What can I make for Christmas?

[yesiamyesiamokaycallmeback]

I don't want to buy anything for Christmas except for secondhand books and soap from an easy shop which I love.

I want to make presents for my family and children this year. But I have no idea what I can make for a main present

I so far have
-knitted hats/ scarves/ mittens
-christmas cookies

thats it. thats all I can think of.
what can I make thats sustainable (ish)
I have a printer so was thinking of making some Harry Potter bbbeans and maybe a magic wand each for the kids but it seems pretty lame for Xmas.

the kids have tons of toys. I don't know what to do. I don't want to buy toys they don't want just because I think they should have more to open.

any idea? anyone else doing a more simple Xmas?

kids are 3 5 and 7 so a range of ages.
adult gift ideas too please
God help me

Make a picture quiz, stuff like -
👸 and the 🦁
👛 y the 🌳 🔑 per
My 🏡 is a 🎃 and a 🧽
🦁 👑
The 🤴👸 🐈 🐈 🐈
The 🦊 and the 🐶
👋 🏫 🎶
I had way too much fun coming up with these!

LOVE the wand idea!!

wow this wand idea is amazing
I love the picking your own element

they don't really want anything and both have said they don't want anything in plastic because we watched the David Attenborough thing.
eldest is extremely into plastic free etc

for the adults I was thinking instead of boxes of roses or quality street I could make sugar cookies with more personalised designs in the icing, so mom dad brother sister etc

I was also thinking of making (or buying) cool bookmarks. I saw a really cool ouigi board book mark.
siblings and my mom will appreciate home made
dad is the only one without this mindset

There are some lovely crochet patterns for animal crossing animals on Etsy if any of your dc are into that for example.

Ravelry is a great source of knitting and crochet patterns.

Last year I bought premade wooden boxes and wood burned their names and animals onto them. They were well liked.

we haven't got loads of spare cash to be spending this year, but I still want it to be special for them.
And hopefully I can start a new tradition, I don't want them growing up expecting loads of expensive gifts.
last year we did mostly second hand and we only got 4 or 5 gifts with stocking each.

A lot of the gifts I buy end up back in the charity shop by the next Xmas and I just want a change. I don't need to buy just for the sake of buying.

Writing a story or more stories if you like that sort of thing and making a book out of it?

Make a Harry Potter potions kit. Collect small/pretty glass bottles and fill with tiny sweets, coloured sugar, sherbet etc. Make fancy labels.

@Halliehallie9828

Do the adults in your family want home made gifts ? I mean this in a polite way but I’d rather not have anything then something you mashed together.

This.

And same for dcs tbh.

It’s like when I was a new parent and thought mine would love tasteful wooden toys. Ha!

Also, this year has been so shit I think good presents are in order. Don’t have to be expensive, though. Just the sort of tat dcs like. And drink for adults.

This is about your needs
Your not considering how your children will feel Christmas morning,thinking Santa has forgotten them.
By all means do the makeshift gifts for adults ,but not for your children.Not if it’s their only gifts .
Santa needs to bring their gifts as usual ,or you risk this being the one Christmas they always remember for all the wrong reasons.
Remember as well it’s been an upsetting year with COVID .
Let them have a normal Christmas op .they will be looking forward to it

Does your daughter have dolls? What about a wardrobe of clothes for them? My mum did this for my daughter and the outfits are beautiful.

Patchwork quilts for the children?

My friend has a homemade bow that was made out of pennies all stuck together into cement. It looks amazing and like copper. It's a nice homemade statement piece. You could try something like that.

My other suggestion is to pull photographs and momentos together and make up an album/ scrapbook for the recipient. Kids love seeing themselves and what they've been up to (and they can keep it for future years).

Ooh or you could make really beautiful advent calendars that can be reused each year.

Ooh or you could make really beautiful advent calendars that can be reused each year.

Advent calendars are lovely, but as an actual Christmas present they suck. "Here's something you can't use for 11 months! Why are you crying little Timmy?*

This is about your needs
Your not considering how your children will feel

I agree with this. Some homemade gifts are nice (some of the edible ones) but most of the time they are not nice at all and are basically about the giver’s needs.

I have a family member who does this, honestly I'd rather have nothing at all, it's about her ego, what am I supposed to do with all her handmade crafts? I don't want a brightly coloured tea cosy with a pompom on top or pyjamas that would only fit stretch Armstrong because they are so out of proportion, or cushions with cartoon cats all over them, in or one of her 'paintings'. It isn't a sustainable gift idea because she makes things out of stuff, that stuff has been produced and actually I have no desire to have her crafts all over my house, my local charity shop don't even want them0 do is a waste. For the adults forego presents and do one financial charity donation, give them cards from that charity that state you've chosen to make a donation instead this year (if you just visit signal). For your children at least get them a couple of little things they want, your craft materials all cost money, buy them a few gifts they actually want instead.

My best present when I was seven was an old school desk that my mum had found in a skip and painted up. I loved painting and writing and it fitted in my small room really well and I loved it.

Agree with doll’s clothes. We had lots of homemade ones as well as bought ones, and I didn’t care which were which.

And I think people saying your gifts would be ‘makeshift’ are being rude. I spent time and care making things out of high-quality materials, and people appreciate them.

I was thinking about this thread as I was getting dressed ,
And actually it’s made me feel quite angry
This is the one year that has been shit for everyone.
No one knows how ,in the future this is going to effect children’s mental health.
I think we as parents need to keep things as normal and as comforting for our children as we can
So that means Santa visits as normal,with normal tat ,and plastic and all it entails .
Because,why ,why would you want your children disappointed on Christmas Day ..
this year of all years ,we need comfort and normal.
And children need to know Santa remembers them.
All the posters encouraging the op
Stop for a moment and think about your child’s face on Christmas morning receiving nothing from Santa ,but a home made gift from you.
Also ,while I’m on a rant
It’s November,surely you haven’t enough time between now and dec25 ,to make 3 patchwork quilts ,or a wardrobe of dolls clothes .

we need a cheap Xmas for obvious reasons.
maybe people could stop being so rude?
loads of people won't be able to give their kids the same Xmas as last year.

Barbie clothes most definitely! I wanted my DM to make some for my Sindy but she refused. You could make little jumpers and everything! My DS made vodka watermelons for presents one year which were a hit with his friends! I've made blankets as presents but it takes a long time. If you can bake could you make small Christmas cakes?

Jeez not all children crave tat. I think it’s a great idea.

Could you use photos from throughout the year to creat a very personalised family book?

A cooking box - I still remember the joy of having my own set of (second hand as we were always broke) mixing bowls, small Wooden spoon, little bun tins and even ingredients, including the most delightful set of sprinkles etc for cake decorating.

I think it’s wonderful you’re planning a sustainable Christmas. Watching with interest for ideas.

Mum also made me a dolls’ cradle out of a fruit box, those simple coat hangers as rockers and a load of lacy material one birthday. I was genuinely delighted.

I make photo books every year for both kids. I buy vouchers when they're cheap, (make sure the end date is long enough!), and run the pics from sept (first day of school pic,) to sept (gets the summer holidays in). Have been doing it for about 6 years.
I sort of thought when I started it, that it would be something that they would enjoy in years to come, but actually, everything comes to a stop on Christmas day while they pore over the book and relive all the stuff we did over that year. I caption it and include pics of their favourite toys and things like that, now they're older, I get them to send me pictures. It also makes me remember to take pics thro the year, so this year, even though we didn't have our normal days out and stuff, we"ve got pics of the weirdness of 2020.

my dad suggested a family story book and my 3 yo adores our photo albums so I could do a pop up photo album for him and a family 'book'

some paper stapled to card as the cover, would that be okay? I can't think how to make a hard cover