what gifts are you making this holiday season?

[ranchhand]

One year while I was in university I had VERY little money for the holidays, my entire gift budget was about $20... so I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of tiny, handmade blank books. They were only a couple inches on either side and had about 40 pages.

I wrote a book for every person on my list. On each page of the notebooks I wrote either a happy memory I had with that person, or a reason I felt that person was important to me... I left a few pages blank at the end with a note about how I look forward to filling the rest of the book with great memories.

There wasn't one person that I gave that book too that didn't cry in happiness...

I don't find it wasteful at all to pick any arbitrary date on a calendar, whether it's a recognized holiday or not, to let the people in your life know how important they are too you, and that they are worth your time in making (or buying) a gift for.

That's a lovely gift from the heart.

 

[SerenityPrayer]

I'm trying my best to use up what I already have...yarn for crocheting sweaters for the little guys, doll clothes and jammie pants out of fabric that has been taking up space for more time than I'd care to admit. I'm also trying to make a no-sugar cookbook with a few good stevia recipes for my father and my grandmother, both of whom have recently been diagnosed with diabetes.

I ordered some nice wood plaques a while back and hope to have time to make name plaques for most of my family (the name, the meaning of the name, and a special verse from Scripture to add more to the meaning.)

If all else fails, I can always make laundry detergent!

 

[Henrietta23]

Not sure this is actually a gift idea, but I was just going through some old pictures and found this one from about four years ago. My youngest granddaughter was about to be born nine weeks early, and my daughter was, as she had been with the first one, in the hospital on complete bed rest. I had to find a way to keep #1 busy, so I did a lot of research and came up with these little mice. Hope you can see them. They are basically a maraschino cherry dipped in melted chocolate and then before the chocolate hardens completely you attach an unwrapped Hershey Kiss to it for the nose, and two almon slices for the ears. The stem of the cherry is the tail. I bought a small tube of black glossy icing for the eyes, but I bed you could snip bits of raisins. We had some trouble getting them to stand up, so genius DGD came up with the idea of resting them on a cookie.

The one nearest her face was a prototype that got licked a whole lot!

Thought maybe this would be a fun project for those of you with kids.



http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/1098_100_0285.jpg

Ooo! Lady, I just was reading the Family Fun article that mice like those. I'm going to have DS make some. We sometimes do chocolate dipped pretzel rods too.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Pretzel rods. I had just the other day decided to make those for our cookie swap this year! Ironic !!!

 

[big brown horse]

Anyone heard of the game "Farkle"? It is played with 6 dice, really fun and very simple. I think I will make my own sets to give as gifts. I'll print out the directions with a nice computer font and find cute boxes (at goodwill or craft stores) to store the dice. The whole game can be contained in a film canister-sized container...so it will make perfect stocking stuffers.

 

[Henrietta23]

Anyone heard of the game "Farkle"? It is played with 6 dice, really fun and very simple. I think I will make my own sets to give as gifts. I'll print out the directions with a nice computer font and find cute boxes (at goodwill or craft stores) to store the dice. The whole game can be contained in a film canister-sized container...so it will make perfect stocking stuffers.

That's a cute idea. I have an inexpensive set I use at school with my students. Cheap plastic. I bet you can make a much nicer one for even less.

 

[big brown horse]

LOL My girlfriends and I played it last weekend and had the most wonderful time! (We all had on old Halloween masks provided by my good friend and host. OMG, I think we all could have used Free and Bee's P.I.S.S.I. pads!)

 

[punkin]

Here are a few of the quilts I am giving this year:

 

[FarmerChick]

VERY NICE PUNKIN!!

How are you? Haven't seen ya around much lately.....you must be one busy gal!! I know you are..LOL

I love the green and red last one...so pretty! My kinda colors!

 

[punkin]

VERY NICE PUNKIN!!

How are you? Haven't seen ya around much lately.....you must be one busy gal!! I know you are..LOL

I love the green and red last one...so pretty! My kinda colors!

Thanks, FC.

I've been spending most of my time setting behind the sewing machine making these quilt tops. I really enjoy it. I also did a Quilt Project Sheet for each one (I think about 15 in all, so far) I want to know how much money I have in each quilt. So, just in case someone wants me to make one for them, I can give them a price that will be fair to them and not cheat myself either.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and all is well.

How is your MIL?