The $0 Holiday Challenge - Page 8

[chellemarie]

Just giving this a bump.

[Ravin]

DD is getting: A coffee can drum and bean bags made from scrap fabric I have sitting around and WIC beans I never seem to get around to cooking. I want to make a game for my 5 yo niece using beanbags as well, maybe w/ some cardboard...a target game or something.

I'm cleaning out my closet and giving away stuff up there I never use, including:

A tarot deck w/ a nice box
A barely-used set of pastels
Jewelry I never wear and a jewelry box that's collecting dust
Who knows what else, I still need to clean it out!

[mcmrymoon]

for my nephew who loves himself and sports - i am getting a picture frame with many openings, covering the mat with sports fabric - adding his name to the mat - viola a place to celebrate himself!

for my niece - bean bags and an indoor hopscotch game made of scrap fabric

other niece - playsilks

ds (18 mos) bean bag animals

ds (5) not sure yet...

biscotti for aunts

gotta think of more!

[Suzannah]

Good ideas, but I still don't see a lot for my judgemental sister-in-law...

Sigh...

[Wilhemina]

Originally Posted by Suzannah

Good ideas, but I still don't see a lot for my judgemental sister-in-law...

Sigh...

I made some floating candles for my SIL (non-judgemental ) one year. Soak walnuts in salt water over night, then open into neat halves. Glue short wick in bottom, then fill with melted wax. You can add scent and/or color. Oh yea, before I filled them, I spray painted the halves gold.

Originally Posted by annelizabeth

need help...
1- girl age 12, neice who lives 1000km away, likes to read, shop, figure skate, kinda materistic

My neices are getting clothespin doll kits. I got the idea from Family Fun, so their website might have some info. Basically it includes clothespins (I got a large package at the dollar store) and scraps of fabric, ribbon, trim, and embroidry floss to decorate with.

Several years ago for dh's young cousins I made purses from old children's jeans (Goodwill). Just cut off the legs at the seat and sew it up. Add a strap. If you feel ambitious, line it with cool fabric or embelish the outside. They were a real hit.

I Spy Bag questions: I sew some, but I've never sewn with plastic. Is shower curtain weight plastic going to go through my machine? Are the contents of the bag enclosed in plastic enclosed in fabric or is the bag fabric with a plastic window?

[Ligmom]

Originally Posted by Ann Marie

I Spy Bag questions: I sew some, but I've never sewn with plastic. Is shower curtain weight plastic going to go through my machine? Are the contents of the bag enclosed in plastic enclosed in fabric or is the bag fabric with a plastic window?

it should go through your machine just fine. I have made about 3 of these so far and I them! they are so cute
The way I made mine was just to cut the fabric and the plastic window, sew the window onto the front piece, then I sewed the two sides of the bag together on 3 sides with wrong side out. After turning it right side out, I put the goodies into the bag, and sewed the fourth side ALMOST closed. Then I used a funnel to put rice or bird seed into the bag...then I sewed the final 1.5in. closed

Don't know if that made since or not, but it was VERY easy, and it only took me about 30-45 minutes to make

I will try to post some pics of my gifts so far...

[Wilhemina]

Thank you! That made perfect sense. They sound so great, I can't wait to try one.

[Ravin]

That I Spy bag thing sounds really cool. I don't have a sewing machine... Oy, and I have papers to write, too.

Something someone else said gave me the idea to write a story. Problem is, my artistic talents are nil so even if I wrote an awesome story starring DD and my nieces, illustrating it would be tough...hmmm, maybe I could enlist my other sister. Probably ought to put that on the list of stuff to do for NEXT year, though. I have finals coming up and I think I can manage to sew a few beanbags but not to do any major projects!

[sueami]

just wanted to thank everyone for their ideas and add another...

we went to joann's fabrics last year and got a yard each of three different colors of shimmery silk-like fabric that has held up very well and that the kids love. a cheaper version of playsilks, esp when the fabric's on sale.

one thing i haven't tried yet but really want to make this year is to get four- or five-foot-long lengths of 1 inch wide ribbon in different colors and attach them to a foot long wooden dowel with some type of ring. it would make a great swirling rainbow ribbon wave to dance around the room with!

i love the idea for a joke book. thanks for the link to ahajokes.com!

i'm making melt-and-pour glycerin soaps this year again (buy the 5 lb bricks at michaels or joanne's with a 40 percent off coupon and it runs about $14, i think. that makes dozens of bars). i get nice essential oils from oneplanetnatural.com for the best prices i've found. this year i'm doing all lemongrass oil ($2.50 for 10 ml) which is reputedly a powerful immune system booster and smells lovely. i color the soaps with simple food coloring.

i had another idea or two but lost them in reading everyone else's wonderful suggestions! i'll post them if they return to me...
warmly,
susan

[OwensMa]

one thing i haven't tried yet but really want to make this year is to get four- or five-foot-long lengths of 1 inch wide ribbon in different colors and attach them to a foot long wooden dowel with some type of ring. it would make a great swirling rainbow ribbon wave to dance around the room with!

Oh, I thought maybe a quilter's hoop would work for this. A bit of hot glue, and the outer ring would keep everything tucked in nicely. I don't know how you'd attach a piece of dowel though. The ring on its own might be alright though, and they can be painted too.

[gret the great]

I am making felted wool purses for the women in my family - wash old 100% wool sweaters in hot, dry & then play with cutting out different shapes & straps. If you don't have any sweaters to part with, check thrift stores for goodies.

Another idea is to make bags out of old jeans.
http://coy.ne.client2.attbi.com/Blue...tml#Book%20Bag

I am all for recycling stuff we don't use anymore, plus it's so cheap!

[nikirj]

So, where do you get all those tiny toys for the I-Spy bags? I didn't have any luck at Goodwill and don't have anything that small for the bags...or am I missing something...what are you using?

[KoalaMama]

Niki... Try things you already have around the house. Button, paper clip, pebble, macaroni noodle, bottle cap, pencil eraser, dice, small magnet, penny, dried bean, etc.

[Ligmom]

Originally Posted by nikirj

So, where do you get all those tiny toys for the I-Spy bags? I didn't have any luck at Goodwill and don't have anything that small for the bags...or am I missing something...what are you using?

Raid your crafting stuff and your/your dp's tool box...old toys, games, puzzle pieces from incomplete set work great, too. I also had some luck at Walmart and the craft store. Shaped buttons, foam crafting shapes and letters...here is a list of what I put in my son Nathan's bag.

1. a red 5 Uno card
2. puzzle piece
3. dime
4. nickel
5. penny
6. quarter
7. googly eye
8. green clover button
9. silver button
10. paper clip
11. smiley face
12. pencil (sharpened VERY short)
13. bumblebee
14. beehive
15. green pompom
16. jingle bell
17. "HOPE" (scrapbooking word)
18. blue game piece from TROUBLE game
19. bolt
20. ponytail holder
21. wooden star
22. safety pin (I superglued this shut so that it wouldn't come open and hurt someone.)
23. red fuse
24. key
25. lincoln log
26. red block
27. clothes pin
28. purple pompom
29. yellow wire cap
30. blue N
31. purple A
32. white T
33. red H
34. orange A
35. pink N

HTH

[jayayenay]

Originally Posted by boysrus

But, while poking around, I came across a few ideas for making heated rice bags :http://www.cancerlynx.com/morericebag.html

I am trying to think of ways to decorate a rice sock, so it deosnt look like you are just giving a sock!! ANy ideas?

I've made these before! I fill a tube sock with rice, then sew across the open end to close it. If the sock is thin, I'll "double-bag" it in another sock. Then I sew a tube of fabric (leftovers from other projects or old clothes) that will fit around the sock. Make it about a foot longer than the rice sock, and leave one end open so you can drop the sock in. When you've gotten the rice sock in, sew up the open fabric end and tie one knot on each end of the fabric, close to the sock. The extra fabric will stick out so that you can hold onto the neck warmer or tie it loosely around your neck so it stays put. Does that make sense at all? It'll look a little bit like a piece of wrapped candy, or a holiday cracker.

*Make sure you give the recipient an instruction card that include the following hints/warnings:

- Do not microwave for more than 2 minutes. (Yes, rice socks can burn.)
- DO NOT WASH! (A lady I gave one to, WITH INSTRUCTIONS, decided it was a good idea to put the whole thing in her washing machine, despite the warning. Can we say MESS? :LOL) If you were feeling ambitious, you could leave an opening (close it with velcro or snaps or overlapping fabric like a pillow sham) so that they can remove the cover to wash it. I don't bother with that, and just tell people not to wash them.
- You can also put the neck warmer in the freezer indefinitely for a soothing cold pack.

[crayon]

Sorry mamas, I have been nearly kicked off of my computer for the last week- DP is busy programming a website so I have have not been able to get a good post for a while.

Anyhow, I had some card stock around my house, and I got my spiritual midwifery book out and made some copies of drawings in it- then I colored them and burned the edges and made cards for my mom- 5 cards. It took about 2 nights of Rainey watching a movie and coloring on HER OWN paper to get it all done, I then place a gold ribbon on them. The photo of them is in the link.

I also had a ton of fleece laying around so I made a hat for my niece- My DD is modeling it in the photos It had to only cost $0.25 to make.

I made all the bean bags, but I have not uploaded a photo yet. They turned out good, I made me a heat pack to try it (I used crushed corn instead of rice) it has a corn smell, but I think I can get something cheap at the co/op to mask that smell, just not sure what yet. Lavender oil is like 15 bucks at my store, and I am broke so I need something like leaves or something that will smell good- any ideas???

So after I find something good smelling I am going to make heat pads for my mom, sister and MIL.

Also, I went to a scrap booking show and wal-mart photo lab was there. They gave me a disk that I can put in my *puter* and I can order a ton of stuff and it goes right over to their one-hour lab!!! And you can get these little calenders with your kids photos on them, or what every photos you want for something like $0.29 We did this before with a great photo of Rainey and everyone loved it! I think I am going to do it again for the great grandparents and such. And maybe make a snack, pretzels with choc. or something like that. It is simple and cheap but I know they would love a photo of Rainey. The only problem is one of my fave photos is this one http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/angbir...cc.jpg&.src=ph and it was taken last March when she turned 1- do you all think it is too old?

So here is the link to some of the gift I have made so far!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/angbirth/album?.dir=/6c03

[crayon]

Originally Posted by mcmrymoon

for my nephew who loves himself and sports - i am getting a picture frame with many openings, covering the mat with sports fabric - adding his name to the mat - viola a place to celebrate himself!

:

[boysrus]

Ang, do you think bulk lavender would help the smell? Not the oil, put the lavender itself. I want to see pics of your socks!

Okay, sueami, I was just coming to ask for ideas on how to cheaply make play"silks!" how much did you spend on hte fabric, what lengths, do you have to sew the edges, and did you dye it?

The dowel is a good idea. Very easy. I like the idea of a quilters hoop, bc my boys running around with a dowel, whew!!

[shelley4]

i got my niece some play "silks".. by just going to a used clothing store (Value Village around here!), and buying some silky scaves for $1-$2 each... the kind the old ladies wear as shawls. they're pretty neat, some are square, some rectangle, and a triangle one too i think. all sorts of cool colours/patterns.

[Suzannah]

Sigh..again..

Had T'giving with my brother and his wife; everyone went around and said what they want; we asked for mostly nothing, except maybe tickets to a play or sporting event (even DD didn't ask for anything), and SIL jumps in with a laundry list of stuff.

I asked them if there was a charity or organization that they supported that I could donate some money to, and they both basically laughed at me.

On another note, has anyone done an I-Spy bag like an I-Spy tube? A toy store around here is selling them; same concept, but in a tube.