Ok, it's not that far off. I really would like to get a head start on this....so far I'm thinking of putting together some terraniums to sit on an office desk, Office Angels made with paperclips and my a homemade version of the Christmas Nail with legend of it. I've thought about the cakes made in large mouth canning jars wrapped pretty too. I just haven't gotten out to get the canning jars and I'm not sure if it's too late to find any yet or not.

Anyways I'm always looking for different ideas......So what types of homemade gifts are you planning on this year?

Christine, I like to buy clay flower pots, put bulbs in them--hyacinth is my fav---decorate the pot with paint/ribbon what ever, and type up instructions on cute stationary.

www.getcrafty.com has a message board called glitter that has a board just for craft stuff.

i'm going to make glycerine soaps with toys in them, small velvet pouches, some candles, a flannel story board, some earrings and other jewelery, and some cookie mixes in plastic bags put into flannel bags.

andrea

Boring, but cheap and fast: mini-loaf cakes. I stocked up on 1/2 price aluminum tins (20 cents each) and (gasp!) quick bread MIX (I'm sooooo lazy) at 1/2 price AND I had a million coupons, so about $1/box (makes 3 loaves). I will churn these out (I can put 15 in the oven at once) and wrap them in colored saran and distribute to every co-worker and virtually every person at my kids' school (thank heaven, one school and a very small one at that). My daughter just keeps adding people she wants to give gifts too, and how can you say no to a kid who is so considerate she remembers the cafeteria lady and the custodial staff? I believe I will wind up making 50 or so loaves all together.

Thankfully, we do not celebrate Christmas ourselves, so I don't need to give gifts to family.

of green tomato relish only because I had tons of green tomatoes left from the garden. After I was done I thought I'd give out a few as gifts. This stuff is really good too!
Pat

MrsDomino,

I am very curious about your angels made from paper clips. Do you have directions or a site I could visit. Always looking for something like that. I am mulling over making some wreaths, but haven't figured out what kind yet. That is as far as I have gotten - just the mulling stage!

Great question!

Last year I made some scented gel jars and those went over big. I'll probably make some more this year, plus I'm thinking of making recipes in a jar. I'm sure there are still some canning jars still available in the stores. Ya know, I told myself last year that I was going to save different sized jars so that I would have some extras, but did I? Nooooooooo...not me.


Peace

Can you give me the instructions for the cake in the large mouth jars? That sounds like a good idea for our church bake sale. Also, I would like the instructions for the scented gel jars too. Thanks so much!!

Mittens and socks! Just finished knitting (what else) a pair of wildly colored socks for DH ... just wish he didn't have a size 14 foot! Have 1 pair of mittens underway (in school colors, per request) for a 12 year old niece, and then just 1 more pair of socks & I'm ready for the holidays. Isn't that annoying?

Wahine - Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. I went looking for the website I got that paperclip angel off of and of course I can't find it. However I did a cut and paste of the picture and have it on my hard drive. I'll gladly e-mail you the picture which shows the angel and the typed saying that goes with it. This isn't a regular paperclip it's the two-sided wire clips. Hope that makes sense. PM me with your e-mail address if you want the picture.

HC - I made those gel jars last year too. For some reason I had some that spoiled on people. Do you know why that would happen?

Kumom - I think if I remember right you fill the jars up 2/3rds full and bake. You can do a search for jar gifts and get just about any recipe you want. I think that's how I got it. Of course, same with the angel. I never bookmark anything. Gotto stop that.

Now that you mention it I do remember that happening to a few jars that I made too. There was mold or something on the top of the gel that started forming. I hope that didn't happen to all of them ie: the ones that I gave away as gifts!!

I like the jarred gifts that you layer and then attach the recipe to the jar. Cookie mix, cake mix, bean soup...things like that. But I don't know anyone that bakes anymore! And I think I'm the only one that I know that makes homemade soup!

I think I'll start looking through some sites to see what I can find to get into this year.

Peace

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas for Christmas presents. I try to do some different, but special things for Christmas and your suggestions have given me great ideas.

One thing that I have done for several years is to crochet a snowflake (different every year) and include in my Christmas cards. People are starting to wait for their cards now, just to get the snowflake. It is a cheap and easy gift to make so that everyone I know gets some special gift.

I bought some red and green aprons at Michael's and I'm going to embroider or applique something cute on them. I love doing crafts when I can spare the time.
234/thinner

Christine--
If you like to sew, here's the perfect gift.
Fleece jacket

My fabric store had McCall's patterns on sale for 99 cents last week.
There are lots of easy jacket patterns out & lots of fleece fabric. This is what I'm making friends and family.

Tina