Holiday Crafting!

[Pogo0685]

It has been extremely hot where I live lately, day after day after day of 100+ degrees. Today its a nice cool 70 degrees outside and rainy!!! So I am thinking about what I need to do to get ready for the holidays this year. My goal is 100% handmade Christmas, and the birthdays that I have left for this year also need to be handmade, but stuff can be bought as long as its handmade. So far everything I have given this year for birthdays / gifts are all handmade. I am due with baby #2 on January 2nd, so I would like to get everything finished by Halloween so that I have time to relax and enjoy the last few months with my family instead of doing my usual staying up until 3 or 4 am 4 nights or more a week trying to get stuff finished. So I am wondering what all you mamas are doing for either holiday gifts/decorations, or just gifts in general for birthdays, weddings, baby showers, whatever. 

Here is my list:

September - This is when it all starts

Aunts Birthday- I will probably be giving her a beer-soap set from etsy.com

Husbands Birthday - I HAVE to finish his quilt that I started for his last birthday, its going to be a California King size- or bigger out of rip stop nylon - sleeping bag like material... Not at all fun but its what he REALLY wanted.

October:

Halloween Decorations - placemat set for the table, and a flag banner thing out of matching material

Costume for DS (3 years old) - don't know what he will want to be yet

November:

Thanksgiving Decorations

Birthday gift for hubbys best friend - not even a clue what to make for him, last year I gave him a beer-soap set and he loves it but I cant do that 2 years in a row. 

December:

Grandmothers Birthday - I am making her quilted patchwork pillowcases that will match the quilt I made her last year

Brothers Birthday - Like my husband I started a quilt for him LAST YEAR and still need to finish it

Christms decorations- placemats and possibly a flag banner thing (I really like them lol) 

Christmas Gifts:

Mom: Set of Knit washcloths and reusable shopping bags, or something else lol, just not sure yet

Dad:No clue...

Husband: PJ bottoms, they will hopefully match with mine and DS and possibly a new little set for baby on the way. I want to do something else for him but just not sure what, we have a rule that we dont buy anything for each other.

DS: New quilt to fit his new bed, PJ bottoms to go with dads, pillowcases, and I need some more ideas - he is 3, will be 4 at the start of February 

Aunt and Uncle: Again I have no clue what to do for them. 

Grandmother: Reusable shopping bag set, or a simple little purse

Mother in Law: Reusable snack bag set & set of knit facecloths

Father in Law: No clue yet...

Best Friend: I was thinking a harry potter throw blanket size quilt

Her Hubby: Beer-soap set

Her 2 little girls (age 6 and 1):Pillow cases with Flag Banners with their names on them (pattern out of one yard wonders book)

Husbands Best Friend: Again no clue...

My moms - mom (dont really consider her special but give a small gift to keep the peace): Set of potholders

Coworker #1: Memory Board in the birghtest pink fabric I can find

Coworker #2 (if she still works there): She is 16, so I really don't know, but I doubt this will be a worry because I dont expect her to work there past September when school starts

I also want to bake cookies for everyone, and also need to make a baby quilt for new baby, possibly some cloth diapers, and possibly a few newborn items just in case baby comes before Christmas. My only real skills are sewing and cooking so I try to stick to what I am good at. 

I also want to spend some time doing crafts with DS once I get all this done, like making snowflakes, and paper turkeys, pumpkins and the like. I have an entire room filled with crafting supplies from fabric, paper (my my owns a print shop so I have no shortage of paper!) paint, yarn, crayons and markers, ceramics lol - maybe I should have started this thread with Hi my name is Fern and I am a crafting hoarder!

Any ideas would be helpful, I also just love reading about what other people are going to make and create!

[Cynthia Mosher]

Nice ideas! We are planning to run a handmade gifts ideas contest later in the year. Hope you'll participate! 

[mumkimum]

I'm so glad to see other people have already been thinking about the winter holidays (like myself ).  I just recently made up a list too - so I can see how many and where exactly I can fill in homemade gifting this year (I also like to do as much as possible ).

Some of my upcoming plans:

SIL's birthday is next, and I'll make an eye/dream pillow as part of her gift.  Not sure whether I'll mix my own or not, I've done nice sinus blend flaxseed-silk pillows before but I was intrigued recently by mountain rose herbs mix that induced vivid dreams too.  So that's a bit up in the air.

Dd1 and I have just recently been doing homemade paper experiments, and we'd like to do holiday themed papers for including with a bunch of our gifts (we did some candy cane shaped papers, and glittery circles).  So that will be a slow and fun project we'll keep up on.  It might be enough to be holiday cards this year - or we'll do them as extras for people we mail gifts to (with pretty ribbon so they're like ornaments).

I'm also planning on putting together a beginning sewing kit of sorts for dd1 - have been searching around for a nice homemade pincushion I like for her.  I've saved a nice unicorn metal lunchbox, so something that works with that (but I'm indecisive and there are a ton of adorable pincushion ideas out there).  

She'd probably love if I got around to making some barbie clothes too.

I think dd2 will be getting a baby doll, so I'll do some thinking of stuff to make to go with that.  I've set aside some pretty vintage blankets, but might make some simple diapers or maybe an extra dolly outfit.  Haven't decided.

I've always wanted to do a big batch of blanks and tie dye stuff from dharma one of these holidays - get stuff for everyone (but I don't think this is the year. . . )

[crazyms]

Oh glad someone started this thread! I really need to get started with my holiday crafts. Everything won't be handmade this year but I do want to make some of the gifts.

Mom :2 hanging plant slings
Sis :
Brother :
Dh : hat, scarf, gloves, maybe wool socks??

Not sure what to do for my three little ones yet. I know I want to make them each a hat, scarf, and gloves. A doll or each of the girls. Haven't gotten very far yet LOL. Can't wait to see what everyone else is working on.

[Pogo0685]

It's so fun to read about what other people are doing, the dream pillow is a great idea! I also would love to learn to tie dye things, but as pregnant as I'm going to be, maybe next year would be a better year to learn. I decided yesterday to start knitting again, I spend about an hour or more on phone games every day so I decided to stop doing that and start knitting again. I really want to learn to make socks!

[iowaorganic]

I have been giving this a little bit of thought as well.  I want to make the girls matching quilts for their room (DD2 is only like a week old- but that is ok- DD1 will love it!)  I might make DD2 a little waldorf doll too and that will be good for her.  DD1?  Maybe an expansion to her barbie house...  And my boys?  No idea.  Something tractor related.  Maybe tractor quilts.  Not too sure though.  DH- I would like to knit him a pair of wool socks but he will probably get new llbean woolies- which he will love.  No clue on anyone else either.  

[Smokering]

My ideas so far:

MIL - knitted washcloths with cable owls on them (she collects owls)

DD - costumes! White tulle fairy/ballerina/wedding dress with veil; possibly another Disney princess dress (I love Tiana's green wedding dress; DD has mentioned Belle's gold dress several times, but I find it a bit garish); a superhero cape; maybe a medieval maiden dress; and perhaps a generic "pretty" dress with a twirly skirt for dancing in.

-If I could finish her summer quilt, which I've been "working" on for years, that'd be a good Christmas present too

-Maybe a dowelling-and-fabric teepee-type tent, for outdoor play

-Hair decorations? She's very into those at the moment.

-Any other summer sewing for DD that I happen to get finished around Christmastime! I'm trying to gradually sew a larger and larger percentage of her clothes, and I have several neat patterns for shorts, tops, summer dresses etc that I want to use.

DS - No idea, he'll be too young to care, but I'll probably make him some clothes. Maybe that gorgeous Ottobre sailor suit I've been itching to make.

DH - I have a manly apron with tools and guns and things machine-embroidered all over it, which was supposed to be his Christmas present.... two years ago? I could, ahem, finish that.

-A waistcoat or shirt? I've never sewn him clothes, but I think my sewing skills are good enough now that I could attempt it. Doing it without his knowledge might be tricky - he works from home - but he goes out on Monday nights, so as long as I got started early...

Not sure about anyone else. Maybe some hair decorations for my younger sisters. Possibly a baking-type gift for MIL and FIL's Christmas present - one year I gave them a voucher for 10 homemade loaves, one a week, which they really liked. Mum's too good a crafter for me to make her anything. :p Maybe I could give something plant-related to Dad, but December's a bit late for planting most of the summer stuff... I'll think about it.

[34me]

I'm making both my mom and sister shawls. I'm within a couple feet of having my sisters done and ran out of yarn. I'm using recycled sari silk and for some reason the last 3 hanks were much thinner than the first 5. So it was off to e bay to try and win more!

I hope to have dh's scarf that I have been working on for 2 years done by then. It takes me an hour to do the 16 row repeat due to all the cableing so it's been pretty slow going.

I think I'm going to make my dad, FIL and BIL some BBQ runs. My dad and BIL live in AZ so bBQ all year. FIL is just hard to make/buy for.

MIL - ?

Nieces - (14 and 17) - ?

Dd - (18) - ?

Ds1 -(16) - ?, slipper socks

Ds2 - (14) - ?

[Pogo0685]

iowaorganic - I have thought about what I could make my DS that will match with the new baby when s/he comes but I am at a loss of what to do, I don't know if its a boy or girl so that really limits my options. I want to do something super special for him but I just dont have any ideas yet, luckily I have a good 5 more months to decide.

Smokering - I love the idea of knitted washcloths for a few of the people on my list. I have only actually done 3 or 4 knitted washcloths though so I am not *great* at knitting but I think I am getting pretty good. Actually I just decided yesterday that I am going to knit the dead fish hat for my mom and maybe one for DS. I am not sure that I can do it though, but we will see, I think if I start them within the next week I should be able to get both of them done on time. I know my mom would love it, my DS probably wont wear it unless I force him to, but I always make him wear a hat outside in winter so I am hoping he might want to wear a cute one like that.

34me - I wish I could find something to make for the men in my family, other than the quilts I don't think any idea would be a good one. I am making DH some Cthulhu washcloths if I get time because he said he would use my washcloths but I cant see him using a scarf or socks or anything like that.

[crazyms]

Well my family has turned life upside down the last 2 months. Mom is now married to a man with 5 and 9 year old boys and brother and his gf are having a baby!!! So that added 5 people to my to buy for list! My sis is on her own now to with mom getting married so it changes the dynamic a bit. So....
Mom is still getting the plant slings
Sis - book of household tips, recipe book (her idea)
brother / gf - same as sis

Not sure what else yet I'll update later when I finish my list

[Pogo0685]

I had so many plans but most are just not going to happen this year. Hubby's birthday was last weekend and I did not get his quilt finished. He did change it though so he knew it would take me a bit longer. All I have left to do is tie the 2nd half of it, and put the binding on. Halloween decorations are not going to happen, and DS cant make up his mind of what he wants to be for Halloween, he has said a pumpkin and a haystack (by haystack he means a piece of candy - coconut and chocolate mixed together) so I am still working on that one. We are down to only one other person at work so I have extra hours now until I give birth hopefully right after Christmas. All the ideas I had for our friend's birthday in November (actually its on Thanksgiving this year) went out the window because he quit drinking. So now I have to figure something else out. And other than that I am just plain worn out so I don't know how many other gifts I will be able to make. I am starting to think I will be buying everything off etsy this year.

How is everyone else doing? 

[34me]

I am on target (mostly). I am putting together Blizzard buster bags for my co- workers and employees. It will include a Farkel game, pencil roll, handmade books for keeping score and Puppy Chow maybe some peppermint bark
I am making pencil rolls in the company colors for dh's staff.
Ruffle scarves (done) the nieces and MIL along with something else
Shawl is done for my mom but I may take it apart and add some length.
Sister's shawl is almost done.
I have the recipes and glass jars for spice rubs for the men
Still not sure about my 3 teens.