I love to give homemade gifts for christmas. Which one of my kids would you like! LOL

This year I have made gift jars, the 2 I chose to make were Friendship Soup and Sand Art Brownies made 12 quarts of each. I also make crochet dishclothes, as well as wreaths and such. Was wondering if and what anyone else makes? I prefer to do quick projects as I have alot of family to make for.

I found a great site for interesting ideas on gift crafting it is at.

http://www.holidayorganizer.com

as well as

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com

Well Ladies any Crafters out there?

Leona

I am also gonna make the snowman poop for all those naughty kids of mine (poem with minimarshmallows) for their stockings that one is on the holiday organizer, you can also print out lables for some of the crafts there. They are great sites.

ENJOY

oh NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! don't do this to us!!!!! i have oodles of rubber stamps to make pins with, and too many counted cross stitch projects, and beaded things [ornaments and other things] and needlepoint and knitting..

and peachie is even worse!!!!!!

I dont think I'm crafty. I struggle to think of art projects to do with the boys.

The only thing that I could think of is something that maybe your kids could do if they are young. I had mine start this already. They have a loom and are making potholders. You can buy the looms are Ben Franklins, Michaels, and probably Wal-Mart. I even like doing them...but remember I'm not crafty!

Here's my list:

checker boards
garden stakes
gingerbread men wall hangings
candy flowers in pots
snowman kisses


-all gifts have an original Miree painting included

Love doing crafts--thanks for the sites!

I used to make shortbread cookies with chocolate drizzled on them, put them in fancy tins, and give those. However!!! This year Im going to pass on the temptation of having to test them, and make up a milk bath soak.

I've actually made it for the store, and is selling very well. So, Im going to make more, and put them in fancy jars with those puffy scrubby things. Very inexpensive. Total cost for the milk bath in the store, including the jar $1.32. and its very nice, scent stays on your skin and the water fizzes a bit when you first get in.
Its all in the packaging

If anyone wants the recipe let me know and I'll post it

Robin

Me! Me! Me! I love my bubble baths, everyone knows this about me. Please?????

I want the recipe, Robin. That sounds like something I could do. I just don't have much interest in making Christmas gifts anymore. I used to sew and knit up a storm when my kids were younger and I made umpteen Barbie outfits. What I don't enjoy is making artsy-craftsy items with glue and popsicle sticks and cut out bits of paper. I don't like receiving them so why should I give them. I agree that it's nice to give a hand made gift, but if I can't do something well and it just looks tacky or thrown together, I'd rather not bother. If I'm feeling inspired and have the time, I will sometimes paint small boxes with flowers or berries, but I'm finding it harder and harder to get going on such things these days. I'm so committed to my club work and it takes up a lot of my time especially in the weeks before our Xmas craft fair which is on Nov 16. I don't have much energy left for other things.

Ok here it is

Use nonfat dry milk. If you use whole, it leaves a yucky ring around the tub.

3/4 cup epsom salts
1 cup nonfat dry milk
15-20 drops of essential oil

mix salt and milk....divide in half and add the oils. Then add the rest of the mixture and blend well. I found that the milk was still lumpy and looked like milk....so I whirred it around in then blender to make it look more "pleasing"

I picked up the salts at the Dollar Tree for a dollar (quart size) and the jars as well. The oils you can find at any health food place, and they have many to choose from. Just pick your fav.

I hope you like it
Robin

I do teacher gifts. The one that was requested for refils last year was body scrub.

fill a jar 3/4 full of Sea salt
covered the salt with saflower oil.
fill to the top with a massage oil or sweet almond oil
add whatever essential oil you like

you scrub it on your skin while you are dry. Do it on a towel it is a little messy. then get into a hot bath and soak

wour skin will be so soft.

PS this is like the one min. manicure the sell for $30 for the littleest of jars.
-L

jiff I too am a rubber stamper... see I knew I liked you!

Wow some great ideas out there.

Hey Pooky - Can you tell me how you do your garden stakes, I think they would make a great gift for a few ppl on my list (avid gardeners)

Thanks!

Very simple to do garden stakes really. My dh cut some 2 x 4's to make the faces of the stakes and split some 2 x 4's down the middle with a skill saw. Just angle off the ends and nail them together. Then sand all rough edges. Prime the face before starting. I use acrylics becasue they have such a nice colour variety and I put things on like Thyme, Peonies, Tulips, Weeds and such. Then I use an outdoor polyurethane to protect well and use it on the whole stake. 2-3 coats should do the trick. A little labour intensice but a really nice impact. FYI--spotted the same thing in a local crafty dodad shop downtown for $20 a stake, you can make yours for less than 5. Dh got his wood from skids left over when they deliver stuff at work. Happy stake making!

All righty L can you XPLAIN to me how you do your body scrub, did one up tonite and to say the least it looks funny, oil is floating on top, do you blend it or what?

Made the milk bath with ylang ylang drops, smells divine!!

Kudos to Robin for your milk bath recipes, these will be a hit, IF I can part with them, they smell so nice! How much do you use in the bath??