sorry. xmas. lol!!!

[mrsflibble]

I'm planning already, and for once I think I'll manage a home made christmas!!! I've had great ideas in the past few years but only got them in november so didnt have enough time.....

so here's my plans.

so. I have 23 people to buy for. some re couples who will be getting joint gifts... and so far I have ideas for 21 of them!!

brother (18)hidden storage book
brother (16, passionate about cooking) Takeaway Secret book and some cooking gubbins.
Sister (14) a handbag (handmade) or hidden storage book.
maternal aunt and uncle #1 curry set. Takeaway Secret book, cheap balti dishes (x3), spices in little jars all in a cheap wicker basket with a liner made from sari fabric.
cousin (18) hidden storage
maternal aunt+uncle #2 cupcake kit: cheap icing set, paper cases, silicone bun tin, recipe book.
cousin (2 I think, could be 3...oops) hand made teddy, scrap patchwork style. already started
mum in law and step-father-in-law (hippies): plate from hailand found in jumble for 20p, insence, candles all in sari fabric wicker basket
father in law and his girlfriend: chocolates and hot choc set mugs; mug with some sachets of hot choc, baggies of mini marshmallows and a nice spoon in. x 1 each.
brother and sister in law #1 same as aunt and uncle #1
brother and sister in law #2 (vegans) vegan cookie and cake mixes in jars, decorated with ribbon. this is more a gift for sis in law but bro in law will benefit lol.
friends (x3) dry jar brownies mix. they all raved about my brownies at a recent party!

daughter's best friends (children of my friends conveniently! all 5/6): hot choc kits OR desk tidy art kit.
siblings of daughter's friends: age appropriate little gift bags; sweets, jewellry, makeup etc. small and less than £2 each.

so what I need to buy:
books for hidden storage will come from the local council's free book shop.
cheap cutlery trays to build storage, about £2
wicker boxes and celophane (online so has p+p too) £16.58
balti dishes (£1 each, "Kam's" basildon)
bamboo spoon sets x 3, £1.50 each home bargains.
already got 3 copies of Takeaway Secret for £1.99 each from The Works so £5.97
icing kit, £1.50 home bargains
cupcake papers 72p/100 home bargains
jars and bottles (online), lids and corks... 10 15ml jars, 10 100ml jars, 20 lids, 5 x 720ml jars, 5 lids, 3 100ml botles, 6 50ml bottles, corks... £32.05 (p+p included)
silicon bun tin £1 £land
hot chocolate sachets x10
mini marshmallows x massive bag, Kam's.
cardboard luggage labels (ebay)£3.58 x 100
p. flour x about 2kg
sugar x 1-2kg
plain chocolate 500g ish
small metal spoons x10 ish


I am hoping to not go much over £80 for all 21 of them. fingers crossed. I am confident I can do this.... but already spent £58 on the stuff to make them all with!

I'm also heading to the jumble tomorrow to have a dig through lol.

[Thomzo]

Ooooh, thank you so much for writing my Christmas present list for me. The only difference is that my friends and family won't know what they are getting in advance.

You've got some great ideas, will you make all my presents for me as well?

Zoe

[Flo]

Bah humbug for saying that word this early - it doesn't start till after my birthday

You are certainly well into the planning stage aren't you?

[Marmalady]

instead of buying new jars & bottles for your cookery sets, have you looked for pretty storage jars at charity shops/car boots?

or save your empty jamjars (or beg from friends if you dont get through enough yourself)

If you want new lids for them, I can let you have lids of various sizes for a few pence each + postage

[that_sarah_girl]

only 100 days til Christmas!!!! (my sister informed me this morning)

You're ideas are brill!
I did food hampers for most of my family last year, they went down a treat. Only problem is I ended up having a couple of mad baking sessions a couple of days before Christmas so the stuff was as fresh as possible. Need to think of more stuff I can make in advance this year.

What exactly is a hidden storage book and how do you go about making one...?

[Susie]

Need to think of more stuff I can make in advance this year.

I'm going to make fudge and freeze it.

The trouble is, you can eat it from frozen.

So, I'll probably end up making fudge well in advance, eating it, and rushing round in a mad panic to make it again...

[julie_lanteri]

I got a book from the library called "gifts from the kitchen" and they had recipes like spice mixes, rhubarb vodka, honeycomb, caramels, lollipops, candied peels, spicy peanuts etc. some could be made a couple of weeks in advance.
what about homemade candles, bathbombs or soaps? you don't even need to make them from scratch, you could melt cheap ones and add dried flowers, essential oils, colourings...

[marshlander]

Got some bone shaped biscuit cutters at the weekend. Thought I'd make up some dog biscuit mix in a jar and tie on cutter with bow for doggie friends.

[thesunflowergal]

Hi Fibsey. Fab ideas as always

[JoseyJo]

Hi, Just found this as I was looking for homemade ideas - obviously I have less time now! I love these ideas, I think I'll try the cake mix and the spices in jars with sari fabric in basket or similar - lovely.
I wonder if anyone else might share ideas they've had for homemade presents.
In the past I've made cushion covers, cross stitch picture (left that too late this year), sloe gin (usually an annual present but no sloes this year ), soap (from melt-and-pour block, not completely handmade I'm afraid). Thing is now I need new ideas as I'm sure my Mum and sister and neices don't want another cushion cover .
I might try bath bombs and soap again as I have the stuff still. I'm knitting jellybaby dolls for neices (luckily they won't mind my amateur knitting, but I don't think I dare knit more adventurous things yet). So any other ideas would be very helpful!
(I wonder if anyone has a good handmade present idea for a rather materialistic brother-in-law who won't appreciate the charm of a "rustic" crafty item.... OH has suggested sponsoring a goat on his behalf just to see the look on his face but I don't think I dare... but I would like to come up with something I could make )

[marshlander]

try this thread too http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... ts#p235313

[Flo]

Are we all sure we want to give Xmas presents?

Nope am not saying that we should all stop Xmas but hasn't it just become a feast of consumer shopping or gift exchanges with people who sometimes wish we wouldn't create an obligation to return a gift?

I was bought up in days when Xmas was a religious festival - something to do with a special baby being born and nope everyone at the time didn't rush off down shops to run up bills on the credit card as soon as he was born.

I do feel we have lost a lot of the fun of Xmas over the years because it has become a money drain. And so many people are not happy with home made gifts because you can't put a money value on them.

Saying that - I have offered to do cooking for the local family towards the Xmas food as they have in-laws coming over and student son returning for a couple of weeks which is quite welcome.

[gregorach]

Are we all sure we want to give Xmas presents?

It's a good question... We don't really bother in my family any more, and to be honest, we all prefer it. It's not like any of us don't have enough stuff already, and if there's anything we really want, we're all perfectly capable of buying it ourselves. So these days we don't buy each other presents, we donate to charity. And of course we get together for a nice meal or two and a few drinks... I have a few jars of chutney in the cupboard I might hand out, but that's about it.

[diggernotdreamer]

In my last relationship, my husband kept buying me presents and telling me how many he had bought and how many had I bought him (he mainly bought me saucepans and other kitchen things) which sent me into a complete panic as I had to go out and get him extra presents, nearly sent me round the bend. Now, my new partner buys me nothing and I get him nothing, suits us fine. His mother, I make her an online calender with photo's I have taken over the year of the animals and sunsets etc she likes getting it as she uses a calender and it is a little window on our world so she doesn't feel we are too far away.

[citizentwiglet]

MrTwiglet and I are on a charity-shop challenge this year. Everything we buy each other MUST come from a charity shop, and the total cost must not exceed £15.00.
I'm easy to buy for - anything kitsch that nobody else wants, beads that I can cut down and turn into new sets, scarves and scrap materials.
He is less easy. He wants pliers. I got some from Wilkos, took them to the Shelter shop, handed them in and then bought them back for a pound more than I'd paid for them. I am a girl genius.