I'm not sure what to do for adults at Xmas

[Christmasthatcutsit]

Sahm with loads of time on my hands.
Handy with (hand) sewing, knitting and baking and making bits.
Give me ideas! I'm out of money and still have my parents, inlaws, grandparents, inlaw grandparents, my brother and sister left!
I've also got one nephew to buy for, but he's 10!

I have lots of time and fat quarters and wool and baking bits.

Come on mumsnet! I've looked at pinterest but some of the ideas I think are really naff, so some of my ideas I'm sure others will find a bit rubbish.

Is there anything home made and cheap or free that you'd like to receive.

I've done jam and photo albums and picture frames (charity shop) with kids school photos I'm previously. It's only got to be token really.

The op asked what to do for adults at christmas.

People are answering that question.

Anyone under the age of 60 would most likely not appreciate a peg bag (wtf is that) or a sack of lavender to make their clothes smell like an old peoples home.

Unless the OP knows her family would want a home made gift, then it’s safer to not risk it. The fact they don’t know what to make for them indicates a lack of awareness around whether they’d like them at all.

I did say I wouldn’t want a home made gift but I’m 39 and in need of a peg bag.

parents, inlaws, grandparents, inlaw grandparents, my brother and sister
Skip the in-laws! Not your job surely?

Things I’d like with your skills/ingredients/etc:

• Sloe/damson/whatever gin if you can stretch to cheap supermarket own-brand gin and some fruit, or have time to forage? The beauty of fruit gin is the cheap gin works beautifully where fancy gin doesn’t.
• Lavender sachets
• A hand-sewn Christmas bauble using your fat quarters
• Pin cushion, ditto
• A well-fed Christmas cake, fully marzipanned and royal iced. Put it in an old biscuit tin with a fat quarter over the lid and a ribbon. Nigel Slater’s recipe from the Kitchen Diaries is GODLIKE
• Toiletries roll-up bag for travel

I’m under 60. Every year my sister, s-i-l and I all give each other chutneys and bottles of damson gin (me), blackberry vodka (sil) and flavoured vinegars (sis).

I’d be gutted if I just had my own recipe chutney or (god forbid) had to buy shop bought next year. Sis has also given me beautiful handmade jewellery in the past, as well as wonderful dressing up costumes for my kids when they were small.

Homemade presents mean so much more to me than something that anyone could pick up in a shop or from Amazon.

Anyone under the age of 60 would most likely not appreciate a peg bag (wtf is that) or a sack of lavender to make their clothes smell like an old peoples home.

News flash- not everyone is just like you (thank fuck).

So if you were coveting a particular decoration. Let's say some bunting for summer in red and yellow, with white hearts. And I was.a bunting maker, running my business from home. You wouldn't want a lovely version for you, that's well made and personal to you and exactly what you're looking for. You'd rather I get you absolutely nothing for Christmas?

Homemade slipper socks for me! Im currently watching Tunisia V France under a blanket!

The 10 year old might like sugar mice or choc chip cookies, something like that.

I’d suggest a Secret Santa for adults next year, OP.

I don’t really covet anything home made and twee like that, so no.

@TicketToParadise - why so nasty?

Pretend. For the sake of discussion.

You really would go without something you wanted and I could make for you at a very good standard? You'd "spite yourself" because it wasn't made in a factory or wherever?

If it's handmade I'd like really good candles, handcream (my friend makes some that's glorious), oven gloves and tea cloths. I've bought some brilliant hand made linen cloths before in catch kidston type fabrics from Etsy.

Yes, because I don’t want anything someone sat in their chair at home could make.

I don’t want bunting, or candles, or peg bags (again wtf are they) or fingerless gloves, or some fudge.

Also we are forgetting many people aren’t that great at making home made gifts which just adds to the awkwardness. I don’t want fudge, but I want shitty crystallised fudge even less

Oh, napkins! I want some to wean DP off his kitchen roll addiction and cut down on consumables, but cba spending money on them.

I know my best friend wants a Liberty-print fabric scrunchie but equally balks at the money.

Really though, you know what your family like/would use/would not use but would tolerate receiving. I’d say different things for each person, even though that’s harder work for you, rather than “here’s a lavender sachet for everyone”.

@stuntbubbles I do all gifts for both sides of the family. DH folds all laundry. It’s a fair trade to me! Not all fair sharing of family tasks is an exact split down the middle of everything

My sister made some one year they were the best Boscotti ever, I think I better remind her

Oo I’d love some Liberty print scrunchies!

Treacle toffee in a nice jar

@BuffaloCauliflower Fair enough! (I only do my side and DP does all the laundry.) Thought it might save the OP’s sewing fingers.

I make Sarah Ravens cranberry compote and give a small jar to friends. It’s v good with cold turkey, ham etc.

It’s quite boozy with red wine and port in so ideal for adults.

How do you have so much free time? i'm a sahm and have young children constantly with me. What an i doing wrong?!

I had some one year as a present that was home made and it was really gritty in texture. It was obviously not made properly.

I did eat it, the taste was ok but the texture wasn't smooth as it should be.

I’m squeamish about eating stuff made in someone else’s home (too many variables after reading how lots of people don’t wash their hands after changing a shitty nappy/ cats arseholes on the counter etc. 😄)

>Booze- gin, flavoured vodka, spiced rum, mulled wine
> Garlic or chilli oil

I'd love to receive a Liberty scrunchie. A jar of chili jam, some nut brittle, those things would also please me.

@Hello12345678910

I make gonks using fondant icing over a terrys chocolate orange. There's a huge facebook group about it run by a lady called Chelle Holmes, picture of a TCO made by Chelle as any of mine might be outing on here

A friend of mine makes chilli jam for all her family . From her student days . They like it so much she still makes it for them !