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

How about Mondo bags? You can find them on Pinterest. I made one for me. I now have a list of people I'm making them for.

With a sewing machine you can make the larger ones in a couple of evenings.

Great if you have lots of small bits of fabric.

My DD even requested one to carry her stuff in when out and about.

You can carry so much stuff in them.

Honestly unless you are an excellent crafter with a cupboard of good quality materials it would be cheaper and easier to just buy a few second hand toys. In the nicest possible way as an adult I'd genuinely rather receive nothing than the homemade gifts I have received in the past. I felt bad as the giver had spent time and money on the material and yet a neon pink mohair scarf that didn't even fit around my neck was of no use to me at all. The giver felt all warm and fuzzy at the thought of all of her scarves being so well received, so I suppose that wsa the main thing.

I had a friend who went theoua crafting phase. She was quite good , but the fuss we all had to make over a tote bag made of bits of random fabric was wearing after the first one. People were so gushing out of politeness she went into business making them and charged a ridiculous price and of course didn't sell any.

If you have young children, get them to make presents for family members (grandparents etc). I know my parents would be pleased with things like a salt dough hand print, a plain photo frame decorated by child with a nice picture of them in it, a hand made card. Very cheap and easy and also something to do with the kids during lockdown. Or if you have a bit of money places like the works do nice kits for making things.

Unfortunately with handmade gifts I find they end up being more expensive. The ingredients for fudge are not much cheaper than just buying fudge, and wool is more expensive than buying a scarf. And unless you're quite skilled things can turn out a bit rubbish. A few years ago I bought the equipment to make my mum a felted chicken and it turned out just awful! There's a reason why these things are expensive to buy on etsy - they require a lot of skill, quality components and equipment.

However if you're doing it for ethical reasons rather than financial, then go for it for the adults! And maybe for kids go 50/50 home made and second hand.

Also the kids can make things for each other! My 3 year old is currently painting a mobile for her sisters bedroom (kit from baker ross, £2.50) and in return I'm going to do paint a mug "from" the baby with 'I love my sister'. Cheesy but 3yo will love it.

"All the posters being snooty about the handmade Harry Potter wand- . Would a £1.99 one from Wilkos be better simply because it was mass produced? More acceptable?"

It would be equally acceptable, and nobody would suggest it as anything more than a stocking filler.

It would be equally acceptable, and nobody would suggest it as anything more than a stocking filler

Nobody has said this would be the main present though?

OP if I was one of your relatives I would be absolutely thrilled to receive a bobble hat knit from chunky wool (so a quick knit and hard to go wrong) and/or some homemade chocolate truffles. Eating chocolate and being warm are my favourite things to do at Christmas. Working out what to do with random toiletries gift sets from the Christmas aisle in the supermarket is not.

I haven't read the full thread but here are my ideas:

There is a guy on YouTube who does amazing tutorials on making fortnite figures from modelling clay, way beyond my skill set but if you could follow it, you would create a truly unique gift that's not available in the shops.

For another uniquely personal gift you could take a lovely picture that has a good memory attached to it and photos hop it to make it look like a pencil drawing, watercolour art, pixel style, there's lots of options, this could then be printed on A4 and you could make a quirky frame to go with it.

If you are really good at knitting then Minecraft themed hat, scarf and gloves should be an easy win.

For a simple homemade board game print out a chequered grid in black and white then use two sets of different coloured milk bottle tops as a draughts game (or if you can make this in wood with a piece of pallet wood and a stick sliced into discs)

If the boys are into nerf guns there is a YouTube tutorial on how to make a gun with an elastic band and cardboard, you could put a kit together for them to try.

For more arty gifts you can print off free adult colouring sheets by searching Google images, refresh an old set of crayons by melting down the ends and remodelling them (do you have a silicon Christmas shapes mould)

Have fun!

@LauraAshleySofa

I haven't read the full thread but here are my ideas:

There is a guy on YouTube who does amazing tutorials on making fortnite figures from modelling clay, way beyond my skill set but if you could follow it, you would create a truly unique gift that's not available in the shops.

For another uniquely personal gift you could take a lovely picture that has a good memory attached to it and photos hop it to make it look like a pencil drawing, watercolour art, pixel style, there's lots of options, this could then be printed on A4 and you could make a quirky frame to go with it.

If you are really good at knitting then Minecraft themed hat, scarf and gloves should be an easy win.

For a simple homemade board game print out a chequered grid in black and white then use two sets of different coloured milk bottle tops as a draughts game (or if you can make this in wood with a piece of pallet wood and a stick sliced into discs)

If the boys are into nerf guns there is a YouTube tutorial on how to make a gun with an elastic band and cardboard, you could put a kit together for them to try.

For more arty gifts you can print off free adult colouring sheets by searching Google images, refresh an old set of crayons by melting down the ends and remodelling them (do you have a silicon Christmas shapes mould)

Have fun!

I'm sure this is the kind of post op was encouraging, I doubt after all this op will even bother checking back now. So many people have ruined what could have been a perfectly lovely thread.

Don't bother reading through @lauraashleysofa
You'll only be disappointed.

Yes this has been one of the more arseholey and patronising mumsnet threads I've read. The snide comments and winks are appalling.