Homemade crafty DIY Christmas?

[Hobbygoblininahat]

I'm at peace with knowing Christmas will be tighter than usual. (Thanks redundancies ☹️)

And my usual Christmas savings pot has been used to pay bills while desperately seeking work. Now it's at £0.

I know it's July. But TBH - when you're absolutely skint you have to start planning for Christmas earlier to ensure you have what you need. And hopefully it'll help me worry less during the dark Wintery months.

Anyhow, Is anyone else planning on homemade things? I've downloaded Pinterest and so far I have saved:

Homemade decorations - 2 of our big baubles smashed last Christmas thanks to a naughty cat!

Gingerbread ideas (but with simple ingredients)
Dried orange slice garland
Homemade Christmas scent
Homemade wreath with Holly from the garden!
Lots of brownies, rocky road, and Christmas sweetie mixes.

We have lots of kraft paper so we'll make our own wrapping paper too....

Anyone else planning similar? 😊

Are you crafty (knit, crochet, sew, paper craft) OP?
Do you have DC?

If you can crochet or knit, there are lots of things you can make as gifts or decorations.

I make gifts for nieces, nephews, mum, sister and sometimes friends.
Have also made garlands, cushions and will at some point make a Christmas wreath and blanket.

Some cheap stamps means your homemade wrapping paper is easy (and if you have DC, it's a nice way to kill some cold afternoons and keep them busy).

Similar with Christmas cards and paper chains, although I'm not great at paper crafts so this isn't something I'll be doing.

I'm also not a great cook but I am a fan of making small batches of mulled wine or cider so the house smells nice, and I give them away as gifts as don't like the actual drinks - 2 birds with 1 stone and all that!

Love the idea of a wreath made from greenery in the garden (and am jealous of you having holly in the garden).
If it's your kind of thing, you could possible invite some friends over and spend an afternoon making them (or you could make it a child friendly activity that they can look forward to).

I have an old artificial wreath that I don't want to replace so last year I updated it with a cheap set of battery lights - I imagine that would look lovely on a real one.

I'm also a big believer in reusing where possible and an easy way to make your house cosy is to put tea lights in (used and clean) jars.
Depending on how arty you are you could wrap them in Christmas ribbon or paper with cutouts.

I'm sure there are loads of ideas out there - the Poncetastic threads are great for inspiration if can dig them out on here

Thanks so much @CrazyBaubles I'll check out that thread.

I'm very good at illustration and painting - I think I can make my own wrapping paper with lino print stamps (which I can design at home with materials I already have!)

I love baking and I'm quite good at cooking but don't necessarily have the patience for fancy stuff! However I am going to learn!

Does anyone have any non alcoholic Christmas punch recipes? I do drink alcohol but it makes me feel rotten (even after 1 drink so I try to avoid it)

I love paper chains but my DC are now pre teens and won't help with those ☹️

However they do think pom poms are hilarious so I might make Christmassy pom pom things.

I'm planning a knitted slip case for my mum for her tablet, and maybe a scarf for my dad. Watching this with interest for ideas though, I have time and I can knit and sew, and I definitely need to find some ways to keep christmas costs down this year.

I agree with @CrazyBaubles The Poncetastic threads are fabulous for crafty ideas. I'd look at Pinterest too - maybe search Christmas crafts

Oh yes to the Poncetastic threads.... I think they traditionally start on 25th September?

If you like Christmas cake I always make my own and have a good recipe that has served me well over many years. However with the cost of ingredients going up I'm positive it probably costs more money to make than just buying one. So maybe not so helpful, although it's a nice activity to do with DCs if they enjoy baking.

I love a crafty Christmas!

Folded paper snowflakes and stars are really cute and easy. Its basically folding the paper into quarters and eighths and making snips into the folds.

Lots of online tutorials and can be fancy or simple. I just make it up. We make some out of kitchen roll too as the stamped dots look cute! Then stick to windows or hang around the house and on the tree. They do keep from year to year too if you’re careful.

Felt decorations and felted baubles are also really cute.

gratefulprayerthankfulheart.com/my-daughter-erin-makes-pretty/

You can stiffen them with starch if you want. You can use them for decorations on their own, make into garlands, use as coasters, adorn wrapped presents, hang in front of windows, lots and lots of used!

@TheBucktoothedGirlFromLuxembourg Are you actually from Lux? I only ask because I grew up there 😊 I have started a Christmas Homemade board on Pinterest.

Thank you everyone for all your amazing ideas and stuff. Very much into crochet coasters!!

@ThreeRingCircus I made a practice stollen last week which I'll do again for Christmas. Thankfully have a cupboard full of ingredients (and they're in date - yesterday I did a huge check / inventory of what will last until New Year!)

@Pot8ohs I have lots of A4 sheets of dark red felt so I'm sure I can make something from those.

😊 thanks everyone. I'm already a bit worrying less. Which gives me mental space to enjoy Summer...

Years ago I knitted a holly wreath. It’s getting on a bit now but it’s one of my favourite decorations and probably cost be less than £5 in yarn. There are loads of patterns for others, lots of Pom Pom wreaths online so maybe you could harness the kids’ enthusiasm and make something for years to come.

@Hobbygoblininahat I'm not from Luxembourg - it's a Smiths reference.

If you are looking for yarn to make pom-poms and wreaths I would suggest asking in your local charity shops first before paying yarn store prices. It's often kept behind the counter (I think it's something to do with the pointy knitting needles). They may even have pompom makers and these take the hassle out of the cutting circles out of cardboard etc.

Do you knit, crochet or sew? You may find fabric to make Christmas bunting or you can knit or crochet some. There's loads of free patterns for Christmas bits and bobs on Ravelry - it's free to sign up and you can just download the pattern and away you go. (There's paid for patterns too but it will tell you the price before you download).

I think Nigella Lawson has a recipe for alcohol free mulled wine in the Domestic Goddess book that might meet your non alcoholic punch criteria. I'd look for you but my cookery books are in a box in the loft.

@TheBucktoothedGirlFromLuxembourg Hahaha haha I've never heard that reference before and I like The Smiths 😂 so embarrassing.

Good idea about charity shops! We have quite a lot around here. I'm crap at knitting but I can crochet and sew. You've just reminded me that I made Christmas bunting last year! With little Robins on.

My cat tends to hunt out wool and has a habit of unravelling things (especially laces!!)

I'll Google for that Nigella recipe. Thank you :)

Salt dough decorations. We make these every year and kids love them

Start saving jars for little tea lights and candles. Kids can paint with acrylic paint (nice cheap summer hol activity!)
Nearer the time keep an eye on FB marketplace for people getting rid of last years decs for cheap/free.
Make festive jams and chutneys for gifts x

I have lots of A4 sheets of dark red felt so I'm sure I can make something from those

Roses. There are templates for roses on line, the one I use would give you two roses from a sheet of A4. Put each one onto a cocktail stick and insert into either a long piece of polystyrene (there will always be someone having a delivery between now and December who would save some for you) for either a table runner or a cheap polystyrene ring for £3 which would look beautiful with a candle in. Or you could add an odd rose to a plant wreath to give it a pop of colour. Or if you’ve got any cheap costume jewellery knocking about, you could glue gun a rose onto a brooch, a hair clip or sparkly clip on earrings to use as shoe clips.

Also, if you like the look of glitter baubles but don’t like the mess or you want something a bit different, you can pick up a cheap pack of clear baubles from B&M which usually have beads in them for around £2. Take the top off the bauble and empty the beads out, then thread them onto thin wire to give your tree a bit of something pretty (unless you have beading needles thin enough to go through). Then pour some watered down PVA (around the consistency of milk) into the empty bauble and swirl it around until the inside is coated, before turning it upside down in a paper cup for a minute or so to drain. Then pour in some glitter (any old stuff will do, it can be as cheap as you like, but fine grain will give you a different effect from a thicker grain) through a paper funnel and roll the bauble around until the inside is completely covered in glitter. Turn the bauble upside down again in the paper cup to dry and drain overnight, then pop the top back on. You can create baubles in some really interesting colours that you’d never find in the shops, especially if you mix glitter colours, and once the glitter has dried and the top is back on the bauble, the glitter is completely contained. If you’re good at drawing, you could use green glitter and a black Sharpie to draw on the face of the grinch. Or white glitter and a black sharpie to draw on the face of Jack Skellington from A Nightmare Before Christmas. You could use your red felt and some cotton wool to sew Santa hats for Jack, to make him more festive and less Halloweenie.

You can also get those clear baubles that come apart for you to fill yourself from the Range for a couple of pounds for a pack of six. I’ve printed out copies of scenes from films (Hogwarts at Christmas, the Polar Express, the scene from it’s a Wonderful Life where George is hugging his family - any recognisable Christmas film really) and cut them to fit. A bit contentious but Bruce Willis crawling through an air vent looks particularly effective done this way. I’ve seen them selling on Etsy for many more pounds than it costs to make them.

Would any of you craft people like some free sewing stuff? I'm decluttering and this is too good for landfill. I'm happy to cover the postage if anyone wants it, just pm me an address to send it (UK only). Before you all start asking why - I don't do apps, FB, eBay, CBA to take to charity shop, don't have any crafts friends, but the post office is on my road. I'm just trying to be more environmentally friendly. It's threads, zips, buttons, hooks and eyes, binding, elastic etc

Honestly DIY is a hobby or the rich not poor... no one saves money doing things themselves

Its like how its cheaper to buy a £1 ready meal than it is to buy all the fresh ingrediants to make it yourself.

We live in a world where mass market has made things cheaper than it is to make ourselves.

I disagree with you justthere, I've made some great teddies for less than I could buy them for, same with scarves, hats, gloves.
Plus buying plain brown paper and doing potato stamps with children is cheaper than a lot of wrapping paper with the added bonus of providing a nice activity for you to do with your dc.

On top of that, a lot of crafters are great at reusing things - I know I am. Used wrapping paper into paper chains, turning old material into bags/pillows/toys etc costs almost nothing.

DIY stuff like this isn't for everyone but for those who like it, it can be a great way to have some family time, save money and is a much nicer way of doing things than the buy cheap and discard approach.

The cheapest role of brown paper I could find was £3.30 from hobbycraft and then the cost of paint on top of that is in no way cheap than a roll of wrapping paper which is 50p in Asda.

I have had success making homemade Christmas decorations as Christmas gifts before now. It doesn't work for children but it's quite nice for adults.

I like making felt decorations, with little embroidered patterns (bells, hearts, stars, Christmas trees, snowmen etc).

Also origami stars (5 pointed) and little modular diamonds, as well as starburst wreaths. All very easy but rather lovely gifts. I got a Christmas themed block of origami paper from the works for a fiver and it was about 500 sheets of paper so it's been a bargain set of Christmas gifts.

And as it's not food hopefully less devisive in the homemade Christmas present stakes.

The cheapest source of brown paper I know of is Aldi. They use large sheets of it between the layers of granulated sugar packets and it is often possible to have it for nothing if you ask nicely.

https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/3d-paper-snowflake.html
My preteens enjoyed making these, now teen DD loves doing origami ones

BrownOwl that's a new brown paper tip for me! I bought a set of 5 plain rolls for £4 in Matalan the year before last and am still working through them.
My mind boggles at anyone paying £3.50 for a roll of it tbh - I've never paid more than £1.

Anyway, back to the point of the thread, if you have plenty of decorations already, maybe consider repurposing some - add to existing or homemade wreaths for example, or use string to make a garland.

For presents, you can always go with the tried and tested vouchers that cost nothing. Years ago me and DH had literally no money to spend on each other so I gave him vouchers for silly things like control of the tv for an evening and to do the early morning dog walk when it wasn't my turn.
I'm bringing something similar back next week for my nieces birthday, where she'll get a voucher for a sleepover at my house where we'll paint nails, watch a Disney film, she can sleep in with me and have breakfast in bed. It'll cost me nothing but she'll love it.

I'm also keen on a crafty Christmas. On the non alcoholic drinks, I found crushed candy canes around the rim of a glass of fizzy cranberry was a nice festive option (also good for kids).