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making xmas gifts

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  • making xmas gifts

    • mrshwl
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 19-Apr-2006
    • United Kingdom
    • Posts 2,896
    Hi all, I know its early, bit I have seen other posts mentioning the 'c' word so thought it would be safe to ask. We have so many people to buy for and with no 2 due 1st march not a huge amount of money. So any suggestions for gifts I can make, be crafts or food wise would be greatly appreciated, I have never made gifts before so I'm not sure where to start. Many thanks in advance. Katie.

    T - feb 08.

    C - feb 10.

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    • Lear
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 29-Apr-2002
    • United Kingdom
    • Posts 603

    For my parents, grandparents and my son's aunts and uncles last year we made a 'mince pie plate' complete with homemade mince pies.   I have three sons, two of them painted one hand in green and printed this on the plate (this was to be the holly leaves) and the other painted his fingertips red (the berries) and painted this between the holly leaves.  It looked lovely!  This year I plan to do an angel (two handprints upside down will be the angel wings and a handprint the right way up will be the angel).

     

     

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    Crash

    I love that idea Lear. Where did you get the stuff to do it? Paints/Plates etc?

    Alfie 08/10/2007

    Isla Rose 28/08/2010

     

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    • Lear
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 29-Apr-2002
    • United Kingdom
    • Posts 603

    I got them from Woolworths, they came with the paints too.  I'll be a bit stuck this year though what with there no longer being a Woolworths so am going to buy just plain white plates and visit my local Hobbycraft for the paints.

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    i made christmas rocky road last year using a nigella recipe

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/christmasrockyroad_90624.shtml

     

    i wrapped it in cellophane and tied with a silver ribbon and handwritten label

     

    i know alot of people here did hampers with various things in but instead of a box they packaged it in decorated jute shopping bags

    Formerly loubelou until my profile mysteriously disappeared.......

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    • mrshwl
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 19-Apr-2006
    • United Kingdom
    • Posts 2,896
    Thanks so much for the idea, it sounds lovely.

    T - feb 08.

    C - feb 10.

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    Last Xmas I made Rachel Allen Melting moments biscuits, everyone loved them and asked for them again this year. I got some really nice christmas cellophane bags and tags.

    Vanilla Melting Moments


    Biscuits:
    175g self raising flour
    125g cornflour
    50g icing sugar
    225g butter, cut into pieces
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Vanilla Butter Cream:
    50g butter, softened
    125g icing sugar
    ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Preheat the oven to 160 C/ (325 F) Gas mark 3. Place the flour, cornflour and icing sugar in a food processor and whizz briefly to mix. Add the butter and vanilla and whizz until it comes together (a minute or two, I do it slowly). Roll into 40 small balls the size of a large marble. Place trays on (no need to grease or line) and flatten down a bit with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until still very pale in colour but, slightly firm. Remove carefully and cool on a wire rack.

    Keep the same bowl in the processor and whizz the ingredients for the butter cream until they come together. Sandwich the biscuits with the butter cream. Makes 20.
    You could make them a little more christmasy by putting orange flavour in, maybe add some booze, nutmeg or cinnamon.
    Here is a site I like to get ideas from
    HTH
    Bethany-Paige born 15th Oct 2003 weighing 9lb 2oz
    M/C 2008
    Imogen Mae born 30th March 2010 weighing 6lb 2oz
  • Re: making xmas gifts

    You could also make jars of chutney or jam, or stewed fruits. They will keep for ages so you can make them well ahead. If you were to make chocolate truffles, they would only keep for a few days

    You could start putting together some nice hampers - I'm sure you could pick up some cheap baskets somewhere and start buying nice crackers for cheese and some fancy biscuits - the use by date will need to be January at least, but if you buy little bits now, it saves so much in the run up to Christmas

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    • mrshwl
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 19-Apr-2006
    • United Kingdom
    • Posts 2,896
    Thank you so much for all your replies! You have all given me some great ideas! Now I just need to get organised. Thanks again.

    T - feb 08.

    C - feb 10.

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    This time last year I made some apple chutney (plenty of time to mature that way) and then made the jam jar covers out of x-mas paper later on. Closer to xmas I made some oat cakes and bought some nice cheese at the farmers market and then packaged it up in covered shoe boxes as mini hampers.

    Sarah May, 26th October 2009

    Connie Rose, 16th July 2011

     

    Hand painted nursery art at http://kidscanvases.weebly.com/

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    Hey - last year we made handprint poems for the grandparents (and kept one for us too!) it just consisted of a large A3 sheet, the corner of which i got a handprint of my daughter on (actually that bit was harder than it sounds!!) and wrote the following poem in the middle..

    There are always so many of my fingerprints to see,
    On the furniture and walls from sticky, grubby me,
    But if you stop and think a while,
    You'll see I'm growing fast,
    Those little handprints will disappear,
    You can't bring back the past.
    So here's a small reminder,
    To keep not throw away,
    Of how those tiny hands once looked,
    To make you smile one day

    And framed the lot. The is plenty of room in the picture to add other handprints for future babies. It was very successful - my mum actually cried!!

    For other gifts i have bought plain plant pots and bird houses and let my daughter 'paint' them for gifts.

    This year I need gifts for lots of small children so am making felt play food. Just need a good idea for several babies I know too!!

    Good luck!

    Liz xXx     Happy Mummy  to Amelia 02/07/07 and Lucy 27/02/2009

     www.memejuice.co.uk  Bespoke, handmade felt hair clips and accessories for girls!!

     

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    some lovely ideas there

    We have decorated mugs which went down well. This year we are doing canvas paintings. Basically get canvases and some paints and let them get on with it. We let ben do one for harrys room and i was so impressed its now hanging in the livingroom!

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    • trixie
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 06-Oct-2006
    • United Kingdom
    • Posts 1,374

    Last year I bought cloth bags and fabric paints and put Alice's handprints on for each of her Nannies and Aunties (4 Nannies, 2 Aunties) and they were well-recieved. 

    And it kept Alice busy for a whole afternoon, as we also bought a spare one and let her decorate it when we'd done the presents!

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    ooooh I am so stealing the shopping bags idea.  Brilliant!! And perfect for our mums.

    I have fabric crayons and paints so just need to get some canvas bags.  Any recommendations on places where i don't have to buy 1000?!

    Hector Martin born 5th April 2007 9lb 7

    Claudia Marie Born  4th January 2010 8lb 15

  • Re: making xmas gifts

    fabric bags etc is an excellent idea- I'm sooooo copying

    Niamh Jessica 03/11/08
    Nuala-Rose Isabel 20/02/11
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