Credit crunch : Ideas for family presents anyone

[jenig12]

Hiya

Just thought as most of us seem to be getting poorer I would start this thread for ideas.

What am I up to, well i have started a pile of lidded jars for the kids to fill for their gifts to granny etc (don't know what to fill them with yet though?) As a jewellery designer I can't give any more away as it seems a bit cheapskate and my family have most of my range anyway but I thought of drilling the tops of the lids of the jars and making a bead design so that they don't just look like an empty pot of jam!!

I am also going to make my own cards, not really a card maker but we are all about to go on a leaf hunt in a mo as i thought these would make pretty reminders of the lovely weather in the cold December.

What are the rest of you up to?

Also if the moderators will allow can we use this thread for anyone that offers craft discounts to forum members for Christmas? I have just bought a shower cap from dillydaydream that I found here and I am just delighted with her designs - i know she offers us discount as she gave me some!

I will offer discount too but won't add my business details unless the idea for this is approved.

[BlueShedCrafts]

for a thread. I haven't given Christmas Gifts a first or second thought yet and so I thank-you for getting my thought processes started. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Rachael

[Poppy4lee]

We've agreed (my family & my OH's family) not to give gifts this year. On my family's side, we're going out for a meal, early next year, instead. We decided that a family get-together in January, or February would be something to look forward to. We'll choose a nice restaurant & really put the boat out and, as we're sharing the cost, it will work out loads cheaper than presents. I'll still buy gifts for my niece and nephew but at least I won't have to worry about getting presents for 7 adults :D. For my friends, I was thinking of making biscuits, or, chocolate truffles, they are really easy, really yummy and look wonderful in a pretty box, or, even a cello bag with a nice riboon tied 'round it.

[Aviya Glass]

chocolate truffles, they are really easy, really yummy

Could I be so bold as to ask for a recipe?? Pleez :mf:

[Poppy4lee]

Could I be so bold as to ask for a recipe?? Pleez :mf:
I'll pm you tomorrow, if that's OK, I've just realised that I've spent hours on the computer (on the forum & twitter) and still have a pile of pots to wash etc. etc. :D. I should warn you that there's one problem with the truffles ...when you've made them, you have to keep tasting them, just to make sure they're OK ;)

[Caroleecrafts]

I always make for the female side of the family, cousin a winnie the pooh cross stitch now framed, sister a cockerel cross stitch again will be framed. Cards all made and some of the gifts are ready to be collected from rele's from distant parts already.

Men are a problem and will have to spend out for them but like you keeping cost to a minimum. Elderly relatives never seem to want much but home made choccy's always go down a treat, cordials and fudge etc.

I think it is fun and more caring to make and give as shows you care, it is easy to go to a shop and buy but making you are giving your time.

[ladyrat]

Other than giving handmade jewellery to people I am ....

-Making my sister a Zoidberg from Futurama tote bag
-Putting together scrapbook kits
-decoupaging and laceing (lasaying)christmas cards like no tomorrow
-plus stuff in jars!

[goldy1]

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/indexpage.htm

[Poppy4lee]

Chocolate Truffles
8oz plain chocolate (with a high cocoa content)
3oz butter
2oz icing sugar
cocoa powder
brandy/rum/whiskey - about 3 tbls - more if you like!!

Break up & melt the chocolate in a bowl over gently simmering water.
Take the bowl off the pan.
Add the butter & stir until melted.
Add your chosen spirit to the icing sugar, stir, then add to the chocolate mixture.
Leave the mixture until firm (I pop it in the fridge).
Now the messy part - form the mixture into balls, I usually put cocoa powder on my hands at this point.
When you've formed all the truffles, lightly dust them with cocoa powder and leave them to set (after tasting one, of course, just to make sure it's OK :D)

[jenig12]

Thanks for the truffles recipe, my old one had fresh cream so this one is a much better idea for my jars but probably not for my waistline.

If anyone wants an easy Christmas cake recipe let me know - I have a great one that always turns out moist and although fruit packed not as dark. Any i have made for friends weddings all disappear in tums instead of the bin xx

[ladyrat]

OOH lovely recipe thankyou!! I have a feeling I shall be making many of those.

I may adapt it so I do ones that have been coated in ground up nuts!

[Poppy4lee]

OOH lovely recipe thankyou!! I have a feeling I shall be making many of those.

I may adapt it so I do ones that have been coated in ground up nuts!

It's such a lovely recipe as it's so easy to adapt using different spirits and different coatings can really change the flavour and texture. You can even put things like chopped stem ginger, or, crystallized fruits, or, nuts in the mixture.

A ground nut coating sounds deelish :D

[Critchley]

We have a large extended family and Christmas terrifies me. I have knitted hats and Mitts for step great grandchildren. Told all adults with children that I am buying for kids only this year. I am making a Christmas Day table centre for one Aunt - maybe that will do for the other one too.
If I think of any more savings I will let you all know.

[pepsi]

I got the fruit in for the Christmas cakes the other week on a buy 3 for £2.00 deal. So a few will be getting cakes, I just make little ones for Hubbys Mum and Aunt as they live on their own. Have to admit i bought them last year and they were very expensive. So now I will have to hunt out my old Bero book. I just love the smell on them baking. Mmmmm!! smells so Christmasy eh? xxx ;)

[silvermaid]

My cousin bought some tall fancy bottles from the pound store and filled them with olive oil with a sprig of rosemary, thyme or garlic bulbs. She did them early so the flavour was infused ready for Xmas.
A friend made up shoe boxes full of smellies, make up and fancy stuff for her teenage nieces.
My sister has given us a hamper for 2 years now but the last one was made up by my BIL ( cos she's blind) and had the remnants from their cupboard ( Scotch broth soup and tinned ham) and lidl's cheapies. I would have preferred a smaller selection of nicer food. DH called it a food parcel !!

Melanie

[Scorch]

Fudge!

Scorch's Patented Condensed-Milk Fudge



You Need : Sugar (any kind of granulated or caster is fine, but not icing)
Butter
A tin of Condensed milk, and whole or evaporated milk
Vanilla essence
Some good plain chocolate, if you fancy choccy fudge, or whatever else you fancy.

Also : A large heavy-based saucepan to boil it up in, preferably non-stick
A long wooden spoon to stir it with
A bowl of cold water to test it in
Some sort of foil or metal container to pour it into when it's done

Serving : Under armed guard, or it won't stay on the plate long enough to be visible


To make a good big batch, about 2 pie-plates’ worth, you need a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, and half a pint of mixed milks. White sugar is best, but brown is OK - you'll just get a more toffee-y taste. To measure out the half-pint of milk, put in a whole small tin, or half a big tin, of condensed milk, and top it up with ordinary milk, or evaporated milk if there's some to get rid of. You can make this entirely with evaporated milk, but it's firmer, and I think it's not as nice.

Find a really big pan, much bigger than you think you'll need, put the butter & milk in it, and put it on a low heat, to melt the butter a bit. Then put the sugar in, and melt everything together. If you put the sugar in first, no matter how much you stir it, some always seems to burn on the bottom of the pan. So, stir it gently, and turn the heat up a bit, and watch in amazement as the whole pale-yellow mass starts to bubble up an astronomical amount. This is why you need a really big pan, or it heaves itself out of the pan and takes over the stove. Plus, this stuff gets seriously hot, and is sticky with it, so it's the last thing you want to get on your fingers - hence the long-handled wooden spoon.

So, keep it to a manageable height in the pan, bubbling merrily away but not leaping about too ferociously, and keep stirring it, or it'll stick & burn, especially if you don’t have a non-stick pan. As you stir, you'll notice that the heaving mass is getting thicker, and it's getting darker in colour, too. When it's getting like syrup, try dropping a little bit from the spoon into the cold water. You should find that you'll be able to gather it up with your fingers into a blob, and taste it.

At first, it's very squishy, and tastes quite creamy, but as the colour darkens to a nice summer-tan, and it gets really thick, you'll find it makes a more manageable ball, and tastes more like caramel than ever – takes about 20 minutes or so. When it makes a chewy, squidgy ball that holds together like softened blu-tack and tastes like that Highland Toffee you used to get in bars, it's ready.

Take the pan off the heat, and let it cool down a bit. While it's doing that, butter the inside of your foil dishes, or cake pans, or whatever you're using to put it in, and make sure they're standing on something flat that doesn't mind getting seriously hot. By now, the fudge should be even thicker, and maybe have a thin cooled "skin" on top - add a drop or two of vanilla essence (it just doesn't taste the same without it) and give it a good stir.

As you stir, you'll find that your fudge gets fudgier, ie thicker still, glossy, and kind of grainy. Try dropping a little bit in the water, and seeing what it's like to eat. When it's quite shiny, the spoon-marks stay in for a while, and it starts to pull away from the side of the pan, you should find that it's got that yummy fudgy texture, too. If you don't stir it enough, you get soft chewy stuff like warm toffee, and if you stir too much, you get very hard brittle stuff like butter tablet, but it's all perfectly edible.

At this point, you pour it (carefully - it'll still be hot) into the pans and leave it alone to set. If you fancy chocolate fudge, chuck some chopped-up plain (as dark as you can get) chocolate and a little butter in it. I always pour out one pan of vanilla, then stir in about a third of a thin bar of really dark chocolate and a teaspoon of butter and pour the rest out as chocolate fudge. You can add anything that will melt in & is OK with being that hot. Plus, cherries are OK, and so are nuts.

Now leave it alone for a while to cool down. You don't have to put it in the fridge - it'll sort itself out on the worktop just fine. When it's set, chop it up with a thin knife and hide it somewhere only you know about. Hiding it in the fridge is OK, but it does get a bit firm, and tends to taste of that dodgy cauliflower you forgot about at the back after a while. Hiding it in a tin or placcy box is much better, as long as you then hide the tin.

[auntynet]

I posted my recipe for home made "Baileys" here.

http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16558&highlight=BAILEYS

[Chris W]

I bought a few rolls of silver plated copper wire from Beadalon but it was a bit too thick for headpins etc however I tried wrapping a gemstone with it and found it brilliant for making pendant cages to hold them as it keeps its shape. I have managed to sell a lot of them recently for 1.50 each. This makes a very inexpensive present and I suppose you could use the idea on other items that could be worn around the neck.

[Critchley]

I posted my recipe for home made "Baileys" here.

http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16558&highlight=BAILEYS
and I made some - hic hic.

Nice recipe Scorch. If I made it now would it keep in a sealed container until after Xmas?

[Pagan]

Well, we're doing Christmas dinner for 14 this year, so I'm making up little packs of special occasion cards (birthday, anniversary, thank you etc) and putting them in a nice box and giving them with some of Scorch's gorgeous sounding fudge. I may even break down and make some of Auntynet's bailey's too :D Excellent ideas guys - keep em coming.

[jenig12]

Hi
I have just made our Christmas cake so thought I would share the recipe. x


This recipe makes one large moist cake that is a bit paler than the usual christmas offering and truely delicious - I never have any left over.

Recipe
Don’t get caught out this cake needs overnight soaking of the fruits before making and just like any Christmas Cake it is best to make a few weeks in advance, stored in an air tight tin.

Lining

For large cake tins like this line with 2 layers of tin foil cut to the size/shape of your tin and then line with 2 layers of greaseproof paper.
Equipment

Baking tin 10-11 inches (26-29 cm)
You will also 3 large bowls, one of which has to me non-metallic


500gms (1lb) unsalted butter
375 grams brown sugar
625 grams (11/4 lb) plain white flour
125 grams self raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarb of soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 medium eggs
75 grams golden syrup (approx 2 large tablespoons


Spices
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg (or 1 teaspoon ground)
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Fruit

250 grams glace cherries
250 grams exotic dried fruit mix ( this can include mango, coconut etc use your imagination, if you want to increase this you can but minus the weight added from either the raisins or currants)
250 grams dried apricots
750 grams raisins
650 grams sultanas
375 grams currants
All of the fruits need to be small pieces so the cherries and exotic fruits will need to be chopped
Add the fruits to a large glass/plastic bowl, mix with you choice of alcohol and leave overnight, stirring occasionally (minimum of 6 hours). Add all the nuts to the mixture about 1 hour before string to make

Nuts

200 grams assorted chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds etc)

Alcohol

Now traditionally you should use a sweet sherry or port but for the adventurous a light rum like Malibu adds an extra something and goes well with the exotic fruits. Of course this can easily be changed for fruit juice, orange and cranberry work well together. Mine has sherry, tia maria and rum in it!!

Method

Oven: pre heat your oven to 150 C/300 F/gas mark 2)

In your largest bowl cream the butter and sugar together either using a spoon or mixer.
Stir in the syrup and rind and then gradually add the eggs one at a time, stirring well in between each.

Sift all the flours, spices and salt into another bowl Slowly add spoons of the flour mix to the creamed butter, alternating with the soaked fruit, ensuring that this is lightly but thoroughly mixed-this needs to take about 5 minutes. This is a nice time to include the groom and make that wish!!
When finished the mixture shouldn’t be runny. In fact you may like to add a little extra alcohol if it is really firm.

Then all that needs to be done is to transfer the mixture into your prepared tin, trying to smooth the to with the back of a wet spoon.

If you do decide to decorate afterwards most people turn their cake upside down after baking and use the bottom as the top as this is usually straight.

Baking

One hour at 150 C/300 F/gas mark 2 then about 4 hours at a slightly reduced temperature (130 C/260 F/Gas 1). However as cookers vary keep a close eye on it.
After cooking place on a rack to cool and then wrap with foil and greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin. You can always add more alcohol, juice by making tiny holes in the cake with a skewer and slowly dribbling liquid through them

[autumn rose]

Thankyou.. :) I intend to make my own this year! (saying that i say that every year..and always head for marks at the last minute lol):)

[Pebbles]

I have just emailed my mum for her (be-ro) recipe for christmas cake, I started making this when I was about eight and should probably know the ingredients off by heart now (been a few years)

When is the best time to make it? 2 months before too early? I seem to remember making it really early and my mum pouring brandy over it.....

Gonna make some of that fudge now too

Anyone have some good biscuit/cookie recipes too?

[jenig12]

Thanks Sarah, Pebbles I do have a brill cookie recipe that you roll like a sausage and pop in the fridge, great for kids to make- will have to root it out.

Have posted a photo of the christmas cake on my blog, I think the oven must have been a tiny bit too hot as it cracked on the top so will have to get the polyfiller out!

[Roseberry Crafts]

Keep these fab recipes rolling in everyone. Think I'll be having a go at them all!

I've just started my Christmas makes having announced to myself that we're having a "buy nothing" Christmas this year! I've got loads of ideas up my sleeve and intend to blog my progress so if anyone's interested the links in my signature.

Some of the things on my list are;

Framed embroidered & appliqued pictures (started Mother's already)
Small dolls in pouches,
Button hair bobbles and Scrunchies (for the girls to give their friends at school),
Homemade Sweets, cakes and Biscuits in jars (we're eating Bonne Maman like it's going out of fashion) or wrapped in decorated boxes,
Framed pages from old children's books (found some Ladybird books in a charity shop last week for 39p)
Hobby horse made from an old broom handle I found in the Garage and an odd sock (did one a couple of years ago but he's getting lonely!)
Scarves (made with my new peg Loom 'cos I can't knit)
Candles (made by rolling sheets of beeswax-they smell gorgeous)

.....and the list could go on forever!

The Women and Children are easy but I'm still struggling with the Fellas! I'm not organised enough this year but next year I going to have some Home Brew ready for them! They'll all be getting Sweets this year I think.

I'm also thinking that I might start a tradition this year where I make everyone a new Tree Decoration each year.

I have a big problem with the commercial side of Christmas. The worse it gets the more I feel I have to rebel against it! I would love not to send cards but I know everyone in my family would take it personally and have a good moan behind my back Lol :D

[jenig12]

Hi Nat

What a cool blog, love the tomato Lasagne, will have to keep an eye out for that cookery book - The doll reminds me of something I bought years ago in Finland, but my one doesn't have legs - they make them with a towel as a skirt and use them to dry their hands in the kitchen! I just keep mine on its hanger as its too pretty for that. Will pop a photo on an album later.

Another idea for my kids to help with is mug painting. i have bought some plain white ones and just need to get some oven bake porceline paints (ideas anyone?) for them to play anound with. They call their gran and grandpa special names so it would be cool to incorporate this as little pressies for them instead of having to buy another present.

[xrheax]

Some of these ideas are great!!!

Sadly, for many years I subscribed to the commercial side of christmas. This year we are still buying our own children, and nieces and nephews, but we are spending less than we normally do.
For the people I buy but aren't close enough to spend tons of money on, I am definitely going to make them something to eat as a present. I buy a small gift for my sisters in laws for example. Last year I gave them brownies but I felt it was a little hasty.....this year I would like to put my eatables into a nice handmade trinket box or something.
I think I am going to make some of the fruit cakes too, and decorate them for my neighbours. I have great neighbours and we all help wach other throughout the entire year so I like to make them a little something. One of them is elderly and normally I just buy her a teddy (she collects them) or a biscuit pack from M&S (boring!) n

Anyway, there are some fantastic ideas here! I am going to hunt out one of my notebooks and write them all down!

[Aviya Glass]

Fudge!

Scorch's Patented Condensed-Milk Fudge
If you don't stir it enough, you get soft chewy stuff like warm toffee, and if you stir too much, you get very hard brittle stuff like butter tablet, but it's all perfectly edible.


I adore fudge so def will give this a try! Thanks Scorch!

As kids we had a recipe, my dad moaned like mad when we wanted to make fudge (so much sugar blah, blah), went absolutely mental when it didn't set and then nearly had a fit when we wanted to make it again. :D

We loved that it didn't set and as you say its all perfectly edible ;)

[Scorch]

Nice recipe Scorch. If I made it now would it keep in a sealed container until after Xmas? Heya - sorry for the delay! I think it would, yes, as long as you keep it in a container in the dry, and nice & cool. Though it's not a recipe that really improves on keeping, like some do...

[Scorch]

I adore fudge so def will give this a try! Thanks Scorch!

As kids we had a recipe, my dad moaned like mad when we wanted to make fudge (so much sugar blah, blah), went absolutely mental when it didn't set and then nearly had a fit when we wanted to make it again. :D

We loved that it didn't set and as you say its all perfectly edible ;) Oh, yes, it's just SO yummy! And I really, REALLY, mustn't make & eat any! :)

[Critchley]

We have a large extended family and Christmas terrifies me. I have knitted hats and Mitts for step great grandchildren. Told all adults with children that I am buying for kids only this year. I am making a Christmas Day table centre for one Aunt - maybe that will do for the other one too.
If I think of any more savings I will let you all know.
I have finished the hats, mitts etc.,
http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/picture.php?pictureid=1901&albumid=140&dl=1225320752&thumb=1 (http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=140&pictureid=1901)http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/picture.php?pictureid=1899&albumid=140&dl=1225320752&thumb=1 (http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=140&pictureid=1899)
Please excuse the ironing board and variety of plastic jugs used as models. The evening bag has smellies in and was made from some of the job lot of fabric given to me. You can't see t here but it has gold thread running through it.

[Pagan]

Those are really lovely Carol :D

[Pagan]

Oh, yes, it's just SO yummy! And I really, REALLY, mustn't make & eat any! :)

Scorch, my son and I made some fudge last weekend using your recipe. The first lot turned out like tablet so he renamed it FABLET lol. The second lot turned out more like fudge - delicious :D

[Scorch]

Scorch, my son and I made some fudge last weekend using your recipe. The first lot turned out like tablet so he renamed it FABLET lol. The second lot turned out more like fudge - delicious :D Hey, cool! Glad you liked it.

The tabletyness comes from graining it too much at the end, so you get more sugar crystals and it goes harder. Mind you, some people prefer it that way. Not me, though - I like my fudge a bit squishy...


Carol - You HAVE been busy! Nice...

[Paulac]

I am making edible gifts for some family members, fudge, truffles, chutneys etc and for others I am making various beaded items, bookmarks, bracelets, hair clips etc.

[xrheax]

Well, I have my orange slices drying right now. I made lemon ones and lime ones too, as I had some leftover from baking this afternoon

The cake recipe was great! I made one batch as according to the instructions jenig12 gave, I split it down and was able to get four smaller cakes out of it, which is half of the amount of cakes I need to make.

I am fair proud of myself, my sisters are all laughing at me but I determined this year to have lovely handmade presents for friends, family and nieghbours, and to have as many natural decorations as possible.

My garden doesn't have any bushes or trees (I grow veg) so if I take a trip to the woods will I be able to find lots of things there? I think some pine cones (do I dry them out?) and some nice evergreen stuff to make a wreath for our door!

[auntynet]

I think some pine cones (do I dry them out?) and some nice evergreen stuff to make a wreath for our door!

I collected pine cones one day when we went conkering when my DS was about 5 years old. I didn't think to dry them out though. We just sprayed them gold and strung some green shearing elastic on them. When the paint dried I added a few dabs of glue here and there and sprinkled with glitter. My DS will be 18 this xmas and the pine cones still adorn my tree every year.

PS - shearing elastic is a fab alternative to cotton or fine string to use when stringing your xmas tree decorations as its easy to stretch over the branches and once its in place you can't see it if you match the colour to the colour of your tree. Its available in quite a few colours.

[xrheax]

PS - shearing elastic is a fab alternative to cotton or fine string to use when stringing your xmas tree decorations as its easy to stretch over the branches and once its in place you can't see it if you match the colour to the colour of your tree. Its available in quite a few colours.


This stuff sounds great. Will it work for leaves (I read if you spray leaves gold and silver you can thread them on a piece of string and use as a garland around your tree)
I am looking for alternatives to tinsel so this may be extremely useful!

It is lovely to do something different to wedding things (although I do love all things weddingy) It has been ages since I did crafting for pleasure and I am so glad I found this forum again. You have all given me the encouragement to get started on something for me!

[auntynet]

[quote=xrheax;142986]This stuff sounds great. Will it work for leaves (I read if you spray leaves gold and silver you can thread them on a piece of string and use as a garland around your tree)
I am looking for alternatives to tinsel so this may be extremely useful!
/quote]

I think I'd thread them individually rather than stringing them on a garland. I think that sometimes "drops" on garlands don't always hang where you want them to.

[Scorch]

If you're searching for it, I think you'll have better luck if you spell it "shirring elastic"...

[The 8th Gem]

Some great ideas....and can l say makes me feel really christmassy thinking of family and friends and making small gifts..love it

Made a christmas wreath yesterday
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/3027090802_7c8c2e25ea_m.jpg

plan on making a few for pressies and the paper dolls too and going to cook too....sweets n cookies

Love all the ideas so far suggested...must get my sweeties cook book out ;)

[Pagan]

Well, i've just finished three of my christmas pressies. I've made some tie-boxes and filled them with handmade cards.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/Pagan050806/boxes.jpg

[LvUEudora]

i seldom send presents to my frineds or family members but i do love to design some special gifts for them once in a while, not confined to a birthday or a festival day. i always try to paint a card, or draw some funny pictures on a beautiful and unique stone, or knit something. there needn't to be good, but they are done by myself. all my friends like them very much.

[RhinosoRoss]

Well, i've just finished three of my christmas pressies. I've made some tie-boxes and filled them with handmade cards.

MODS: I can't even reply to a post with a photo that is needed for context because of the "25 posts before links work" rule?!!!


Great boxes: they look like books and that that may be an idea to make something amusing.

Of course, the tie would have to go, but could easily be replaced with a tiny 3mm dia 1mm thick or 1mm cube supermagnet (look up Neodymium on eBay).

Then the book-box could be made with a book title written on the binding that is amusing to the recipient, or a clue to the contents...

[Pagan]

Great boxes: they look like books and that that may be an idea to make something amusing.

Of course, the tie would have to go, but could easily be replaced with a tiny 3mm dia 1mm thick or 1mm cube supermagnet (look up Neodymium on eBay).

Then the book-box could be made with a book title written on the binding that is amusing to the recipient, or a clue to the contents...

Thank you.......excellent idea, I'll give that a try :D

[xrheax]

Some great ideas....and can l say makes me feel really christmassy thinking of family and friends and making small gifts..love it

Made a christmas wreath yesterday
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/3027090802_7c8c2e25ea_m.jpg

plan on making a few for pressies and the paper dolls too and going to cook too....sweets n cookies

Love all the ideas so far suggested...must get my sweeties cook book out ;)


I love this! How do you make them, what are the small things under the stars?

Seriously gorgeous though, I wish I was this creative :D

[xrheax]

Hello,

It is easy to receive the gift than to give so i prefer receiving only.



sarah_9:playball:


I have to say I really prefer giving. I spend ages trying to make sure I make or choose a gift that the person will really love. This year, for my mum, I am finding all the jokes and quotes I can, and little anecdotes about when I was younger. I am writing them out and putting them into 365 envelopes, and writing each date for next year on the front so she has an envelope to open every day. I really cannot wait to see the look on her face when she opens her parcel on christmas day!

[The 8th Gem]

I love this! How do you make them, what are the small things under the stars?

Seriously gorgeous though, I wish I was this creative :D

Hi...simple 4" scalloped circles gently folded in half and rolled round your fingers to make a cone....been asked to do some instructions by a few so going to do a photo instruction entry on my blog will let you know when l've done it....but basically small cones randomly stuck to a circle of card in a mix of double sided papers then a few die cut silver stars glued to the cones

[Fluffy Squirrel]

Hello,

It is easy to receive the gift than to give so i prefer receiving only.



sarah_9:playball:

Personally I would much rather give a gift than receive, I enjoy the time and thought which goes into selecting a gift for a loved one and seeing the appreciation when they receive it.

In this day and age, I think too many people are too quick to take without returning the gesture, even with a token gift - there is too much expectation for gifts wanted, especially at this time of year.

I personally, have been brought up to believe that there should be give and take on all parts, although I appreciate that in some instances this is not always possible.

* This is just my opinion and not intended to offend anyone.

[Fluffy Squirrel]

Well, i've just finished three of my christmas pressies. I've made some tie-boxes and filled them with handmade cards.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e288/Pagan050806/boxes.jpg


Those are brilliant, how did you make the boxes?

[Pagan]

oh, thank you - just noticed this :D

They're just simple tie boxes (you can google for a template) covered in wallpaper of all things lol

[Daisy & Me]

Ok, so basically I'm a Bah-Humbug.

I loathe Christmas / Xmas / Yule-tide whatever... And I think it may be wearing off on my little one.

Last year, I really DID try honest, and put her "Santa" present in the drawing room complete with matching Santa boot print in glitter the same colour as the wrapping present. Awww, you got to admit that's really quite good for me, no?

Anyhoo, the little darling (looking a tad hacked off at being interuppted from slinging paper at the cats) goes into the "big room "(Her words, not mine !) and promptly says:

"Daddy, Santa's left a mess on the hearth. You'll have to clean it up or Mummy will get cross."



:D My work here is done - chaos and anarchy reign !!!!!

My thoughts? Forget Xmas, and just have a jolly good party with the people you REALLY like.

[Fluffy Squirrel]

Anyhoo, the little darling (looking a tad hacked off at being interuppted from slinging paper at the cats) goes into the "big room "(Her words, not mine !) and promptly says:

"Daddy, Santa's left a mess on the hearth. You'll have to clean it up or Mummy will get cross."

That made me really laugh!! Kids are just so funny at times :D