Lets start thinking DECEMBER!!!! Make the season HOMEMADE!!! - Page 3

[ms.shell]

Ok so now I need to start growing some gifts!

i am growing a lot of stuff for gifts; i will make salsa and pesto later in the summer for gifts and also have lots of medicinal and tea herbs growing....plan to use some organic cotton in my stash to make drawstring tea bags and i will make up special herbal blend tea mixes from the garden. also planted a lot of luffah gourds with december in mind....plan to make soaps and give them with sponges, and also use a pringles can as a mold and make the soap around the loofah, then slice it into bars...hoping this will work great for a scrubby gardener's type soap. and we will be making pepper sauce and i should do herb and pepper vinegars as well. and i would like to give a few folks a small jar of dried cayennes, as these are so useful in winter cooking and we will hopefully have plenty to share. i could do some rosemary wreaths or at least little bouquets, too; these would be pretty on packages, i bet. I just thought of it, but i guess i could give fresh dried culinary herbs in jars as gifts, too....we have lots of oregano and rosemary and basil growing, and could plant parsley later on just for drying for this.
and i LOVE the thought of chili salt; thanks for that thought i can't wait to make some of this later in the summer- flavored salt is a new thing for me and it sounds so yummy!

[caiesmommy]

We did jarred gifts last year

-apple peel jelly-dc dont like apple sauce made w the peels(I think its the color) So I had a ton of peels and no idea what to do with them. So I used the peels and cores and made a jelly..I used less then the rec. sugar amount and it was way to sweet for me lol. Im not a jelly person but everyone loved it...they said it was really good on pork, wouldn't know Im a veg lol
-I also pickled some green cherry tomatoes that I didnt know what to do with, I put cayenne peppers and garlic and thyme in the jar...very christmassy looking and AMAZING tasting!!

Those were the two big ones that everyone loved

I made my dc a cake in a mug gift-you can google and Im sure the site will come up-He liked that he could just add an egg and water throw it in the microwave and he got cake out of it lol

This year I'm thinking of dehydrating apples(I do it every year) and making a muffin mix w the apples and spices) then gift it with a package of apple cider mix

[rere]

Loving all the food ideas!Especially since it's planting time here.

[caiesmommy]

I wont be crafting for awhile..I tore the rotator cuff inmy shoulder and cracked two ribs So Ive been searching for ideas on the internet, one handed lol

I decided on this twilight scarf for my bff...I think she'll shine in it

http://community.livejournal.com/fandom_knit/33550.html

[rere]

Originally Posted by caiesmommy

I wont be crafting for awhile..I tore the rotator cuff inmy shoulder and cracked two ribs So Ive been searching for ideas on the internet, one handed lol

I decided on this twilight scarf for my bff...I think she'll shine in it

http://community.livejournal.com/fandom_knit/33550.html

UHG!I'm so sorry to hear that.I hope you're not in too much pain and that you recover well and quick.

I guess you have to watch out with that "Xtreme crafting".

The scarf is lovely!

[Purple Sage]

Originally Posted by caiesmommy

I wont be crafting for awhile..I tore the rotator cuff inmy shoulder and cracked two ribs So Ive been searching for ideas on the internet, one handed lol

I decided on this twilight scarf for my bff...I think she'll shine in it

http://community.livejournal.com/fandom_knit/33550.html

Hope you feel better soon! Great scarf!

[IntuitiveJamie]

[QUOTE=iowaorganic;15370163]no. just no.




That is exactly what I am thinking. I dont have the time energy or effort. However, I did love the thread last year, but I don't think I jumped in on it until Nov. Also, I am not likely to be crafting for this years gifts. We will be selling our house at that time to move onto an RV.
Buuutt, I am making jellys for gifts this year. Strawberry is already done. Blueberry will be in the next couple of months. And that's that.
Althooooough...I'm supposed to be sewing 5 advent calendars for family. I bought all the supplies right after Christmas so it would be on sale. I am still hoping to get a chance to do that. I need to start now and be one by September.

I guess I do have something to work on. But no. just no.
not yet for me either.

[sapientia]

I'm working on small lap quilts for some family right now. I'm pretty crafty all around and there's not much I can't do (except knitting-I absolutely cannot knit. I have tried so many times! I am a crochet fan, though!) but I am really looking fo some ideas for my kids to supplement the stuff we buy (by christmas ages 16, 14, 12, 10 and 2).
Any ideas are always appreciated!

[ms.shell]

sapienta, you should try loom knitting. i tried for years to knit w needles and made only messes; but when i tried the looms, i had dish cloths the same day, was carrying a new bag and wallet before the end of the week, and have been knitting ever since. I plan to give several loom knitted gifts.

we looked in our canning book last night and i have decided to include pear relish (it has red sweet and hot peppers and is the.best.thing.ever on porkchops; i had forgotten all about this yummy thing until i saw the recipe, and there is a big pear tree here and plenty of peppers growing). Also, plan to try mint jelly ASAP using the chocolate mint i grow. if it's good, i will make that for gifts, too.
i was wondering if it would be okay to start canning for gifts already....things canned now will still be fresh enough in 6 months? (i have barely canned yet but plan to do a lot this year).

[sapientia]

Originally Posted by ms.shell

sapienta, you should try loom knitting. i tried for years to knit w needles and made only messes; but when i tried the looms, i had dish cloths the same day, was carrying a new bag and wallet before the end of the week, and have been knitting ever since. I plan to give several loom knitted gifts.

we looked in our canning book last night and i have decided to include pear relish (it has red sweet and hot peppers and is the.best.thing.ever on porkchops; i had forgotten all about this yummy thing until i saw the recipe, and there is a big pear tree here and plenty of peppers growing). Also, plan to try mint jelly ASAP using the chocolate mint i grow. if it's good, i will make that for gifts, too.
i was wondering if it would be okay to start canning for gifts already....things canned now will still be fresh enough in 6 months? (i have barely canned yet but plan to do a lot this year).

Thank you for the loom knitting idea! I bought a long one and a round one for my daughter last Christmas so I'm going to borrow hers and give it a go.

[caiesmommy]

Originally Posted by ms.shell

i was wondering if it would be okay to start canning for gifts already....things canned now will still be fresh enough in 6 months? (i have barely canned yet but plan to do a lot this year).

If you process your canning properly then it will be fine for the holidays. Pickles, jellies whatever when done properly have a terrific shelf life. We just actually ate a wonderful chutney and chili sauce that our friends mom made last fall and it was perfect!

[rere]

I started!

Ok,it's not much but I did start.I'm almost finished with a oven mitt.I'm having trouble putting binding on the unfinished bottom edges though.uhg.

[ms.shell]

yesterday i played with my new serger and learned to do the rolled hem. so i was looking around for stuff to do it on and wound up making about a dozen handkerchiefs which i then embroidered on the machine. Most of them i used the greek key scroll which i think looks masculine, and then on a few i used a vine/leaf motif but did it in white thread on white fabric, so it doesn't look too flowery or feminine. i gave a couple to dp who always wants more hankies, but put the rest away for gifts for b-i-ls and uncles and men friends.

[rere]

It's May and I have a Christmas present made!Well,at least part of it.

The oven mitt.

[caiesmommy]

Originally Posted by rere

It's May and I have a Christmas present made!Well,at least part of it.

The oven mitt.

Very cute! Great job!

[Purple Sage]

Originally Posted by rere

It's May and I have a Christmas present made!Well,at least part of it.

The oven mitt.

Love it!

[pbjmama]

Originally Posted by rere

It's May and I have a Christmas present made!Well,at least part of it.

The oven mitt.

I would love to make one of these for my sister...I even have a fabric in mind. Do you have a pattern you could share?

[rere]

Originally Posted by caiesmommy

Very cute! Great job!

Thanks!

How are you feeling?

Originally Posted by Purple Sage

Love it!

Thank you!I love that fabric.I was so happy to find a project for it.

Originally Posted by pbjmama

I would love to make one of these for my sister...I even have a fabric in mind. Do you have a pattern you could share?

I just turned one that we had inside out and traced it but when i was having trouble with the bottom edges I googled "make oven mitt"and there were quite a few tutes.

[caiesmommy]

My shoulder is FINALLY on the mend! Thank godness! So Im going to rush and get FIL's socks finished for fathers day then start xmas stuff or baby stuff for the millions of babies coming this summer lol


My bff just got engaged last weekend so Im also thinking of shower gifts ect for her and I think that oven mitt would work...BUT I think Im going to make two sets. Pink cupcake girly for her and a rocking monster(frankenstein-type fabric) for him lol..With matching aprons. Thanks for the idea!!!

[rere]

Originally Posted by caiesmommy

My bff just got engaged last weekend so Im also thinking of shower gifts ect for her and I think that oven mitt would work...BUT I think Im going to make two sets. Pink cupcake girly for her and a rocking monster(frankenstein-type fabric) for him lol..With matching aprons. Thanks for the idea!!!

Great idea!and I'm glad you are healing.