Christmas gifts

Ok I realize I am new and I could get stoned for beinging up Christmas already...lol but hopefully not. I am trying to think ahead. I don't have my business anymore so I don't get many cakes to do for pay now. I am trying to learn how to save money in different ways and thought I would try to make as many gifts this year as possible. Maybe this would be better in the craft section but i think it works here too. anyways what are some gifts you make or plan to make and what other ways do you save at christmas time?

[Tarot]

Yeah, I think I might get stoned, too

Actually, I've been thinking about the same thing, but I'm not sure how many people truly appreciate my crafts outside of this board

I'm sure my grandmother needs hair bows

[Mrs. Love Knight]

I can't make anything.

[Santa's Baby]

I could give you ideas.. but no way how to tell you how to do them.

The sewless blankets
Making pillows or shams
lightbulb tree decorations ( uses old blown out light bulbs and glass paint.. you can paint santa, frosty, ppls names.. what have you)
Home made coasters ( made from 2x2 ceramic tiles and glass paint.. paint designs that go with theme of rooms or holiday themes paste/ glue on felt for the bottoms)

In our family, everyone already has too much "stuff" - so for Christmas I generally give to charity in family members' names. Years we've been severely short of cash I've made meals to bring down to the homeless shelter or last year, when I was too heavily knocked up to do it, I bought Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless (less than $2 each).

Other years I've bought animals through the Heifer Foundation but split them around, or bought mittens and hats for the homeless, things like that.

Then I give a card with a note about what I donated, and the thank you note I receive, and attach that to something small that I've made (last year it was little packets of spiced nuts - a bit of a luxury, different from everybody else's Christmas cookies, and you can give a very small amount because most people won't eat a whole ton of nuts).

Kids are different, of course, and for Phil's teenage cousin we give small gift certificates and get whatever the heck we want for our own kids.

[enviromum]

I usually get family portraits taken right before Christmas ('cause that needs to be done yearly anyway) and then I buy cheap frames and give all the relatives a framed portrait.

[TKTRV]

Originally Posted by Bonnscakes

Ok I realize I am new and I could get stoned for beinging up Christmas already...lol but hopefully not. I am trying to think ahead. I don't have my business anymore so I don't get many cakes to do for pay now. I am trying to learn how to save money in different ways and thought I would try to make as many gifts this year as possible. Maybe this would be better in the craft section but i think it works here too. anyways what are some gifts you make or plan to make and what other ways do you save at christmas time?

DID SOMEBODY SAY CHRISTMAS



YouTube - The Nightmare Before Christmas - What's this?

I don't know how to sew. I did buy a sewing machine once.. what was I thinking? LOL
So far the things I am thinking are scrapbooking things.. Like I could make calendars or mini books all realy for pictures. I need to get started and see how long they will take.

Lil i love your ideas too! How do you find the charities you decide on? I was kind of thinking I would like to physically help at one too. Maybe something my 5 year old could do as well. I am not sure we could go and do anythin gat her age. I have a couple of things to do at one. One is making boxes and families who's baby passes away right after being born. They give when you make to hospitals and they pass it out to them. Thats not Christmassy tho. The other is shoe boxes for kids. You wrap a shoe box in wrapping paper and fill it with things kids need and they send them all over the world to needy kids for christmas gifts. That one requires either plenty of money or you being really good at finding good deals on stuff.

[LadyHawk]

This year, I'm trying to plan ahead. One idea I'm going to do is make the bath tub items. These are great and they can be packaged very elaborately or simply. With a nice card and I will include the recipe they make great gifts to neighbors/teachers/any age group.

I love making home made items. But, your right. It's this time of year you can get some great bargains.

Originally Posted by Bonnscakes

Lil i love your ideas too! How do you find the charities you decide on? I was kind of thinking I would like to physically help at one too. Maybe something my 5 year old could do as well. I am not sure we could go and do anythin gat her age. I have a couple of things to do at one. One is making boxes and families who's baby passes away right after being born. They give when you make to hospitals and they pass it out to them. Thats not Christmassy tho. The other is shoe boxes for kids. You wrap a shoe box in wrapping paper and fill it with things kids need and they send them all over the world to needy kids for christmas gifts. That one requires either plenty of money or you being really good at finding good deals on stuff.

I love the shoe box thing, I've heard of it before - just not during a year when I had the money for it. It probably costs a bit to ship it, too.

As far as how I found my charities, it was always dumb luck. Heifer Foundation I found because they mailed me something one day, and it sounded like such a cool idea! You send them money, and they buy someone the animal you choose. They give them to families all over the world, even some places within the states. They then teach the families the requisite husbandry and breeding, and then the animal you bought "goes forth and multiplies" and helps