A Home Made Christmas?

[ConorMcGregorsChin]

Hi Christmas peeps (to anyone else - yes I know it's early, but I'm trying to get ahead and specifically talking home made / make ahead stuff)

I have a sense of joy in making things. I'm not always great at it, but I like to try. Also in the interests of being sensible / frugal / thinking of the environment, I'm going to try and make most of my Christmas gifts. Which also means a lot of stuff for the home too.

So far I've got:

Jars of home made chilli jam - tons!
Jars of home made mango chutney
Jars of various home made jams and compotes made from home grown / foraged fruits.
Lots of Rhubarb wine on the go.
Have made BlackBerry vodka in the past. Was very nice. Many other variations on a theme.

I'll shortly be harvesting my apples and pears so need to think what to do with those. Apples looking a bit shabby so thinking of drying slices and making Xmas decs.

Will be making hand made weaths.
Currently getting ingredients in for Xmas cakes. Also stuff for other Christmas baking like gingerbread, Almond cookies, Christmas Muffins and Christmas Bark.

I've got random fabric, felt, ribbon and wool so looking to make felt decs for the tree, scarf for DD plus anything else I can think of. Seem to have collected fat quarters. Any tips for useful crafts? I'd love to make a patchwork throw for me and DD, but I need to be realistic.

Anyone joining me? Any tried and tested home made recipes or crafts. Anything new to offer?

Sorry, nothing to contribute as I’m not great at making things (just shortbread and little decorations with the kids). Just wanted to say well done! Your gifts sound lovely.

Ahh thanks Thatnovembernight
Actually, you have contributed. I forgot about shortbread. A few years ago, I made some with crumbled up Christmas pudding in it. Was delicious!

Candles?

Hot chocolate kits
Soaps?

Sometimes if I can find a cheap but thoughtful small gift, a little book or PJ's or something little that I know will be enjoyed

I think the key is a good mix of foods and other gifts and if you're giving the gifts on Christmas day I think you want some 'winter' themed stuff rather than all Christmas themes, as that can become out of date quickly if not used.

This sounds great. I’d love to be on the receiving end of your gifts. I’m going to knit some scarves this year. If I had more time I’d love to do more. Hopefully I’ll do some Christmas baking with DS that will double up as decor e.g. gingerbread house.

One year I made some make your own muffin kit gifts - all the ingredients layered up in a Kilner type jar. These went down well. Similar to this pic from Pinterest.

Also I’m going to make chocolate spoons for us at home on Christmas Eve.

Make your own pancake mix would go down well - if you use US volume based measurements, you could include a cup for the correct amount of milk to make a batch up, together with a pretty label of instructions/how many cups to x eggs.

I know most of our decorations are going to be 'natural'. Mainly because the ivy growing on the house is going absolutely mental this year and I want to be able to open the windows come spring. All I will need is some wire and some ribbon.

Other things I'd love to get rather than another scarf (not that I ever get any presents) would be a knitted blanket/throw/cushion + cover (IKEA cushions are super cheap), homemade syrups for coffee (look up pumpkin spice or gingerbread syrup recipes and decant into a sterilised pretty bottle). I also like the idea of some big knitted socks.

You could also get shea and coconut to make moisturiser - if you add a little bit of oil to it, melt together and then allow to cool until soft, then whisk it with a hand mixer until it goes pale, you can put it in little glass pots for people (add about ten drops of essential oil if desired).

Other than that, macrame seems to be quite fashionable at the moment - it wouldn't take long to make a pot hanger to go with a small plant and cover.

Yeahsurewhatever

Candles. I'd forgotten about candles. D Dad is a beekeeper and I used to make beeswax candles years ago.
Also always wanted to make soaps too!
Hot chocolate kits with chocolate spoons sounds like a great idea too. I see people mentioning it every year yet I've never bothered.
Ooh. I've got a great list coming on now!

Princessbear80 I've seen those jars with ingredients in. I think they look fab. I'm just not sure some of my recipients would get round to making them. (Think my family and friends have been used to me giving them stuff ready to eat for too long!)

Gingerbread house for DD is definitely going on the list though!

MitziK

Pancake mix. Yes. Both DD and DMum love pancakes. So that's got to be a winner.

Possibly now scratching the scarf idea and definitely thinking throw or blanket. Absolutely love the idea of cushion covers. No idea why I've not thought of that before. Thank you!

Also love the idea of making moisturiser. Currently looking on eBay for said ingredients! I'm actually getting really excited now. Last day of hols and I'm planning all these things to keep me occupied in the darker nights ahead.
Plus I'm not that well off and I like to be organised. So it ticks all my happy boxes!

I remember macrame from my 70s childhood. I see it's been making a comeback. I feel I may be a bit too hamfisted for such finery!

I love home made gifts, particularly food and knitted/sewn gifts. I’m not so keen on beauty products personally. Last year I got a gift of lavender bags (for wardrobes and drawers) which might be a way to use up some fat quarters. I’m thinking of using some of mine to make napkins and reversible placemats (for me rather than as gifts because my sewing skills aren’t great). I could do with new oven gloves too.

I usually use the dc as cover for giving gifts of baking, or we make ginger bread houses for the grandparents.

Barbarara Lavender bags! What a fab idea. I've got tons of lavender plants in the garden. Hopefully I'm not too late to cut and dry some. Some plants look past it but others look ok.
I've also thought about doing beeswax wraps with the fat quarters. Assuming the recipients know what they are for - I may have to print out a little diity of explanation.

No so much homemade presents but last year we decided we aren’t using wrapping paper/tape anymore. So I bought up loads of Christmas fabrics from the clearance section at work in January Good time to work in a fabric shop and loads of remnants of Velcro and string.

I’ve started making loads of Velcro and drawstring closing reusable gift bags for the kids and our gifts (we don’t have anyone else to buy for)

I do have some left over Harry Potter fabric so will probably make the dc some pj bottoms with it and then find a plain colour co-ordinating t-shirt to go with it. I’ll stitch a pocket using a small bit of the HP fabric onto the t-shirt so it looks like a set.

I’m a beginner at sewing but the dc really like everything I make so it’s good practice for me and boosts my confidence

@MinervaVause that sounds like an amazing idea! I'm going to have a tidy up of my craft cupboard and see what I have got.
I'd love to know More about your Velcro and draw string bags. Do you have a pic?

I’m currently in bed (NZ) but basically this in lots of different sizes. And then some that close with Velcro that I’ve sewn into the top. All pretty simple but they look good and can be used again and again.

I'll shortly be harvesting my apples and pears so need to think what to do with those. Apples looking a bit shabby so thinking of drying slices and making Xmas decs.

Dried apples dipped in chocolate are absolutely delicious. I make some every year as stocking fillers for the adults. They are usually all gone by Boxing day.

Pear infused vodka is rather nice.