Simple home made Xmas gifts?

[1morestepalongtheworldigo]

Moneys very tight so hoping I could make some gifts but not sure what!! Also like that if they turn out a bit dodgy I can claim the DCs made the gifts! Does anyone have any suggestions for a complete novice?!

Last year I made scented candles in tea cups (see long thread here about it) and boxes of homemade sweets.

I'll do the sweets again this year and maybe some denim bunting, and some little cloth birds. Looking for ideas too

Everyone Im buying for this year is getting a Mug, appropriate to them, and a batch of homemade biscits

jams, chutneys, cranberry chutney, biscuits, embroidered pin cushions, scissor cases, pen holder case to go in a handbag, for the grown ups. Tea/ egg cosies. Felt mobiles, stuffed animals, rag dolls, a tiny quilt and pillow for childs pram or dolly cot, finger/glove puppets, bibs for the babies. Small cloth bags and put inside some cheap manicure stuff like files, orange sticks, nail varnish remover and cotton pads. Lip salve in an embroidered or applique case. Mobile phone holders, glasses cases or cloth covered notebooks with a holder for a pencil. Dunno about boys gift as we have not got any boys in our family. The men look forward to chilli chutneys. People like home made gifts (or else they are v polite). If you start sewing/knitting today you might just get it all done by Xmas.

You can get free patterns with instructions for these things on the interent.

Wow there's loads of ideas!! If I don't get it all done in time at least I'll have made a good start on next year!!! Is chutney difficult to make?

y y chutneys and jams. Rifle through waterstones or the library for recipe books (or charity shops), keep old jars and draw or print pretty labels. i also bake cakes and cookies or make a box of mince pies displayed in fancy tissue and ribbons, given with brandy butter or cream. For camping friends last year I made a couple of strings of bunting (am not crafty but have pinking shears and can make sewing machine go in a long straight line :))

Last year I did Apple and roast garlic chutney, cranberry and clementine marmalade and sloe gin.

This year so far I have started cherry brandy. I'll be doing sloe gin again too.

A couple of years ago I did a knitted Christmas, with socks, scarves and mittens for family, went down pretty well but need more free time in autumn than I have!

Not quite so cheap, but last year for our impossible to buy for PIL we got a picture (v good) done by DSS framed, some coasters made with a painting that DSD had done and some mugs (again) with a picture that DD had done. Plus a photo taken by DP made into one of those canvas prints.

Nothing made by me as I am not talented in those areas! However, it was my idea and they did seem to really like their presents.
I made biscuits for the teachers for Christmas and DD's class teacher got a bag of veg grown on our allotment.