Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

By Cedar from ATX

Archives: Request: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Archived on 12/07/2009 Okay, so like most people out there we are a little short on holiday money this year. We want to make homemade presents that are inexpensive and somewhat easy. I have a lot of people to make gifts for, so I need several ideas. I am at a loss. I just don't know what would be good gift ideas. Ages range from 2 - 75. By Rachael Feedback: RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I've made jewelry for female relatives. If you're not interested in buying tools to make necklaces and bracelets with clasps, you could get some stretchy stringing material (like Stretch Magic or Gossamer Floss), and just tie them off (adding a drop of super glue to the knot and pulling the knot into a bead makes it more secure and prettier). Michael's and Hobby Lobby both put their beads on sale frequently. You could buy one nicer string of stone beads (maybe use one of their 40% off coupons if not on sale), and use coordinating glass or metal beads as accents. A gender-neutral gift is movie-themed. I buy a large plastic bowl, a DVD (or two), microwave popcorn, and some movie theater type boxed candies. I see some decent movies on sale for $5 or less, and the remainder of the items can be had for a few dollars each. Kids tend to love craft supplies. You could get them a container or tote of some sort and stock it with an assortment of neat markers, stickers, glue, and papers. Keep an eye on the sales ads and coupons. Best of luck and hope you get some good ideas. (10/29/2009) By Mrs.story RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas One thing I did for my mother and sister-in-laws for years was this: I started in January, but I would search clearance items and low priced items all year long and try to buy 3 or so, then get Avon products that were marked down on their clearance, and I would "build" gift boxes. My mother has since passed away, but the first time I built a box, she told me she had so much fun and enjoyed it so much, she could not wait until the next Christmas and hoped that I would do that again. She did it for me one year and I must say, I really enjoyed it greatly. This is one thing I truly miss, because I would go out of my way to search for things I thought they would enjoy. One year I came across pumice stones and once knitting needles, etc., cross-stitch pattens, perfume samples, eyeliners, little earrings and material that was marked way down. There was a great variety of things and I just can't remember paying much for any of it. And the key to these boxes, is clearance items, and totally unexpected (those little pumice stones were the best hit, I think I paid like 75 cents for each one), but I think they really enjoyed the boxes. I wish so much that I could do this for her this year. Merry Christmas. I know this is not homemade, but might give you a jump on next year. (10/29/2009) By applejack RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Iron on transfers are a fun item to put on tee shirts, sweat shirts, handbags etc., or use fabric paints and do your own design. Also, you can buy remnant material and cut into shape of animal, flower, etc. and stuff with bags of polyester filling to make large floor pillows for the children to use. (10/29/2009) By Lorelei RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I make all my Christmas gifts now that I'm on a fixed income, called retirement. So far this year I've made a couple of tied quilts, tote bags, pine cone fire starters, plastic clothes hangers wrapped in yarn, knitted scarves, knitted dish cloths, stuffed toys, a bird house, a bird feeder, house slippers, and pretty soaps. Before Christmas I'll make dog treats, beef jerky, and baked goods. I hope this helps. (10/31/2009) By irisbird RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Here's a bunch of great ideas: getrichslowly.org notmadeofmoney.com Other ideas I have used myself are: cut two matching pieces of fabric or fleece and stitch three sides together, then stitch into three tubes that are all open at the top. Mix a bag of rice with as much cinnamon and cloves, or lavender flowers as you like then fill the tubes to about two inches from the top and stitch shut. Heat 1- 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave = heating pad (great for cold feet in bed). A couple nice loaves of homemade bread. or Christmas Breakfast Kit - bagels, cream cheese, lox, champagne, orange juice or Christmas Breakfast #2 - Homemade pancake/waffle mix, maple syrup, heat and serve sausages, heat and serve bacon, orange juice, a couple sample packets of flavoured coffee I can come up with all kinds of ideas. Contact me if you need more. Happy Holidays! (11/01/2009) By Shosha RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Make refrigerator magnets. If you want to use up all of those flexible magnets that advertise your local funeral home, insurance com, etc., you can cover them with double-stick tape and cut out anything you like to use as a subject. The magnets cut easily with regular scissors. Kids love having their own photos on them. You can even cut out heads and bodies separately and make games for kids to play on the refrigerator. You can put clear package-tape over it to repel the fingerprints. (11/08/2009) By Goldie2 RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas If you have chives in your garden, you can dry them for gifts. They're perfect to add to rice, soups, and many other dishes. The easiest way is to rinse and let dry for a few hours and then use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut off small pieces onto a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet or tray with edges. The chives will sting your eyes just like onions so work with ventilation. Find a place where you can let them sit for a week or so (I use the basement) and stir them a bit ever day. As long as they don't get damp, they will dry perfectly and can be put into pretty jars for gifting. (11/08/2009) By Goldie2 RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I have a few friends who garden and found some cute fabric garden gloves at a good price. And then I bought a can of Scotchgard and treated all of the gloves with it, paying special attention to the fingertips. A can of Scotchgard costs about $6 and I had plenty left to treat one of my fabric bags. You could probably think of a lot more items that could use the Scotchgard treatment. (11/08/2009) By Goldie2 RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas What about making pillows. Or the quilt that folds into a pillow. I believe instructions are online somewhere. You don't have to do quilting just buy the already quilted fabric. Pretty pot holders are a good gift. Soup mix in a jar with instructions. You can bake cookies or simple brownies and box them up really pretty. Give an older person who lives alone a gift certificate for a home made meal. Then after Christmas call them to find out when they want to redeem their gift. Have fun. (11/19/2009) By spoostad Report Spam or Abuse Request: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Archived on 10/29/2009 I am a college student who is crazy about Christmas, but I can't afford to buy everyone nice gifts this year. Does anyone have any suggestions for elegant homemade gifts as well as small gifts for coworkers? Thank you so very much. By bnw1447 from NC Feedback: RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Lots of ideas, start with clearance sales right now! Stock up on summer stuff to use as gift baskets. For example; flip flops, sunblock, and sunglasses would be great wrapped in a beach towel. Take pictures of yourself and the recipient of your gift and put it in a dollar store frame that you've customized. Bake! Brownie mixes and cookies can be had cheap with coupons, then bag and bow a little of each to everyone. Buy a few coffee mugs at the dollar store and stuff each one with cocoa mix/tea/coffee and chocolates. You know those photo boxes people pay big money for? You can make those with shoe boxes and fabric. Get creative, did you know you can get old wall paper books for free from paint stores? Make some shadow boxes. (09/17/2009) By Tannac RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas If you can bake, then go ahead and bake some cookies, cakes, breads, etc. People do not have time to bake, and they will appreciate that you do! How about cuttings from plants? If you have any plants or know anyone who does, you can take cuttings from them and replant in nice containers. You could get really great containers cheap at the dollar store and clearance racks. If you sew, how about eyeglass cases, shopping bags, little wallets, etc. You can go to a discount store and get fabric for $1.00/yard. Or you could go to rummage or yard sales for clothing to take apart for the fabric. On the last day of rummage sales, they usually sell the clothes for $1.00/bag. Shop yard sales for different containers to put homemade beauty products. There are plenty of websites for homemade beauty products. Then package them up in nice bottles found at the yard sales. I hope this helps. (09/18/2009) By pcheflm RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Try making Baklava, there are many different recipes online. A friend of mine who is from Syria taught me how to make hers years ago, and when I made baklava for Christmas presents, from then on, EVERYONE wanted baklava again and again. Just make a pan or two, each pan made about 80 tasty morsels, and I covered cardboard rounds with foil, individual ones and pizza size ones. Baklava is cut into diamonds, and 5 on an individual one, makes it look like a star, and the bigger pizza size for family size, just make the star bigger. Cover them with clear wrap, and decorate. . .bow, ribbon, or even just put a small sprig of artificial holly or similar inside with the baklava, and it's decorated. If you try it, and it really isn't that hard to make, it takes some time though, and possibly the first time, you may need someone to help with the fillo, but, the next time, it's easy. There are also recipes for making individual baklava rolls, where one sheet of fillo makes a roll, and each roll makes 5 baklava pieces. A couple of rolls would make a nice present too. Around here, just one small piece of baklava at a grocery deli is over a $1 now. Once people realize that it is baklava, you will suddenly be known as the family baklava maker from then on! Twenty years ago, my friend who made the baklava, people would buy a whole pan worth of baklava for $60 even back then, and she sold many of them. (09/18/2009) By Kas2 Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Buy inexpensive mugs and fill them with homemade hot chocolate recipes (fabulous ones can be found on the Internet) or "brownie-in-a-mug" recipes that the recipient can make whenever convenient. The mugs can also be filled with chocolate "hugs" and "kisses" and decorated with personalized tags. Or, how about making little gift boxes out of old greeting cards (instructions online), and then fill them with $5 gift cards from McDonald's or Blockbuster? The possibilities are endless for showing love without being expensive! (09/21/2009) By caseye RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Hi. Something I have made that is very inexpensive is to use those ivy bowls and make really elegant candle holders out of them. I cut pictures out of magazines, napkins, paper towels, tissue paper, gift wrap. I use images that are something the person is interested in; cats, sports, flowers, Winnie the pooh. Water down some Elmer's or other regular glue. Brush some on the inside of the bowl, and arrange the pictures you've cut out on the inside. When you have them as you want, brush glue on the back of them. Then, using some tissue paper that will go with colors of the pics, or just white, tear into small pieces and glue over entire area on the inside, then coat it with the glue as well. You can tie a ribbon, lace, raffia, whatever around the neck of it to finish it off. Then when it's dry, put a tea light candle in there. Make sure you tell them to only use the tea light, then you don't have that much flame, and don't have to worry about burning the tissue paper and pics, or the black soot you can get from other candles. I also have glued silk rose leaves around the outside, and that is very pretty and elegant. I have made a lot of these, and they really put off a nice, soft glow. We've used them to decorate at weddings, receptions, or just at home! I'll try to attach a pic so you can see. If they don't come through, feel free to email me for them. Well, in the preview, I see the pic. It didn't come out very well, but you get the idea! dellajo55 AT yahoo.com. Have fun whatever you come up with! (09/21/2009) By dellajo RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Ditto to the poster who mentioned yard sales as an idea for Christmas shopping; the trick here is to, a) frequent the garage sales in the higher-end neighborhoods; there seem to be lots more of them lately as the economy is hitting even that side of the tracks, LOL:) You'll often find hardly (or never) used, nicer items at a fraction of the cost store-bought. B) Think Christmas all-year-long. I have various relatives who collect different things: one likes Precious Moments figurines, another, any kind of giraffe figurine. If you make mental notes of the kinds of things your gift list recipients have a soft spot for--you can keep on the lookout with gifting in mind and snap up items throughout the year; less stress on the psyche and the pocketbook when you do your shopping over twelve months instead of that December mad rush. (09/21/2009) By PupperMom RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I made hot cocoa envelopes one year for my kid's school staff. Go to: http://www.alenkasprintables.com/hotchocolate.shtml You can get a box of 10 Swiss Miss packets at Wal-Mart for about a buck. It's a cute and frugal gift and one that can be used and enjoyed. (09/22/2009) By Debbie52 RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas One year I made drink mixes and cookie mixes for everyone, but I kind of "dressed them up" a little. I used clear plastic decorator icing bags, Wilton sells these in jumbo sized boxes in the craft stores and even in Wally's craft dept., (although I think they are smaller sizes at Wally's). Anyway, I made hot chocolate recipes in white chocolate or milk chocolate flavors, poured them into the icing bags, added marshmallows and tied them off with decorative ribbons. Then I did the same thing with cookie mixes (omitting, but listing, the wet ingredients). Next I got tins from Goodwill, Salvation Army and other thrift stores. I placed the drink mixes into a mug, then put the mug in the tin. Then I placed the cookie mix (along with mixing and baking instructions) on top of the drink mixes, put the lid on and applied a handmade gift tag to the outside...no need to wrap because the tin had a cute Christmas design! I also bought some unfinished wooden trays at the craft store (about $4 each), decoupaged pictures of flowers (cut from magazines) or scrapbook stickers (according to the interest of the recipient), and put them all over the tray. I then used a paint pen to "personalize" the tray, then applied a few coats of polyurethane to the tray (let dry between coats). Have fun with whatever you do! God Bless, Sheila You can use the following drink mixes that were posted way down in the bottom of the feedback here, or do a search for "homemade drink mixes" or something. Coffee and Tea Mix Recipes: The first batch of recipes are from the message board at Crafts Niche on AOL. These mixing and serving directions only apply until you get to the dotted divider line. To prepare the following coffee recipes: mix in food processor or blender until you have a fine powder. For all the coffee recipes except the cafe' au lait, use 1 to 2 spoonfuls to one mug of hot water (to desired taste). Bavarian Mint: 2/3 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. dried mint leaves 2/3 cup nondairy creamer (you might have to turn the mint leaves into powder - not sure about this) Cafe' L'Orange: 2/3 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. dried crushed orange peel 1/4 tsp. cinnamon Cafe' Mocha: 2/3 cup instant coffee 3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa 1 1/3 cups sugar 1 cup nondairy creamer 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk Cinnamon and Spice: 2/3 cup instant coffee 1 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. allspice Toffee Coffee: 1 cup instant coffee 1 cup nondairy creamer 1 cup brown sugar Cafe' Vienna: 1 cup instant coffee 1 1/3 cups sugar 1 1/3 cups nonfat dry milk 1 tsp. cinnamon Cafe' Orange Cappuccino: 1 cup instant coffee 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups nonfat dry milk 1 tsp. dry orange peel Swiss Mocha: 1 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 2 cups nonfat dry milk 4 tsp. cocoa powder Cafe' Vienna Mix: 1 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 1/2 cups nondairy creamer 1 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk 4 TBS. cocoa Cafe' Au Latte': 1 11 oz jar nondairy creamer 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup instant coffee Dash of salt (use 1/4 cup mix to 2/3 cup hot water for the cafe' au lait) The next four are from a book I have and I've made them all - they're good: Night Cap Coffee: 2/3 cup nondairy powdered coffee creamer 1/3 cup instant coffee 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. ground cardamom (I've made this - I'd use less) 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Use one heaping TBS. to 1 cup hot water. Chocolate Malt Coffee Creamer: 2 cups instant hot cocoa mix 2/3 cup nondairy powdered coffee creamer 2/3 cup malted mil mix 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I've made this one - I like less hot cocoa powder and more malted milk powder). Use to desired taste. Raspberry Cocoa Mix (Cherry would be good too): 3 cups instant hot cocoa powder 1 pkg. unsweetened raspberry Kool-aid (0.13 oz size) Use 2 heaping TBS. to 1 cup hot water. Forget- Me- Not Tea (hot or cold): 1 15 oz jar orange tang-type mix 1 cup sugar 1 cup unsweetened tea mix 1/2 cup sweetened lemonade mix 1 package cherry Kool-aid (0.14 oz, unsweetened) 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg To serve, stir 2 heaping tablespoons of tea mix into 8 oz. hot or cold water. TEAS-from AOL craft niche message boards: Russian tea: 1 cup instant tea mix (unsweetened and no lemon) 2 cups dry tang powder 1 pkg. lemonade, unsweetened powder 1 cup sugar 1 TBS. nutmeg 1 TBS. allspice 1 TBS. cinnamon Mix all ingredients together and store in air tight container. To use, place 1-2 rounded teaspoons of dry mix to 1 mug of hot water. (You can use a shot of whiskey or spirits for hot toddy.) Russian tea -Utah Style: 2 cups tang powder 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup sweetened lemonade powder (country time) Mix together and store in cupboard in an airtight container. When ready to use, add 3 Tbsp. mix to 1 cup hot water. (09/22/2009) By GrammySheila RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I love the "paper-white" flower idea and would love to do this for teachers and friends. However, I can't find the bulbs for less than $1.00 each unless I buy a huge lot? Any other ideas of where I can find these? (10/26/2009) By bubblegumbrooke Report Spam or Abuse Request: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Archived on 09/17/2009 I was just wondering if anyone has any home-made Christmas gift ideas for men, women, girls, and boys? Aliesha Feedback: RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Scarfs made from polar fleece are so easy to make and require no sewing at all. Walmarts fabric department has a wide selection of prints in polar fleece. the polar fleece at its lowest is $3 per yard and at its highest $7 per yard, but it only takes 1/4 of a yard to make a nice scarf and you can leave the end just cut across straight or as I like to do and cut up the ends about 2-3 inches up vertically and about 2 inches wide on your sections you cut then just knot each ones end for a fun look. If your good at sewing buy 1/2 yard and make a matching hat or taboggin as I call them. Simply take an existing one to use as your pattern, you could even make mittens to match. The designs of the fleece come in so many designs from baby themes to character themes and ones that grown up like in sports teams etc. Hope that helped. Merry Christmas (11/28/2008) By theseamstress RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Thanks for all the ideas! Here is a gag idea I did for my sister's 13th b-day. She said all the things that she wanted like $500, a cellphone, a laptop and lots more. I went online and found pictures of them and printed them off. then I cut them out and put them in a box. I told her that she would love it. Or if some one says they want lots of money then give them monopoly money or life money. (11/29/2008) By dude RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I love making gift baskets and if your type those words in the search for answer box at the top of the page you'll get many wonderful ideas (12/02/2008) By imaqt1962 RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas For the 6 month old, you could make a fleece blanket which is super easy. Get 2 different patterns of fleece (I like to do one print and one solid) the same size (small enough for baby but you can make really large ones for adults too) Cut slits about 2 inches in and 1 inch apart from on another all the way around the edges and then knot each slit to the other piece. It creates a seam with no sewing and they're cute and warm. Or you could also make onesies by tie dying or embellishing with iron on designs (12/05/2008) By Ashley RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I have lots of brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews so this year I made a CD with a hit song from the year of their birth. The songs were very easy to find on iTunes, put in order, and burn on CDs. The songs range from 1937 to 2004, so it makes for a pretty interesting mix of music. I even made an album cover using scanned photos of my family. Each family will get a copy of the album. (12/09/2008) By Mary Beth RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas My Dad died this year, my mom is taking it hard. I decided to make her a stocking since she isn't putting one out for herself. But what else can I do, for a low amount of money? (12/09/2008) By Kirsten RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I'm making up gift baskets of homemade candied nuts, caramel corn, Granola, Almond Bark, etc. You could make up baskets of small items like playing cards, crossword puzzles, etc. Think of the individual and small things that you know they enjoy and then add a couple goodie things like the nuts and caramel corn. You could put a good book or maybe a book about something the person likes to do and a mug with something for a hot drink. Do a search for recipes in a jar. There are a ton of things you could make.There are tons of inexpensive things you could pick up throughout the year to add to the basket for each person. (12/09/2008) By Lamico RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas (submitted via email) If you google inexpensive gifts you will find a bunch of sports cream to make, and men's aftershave, a few others. Very easy. Sharon (12/10/2008) By jess RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Why don't you make your mother a nice photo album. That's something that anyone would love! (12/14/2008) By olivia RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas You can make an easy one year full calendar and have your class or kids make it. It is very fun and easy! Karina (12/14/2008) By Karina RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Since it is too expensive to make whole apple pies for friends. I use biscuit mix (from scratch is even cheaper). I make a biscuit apple pie using one biscuit for each pie. I bake them as normal. I'll find the recipe for you. Just like biscuits, you can cook a dozen or more at a time and wrap it in colored saran wrap and tie with a ribbon. (12/18/2008) By angie RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Save old food jars (jelly, pickle, condiment jars)or pick some up at a local recycling center, wash and remove labels. Purchase paperwhite bulbs for about 25cents a piece at bloomingbulb.com. Place one bulb in each jar. Fill bottom of jar with water and watch them grow. Mine took about 2-3 weeks to bloom. Now I'm tying pretty ribbons around the jar necks and adding a hand-made tag and giving one to each aunt and cousin for Christmas. Cost is about 25cents per jar plus cost of ribbon if you don't have any lying around the house. They make a great gift and it's nice to see fresh flowers this time of year! I am also making collage sheets for my sister who loves collaging and scrapbooking. Just save pretty images from a Google image search and arrange them on a word document. Print on cardstock and tie several of the sheets with a ribbon. Or cut out similar images and put the cut-outs in ziploc bags with a label stating what the set is (ie. Travel, Shopping, Holiday). IOU cards are also a big hit for men. Decorate index cards with little IOU favors such as "IOU a homecooked meal and dessert made by me" or "IOU for a 20 minute back rub" for a boyfriend. For Dad try "IOU for 1 hour of yardwork." I always include a funny card at the front of the pack that states the "Rules and Regulations" like Each IOU card may only be redeemed once and Cards are not to be combined with any other offer, etc. These are really fun and are appreciated as long as you actually let them cash in on the IOUs throughout the year. Make little scented eye pillows and drawer sachets with pretty scraps of fabric. Stitch rectangular bags for eye pillows and smaller square bags for sachets. Mix uncooked rice, dried herbs (lavender, chamomile, rosemary...etc), and a few drops of essential oils in a bowl. Fill bags with mixture and stitch up(Make sure eye pillows are not overstuffed with mixture or they will not rest on your eyes well. Eye pillows can be placed in the fridge and chilled before using to help reduce puffiness. Wrap eye pillows with a few packets of herbal sleepytime tea for a relaxation gift. Stack three of the sachets and tie with a ribbon and add a tag. These can be placed in drawers and in linen cabinets and smell fresh for years. If you want to spend a small amount of money. My family really appreciates emergency/essentials kits. Fill a small dollar store Tupperware box with car emergency essentials. Spare toothbrush, mini flashlight, band aids, tissues, mini sunscreen, tube of chapstick, hand sanitizer, bungee cords, gum, small road map of the area they live/work, for women add pantyhose, nailpolish remover pads...anything you can think of that would come in handy if you were stuck somewhere unprepared. I can usually pick these up at a dollar store or in a CVS for fairly cheap. You can spend as little as $5-$10 on a kit and come in so handy. I have one in my car and have added granola bars and a spare pair of socks etc... I use it all the time. To make recycled wrapping paper. Cut open plain brown grocery bags. Use rubber stamps to decorate or make your own stamps: slice a potato in half and carve whatever simple design you'd like into the raw side of the potato (a heart, star or holly leaf work well). Dip the potato stamp in paint and go to town! Let dry, wrap gifts in paper and tie with kitchen twine. See if your town or region has a recycling center. Sometimes they will let you come in to take things for projects and you can find anything from empty jars and boxes to old magazines for collaging. (12/21/2008) By Amber RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas My sis sent us a box with mini Xmas stockings, maybe just six inches long, and stuffed them with little trinkets and mini candy bars. She glued glitter on it saying: mom, dad, bro, sis. It was a really cute idea. (12/22/2008) By Joy RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Thanks a lot for all the ideas. I got plenty for this year and next. I really liked the 52 notes (1 for every week of the year) cuz it's good for any holiday and being in the military good for when my friends move too! Another idea I had for my mom was homemade bath salts or soap molds. Or for anyone you could make your own colander with pictures for each month of things that happened that year. You can make earrings, bracelets, necklaces etc. (little girls love the colorful beads and for more mature girls get glassier beads that look more real) If someone wanted a pet but they weren't allowed or its just too much to take care of buy them a stuffed animal of the pet. If you can sew you can also make pillows. (12/23/2008) By daddy's little girl RE: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Me again. Since we're all Harry Potter "freaks" I ended up making hubby an HP calendar. I found HP wallpaper on the fanpop website and printed the best-looking pics out. Then I trimmed the pics around the borders, glued them onto 12x12 white cardstock, printed out monthly calendars from vertex42 website, and then glued them onto the cardstock. I hole-punched 3 holes in the middle of the calendar to be bound with ribbon. I punched one hole on the top of it so I could hang it. I also made a 13th pic for the cover page. If you plan to do this, be sure to place the pics and calendars in the right places, so that it is just like a real calendar; i.e., a calendar goes on one side of the cardstock and a pic goes on the other side. I ended up using 13 pages of cardstock. I tried to find appropriate pics for certain months; e.g., pics with snow in winter, love pics for Feb, HP and friends at the pumpkin patch in Nov, etc. You could do this with all sorts of themes. Hubby said this was the best gift he's ever gotten, because again, we're HP freaks! (01/19/2009) By Joy Report Spam or Abuse Tip: Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Archived on 11/28/2008 We started our publishing with the Coupon Clipper in 1998. We changed the name of the publication in 2000 to ThriftyFun News. This article was compiled in 2003. These gift ideas are in response to a reader's request. As you can see we got a tremendous response. Thank you to all the helpful readers! Request: I am looking for some ideas for homemade Christmas gifts for men. We really need to cut down on Christmas spending this year, so my plan thus far is to make everyone a fancy homemade caramel apple (like you see for $15 at Saks at Xmas) and the women will get homemade stationery that I'm hand-stamping with some pretty design. But I've got 2 dads, a step-dad and two teen-aged brother-in-laws I need something else for. I'd like to keep it at $5 to $7. Anyone have any ideas for me out there? Thanks! Santa Reader Here are the answers we received: Food for Men The men in my family always enjoy food! I have given them lots of homemade foods: jelly, bread, caramel corn, chocolate covered peanuts, etc., and this year plan to make different flavors of beef jerky. I've never made that, but got recipes from books in our local library that sound delicious, and easy to make too, using the oven! I'd be happy to send the recipes if you'd like. Homemade Christmas gifts for men: Try a box of pretzel logs dipped in melted caramel and rolled in nuts, skor bar bits, sprinkles, etc. This looks more substantial than a caramel apple and will be enjoyed a bit longer. The cost is roughly the same. Tins of cookies, fudge and homemade candy are always welcome gifts, too. Maybe one of the men on your list would appreciate one of the following: For the cook: a potted herb plant - you can start them from seed now and they'll be ready by Christmas. For the golfer: hand painted golf tees. For a gag: fill a jar with beans and label "cowboy bubble bath". I have learned from experience that not all men truly appreciate a gift that is hand made. If you want to stay in your budget, consider gift certificates to a local movie theater or print up a homemade gift certificate good for an afternoon out with you - your treat, of course. This could be a picnic lunch, day at the zoo, whatever. Hope this helps! Lisa -- Gift Packages for Men Last year I did gift packages for my Dad, Step-Dad and all four brothers consisting of a gallon size ZipLock bag of homemade caramel corn, three doz. cookies (various kinds) and a 1 pound bag of pistachios (these I bought) I wrapped these all in neat decorative cellophane bags w/pretty ribbon and put them in a gift bag. Everyone was delighted! Best yet if you have to mail the gifts they are light and don't cost you an arm and leg to send. Total cost of gift was about $7 including bags and ribbon. Hope this helps. Andi -- Homemade Candy An idea for inexpensive Christmas gifts for men is homemade candy. You could invest about $10 in a couple of molds and different flavored chocolate at your local craft store, and make enough candy for MANY gifts! They even sell cute little gift boxes around the holiday seasons. No man in my family has ever complained about this gift yet! It is very simple to learn, and the shop where you'll buy the supplies will also carry some easy-to-follow instructional booklets.(HINT: You could get started now and freeze your candies until Christmas) Kasie -- Cocoa Mix Not sure what kind of men are in your family but in my family when I was in seminary and had very little money I went and purchased some canning jars with lids and filled them up with a couple of different things. In one jar I mixed up Swiss Style Mocha, In another jar I mixed up a spiced Cocoa Mix. And in a third jar I made up my infamous recipe for pancake minus the liquid ingredients. I listed who I gave what to so the next year I could switch present so in a three year cycle they each received something different. I have the recipes for them if anyone is interested in using this as gifts. The men did take the gifts home and with their wife's help consumed what was in the jar. I know this because after the second year I received their empty jars as a gift so I did not have to keep buying jars. Russ -- Bird Feeder I too have to cut back on Christmas expenses this year and decided to make a few homemade gifts. I found an unpainted wooden bird feeder in a local Discount Store craft department and I'm going to paint it and decorate it (I already have the paints), then package it up with a bag of bird food and give it to my father for Christmas. L -- Beef Jerky Dear Santa Reader: Last year I made beef jerky for the men in my family. It was such a big hit that they are expecting it again this year. To cut costs, I made beef jerky with lean hamburger. Extra hint: Make enough to share with anyone who lives with you because it smells great while baking! Deb -- All the men in my life just LOVE homemade beef (or turkey) jerky. A couple of big pieces of meat will make enough for the men in your family, and keep you within your budget, especially if you can shop at a Warehouse type store (like Costco). Or how about a small plastic toolbox (I have bought them for as little as $5) filled with a bag of homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies? Everyone can use another toolbox! Debra, Santa Rosa -- Quillow Sew a "Quillow". It is a special pillow with a blanket folded up inside. The blanket folds out and the pillow pocket is an ideal pocket for cold feet. Go to any crafts store for more details. I made one for my husband and he loves it!!! Veronica -- THE REST OF THE GIFT IDEAS WERE SENT IN BY ALICE I quit my job two years ago to home school my children. Money was a problem. For Christmas gift giving I am forwarding you my list from last year. Hope it helps. My two children and I did everyone's last year for under $100.00 and that was less than 1/4 what it normally cost for us. As an added bonus I got to spend time with my children and they learned a lot of measuring and heart felt gift giving. Most of these I got from several hours searching on the net, some was forwarded from other home school moms. I have listed the source if I know it. Alice -- Cup Candle Holder Need: clear plastic cups (8 oz...) white glue tissue paper small candle Purchase clear plastic cups (8 oz.). In a small margarine tub pour white glue and dilute with water. Tear red and green tissue paper into small pieces. With a paintbrush let children paint the glue mixture onto the outside of the plastic cup then put tissue pieces on top of glue. Have them cover the entire cup. Let dry. Now a tea light candle can be placed inside and when lit shows the Christmas colors beautifully. Dipped Marshmallows Need: 1 bag large marshmallows (1 cup) milk chocolate chips (2 tsp.) vegetable oil Assorted sprinkles colored sugar coconut crushed nuts Melt chocolate chips and oil together over low heat (about 1 min. in microwave). Have your child dip each marshmallow into the chocolate (so about half of it is covered), then dip and roll in the sprinkles. Place on a cookie sheet to harden. Give away as gifts (if you know anyone who actually might enjoy eating something like this!) or enjoy yourselves. Power Outage Kit Yesterday I made a few *free* gifts for family and friends. This is what I did. 1. Take an old, adult size pair of jeans. (One with holes in the knees is fine!) 2. Cut the knee of one leg straight across (just below any hole). 3. Fold over the cut edge about 2 inches, and sew across (leaving a 'tunnel' large enough to place a piece of doweling through). 4. Cut one rear pocket section out (including the pants part---don't just remove the pocket!). 5. Cut one front pocket section. Trim the section near the side seam that contains the metal rivet--you don't need to break a sewing machine needle on this! 6. Place the front pocket on the pant-leg section, about 4 inches from the top. Sew in place along 3 sides (like a "U"). 7. Place the rear pocket below, sew this in the same manner. 8. Take 2 pieces of strong ribbon, fabric, or elastic (about 1 inch wide). Make sure your sections are long enough so if made into a loop, you can easily place a standard size flashlight inside. These can be sewn near the top of the pant leg section, above the pocket (one on the left, and one on the right side). They will hold a couple flashlights. 9. Take a strong section of ribbon, rope, anything, and tie to the ends of your doweling that has been slipped through the 'tunnel' at the top of your holder. This will allow you to hang the holder in a closet, or anywhere! If you like, the pockets can be filled with extra batteries, candles, matches, and of course you could even place the flashlights in the loops. I made one loop smaller so I can place a 2-AA battery flashlight next to our 2-D flashlight in the holder. One pair of jeans makes 2 holders. (I like the one that ends up with the pocket containing the 'change pocket'---this is the perfect size pocket for extra matches!) Laura C Sand Art Brownies This is a recipe for brownies to give as a Christmas gift . . . . or whenever. Mix ingredients in a wide mouth quart size jar, just like sand art that kids make today. Add to wide mouth quart jar in this order: 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 + 1/8 cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa 1/2 cup flour 2/3 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips 1/2 cup Vanilla Chips 1/2 cup nuts This should pack nicely into jar. Include a decorative tag with instructions for making the brownies: Combine contents of jar with: 1 tsp. vanilla 2/3 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs Pour into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 27-32 minutes Spiced Tea This mix makes a great gift for neighbors, the elderly, school teachers, etc. 2 26 oz. Tang 1 3 oz. bottle Instant Tea Unsweetened 2 8 1/2 oz Red hots 1 6 oz. Pkg. Lemonade (Wylers) 1 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. nutmeg 2 tsp. ground cloves 2 tsp. allspice Mix all ingredients together well. Put in a sealed container until ready to assemble the gift. To make individual gift packets: you can put into a small plastic bag, then insert into a small muslin bag, tie with a pretty piece of Christmas fabric. With each gift make sure you add a note that states: One tablespoon + one teaspoon per cup of hot water. I also look for pretty cups and saucers, at garage sales, flea markets, etc. and then you can package with the ingredients. Hot Chocolate Mix This mix makes a great gift for neighbors, the elderly, school teachers, etc. 3 cups powered Sugar 8 oz... nonfat dry milk 1 16 oz. Instant Chocolate Milk (I use Nestle's) 1 6 oz Creamora (or any nondairy creamer) Mix ingredients well and store in air tight container until you're ready to make the individual gift packages. With each gift add a tag that says: 3 tablespoons per cup of hot water. This is wonderful hot chocolate, we get raves from it every year from grandchildren. They seem to think this is the Best! Gourmet Vanilla Sugar For those who like a little gourmet, but can't afford it, place a dry clean vanilla bean in a mason jar. Cover with sugar. In a few weeks, the sugar will be flavored vanilla. Note* the bean can be used for years be sure the receiver of this gift understands all they need to do is refill the sugar and shake occasionally for a few weeks. Home school Mom in Florida -- Magic Christmas Dust You'll need Some dry oatmeal Some glitter Small baggies Paper Tape In each baggy put a couple of tablespoons of oatmeal and a couple of pinches of glitter. Seal up the baggy. (I admit, the expensive Ziploc baggies, in that smallest size, work beautifully, but you could use other sandwich bags if you tie TIGHTLY with a ribbon.) On small slips of paper, print (type or handwritten) the following message "On Christmas Eve sprinkle magical dust on your lawn. The glitter will sparkle in the moonlight and help Santa find your house. The smell of the oats will guide the Reindeer!" Either tape the message to the baggy or attach with a ribbon. You could actually put the paper inside the baggy if there's not too much oatmeal in the way to read it! You can make several at a time just line up your baggies and go down the row with your ingredients. This is a great item to put inside of a Christmas card-makes it a little bit more special and memorable. Berta D -- Snowman Poop As a gag gift, add miniature marshmallows to small snack-size ziploc bags and attach this note: "You've been naughty and here's the scoop, all you get for Christmas is snowman poop!" I won't take credit for the poem, but I don't know who originated it. I used Christmas stationery (bought half-price after Christmas at WalMart) to print my poem on, inserting in plain white envelopes. Decorate the envelopes with felt-tip pens, or use rubber stamps or stickers. I also later found a glass snowman candy dish at a pottery place really cheep and done one up for a gag gift for our Christmas Cantata party. Homemade Bath Salts I picked this up during my semester of student teaching. The teacher I was with helped her class make bath salts for their mothers/grandmothers for Christmas. She gave each student a baggy, about 2 cups of Epsom salt, a drop or two of potpourri oil, and a drop of food coloring. The student squished and mixed up the contents of the bag for a minute or two, then she tied the baggies off with a scrap of pretty ribbon and presto! A pretty gift of bath salts! My own children are making them this year at home for their grandmothers and teachers, and we found beautifully colored, unusually shaped glass containers with corks for under a dollar each. And they're so proud of their work! A Priceless Gift The best inexpensive Christmas gift I ever received was from my son when he was in Kindergarten. The class took empty boxes (hair color, toothpaste, whatever) and wrapped them in wrapping paper and tied them with a ribbon. Attached to the box was this note "I took an ordinary box As empty as can be I filled it with a special gift And wrapped it carefully But please don't ever open it Just leave the ribbon tied And hold it tightly near your heart Because my love for you's inside!" You could also change the ribbon line to read "just leave the bow applied" if you use bows instead of ribbon. This of course is easier than the ribbon for little ones. I loved this gift and will keep it FOREVER.) Amanda -- Make A People Feeder Use a small new chick feeder (from grain store about $2.00) add a mason jar to the top and fill with small candy's such as runts, M & M's, etc. decorate with ribbon or let the children paint the jar. Another idea is to take melted wax and a short wick and fill sea shells with the wax and let dry. A variety of shells big or small makes cute little bath lights. I use them all around the bathroom when I take a bath to create a soothing lighting scheme and a decorative touch. JC -- CHOCOLATE SPOONS Get some good quality plastic spoons to start with-no flimsy cheap stuff! Try using gold or silver ones, clear is OK too. Also find some good quality chocolate and different tracts/liquors to make the spoons different flavors/colors. There is no end to the flavors you can come up with! Melt chocolate till it is liquid, watch out that it doesn't scorch . . . you can do this in the microwave. Add extract or liquor of choice (almond extract, Frangelica, peppermint, anise,Kailua etc.). Then just dip the spoon into the chocolate . . . and lay the spoons with their handles over the edge of a wax paper lined cookie sheet till set. You can drizzle white chocolate in a design over dark or milk chocolate . . . or dip 1/2 of spoon in dark and 1/2 in while best flavors mocha, mint, plain, raspberry. Don't just dip lightly you want a nice puddle in the spoon part and part way up the handle. I wrap these in clear plastic bags tied with raffia and a tag stating the flavor. These are marvelous with coffee or cocoa and make enough so each family member gets 2 spoons each. They will clamor for more!!! Other things you can dip into chocolate and put in gift baskets: Salted Pringles(only half), Chocolate chip cookies (only half) Use a clean new small paint brush and paint the mixture on the back side of freshly washed, dry leaves (rose, camellia work well). after chocolate has dried gently peel off the leaf and enjoy your chocolate leaf. CANDIED TEA STIRRERS Vegetable cooking spray 34 pieces fruit flavored hard candy--crushed--lemon, cinnamon etc. 2 TBS. light corn syrup heavy weight plastic spoons Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spray with cooking spray. In a small heavy saucepan combine crushed candies and corn syrup and melt over low eat stirring frequently. Spoon candy into bowl of each spoon. Place spoons on prepared cookie sheet with handles on rims and spoons level. Allow to harden. Store in air tight container. Coffee and Tea Mix Recipes The first batch of recipes are from the message board at Crafts Niche on AOL. These mixing and serving directions only apply until you get to the dotted divider line. To prepare the following coffee recipes: mix in food processor or blender until you have a fine powder. For all the coffee recipes except the cafe' au lait, use 1 to 2 spoonfuls to one mug of hot water (to desired taste) BAVARIAN MINT 2/3 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. dried mint leaves 2/3 cup nondairy creamer (you might have to turn the mint leaves into powder - not sure about this) CAFE' L'ORANGE 2/3 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. dried crushed orange peel 1/4 tsp. cinnamon CAFE' MOCHA 2/3 cup instant coffee 3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa 1 1/3 cups sugar 1 cup nondairy creamer 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk CINNAMON-N-SPICE 2/3 cup instant coffee 1 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. allspice TOFFEE COFFEE 1 cup instant coffee 1 cup nondairy creamer 1 cup brown sugar CAFE' VIENNA 1 cup instant coffee 1 1/3 cups sugar 1 1/3 cups nonfat dry milk 1 tsp. cinnamon CAFE' ORANGE CAPPUCCINO 1 cup instant coffee 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups nonfat dry milk 1 tsp. dry orange peel SWISS MOCHA 1 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 2 cups nonfat dry milk 4 tsp. cocoa powder CAFE' VIENNA MIX 1 cup instant coffee 1 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 1/2 cups nondairy creamer 1 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk 4 TBS. cocoa CAFE' AU LAIT 1 11 oz jar nondairy creamer 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup instant coffee dash of salt (use 1/4 cup mix to 2/3 cup hot water for the cafe' au lait) The next four are from a book I have and I've made them all - they're good: NIGHT CAP COFFEE 2/3 cup nondairy powdered coffee creamer 1/3 cup instant coffee 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. ground cardamom (I've made this - I'd use less) 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Use one heaping TBS. to 1 cup hot water. CHOCOLATE MALT COFFEE CREAMER 2 cups instant hot cocoa mix 2/3 cup nondairy powdered coffee creamer 2/3 cup malted mil mix 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I've made this one - I like less hot cocoa powder and more malted milk powder) Use to desired taste. RASPBERRY COCOA MIX (Cherry would be good too) 3 cups instant hot cocoa powder 1 pkg. unsweetened raspberry Kool-aid (0.13 oz size) Use 2 heaping TBS. to 1 cup hot water. FORGET-ME-NOT TEA (hot or cold) 1 15 oz jar orange tang-type mix 1 cup sugar 1 cup unsweetened tea mix 1/2 cup sweetened lemonade mix 1 package cherry Kool-aid (0.14 oz, unsweetened) 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg To serve, stir 2 heaping tablespoons tea mix into 8 oz. hot or cold water. TEAS-from AOL craft niche message boards RUSSIAN TEA 1 cup instant tea mix (unsweetened and no lemon) 2 cups dry tang powder 1 pkg. lemonade, unsweetened powder 1 cup sugar 1 TBS. nutmeg 1 TBS. allspice 1 TBS. cinnamon Mix all ingredients together and store in air tight container. To use, place 1-2 rounded teaspoons of dry mix to 1 mug of hot water. (can use a shot of whiskey or spirits for hot toddy.) RUSSIAN TEA - UTAH STYLE 2 cups tang powder 1 TBS. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup sweetened lemonade powder (country time) Mix together and store in cupboard in an airtight container. When ready to use, add 3 TBS. mix to 1 cup hot water. -- Making Traditional Pomanders for Christmas Pomanders have been used since the Middle Ages. The pomanders that we make today are rooted in Colonial and Victorian times. During those times, pomanders were not only decorative but also useful to cover up bad odors. They will serve that same useful purpose today, keeping a closet or little used room fragrant with spices and citrus. Apples were frequently used as the pomander base during the Colonial period because oranges were too expensive. Pomanders today are usually made from oranges. You could choose to make your pomanders from: apples oranges lemons limes crab apples kumquats The smaller pomanders can be hung on the Christmas tree or tied onto packages Supplies needed: fruit for base whole cloves powdered/ground spices such as: cloves cinnamon ginger nutmeg powdered/ground orris root 1. Mix the spices and orris root together. This mixture will help your pomander dry and increase its fragrance. It also helps preserve the pomander. Use about one part orris root to four parts spice mixture. 2. Select firm, ripe fruit with no blemishes. 3. Use a skewer of some sort to poke holes in the fruit. 4. Push the stem of the clove into the fruit. 5. Place the cloves close together on the fruit. This is a slow, but pleasant process. Try to complete each fruit in one session. 6. When the orange or apple is completely covered with cloves, roll it in the spice and orris root mixture. 7. Leave it in the spices. 8. Put the fruit and spices in a cool, dark place. 9. Each day, until the fruit dries, roll it in the spices. When the pomanders are dry, tie a bright ribbon around them and heap in bowl. You can also run a ribbon through the pomanders and use the ribbon to hang them on the Christmas tree. 1. If you want a stronger citrus fragrance, combine the traditional pomander described above with more contemporary designs. 2.A quick, pretty pomander can be made by placing cloves in a decorative pattern around an orange. This version does not cover the fruit with cloves and will not last. 3. The traditional pomander can be stored for years. -- Ice Candles Empty half gallon cardboard milk/juice carton - rinsed and dry, 10 in. white candle, ice cubes, crayons, candle scent-optional, 2 lbs.. wax ( I use Gulfwax which can purchased at the food store. It comes in 1 lb. pkgs. and each pkg. contains 4 slabs of wax. If you buy Gulfwax you will need 7 slabs of wax. Prior to melting the wax you can prepare the mold. Place candle in the middle of the carton and fill with ice cubes. Make sure candle is centered while filling carton. Place carton in freezer until ready to use. Melt wax in coffee can placed in a pan with several inches of water over low to medium heat. Add bits of crayon/candle coloring and candle scent as desired. Stir wax while melting-I use a piece of wooden dowel. Do not leave melting wax unattended on stove. When the wax has melted, remove the mold from the freezer and slowly pour the melted wax into the mold. Make sure the coffee can is not too hot to handle prior to pouring the wax. Fill to the top of the mold and let sit for at least 15 minutes. The ice cubes will start to melt and you can drain water out of the candle by holding over the sink. Let candle sit for another 15 minutes and drain again. Repeat several more times, then carefully peel away the carton from the candle. Let the candle sit for several more hours in order to ensure all of the water has drained out. You can dust the outside with glitter or attach sequins for decorations. For a nice display, place the candle on a plate covered with tin foil, put some greens around the base, light and enjoy!!! FLAVORED POPCORN With just a little popcorn and a handful of other ingredients which are on hand, you can fill baggies or inexpensive containers with a great-tasting treat. The following two recipes are both great gifts. Please enjoy them as my gift to you from Real Food for Real People! Pecan-Honey Popcorn 3 qts. popped popcorn (no kernels) 2 cups pecan halves 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup honey 1 t. vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine popcorn and nuts in large heatproof bowl; set aside. Combine butter, honey and vanilla in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Pour honey mixture over popcorn mixture. Stir until combined. Divide mixture and place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until light golden brown. Barbecued Popcorn 6 T. popcorn - popped in an air popper 1/3 cup margarine 3 T. chili sauce 1 T. onion powder 1 t. chili powder 1/2 t. salt 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese Place popcorn in large bowl. In small saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in chili sauce, onion and chili powder and salt. Pour chili mixture gradually over popcorn, tossing to mix well. Sprinkle with cheese and toss. Chocolate Modeling Clay Combine melted chocolate and light corn syrup. American pastry chefs invented the recipe and have been using this delicious edible clay to make garnishes and unique decorations. Here is their secret! Ingredients and Preparation: 10 ounces of chocolate (chopped chunks or chips) 1/3 cup light corn syrup Note: the chocolate can be substituted with almond bark, or colored candy disks to create different colored flowers. Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir. If chocolate is not completely melted, return to the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir until smooth. If you don't have a microwave, place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over hot water and stir until melted. When the chocolate is melted, add the corn syrup and blend Pour the mixture onto a waxed paper sheet. Spread the chocolate with your fingers until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let it stiffen for at least a couple hours or overnight. The chocolate will become very pliable. Making a Chocolate Rose: Have the kids roll 10 marble-sized balls out of the chocolate clay. Place the balls on a waxed paper sheet, about 1 inch apart. Place another waxed paper sheet on top. Big or little thumbs can press each marble into a flat disk (about the size of a quarter). Use some pressure. To form the rose: Remove 1 disk and curl it into a 'teepee' shape, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. Wrap the next disk around the opening of the teepee and the third disk at the back of the teepee. This is the rose bud. Continue adding disks which will look like petals. Continue to layer them to create a rose in bloom. Roses can be used as edible decorations for a cake or to create a basketful of blooms. They will harden after a few days and can be saved by storing in a cool, dry place. Since this recipe is the consistency of modeling clay, you can mold any shape you want. Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity. I hope these help. I have added notes where I thought it was important. Always test the "creation" to make sure you have it right. I tried the hot chocolate mix and spice tea mix and added more than what it called for so that is how I typed my labels. Be creative with the containers and add ribbons and bows. Some from things recycled around your house. This year the kids and I made homemade jams and jellies. God Bless, Alice More Ideas: RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I too have a 14 yr old brother who plays sports. This year I got a create-a-mug kit which you paint and decorate your own mug however you want it. I am using his school colors and putting a football, baseball, etc. on it along with his favorite sport number. You can find the kit at Walmart or Target on-line. Then I'm making homemade hot cocoa, wrapping it in a decorative bag and placing it in the mug. You could even make a little basket of things for him: a bag of popcorn, mug w/cocoa, a gift card to Blockbuster. This is still affordable and makes it personal. (11/14/2005) By Jaime RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I came up with a great idea last Christmas for all the hunters in our family. I used camo cotton material cut into 8X12 and sewed it together on three sides. I folded the top down and sewed it down but left an opening large enough to run a draw string through.I used jute for the tie string. I went to the dollar store and looked for items that were several in a package to put into each bag. Here are the items I found to use in the bags: matches,toilet paper, tooth brush, potted meat, crackers, comb, soap, washrag, band aids, alcohol swabs, cotton balls, and a fork. Each one of these items were purchased some at 10 @$1.00 It was very inexpensive per bag. I painted each guys name on their bag. They were so excited. Neednell to say the bags were a huge hit. (11/18/2005) By Lisa S RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I have a great idea for a special Father's Day gift. My toddler son and I made these last year and they were a hit. Get candy bars at the store (the kind with the foil wrapping and paper label). We used am-azing and sugar free nestle crunch bars. Peel the label, trace on construction paper, cut out, and make your own custom labels. Then, place in a basket with a tag that says "Daddy" or "Paw Paw" You could also use this idea for other holidays and different people. Hope it works for you! (02/15/2006) By Rebekah RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Sandy, you said your 14 yr old brother loves sports and likes to listen to rap music. I have an idea that we have used for the holidays AND birthdays for our young music listeners. Early in the year, you ask what songs they really like or the name of the group. I had to actually carry a hidden recorder with me so I could then go back and write it all down. Kids love to talk about their music! Anyway, we pay a small fee every year and download the songs from the internet and burn a 'customized cd' on our computer. You can buy CD label kits from your local Office supply store and print out a custom label that wishes them a Happy Holiday or Happy Birthday. This way it can be updated whenever the music trend stops! You can even take it one step further and buy them an inexpensive CD holder that will allow them to keep a collection of their tunes and personalize the holder with paint or a label maker. Jules (09/20/2006) By Jules RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Well, there are tons of things you could do. I don't really have many ideas, but you could do a few things: every town or city has a district of shops that aren't major stores, where a lot of people make crafts, and sell them. Go look around in stores like that, and maybe you can get some great ideas! Also, change of subject: are you planning to give stationery to little girls too? or if you have a female relative who is a tomboy, you could make cute ornaments for them. One year, I made a couple of friends ornaments that looked like little sleds out of popsicle sticks! Then I just painted them, or you can also color them with markers! (11/27/2006) By Chesela RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Lots of kinds of cookies. Fudge. A vest out of old ties(try the thrift shop). (12/04/2006) By the Oracle RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I plan on using several of these ideas this year for Christmas (10/03/2007) By imaqt1962 RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas THANK YOU! I've never heard of Ice Candles, and now everyone is getting them! YAY! (11/03/2007) By Rosie RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Add chocolate chips to your cocoa mix to give it an even richer chocolate flavor. You can glue buttons(any size and or color ) to your bird feeder for a different look. (11/03/2007) By imaqt1962 RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Hey guys you have a lot of great ideas thanks a lot. Yes Men love food so just make homemade treats, or maybe something you've made in past that they've loved. Try first looking for their favorite treat and make something around it. For a friend of mine (a girl, It might work with guys) I took all her favorite things, and stuff she liked to do (ex: dancing, cooking, singing, etc.) and I went on the internet and browsed pictures of those things and printed them off, and made a collage on a box and it was a hit. Just an idea! (11/08/2007) By Anna RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas For a quick and easy Christmas neighbor gift. On Dec. 1st you can give them a roll of wrapping paper with a cute note tied with nice ribbon. The cost is only a few dollars, and they love it. (11/12/2007) By Claudy E. RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas This year is a tight year just like everyone else. I am making "I spy" bags for everyone.What ever their favorite hobby is, is the type of bag they will get. It costs me about $5-$10 dollars a bag depending on what you put in them. I put 40 items in the bag filled with 3 1/2 cups of poly pellets. My bags are 6X6 fleece fabric. cut and sew a 4 inch plastic fabric window in one side. Sew both pieces of fabric together, leaving a small opening in one corner to put all your things in and the pellets. Sew the corner shut. Make a list of items that are in the bag, laminate the list. Put an eyelet in one corner of the bag tie the list to the bag with a ribbon and your done! Very easy and cute. Everyone will enjoy them. I am even making them for my children's teachers. (11/15/2007) By Renee RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I have 5 siblings and no money to spare. A couple years ago, I decorated quart jars and made "MEMORY JARS". I thought of 52 different things that have happened through the years and made little notes", like remember when Suzy give Jim his first hair cut" or just little things everyone always remember and talk about at family gatherings. Copy them off for each jar. Put 52 little notes in each one. They can open 1 a week all year. My little niece loved it cause her dad had to tell her the story about each one he opened. It was huge hit! Nancy (11/17/2007) By Nancy RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas I am terrible at crafts etc. but for the men this year I bought-plastic popcorn boxes for a buck at target.Then I grabbed a bunch of three dollar dvds at walmart. I am going to add a package of microwave popcorn and a couple of sodas and wrap them up in some seasonal cellophane-total cost about 5 dollars-for a movie night. (12/07/2007) By heather RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas These were wonderful ideas, I have a daycare and we are always looking for different ideas. The homemade food for dads are always a hit and the dipped spoons and homemade cocoa for mom's are perfect. Some other things I have done for the spoons is crush some peppermints and drop them on the spoon when the chocolate is warm. We also buy clear ornament balls and coat them with a liquid glue inside, then add sparkley paint or glitter and their other favorite colors of paint. They make really pretty ornaments. (12/13/2007) By Lois E. RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas We do a white elephant gift exchange for the adults at our family xmas party. I'm doing the snowman poop in a jar as one of the gag gift in my white elephant package!! I luv this idea, I had never heard of it before. Thanks for all the ideas:) Merry Christmas everyone! (12/23/2007) By Cassie RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Why not combine the idea of the Memory Jar and the nestle candy bars? That way each time they open the candy bar, a "sweet memory" is revealed as well. (10/16/2008) By Amanda F RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas Here's an easy personal gift idea. Buy a box of shiny colored christmas balls, a can of glass frosting spray paint, and some lettering stickers, I used the ones from my Scrapbooking stuff. Use the stickers to spell out the persons name, make sure they are well pressed on (I also put the year underneath their name), spray the ball with the frosting spray. 2 lighter coats worked best, then when they are completely dry, carefully remove the stickers, I used a craft knife so that I made sure that I didn't scratch the frosting, tie a pretty ribbon for the hanger, or use standard ornament hangers. I tried to do a different color for each family member, and then grouped them in a giftbox or tin to give to friends as a set. I was able to do up 30 balls for less than $10 in supplies(had lots of spray left too), and it was really appreciated by our friends that have names that you don't normally find on storebought items! (11/13/2008) By Dawn RE: Looking for Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas If you are any good with computers, here is an idea I did last year. Take some photos you already have on your computer and make a collage. I have also made, for the guys, sports "collection" pictures. Using Adobe photoshop I took different logos and pictures from their favorite sports team and put them together into one 8x10 picture. Then you have to buy a frame, on sale, print and you're done. Not expensive at all, but a little time consuming. Total cost depends on the frame you buy, and the guys love it. here's an example. (11/19/2008) By ste75phb Report Spam or Abuse