Inexpensive, Handmade, Original Christmas Gifts
by Gail Miller - gails_galleryuk@yahoo.co.uk
Description: Ideas for making handmade Christmas presents.
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How many times when Christmas comes along do we end
up
spending a fortune on gifts for friends and family,
which are not the least bit personal, and regretting
it afterwards? These days we often seem to get
caught
up in a rush to spend as much as possible on
commercialised products when in fact we could save
money and give much better presents if only we
applied
ourselves to hand making them.
Here I bring you a selection of lovely gifts which
are
easy to make and will certainly not break the bank.
The recipients will love the fact that you have put
your own time and effort into making the gifts and
will treasure them.
1) Personalised Recipe Book
If one of your recipients is a vegetarian or has a
penchant for curry, loves anything with tomatoes in
or
is a sucker for chocolate, make use of the fact by
making a personalised recipe book. Start collecting
appropriate recipes from books or magazines and
purchase a small, inexpensive book to write them in.
Copy them out in your neatest handwriting or use
calligraphy if you are talented. If you have
artistic
flair, you can also include illustrations! What a
delight this would be to the avid cook or foodlover.
2) Homemade Stationery
You need ordinary envelopes and cheap cartridge
paper
or newsprint. Now go through all your magazines and
cut out decorative pictures or illustrations. Stick
them to the fronts of the envelopes down the left or
across the top. If possible stick matching borders
or
motifs on to the paper too. If you cannot get them
to
match, not to worry, just try to get illustrations
with a matching colourway.
3) Chocolate Spoons
Buy a pack of plastic picnic spoons. These are very
cheap and you can get literally dozens in a pack
(enough to make all your presents!) Melt some
chocolate with a knob of butter in a dish stood in a
pan of boiling water. When the chocolate is runny
dip
the spoons up to where the handle starts into the
chocolate. Place on greaseproof paper to dry then
wrap
with cellophane wrap and finish with a pretty bow.
To
add flavour you can add liqueurs, mint, or coffee,
orange or vanilla flavouring to the melted chocolate
mix.
4) Dress Up Box For Kids
You have to start this present halfway through the
year as you can add to it as you go along. Obtain a
large cardboard box from your local supermarket and
cover it with pretty wrapping paper. If desired
stick
a large label on the front with the name of the
recipient on it. Every time you go into town, browse
round the charity shops and pick up cheap hats,
scarves, veils, tutus, jewellery, gloves and small
size dresses or jackets. Kids will go mad for
something like this and you can tailor the clothing
to
a girl or a boy.
5) Santa's Sweeties
Instead of buying the kiddies selection boxes which
are just a collection of chocolate bars packed
together and grossly overpriced, why not build up a
store of regular chocolate bars or packets of sweets
throughout the year. Every time you visit the
supermarket add a couple to your basket. Come
Christmas time, divide the sweets between how many
children you are catering for, into pretty bags made
out of wrapping paper. Decorate with ribbons & bows.
You will save a fortune!
6) Calligraphy
Get a book on calligraphy from the library and make
personalized gifts by writing a poem, or if you are
not that confident, the recipient's name on
delicately
coloured paper or card. Add a pressed flower or two
and mount in a bargain frame.
7) Personalised Towels
A set of cheap white hand towels can be made unique
by
the addition of coloured ribbon or braid sewn
approx.
3 inches from each end. Make them extra special by
attaching the initials of the recipients with some
scrap fabric and Bondaweb. Practical and customised!
8) Decorated Coffee Jar
Don't throw out your coffee, jam or pickle jars,
especially if they are those really beautifully
shaped
ones that you get nowadays. All you need are some
sequins or diamantes, which cost literally pennies
from haberdashers. Stick them on at random and glue
a
label to the front with "coffee", "spice", "pasta"
or
anything else which the jar might be utilised for
storing. Tie a silver or gold bow round the neck of
the jar.
9) Hand Decorated Ceramics
If you are artistic, why not purchase a set of plain
white ceramic egg cups, tea cups or plain glasses
which are extremely inexpensive. Using a bottle of
ceramic paint decorate by hand or stencil or stamp
on
each one to make them unique. If possible find out
before hand the colour scheme preferred. 1
10) Flavoured Cooking Oil
Save empty oil or vinegar bottles throughout the
year,
or buy the plain corked ones you can by extremely
cheaply at thrift stores. Half fill with peanut or
olive oil. Add twigs of Rosemary, Thyme, Basil,
Oregano, Parsley etc. If desired also add some
peppercorns for decoration and further flavour and
then fill bottle with more oil. Lid or cork and add
a
pretty ribbon to the neck of the bottle. Not only
will
these look great on any recipient's kitchen shelf
they
will also enhance their cooking!
11) Giant Cookies
Instead of making lots of ordinary size biscuits,
why
not make one or two giant personalised ones? Make a
large batch of biscuit mix using a recipe from a
book,
but instead of using regular size cookie cutters,
use
an 8 inch cake tin to make the shape or make a paper
template of a heart can cut the shape round that.
Cook
and cool, then decorate with icing using the
recipients name. Wrap in cellophane.
12) A Set Of Fridge Magnets
Decide who you are going to give fridge magnets to
earlier on in the year and take some photos of
either
the person or their children. Make small squares or
circles out of cardboard and stick the photos onto
the
card. Finish by attaching small magnets to the
backs.
13) Home Made Honey Bath Oil
Mix together a cup of light baby or olive oil with
1/2
a cup of honey, 1/2 a cup of liquid soap and a drop
each of your favourite essential oil. Mix together
gently and decant into a pretty a squirt bottle.
14) Home Cooked Delights
When you make your traditional Christmas Cake,
double
or treble the quantities of ingredients. Make extra
cakes which you can decorate with gold or silver
ribbon round the outside, and give to relatives.
15) Personalised Photo Album
Photograph albums can be picked up very cheaply,
especially when sold together in bulk; i.e. three or
five sets cellophaned together. Cover the albums
with
pretty fabric or lace and stencil the recipient's
initials on the front to personalise it.
16) Home Made 'Throw'
Throws, which are very much in fashion these days
are
very expensive to buy. A large remnant, or a number
of
them patchworked together and edged with fringing,
makes an excellent and unique throw. A delightful
and
unique present!
Merry Christmas!
Gail Miller is a writer and artist.
Her websites include Stage Your Home To Sell
and Cash For Crafts.
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