Share your ideas for Handmade gifts...please

[Sibsmum]

Would you be prepared to share your ideas for homemade or handmade gifts? I am making my Christmas cakes in a few weeks ( so I can feed them with brandy for months ) and starting to think ahead to collecting bits and bobs for ' that' time of year. We like to include some homemade items but ..
I need some new ideas - along with methods and list of what I need for the make.
Please include some ideas for things that children can make too, pictures too very welcome.

'Up to' not 'hurtful'.....no idea how that happened.
Apologies for not previewing x

I did a range of curry pastes for my BIL one year - Jamie Oliver had some good suggestions - and a homemade granola for my sister. Also some different flavoured shortbreads for my parents.

It was very much based on what I know they like to eat regularly. But it was also a lot of extra food prep very close to Christmas. I didn’t want to freeze the biscuits in advance because I wanted my parents to be able to freeze them for a later date if they needed to.

The only homemade gifts I ever give are sloe gin or damson gin. Soon be time to do this year's batch of the former. It's a gift that keep on giving as it goes to the same people each Christmas, in a proper nice bottle, and they return it during the year for a top up. And I have never found any sloe gin that you can buy that tastes remotely as good as mine. People who have had a tot of mine round someone else's keep asking if they can be on my supply list. CFs, the lot of them!

I love the idea of beeswax cloths instead of clingfilm - I have a couple of environmentally-minded friends with children who would love these for their lunchboxes!

You have reminded me I have an unfinished bobbin lace handkerchief edge that my aunt would really like so I must get round to that!

I'm knitting socks for friends as socks are always handy!

So much amazing talent, bobbin lace, shawls- even basic knitting is beyond me. Feel humbled and must try harder to skill myself up!
Off to collect eggs with my friend now. Should have thought about being able to share her flock, but I never said I was the brightest . Have a great day all. X

I don’t make food or toiletry gifts (mainly because I’m rubbish at them!)

I am sewing some pyjamas in bags, and stockings for us too.

A couple of little people are getting quilted ‘busy’ books sewn this year, got them all planned just need to get my bum in gear.

2 grans are getting scrapbooks - scrapqueen on YouTube has some amazing tutorials!

I treated myself to a new cricut at the start of this year so I have lots of things I can do - actually limitless things, but I’m trying to think what the receivers would actually like and besides my own kids I’m coming up empty lol.

You can buy an engraver quite cheaply from Argos (other shops are available!) I bought thermos flasks then personalised them with names. It's not that difficult honestly! You could also engrave your jar presents.

I made macrame candle holders for my MIL to hang citronella candles at her caravan. Dead easy, loads of tutorials and we had some fancy looking empty honey jars so only cost me the price of a large ball of twine (still have most of it) and a couple of citronella tealights.

I have also knitted a jumper and a hat for my sister. I fully intend on doing a hat for my DD this year.

I like the idea of making fudge or tablet...need to go hunt out my mum's cooking thermometer next time I visit my dad.

After reading this thread and feeling inspired this morning, I went off and made some lavender spray (we have an abundance of lavender in the garden and I never know what to do with it!) However it is brown! I was expecting clear or even purple

Any of you clever crafty people know if this is what it should look like? And if not, what I’ve done wrong?

Just consulted the Pal who gifted this to me she says:-As it is an infusion it will be tea coloured. For a better colour use only the flowers and dry the lavender first. Alternatively you can use your lavender to make an essential oil and add that to distilled water to make the spray. She also suggests adding vodka to what you have made to help as a preservative. You can add colour , but be careful of it transferring to bed linens. Better to put in a coloured bottle.

I hope that helps you x

My damsons were ready early this year - picked them at the weekend - check the trees or they could over ripen and be scoffed by the birds or fall on the floor. Don't miss the crop!
(North West)

I'm going o have a go at milk baths and body scrubs, saw in on this morning a while ago

My sister did a year abroad. My mum made her a lovely journal book for her to keep with little illustrations and poems on one side and a blank page on the other. It was absolutely lovely.

I’ve made these shower steamers before, they’re like bath bombs but for the shower and you can create your own scent with essential oils. They were surprisingly easy and everyone I knew was so impressed I made them!

Oh they look and sound lovely. Will look up the scrubs too.

One of the nicest presents I got was flavoured cookie dough, cinnamon and cranberry if I remember rightly. Obviously I had to freeze it or use it straight away but I’m a terrible baker and it was amazing having fresh cookies from the oven when I wanted them. The only thing I make is Skie Gin. Love my beeswax cloth as well.
Can someone post a good basic fudge foolproof recipe?

Bottle of Prosecco covered in Ferraro Rocher, so it looks like a pineapple.