’ve crocheted matching hat/scarf sets.
This year we are making baskets of goodies for our neighbors. We plan to include several homemade treats: cookies, candies, sweet breads, etc.
My son recently learned woodburning, so he is making some gifts with his newly learned skill.
We love to make gifts, especially for grandparents. They usually have everything they need or want and the last thing they want is more stuff hanging around. Things like calendars are useful and they make a great gift that lasts throughout the year!
Linda Botkin
This year my son will be home for Christmas. The first in 6 years. He joined the military at 17 and will be home as he is leaving active duty to go to school. I have ideas for him with a basket made from a ball cap, Fishing tackle, 10lb to 20 lb test line. and if I can find it a collapsing fishing rod. As well as a homestarter basket. He loves to cook and I think a basket with utensils and specialty oils will be great for him.
I am putting together baskets for family members with Olive oil, Raspberry Vinegrette, pasta, Smoked Turkey or Roast beef, Cookie mix in a jar, with Tea towels, wooden spoons, and homemade herbed butters.
We are making quilts to sell at a carft fair this weekend and at the Community flea market next weekend.
I haven’t even started on the knitted caps and scarves for the kids. I can get one set done in a day so I may get those done and I may not.
Unlike others I did not shop this year for supplies to make crafts. I decided to use up all of the materials that we have laying around in the craft baskets and bins. So cost to me is actually nominal for all of the fillers and other stuff. Ex. Candles we have been saving up wax for 3 years. We decided to make as many as we could with what we have on hand. So far we have made 3 large, 4 medium, and about 6 minature. We have more to make but I am waiting on a friend to bring me the tea cups to make special ones in for baskets. She use to sell at Flea markets and she decided to clean out all of her stock. She let me pick what ever I wanted to recycle into useful items. Tea cups made into candles are sweet for bath baskets and reading baskets. Sheets and curtains that had a rip or a stain in one section have been cut up into quilt squares and are now being made over into quilts.
Being a Messianic Jewish family we blend both Jewish and Christian holidays. Normally this means I have tons of little gifts for the kids at Hanukkah and 1-2 large ones for christmas with small stocking stuffers. This year both are at the same time. YEAH!! Our 12 year old DN that we are raising asked for Hannukah that she be allowed to have her Virtual Horse site as a fully operational game. The fee for that is 36 for a year. I will do that in leu of a bunch of gifts for Hannukah.
Well DN is off doing a community service project and I need to get out of my pj’s and start the sewing macine up again.
Blessings
LIsa Robinson
I wish I was as creative as so many of you all. It’s truly inspirational! There are a number of ideas that I will be using this year, and I thank you!
Three years ago, my dear gentle giant of a brother moved in with my boys and me, and we had no idea what to give him, as he had downsized his collection of “stuff”. So, I got 50, $1 bills (all I could give that year). Then I printed “Why we love Uncle Greg…” at the top of 50 strips of paper. The three of us took an hour to write down all the ways we appreciate him, then stapled each strip to a dollar bill. We wrapped the “loot” in fancy, sparkled paper and gave it to him Christmas morning.
After about $10 of reading, my 32 year-old 6’3″, 300 lb brother was wiping away the tears streaming off his red face. Then I started crying, because I figured out how much he really needed to know he was needed and important to our lives. I’ll never forget that Christmas.
Often, it’s not the gift as much as it is the sentiment involved in the giving. Merry Christmas to you all!
BTW… the $50 is long gone, but he keeps all of his “Why we love Uncle Greg” strips of paper in a special box in his desk. 🙂
This year I was going to make a crocheted doily for each of the ladies in our family but my SIL got engaged (wedding is Jan. 3) and I am doing a lot of sewing for her wedding instead.
Here are the homemade gifts that I still plan to make this year:
A bird feeding station for my husband. This is a 4′ long station that can fit on top of our propane tank or be put on a table in the front yard so we can watch the birds through the big picture window. It will have feeders for a few kinds of seed, meal worms, millet sprays, suet, fresh fruit and a place for humming bird feeders in the summer. I did tell him what I am planing on doing and got his input on designing it and he will cut the wood for me. 🙂 I am also planing on sewing him a new shirt with some fabric we got on sale.
A doll dress for my 2 yr DD. I remember hearing a lady in our church when I was little telling how when she was growing up they didn’t have much money and her mom would make a new dress for her doll each Chirstmas. On Christmas morning her doll would be wearing the new dress under the tree. I plan on doing the same thing with my daughters.
A rag doll and nativity for my 6 month DD. The nativity is something I want to give each of our children for thier first Christmas. My older DD’s is a wooden puzzel that my DH made her. I have not decided how to make my second daughter’s, either cloth or wood. The rag doll will be like her older sisters that she likes to hold and chew on. 🙂
I plan to sew a shirt for my Dad and I made a necklace and earing set for Mom. Most of the other gifts we will be giving are items that I picked up through the year at good prices.
Cathy Dunlap
This is a very timely topic for me as well! this year money is impossibly tight, we had a few emergency events that caused us to be behind, and we are scrimping till January when we can take out of our emergency savings! anyway… Ideally i’d be making a wide range of items for the children and dh and our extended family but you really need to start in like October to really make that happen (in my experience) I have minibooks made for our extended family and i’m now working on my children’s. I made Leif a little book 6×6 where i scrapped pictures of him and things that were important to him, and how he says words at age 2.
here’s a few gifts that i made for our family out of town…
This is kind of weird i know…. my fil likes spam, so we altered a few cans filled with spam
these are all paper craft related but there’s TONS more things you can make… here’s a few that come to mind…
Sewing- pajamas, aprons, prarie bonnets!! felt food, do a google search on felt food and you will find the CUTEST THINGS!!!
Gift baskets made with bargain hunting toiletries, etc. or baskets for kids with extra school supplies and an art theme…
We are cutting back alot this year.. First off with the extended family (my half sister and her kids) we are only exchanging gifts with the little ones (my 2 boys, 1 little girl and 1 other little boy)… I am making several gifts for the kids this year (my nephew is getting an activity bag and a pair of jammies). For my parents , most likely it will be something we make… My boys are each getting 1 store bought gift from Mommy and Daddy and then I am going to make them a reading pillow (floor pillow) and something else… (not sure what yet). I don’t think DH and I will exchange gifts unless we get something for the kitchen again this year… My parents wanted to know what to get us and I told them gift cards to the 3 discount grocery stores I shop at… (That would be the best gift as it would take a lot of pressure off us.) I’m not sure what we are going to do with the in-laws as they are not on board the homemade gift theme as much as we are… although I think a trip to the dollar store for a couple journals to be redecorated could go over very well…
One thing my mom and I came up with, she always makes up gift baskets with homemade goodies in them… She tries to find baskets at goodwill, etc… This year she is spending alot less and getting each person a reusable grocery bag as the basket… most places sell them for less than $1.00 and then the recipient can reuse the bag to shop with through out the year.
I haven’t read all the other responses yet, so I hope I’m not repeating one…
A favorite “easy” gift of mine has been aprons for our daughters and “work aprons” for the guys (in guy colors, of course). I found an easy (and cheap) pattern for an apron at Wal-mart, then I raided fabric that we already had around the house, usually bought throughout the year whenever it’s cheap (not necessarily for Christmas, but for lots of purposes). They’re easy to sew and easy to personalize. (That’s good, because I can’t sew very well.)
We stuff things in the pockets… kitchen supplies, tools, even candy. That makes it even more fun.
Finally, we try to have a nail to hang our aprons on in the kitchen, and another in the laundry room for the boys.
Hugs,
~Anne
One year we made PVC marshmallow blow guns for the aunts and uncles. We also provided everyone with one sandwich bag of marshmallows. We were not able to be home for Christmas that year, but from what I hear both families had a wonderful time. I can’t say my mother was all that excited as she was still finding marshmallows under couches a few months later.
I also make small felt ornaments for my Grandma with the names of her great-grandchildren and their birth year. It started with our first son. I traced his hand, cut out two copies from felt and sewed a pair of mittens together. Then I took fabric paint and wrote his name on one side and his birth year on the other. She loved them so much that she has me make one for every great-grandchild. That reminds me…I’m 3 behind already, it was a busy year in our family!!
Karen Gebes
I just squeaked in!
I read an article about giving experiences, rather than doo-dads, so for my in-laws (the closest grandparents) we’re giving 12 Manila envelopes, one for each month of 2009. Inside each envelope is a drawing (by one of my children) describing the event that we will take them too (all inexpensive trips, like to the beach or to a hike in the woods) AND a description of the menu we will eat that day, because I really like to cook. We’ll also take photos of the events and collect them for an album. I know that they are going to love this!
Kathy Grubb
I am not extremely crafty, but I have learned to be frugal over the years. 🙂
I do look for good deals on Christmas gifts on Black Friday. But, I do try to make some things also.
For all the guys that work with dh, I make snack mix and put it in a pretty tin. I have also done this for family members when funds were really tight. I am making baskets for my sister in laws this year, but I did buy the goodies to go in them – on sale on Black Friday. 🙂
My dc always make something like an ornament to give to each extended family member, and now that my oldest dd is old enough, she always makes her own gifts for several people each year because she really likes to give gifts.
I like all the ideas here. Each year I say I am going to do more homemade and then I wait too late to start and run out of time, but I am definitely going to save these ideas for next year.
Leah Courtney
I am ALL about doing things on a shoestring budget! Here are a few ideas-
First, after listening to the Mom-to-Mom radio show on Legacy Letters I bought 3 photo boxes on sale at Michaels for about $4.50 total. In them I will put the first of many special letters that I will be writing for my children as they grow up. I am going to write one for my husband, too, but ssshhh…don’t tell! I am very excited about giving the letters because then I know they will always have a piece of my heart.
Second, I am not afraid to buy my kids gifts from thrift stores or rummages. I can find SO many goodies and though my kids are young (5,4,1) and don’t know the difference yet, I feel good about knowing I got something they really like AND saved loads of money. I hope I can still kind of do this when they are older without coming across as cheap!! 🙂
Third, I go out to after Christmas sales and buy things I know my friends and family would like to use for next year. They are often 50% or more off.
Finally, for my single adult brother I make freezer meals in single size portions for him to heat up and enjoy. I make small pans of meatloaf, calzones, goulash, chili, soups and egg mcmuffin type sandwiches. This is inexpensive, useful and shows I care.
Ah Christmas, my favorite time of year because I get to shower everyone I love with gifts I have made from the heart.
All year long I look for yarn sales. I mean extreme sales. This year I was able to find the Lion Brand fancy fur, fun fur, etc. on sale for $1 a skein. Woo Hoo. I stocked up on that and not I have plenty to make “magic scarfs.” Those are those scarf that are a three in one scarf. They are all the rage in my family this year. I can’t make them fast enough.
Another favorite of mine it to buy clear glass ornaments AFTER christmas when they are 75-90% off. Then of course I have to store them but how great it is to have easy access to multiple gifts all ready to be lovingly created different with just a change in embellishments. I even found a set this year that I had made last year and didn’t get to give out. Thank goodness because I needed a quick gift at the last minute the other day. 🙂
Bunny