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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

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

944 replies

BabyDubsEverywhere · 29/08/2011 20:04

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 Grin

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

Last years thread!

OP posts:
FlubbaBubba · 26/09/2011 12:39

Prolific I can invite you if you PM me your email address.

eggdipdip · 26/09/2011 12:50

I've just found this thread and am giddy with joy!

Can I add a variation to the peppermint bark? Last year I made it with milk and white chocolate and it looked fab. I just layered the white chocolate on top of the set milk chocolate then sprinkled the crushed candy canes on top. Lasted about 24hours in the in-laws house, 48hours at my mums house. Will make some this year as gifts I think.

If anyone is interested, I just found some plastic kilner jars here. Thinking they might be a bit lighter for gifts that need posting?

I'm going to fill a kilner jar with lemon hand scrub (thanks for sharing your recipe doingthebestIcan), one with peppermint bark, make some soap and package it all up as a 'pamper hamper' for my mum and mil. Maybe with some spa-type slippers as well.

WhoresHairKnickers · 26/09/2011 12:53

Oooh! lovely! can I join?! Grin

prolificwillybreeder · 26/09/2011 13:08

Oh thank you flubbabubba I cannot get to grips with all this technology!
I'm also ordering the bits for cookies in a jar thing.
I worry I won't be able to get the layers of flour and sugar straight if that makes sense?
Does anyone have a recipe for this?

HippyHippopotamus · 26/09/2011 13:14

i've just found a really easy chocolate truffle cookie recipe. I am selflessly testing it out this afternoon and will let you know how they taste once they're out of the oven Smile

welcome to all the newbies!

WhoresHairKnickers · 26/09/2011 13:31

Don't know if it's been made as an alternative to alcohol for soaking dried fruit, but black tea is good or use a fruit tea or a Christmas tea infusion. Really yummy.

deemented · 26/09/2011 13:37

Peppermint bark??? Wassat then? Is it edible? Can i have the recipe please?

eggdipdip · 26/09/2011 13:49

deemented peppermint bark is super easy and yes, it's edible (too edible Grin)

2 x bars decent milk or dark chocolate (I like the Sainsbury's Belgian chocolate you get in the baking aisle)
2 bars of white chocolate
candy canes

Melt the milk/dark chocolate and spread a layer onto greaseproof paper
refrigerate until set
melt the white chocolate and spread over the set milk/dark chocolate layer
sprinkle crushed candy canes on top
refrigerate until set

When set, break off chunks, place in a lovely kilner jar, wrap a festive ribbon around the neck of the jar and voila! Peppermint bark.

Never lasts long in our house. Loved by everyone Smile

Bettymum · 26/09/2011 13:57

Wow, lots more ideas to catch up on! Have been away camping...
I made myself a lovely scarf a couple of weeks ago with the tape stuff that you can get now, it only took a few hours and it's gorgeous. My mum admired it so I shall be doing another one for her :).
I'm hungry now thoughh thinking of caramelised onion chutney and mincemeat muffins. I have my mincemeat made already - I use Nigella's recipe which uses apples, not suet, it's yum although I put a lot more spices in than she suggests.

Kveta · 26/09/2011 14:25

stressedout - I made those pears a few weeks back, can't wait to try them! my colleague has just promised me another carrier bag full of pears from his garden, so I'm plotting what else to do with them!

I'm planning to make cake batter bark for my overseas family - I need lightweight gifts, and have been dithering over what to do for them. I think a nice tin with various cookies and chocolate bark would be a good present.

deemented - I'm not bothering to make mince meat. my mum made it every year for 25 years Shock then one year didn't have time to make it, and bought a jar, and said she (and everyone who had a mince pie that year) couldn't detect much of a difference. So I'm going to follow her lead :o Not sure what to do about a christmas cake, as DH doesn't like it very much, and I love it in an unhealthy way - and really don't need more fattening food at christmas! I may just make a vic sponge and decorate it nicely, then when we have a larger family, move onto the christmas cakes!

I'm making some apple and blackberry jelly this evening - got the fruit straining overnight last night, so boiling it this eve! then I'll make a nice apple and blackberry butter with the pulp, and see what that tastes like :o my first year of making preserves and I'm already making up my own recipes - would you ever guess I used to be a lab scientist?! Hmm

prolific - here think she used IKEA slom jars

stressed0ut · 26/09/2011 14:55

Kveta, unfortunately there were 2 pears that didn't quite fit into the jars last night Wink so they made their way into bowls with a large dollop of vanilla ice cream and we tucked into them whilst watching Spooks!! They are amazing! DH was very impressed after complaining about the vinegar smell in the kitchen all day! I'm making another batch today for Xmas presents. I'm going to stew the next load of pears with some apples, raisins and cinnamon to freeze - my kids love it with custard. If anyone has any other good pear recipes let me know :)

eggdipdip · 26/09/2011 16:31

I've had a nightmare with my chutney and jam going moldy this year, so I'm very envious of all you that have jars of the stuff ready as presents. Gutted really, as my yellow courgette and ginger jam was lush!

(sorry if that seems out of context - posting comments as I catch up on the second half of this thread!)

deemented · 26/09/2011 16:44

Oh that's a shame, eggdipdip - must be so dissapointing!

Cor, that peppermint bark sounds absolutely lush!! Will definately be giving that a go! Just gutted that i'm diabetic so can't have lots any...

theancientmarinator · 26/09/2011 20:44

eau soap is very easy indeed - I am remarkably handless for an actual grown up and I made lots of soaps last year successfully. The trick is to cheat - buy a soap base and melt it then mould it. You can add lots of lovely scents, colours, petals, etc too. I used a heart shaped ice-cube mould from Asda for most of mine but you can buy other moulds or use household containers instead. Someone earlier in this thread posted a lovely link for a website selling everything you need. Martha Stewart's website has lots of diy toiletry ideas including soaps and lip balms that look quite easy too.

theancientmarinator · 26/09/2011 20:56

does this count as a homemade idea? www.mad4boxes.co.uk/prod_detail.php?prodid=39
I saw this while I was searching for packing boxes online yesterday and think I might buy it for DC2 (1.8) for christmas and decorate it myself. Although I have the artistic ability of a snail so I might be better handing him a paintbrush and telling him to knock himself out. It is a lot cheaper than ones I have seen in actual toy catalogues.
I made a couple of these today www.lauraschocolates.com/product.asp?strParents=93&CAT_ID=96&P_ID=452 as stocking fillers using a mould I had and some Kinder praline hippos. Turned out to be very easy to copy! I had seen one in a shop for £3.50 and mine cost just over a quid so I am quite pleased Smile

EauRouge · 26/09/2011 21:05

Thanks for the tip! I didn't realise you could cheat a bit, I might just have a go then. All the sites I looked at said scary stuff about caustic soda etc. so I'll have a look for that other link you mentioned.

HippyHippopotamus · 26/09/2011 21:05

the chocolate truffle cookies are amazing!

EauRouge · 26/09/2011 21:06

Oh, and I'm completely addicted to Pinterest too and will happily add anyone who wants to trade ideas.

eggdipdip · 26/09/2011 21:15

I'm gutted deemented - I don't think I sterilised my jars for long enough Sad

But I love the Madhouse you linked to ancientmarinator - I've been looking for a wendy-house type thing for the boys and this fits the bill perfectly!

eggdipdip · 26/09/2011 21:21

Had a bit of a brainwave today for what to put in a stocking for ds1. He's daft on lego, but there's a limit to the amount of lego any 5 year old should possess, so I'm going for a lego theme instead. I've ordered this ice cube tray which I'm going to use to make chocolate lego men first, followed by soap lego men using a ready-made soap base from Hobbycraft and then the ice cube tray will also go in the stocking as well! Genius!

deemented · 26/09/2011 21:26

eggdipdip This is what Delia says about sterilising... 'To sterilise jars, wash the jars and lids in warm soapy water, rinse well, then dry thoroughly with a clean tea cloth, place them on a baking tray and pop into a medium oven, gas mark 4, 350F, 180C, for 5 minutes.'

jugglingwiththreeshoes · 26/09/2011 21:28

Sounds great eggdip I love the stocking bit of Christmas - the best bit I reckon Smile

Pigleychez · 26/09/2011 21:29

Loving the ideas on here. Hoping to do a mass cook out for DD1's Nursery teachers this year.

Ive requested a pintrest board and am apparently on the waiting list. How long do them normally come through?
Looks like a fab way to keep all my ideas. My Favourites file is full to bursting!

eggdipdip · 26/09/2011 21:30

hmmm, think my oven was only at 100 C deemented Sad

what an idiot Sad

That'll teach me not to cut corners. For the past 2 years I've soaked jars in Milton before popping them in a hot oven just to be sure. Next year I'll go back to soaking in Milton again.

deemented · 26/09/2011 21:34

Ach, you aren't an idiot at all.

So there Wink