Handmade Holidays 2011!!! - Page 3

[rere]

Originally Posted by Magpie1972 

rere - I love love love love love the aprons!! They are perfect for what I am looking for in an apron personally. I don't want a gethered mess, and I just want something I can pop on and wrap round. I am totally snagging the idea and making them for my sisters and myself. Thank you! I feel like a dolt for not being able to visualiza that better in my mind.

I am working on some gifts now for the kids' teachers, some bottle cap magnets. I saw them on etsy and loved the idea, and I think I am making them part of our Christmas gifting, too. Super easy and fun. Plus, who doesn't need magnets? I know I can always use a few more no matter how many I have.

Thank you!And so glad to hear your perspective on them.That's exactly the type of women these aprons are for.As in...I think they would rather have a workable apron than a frou frou one.But I figure a workable one can still have some cute fabric.

The bottle cap magnets are super fun to make and I think they're a cute gift.Once I saw someone decorate altoid tins to gift the magnets in.I thought that was nice.
 

[rere]

I'm determined to get some sewing projects done this week!It's unusually cool so I could actually be up in the attic where my machine/fabric live.Now I just have to find the time/energy.I WILL get some sewing done.You see how I'm trying to convince myself?HA!

[Magpie1972]

I am making little art inchies for Christmas cards. I also started folding and cutting cardstock for the cards. Scary.

[rere]

WOO!HOO!I did it.I sewed a cape.I know,not super complicated but I didn't think anything was going to happen and I'm just super excited to have another present finished.
 

Originally Posted by Magpie1972 

I am making little art inchies for Christmas cards. I also started folding and cutting cardstock for the cards. Scary.

Oooo,what are art inchies?
 

[Magpie1972]

Inchies are 1" art squares made of a board and covered with anything - paints, strings, beads, 3-d, tissue decoupage, glitter adn sequins, feathers, mosaics, whatever. They are insanely fun and fast and perfect if you have a touch of craft ADHD like I do. I can have 10 going at once. It is awesome fun.

 

[rere]

Originally Posted by Magpie1972 

Inchies are 1" art squares made of a board and covered with anything - paints, strings, beads, 3-d, tissue decoupage, glitter adn sequins, feathers, mosaics, whatever. They are insanely fun and fast and perfect if you have a touch of craft ADHD like I do. I can have 10 going at once. It is awesome fun.

 

Fun!
 

[OkiMom]

I need to start thinking of gifts. Here is who I have to make/get something for:
Dd1
Dd2
Ds
Dh ( he's going to be deployed so I'm drawing a blank with what he could use)
Mil
Fil
Sil1
Niece(maybe, not sure if she will be there)
Sil 2
Sil3
Sil3 so
Nephew
Bil
Bil gf
Grandma/grandpa in law
Grandma in law
Dh's aunt( she lives down the street from us and will be there Christmas morning so I would feel bad if I didn't have something for her to open)
Aunts son
Aunts daughter
My dad
My brother
My grandma

I also have to think about
Dd2 birthday (nov)
Sils birthday (aug)
Sil2 birthday (July)
Sil 3 birthday (dec)
Fils birthday (dec)
Anniversary gift

[curiouscanadian]

I need to start focusing on gifts as well, so here's my list to start:

DH -

DS (3yo) -

Dad -

Step-mom -

Mom -
Step-dad -

Brother - Scarf (started)

Nephew R (5yo) - I spy bag

Nephew A (2yo) - I spy bag

Nephew P (2yo) - I spy bag

Cousin M & wife 1 -

Friend H & husband -

Why does it always seem like a ton more than just those?!!!

For the IL's I won't know until October/November as traditionally we draw names.

We may also be drawing names with my Mom/Step-dad for that whole side of the family (which would also include my Step-sis, BIL, Step-bro and brother in that case)

I learned to knit last winter though so that opens up a whole new range of handmade things I can make!

[rere]

As usual,I'm short on ideas for the fellas.

[rere]

And speaking of the fellas...there is one on my list who is particularly hard to gift things to.

He has a serious hoarding problem(as in there are only paths to walk through in his house).So I don't want to just add to the piles.

He is over weight to the point of  needing knee surgeries because of it.So I don't want to give him any of the fun sweet giftable stuff and have given him more practical foods for the last two years in a row.

I can't imagine an experience type gift that he could do(the bad knees)or would even want to do.

Any great ideas?Any not so great ideas?Ha!I'm desperate.

[rere]

I made a hat!Now,if only I had a working printer so I could print out a mitten pattern...

[Magpie1972]

That sounds like quite the pickle. I joke with my Dad about his hoardishness tendencies... it's not Hoarder bad, but not gross Clean House bad... lots of stuff. Lots of things that have been in a box for years. I am a chronic tosser. So much so I worry that I toss too much.

So, consumable gifts would work - maybe a selection of home made soaps, shaving cream, lip balm, body butter... if any of that would fit his personality. I know I like giving low sugar jams and jellys as for food stuff. We have a lot of diabetics.

Maybe a digital music collection and a strap for a water bottle so he can walk outside.

Potted plant - maybe some hearty herb or a cactus.  Paint the pot and have the kids print it with their palms or such.

[OkiMom]

Rere- that sounds like a difficult person to buy for. I agree with magpie about making something consumable. Or something that might get him outside and more active

I'm working on gift ideas for the birthday/christmas's until Dh gets home. Hopefully by the end of the day I'll have some idea of who's getting what and when they are getting it.

How does this sound for a gift? Shortly after Christmas my oldest turns 5. She loves flowers and gardening so I thought for her birthday I could make her a gardening bag and put all the tools in it she will need to garden with a certificate for flowers/plant seed come spring. I wanted something nice but kind of small because Dh is taking her out after he gets home and having her pick out a bike so he can teach her to ride (something else she's been asking for). We are moving hopefully in march/April to where Dh is stationed so I figure it would be something nice for her to look forward to after the move as well. The only other thing she has expressed interest in is learning to sew or knit. I might do something with that as well so she has something to do right away.

it's hard having all the birthdays so close to Christmas because I'm using most of the ideas I have for Christmas gifts ( the girls are getting a dollhouse with furniture and dolls to share, each is getting a small fold up dollhouse for road trips/trips to grandparents houses etc and one other gift Dh and I have yet to agree on). Only good thing is after feb I'm done with the major gift giving until November.

[rere]

Originally Posted by Magpie1972 

That sounds like quite the pickle. I joke with my Dad about his hoardishness tendencies... it's not Hoarder bad, but not gross Clean House bad... lots of stuff. Lots of things that have been in a box for years. I am a chronic tosser. So much so I worry that I toss too much.

So, consumable gifts would work - maybe a selection of home made soaps, shaving cream, lip balm, body butter... if any of that would fit his personality. I know I like giving low sugar jams and jellys as for food stuff. We have a lot of diabetics.

Maybe a digital music collection and a strap for a water bottle so he can walk outside.

Potted plant - maybe some hearty herb or a cactus.  Paint the pot and have the kids print it with their palms or such.

It's funny that you mentioned soap because I received 1/3 of the soap he had and I'm still using it 3 years later.That's how much he had.Uhg.But yeah,I think you're right.Consumables are probably better than anything else.

Originally Posted by OkiMom 

Rere- that sounds like a difficult person to buy for. I agree with magpie about making something consumable. Or something that might get him outside and more active

I'm working on gift ideas for the birthday/christmas's until Dh gets home. Hopefully by the end of the day I'll have some idea of who's getting what and when they are getting it.

How does this sound for a gift? Shortly after Christmas my oldest turns 5. She loves flowers and gardening so I thought for her birthday I could make her a gardening bag and put all the tools in it she will need to garden with a certificate for flowers/plant seed come spring. I wanted something nice but kind of small because Dh is taking her out after he gets home and having her pick out a bike so he can teach her to ride (something else she's been asking for). We are moving hopefully in march/April to where Dh is stationed so I figure it would be something nice for her to look forward to after the move as well. The only other thing she has expressed interest in is learning to sew or knit. I might do something with that as well so she has something to do right away.

it's hard having all the birthdays so close to Christmas because I'm using most of the ideas I have for Christmas gifts ( the girls are getting a dollhouse with furniture and dolls to share, each is getting a small fold up dollhouse for road trips/trips to grandparents houses etc and one other gift Dh and I have yet to agree on). Only good thing is after feb I'm done with the major gift giving until November.

I like the gardening set idea.Could you get her a big pot to do a little indoor gardening until spring comes?

[rere]

Anyone have any food gift ideas that they really like?

[joyfulheart]

Originally Posted by rere 

Anyone have any food gift ideas that they really like?

I make jams and jellies all summer long when different fruits are in season and decorate the jars really nicely.  It's so fun when the holidays come and I can just pull the jars off my shelves and give them away as gifts.
 

[rere]

Originally Posted by joyfulheart 

I make jams and jellies all summer long when different fruits are in season and decorate the jars really nicely.  It's so fun when the holidays come and I can just pull the jars off my shelves and give them away as gifts.
 

That sounds really nice!
 

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by joyfulheart 

I make jams and jellies all summer long when different fruits are in season and decorate the jars really nicely.  It's so fun when the holidays come and I can just pull the jars off my shelves and give them away as gifts.
 

I'm thinking about doing a bunch of canning in the next couple of months. Fruits, pickles, maybe some pear butter. Possibly doing some cookies in small tins and baking jars.

Then when we have our gathering, I'll give out some personalized home sewn reusable shopping bags and let everyone choose a couple items to put in their bag and take home.
 

[emski4379]

Love this idea!
 

Originally Posted by cocoanib 

I'm thinking about doing a bunch of canning in the next couple of months. Fruits, pickles, maybe some pear butter. Possibly doing some cookies in small tins and baking jars.

Then when we have our gathering, I'll give out some personalized home sewn reusable shopping bags and let everyone choose a couple items to put in their bag and take home.
 

[Softmama]

Originally Posted by joyfulheart 

I make jams and jellies all summer long when different fruits are in season and decorate the jars really nicely.  It's so fun when the holidays come and I can just pull the jars off my shelves and give them away as gifts.
 

can you post pics of decorated jars?  I made jellies as gifts last year but was stumped on the decorating part and mine didn't look so good :(