Gift Ideas ... the GROWING LIST ...add your ideas/instructions here! - Page 3

[karlin]

If you have an embroidery machine (and/or tons of time), you can do what I did one year for x-mas when we were strapped for cash (before DS). We bought a bunch of plain towels, and I embroidered a little design on each one including a name and a flower. Everyone loved them.

Framed pictures of our DS has always been a great gift (he's the first baby in the family in 15 years, so everyone wants pics). It's also good if you can get a picture of the person you're giving the gift to and your dc.

I love the calendar idea!! My MIL will love it!

[bu's mama]

Originally Posted by laurabfig

This is an easy project to make those cute little wine glass markers that you can put on the bottom of a glass of wine at a party so that you don't lose your own glass.

Get some thin gauge wire (maybe jewelry-type wire) and some cute beads. Cut the wire about 8-10" long. Fold one end of the wire in a teeny-tiny loop so that the beads won't fall off when you string them. String beads onto the entire length of wire in any pattern you like. Fold the final end of the wire over to hold the beads on. Roll the wire with beads into a little spiral. Make 8-10 different ones for a set.

I did this for my sil's birthday gift a year or two back & she loved them. I took the easy way out & used thin earring hoops & used wood beads & African animal charms since that's their decorating scheme.

[pammysue]

Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone. I have been inspired.

Darsmama- for the Lavender Dream Salt Glow, your have one of the ingredients as lavender flowers. Do you mean fresh or dried? If fresh, where would someone buy them in December in the cold Midwest?

I have a lot of dried lavender left over from our wedding (its what was thrown at us as we left the church) and I am going to use it to make rice pillows and sachets.

Anyone have any other great ideas for dried lavender?

TIA

[ian'smommaya]

lavender water for the sheets, soak lavender in distilled water for a while, until water smells like lavender, then strain and add to spray bottles. use to refresh a room or laundry or what have you. you can add a little benzion e.o. to keep it from getting rancid before you bottle it.
have fun
maya

[amethystrse]

Feltboard/chalkboard

This is a great gift idea for young children.

Materials:

Felt of varying colors, at least one large black piece (the size of the board)
Chalk board or slate (size depends on the baord you use)
Wooden board (size depends on how big you want this to be)
Glue gun and glue
box of chalk (optional, adds to the gift)
double sided tape

What to do:

Gather all of your materials and turn on the glue gun so it's ready.
Take the wood board and measure the black felt to the size of the board.
Using double sided tape, tape the felt onto the board. Don't use glue as it'll go through the material and make it too stiff for the children to play with.
Flip the board over and then using the glue gun carefully glue the chalkboard onto the back. You can also use slate for this.

Optional: Using felt or some other material, create a boarder around the felt board before you put on the chalkboard.

You can then cut out the other colors of felt into various shapes and even objects if you want to. Be sure to put them into some kind of baggie to hold them as well as any scraps you may have.


I plan on making this for my son this year. I also want to make it for some other kids. We're on a tight budget this year so I looked for something cheap but fun to do that he would get a kick out of. This gift is great for stimulating imagination and creativity in young children.

Have a Happy Holiday (whichever of the 4 or 5 or whatnot you celebrate).

[ian'smommaya]

good idea, i may do that for the younger children i know. today i finished two kinds of echinacea syrup for the mama's and babies i am giving to (and the numerous aunties)
very excited. i will tomorrow be making an all porpuse salve too.
maya

[pammysue]

Maya-Thanks for the great idea. I am so excited! I have seen lavender water for sale and have never wanted to spend the money. I am going to make this for sure. It will be a great present for.....well, me!

[ian'smommaya]

thanks, i know that's why i learned to make alot of things. i cant justify spending 15 dollars on a bottle of water or what have you. have fun
maya

[amethystrse]

Originally Posted by ian'smommaya

good idea, i may do that for the younger children i know. today i finished two kinds of echinacea syrup for the mama's and babies i am giving to (and the numerous aunties)
very excited. i will tomorrow be making an all porpuse salve too.
maya

Oh I love making things like that. I never thought about making some of my ointments/liniments and giving them out as gifts. Well, except for the diaper rash cream I give to expecting or new mommies. (made with collendula and comfrey)

*hugs*

[ian'smommaya]

the people i've given it to have enjoyed it so i keep on giving it.
your salve sounds great.
maya

[shelley4]

can you post the recipe and instructions for the diaper cream, tinctures, salves? please

[ian'smommaya]

hi shelly
my recipes are:
about 2 cups olive oil, almond oil, or other nice oil. (i use olive)
about 2 cups total herbs like, lavender, comfrey, etc. (goods herbs for healing)
put in pan on very low heat. you do not want to boil the herbs just VERY VERY gentle simmer then for about an hour.
strain out the herbs thru cheese cloth or a thin kitchen towel.
place oil back in clean pan and add to start 2 ounces of bees wax let wax melt in oil. you can also add coconut oil the thick kind.
if you have to make it thicker after it cools add more wax, thinner add more oil.
pour while still warm into little jars and let cool. thats when youll know if it is the right consistancy.
most of all have fun.
maya

[amethystrse]

Originally Posted by shelley4

can you post the recipe and instructions for the diaper cream, tinctures, salves? please

I have to find the recipe I have. I'll post it as soon as I do.

[cyrusmama]

: suscribing for last minute ideas

[Scout]

pammysue,

I was at my local health food store the other day, and in their bulk spices section they had lavender flowers. You could call around to check. Good luck! I saw that recipe for the Salt Glow, too, and it sounds great!

~Scout

[pammysue]

Thanks for the info Scout. I will check the local Whole Foods.

[terrarose]

I don't think these are on the list yet...

Hi! this year I made decongestion rub(kind of a non-petroleum "Vicks") with olive oil, beeswax, E.O.s of eucalyptus, wintergreen and spearmint, and a vit E capful, also, ath jellis with gelatin, clear liquid soap, foodcolor, EO and a toy or silk flower, ect in clear jar, and small cloth bags of mulling spice(crushed cinamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg and dehydrated orange peel-organic best) the decongestant ru is excellent for sore muscles, too. If anyone wants ingrediant amounts, I can post them.(I'm sure they are somewhere in the craft room under all the stuff...)

[mandalamama]

i make a lot of polymer clay covered pens, i make a few big canes of pretty patterns like rainbow chrysanthemums or simple tie-dye looking circles and keep them handy for covering the pens. you can use Sculpey or Fimo or any polymer clay.

- take a Bic Stic pen and remove the ink/nib with pliers and set aside
- roll out scrap clay to #5 on a pasta machine (1/16" thick) and cover the pen barrel with that, trimming off excess and smoothing the seam
- slice your cane with a razor blade or tissue blade and cover the whole thing. maybe put a pretty crystal on the top of the pen and press it in. roll the pen to get it all nice and smooth. trim off any excess.
- i like to make a grooved grip, i use a thin paintbrush handle and roll the pen with it 3 or 4 times near the place where you hold the pen, to make nice grooves.
- fold plain ol' printer paper or notebook paper into an accordion, and place a pen in each fold (keeps them from rolling).
- bake them at 275° for 15 minutes and let cool.
- you can also do plain-colored pens and add squiggles and shapes with clay rolled out at #5 on a pasta machine, kids are especially good at those kinds of pens
- you can varnish them with Future floor varnish, or just buff them with a soft cloth for a soft shine.
- replace the ink/nib using the pliers to guide it in (don't press down on the tip and smoosh it!). remember to include instructions on how to replace the ink with pliers, any Bic refill will work, even the glitter gel ones!

see http://www.polymerclaycentral.com for more pen ideas everyone i know loves these pens, especially when i make them to match the picture frames or trinket boxes i make for them. they turn out nice and thick and easier to hold on to!

[Greaseball]

:

[marla]

Originally Posted by pammysue

Anyone have any other great ideas for dried lavender?

Have you seen Lavender Dryer Bags? Easy to make! These are little sachets made of muslin or other cotton cloth, maybe 2" x 3" or so, filled with dried lavender. Put one in each load of laundry that you put in the dryer for nice smelling laundry!

-Marla