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!

Can I ask how you join pinterest please??

Also, can I have the instructions for the halloween lanterns please??????

All my jam and marmalade making stuff has arrived from lakeland this morning so am very excited

Told my mum that as we have little money this year (all going on therapy for ds1) that I was making jam, marmalade, mince pies, candied peel etc for gifts and she gave me such a look.....as if I was mad

Well, I know its not bought stuff but I thought people might like it - my dad (bless him) said "what a good idea!"

Can I get the recipe for Nigellas chutney online???

thanks!

caetblanche - lakeland apparently do a freezer paper type thing here - it's just waxed paper, and when ironed on the non-waxed side, the waxed side will gently adhere to fabric. I have yet to try this, so please let me know if it works for you! Otherwise, you can buy it on ebay from the states.

becaroo, just pm me your email address and i can invite you to join pinterest!

i made the pear and vanilla jam yesterday (so so hot!!) and it smells and tastes divine! was quite taken aback at how much liquid there was - no water added, just pear juice! the jam is quite sloppy, but will see if a few days of sitting will set it more, as i've heard pectin can take a wee while to completely set.

Becaroo - this the Nigella's chutney recipe it's really good and made about 4 jars worth.

The halloween lanterns were easy to make - take a jar and coat it in ModPodge (I bought it online for about 4 quid but I dont see ordinary glue wouldn't work just as well) and stick on bits of ripped up tissue paper until you cover it totally. Then cut out a shape from black paper e.e a pumpkin or bat and stick it on using the ModPodge. It dries to look quite shiney and put a tea light in the jar and it is quite a cool effect. Mine's are not perfect here they are

Finally, here is my Pinterest page. It's not that interesting at the moment but I'm slowly adding to it

Anyone got any good christmas pudding recipes?

I'm so excited by this thread it's unbelievable!!!

I've been sucked in to pinterest as well and it has helped me finalise (ish) the plans for Christmas. I did realise, though, that unless I'm very very clever about it, I could get so carried away that I end up spending more than I would if I was just buying presents.

I'm really taken with the idea of flavoured vodkas for my mum. She's recently divorced and absolutely broke and was complaining that she couldn't even go out for a 'cheapo cocktail evening with the girls' so I thought I could make like a 'cocktail evening' kit. I've got a load of nice smallish bottles because I horde crap and I thought I could fill them with a few different flavours of vodka, see if I can find cheap cocktail glasses and ten a few recipes... What do you think? I only worry that they wouldn't actually be proper cocktails because its only vodka. I suppose I could put bottles of orange juice, lemonade etc in as well.

Oh... May I have the piccalilli recipe from the poster up thread, pretty please?

IwoulddoPachacuti (More of a George I fan myself) I use Delia's every year as a guide but chuck in something different occasionally (figs were nice) and use all Guinness rather than stout and barely wine, plus whatever I've marinated the other fruit in for mincemeat etc (usually amaretto or calvados) instead of rum.

Since I've stolen (ahem...repinned) so many ideas from this thread here's my Pinterest page as well.

So it looks like we're all doing the finger print tree and some variety of felt ornaments I've just ordered these felt squares off Ebay, they aren't very big but there are loads of different colours in the pack so I thought they'd be good for ornaments and the little finger puppets I want to make.

I love the four Georges song, it's fab

Delia's pud looks good, think I will use that. I might add cherries too as I love cherries! Thank God it is dull outside, I feel better planning for autumn and christmas when it is dark outside

Thanks for the link to the felt squares, I have just ordered some. I'm sadlt overly enthusiastic about all this!

SlightObsession I used the Channel four recipe - google Picalilli channel four, it appears. I used that one because it used ready spiced pickling vinegar.

Be warned, the sauce seems a bit runny to me. I'll let you know if it thickens up in the jar at all. It looks and smells divine though.

cakeoclock pm me your email address and I'll send you an invite to Pinterest :-)

becaroooo you too

Have just discovered that mil adores lemon curd, so that's her Christmas pressie sorted! Just need to remember where I saw a recipe...

The great British bake off had a great lemon curd recipe, I made it, it was perfect. If you can't google it I'll post it on here when I'm sober.

Oh bugger, I never even thought about getting plastic beans In fact, didn't even know such things existed. In the past I have filled a little inner bag of beans and put a zip on the outer bag so that it could be removed for washing. Now I know plastic beans exist (the poly ones for seat beanbags are too lightweight for toys - tried them too!) and are available on Amazon much cheaper than buying lots of zips I think I might go with that instead. I've done the simplest ones (for DC2's stocking) with a pack of mixed beans from Morrisons already though - they are in four different stripey and plain denims and look quite good given how easy they were to make. I cut them to fit a little box I had from Ikea - my toddler is currently very into taking things out of/putting them into boxes. I asked my 8 year old if he thought his little brother would like them and he told me very pointedly that he would like them himself so I am going to have to make a 2nd batch now.

I think I have put some photos on my profile of the stuff I've made so far...

mogs I've done the Christmas tees too, but did them on embroidery thread. They look so much better on ribbon so I may redo them :)

I also added in a few red buttons on some of them to add tot the festivity :)

Will read all 28 pages later when I'm not pished tired. :o

Having been awake since fuckoffaclock, i now have my mincemeat in the oven.

Can't wait to see how it comes out. I'm going to be giving a jar to Manshapes nan for her birthday, along with some peppermint bark if i can ever find some bloody peppermint candy canes in this city!!!

Where are you deemented ?

I'm in Swansea. I have found strawberry ones, and banana ones and even sherbert ones. But no fecking peppermint ones!!!

It may be a tad early yet though - the Halloween stuff has only just arrived in the shops.

They're lovely Mogs. I'm currently collecting buttons to make these too. Got some from e bay and a couple of crafty places but if you have any other suggestions I'd be grateful to hear them. Just want a big bulk bag really!

If they don't appear by November let me know and I'll send you some. :o

kveta many thanks! Your page is AMAZING.

Am slightly in awe of all of you now I can view the pinterest pages

got some of that ready made bright xmas coloured sugar paste ising frmo lakeland yesterday (for the dc to roll out and use) and wondered what is a really easy lovely xmas cake recipe I could do for a gift??? I dont like fruit cake so have NO idea! I think I am right in thinking that it needs to be done soon to taste good though???

Does anyone have any idea as to how long spicey (homemade, of course! ) nuts would keep for?