All the homemade Christmas people over here please, lets share our ideas :)

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

Do we have a 'Homemade Christmas Thread' going yet? Ive linked to last years below, I am determined to MAKE MAKE MAKE this year and bugger the responses

I need a fail safe mulled wine kit to give people please if anyone can help, Thankyou :)

Last years thread!

I'm off to google Liquer 44

and welcome to all our new recruits!

found it

be warned though, the comments are all arguing about the merits, or not, of using pesticides on fruit!

Amara- do you have a link to your felt decorations?

Loooove those candy cane mice lookoveryourshoulder!

Those Mice are so cute!

Thanks for the bath bomb info, Thunderbolt, will have a go!

Xmas rum smells sooooooooo good......

Anyone have good tips for packaging edibles cheaply but so they look good? I am going to make florentines, flapjack and chocolate truffles, but am stuck for packaging. Would cellophane tied with ribbon be airtight enough or would they go soft?

try www.cakescookiesandcraftsshop.co.uk/acatalog/Packaging-Accessories.html for lots of packaging ideas - only cost effective for some of them if you plan doing loads or if you intend to do the homemade thing for the next few years though. Although, I have to say I bought 200 by mistake last year and have found them brilliant for all sorts of homemadey things during the year and not just foodie gifts. Another idea to consider is this cute box www.marthastewart.com/264416/town-house-gift-boxes?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas#slide_16 to print off (there are loads of plainer printables if you google box template too) and fill with sweets.

ooh, ooh, or try this to make any empty jars you happen to have into lovely containers using printable labels. [basks in glow of other people's creative brilliance without actually lifting finger or having an original idea of her own]

pinterest.com/pin/169139914/
pinterest.com/pin/173717146/

sorry - 200 of the silver card based cello bags and tags!

Am going to ake my Christmas Cake and Mincemeat this week.

Any idea of the best place to get the wax circles that you put on top of the jamjars?

Oh, Liquer 44 has solved my ILs!

Loving those mice lookoveryourshoulder :)

Oops, this dropped off my TIO!

I may have gone overboard with the booze (which I don't even drink myself) as we have orange and lemon vodka, spiced blackberry vodka, cherry brandy and cherry/apple brandy. Too much?!

While dee's asking about wax circles, can I ask ... does everything need them? Some recipes mention them and some don't - I'm thinking of making chutney, pickled plums and maybe apple or cranberry jelly nearer the time. Will they all need wax paper or is it only for jam and jelly?

LRD - i've only seen them needed on mincemeat, but haven't researched jams/chutneys properly as yet.

Thanks dee.

Mmm, mincemeat ... I do gravitate towards the food on this thread rather than anything else!

I know... i'm not a huge mincemeat fan, but mmm... i could just go a jar with a spoon...

Can I mark a wee place on here as a homemade Christmas novice. I might need you all as Christmas gets nearer !
Wow, 14 pages already
I'm a big fan of other people's sloe gin and blackberry or damson vodka
My Mum has recently started making lots of jam and become an ace knitter !
Might have to start taking notes ....

at jar and spoon! That sounds like a fun bit of pregnancy.

Hi juggling.

I love this thread so much ...

LRD My mum makes her own jam, chutney, marmalade and curd all year round and has never bothered with waxed circles. Nobody's died yet! HTH.

I currently have on my hob a batch of Pear and Apple Chutney from this months Morrisons magazine and it smells lovely! Was lucky enough to trade some of my courgette glut for some of a friends fruit glut Great recipe if any of you have a similar glut.

Mincemeat, hmmmmm, seem to remember my mum made some that used grated apple in place of the suet

And I have never used waxed circles on any chutney, jam etc I have ever made either, to no ill effect.

Oh, that's brilliant toria and whin, thanks! It just seems like such a pointless expense and they really are expensive, aren't they?!

Pear and Apple chutney sounds absolutely delicious ... what spices/flavours are in it?

My mum makes apple instead of suet mincemeat sometimes too - it's nice.

LRD Pear and Apple chutney is 500g apples, 800g pears peeled and chopped, 4cm root ginger, peeled and finely chopped, 100g dried apricots quartered, 150g sultanas, 400g dem sugar, 500ml cider vinegar, 1tbs wholegrain mustard and 1 tsp cinnamon. All chucked in together and cooked down for 1.5-2hrs till its dark, thick and syrupy, made 4 jars. Yum :)

Oh, yes, I think that's very close to the one in Sarah Raven's book that leaves out the pears. Sounds nice! I have a shedload of apples from wild trees round here because DH and I got keen on, erm, very cheap stuff because of financial constraints. They seem fine (they're fine for eating) so I expect they'll make nice chutney.