nice ideas for Christmas gifts
 

I was searching the internet for ideas and came across a website called www.organizedchristmas.com It has lovely ideas for gifts in a jar, I like the journal in a jar (everything you need can be printed from the site for free), they have an adult and child version. They give you a list of ideas to print out and a label for the jar with instruction telling the person to use one of the ideas paste it in to a notebook and write about it in your journal. I am doing both, the adult one for my daughter to give to her granny and the child one for me to give to my daughter. I will include a nice hard covered notebook and a nice pen and use a recycled jar. In total it will cost less then 5 euro.

There are also lots of ideas for other items.

Christmas
 

All these great ideas are putting me in the Christmas Spirit!! A good idea to use up old ties is to take 3 of them, put in a wee stitch at point to join them together and then platt them. Then pull them into a double circle (you will need a few stitches here and there to hold them together). Attach a small hook so you can hang it up as a Christmas wreath. I also use a couple of small baubles or holly here and there on them . Pick nice coloured ties and they make a very nice wreath.
I make these for our Christmas fair in work each year. I also make 'reindeer food' in baby jars for small children to use on Christmas eve.
Another good idea is to buy some plain 'short' glasses (Tesco sell 4 in a pack for around 3Euro. Purchase some black outliner and some glass paint at a craft shop. DON'T buy the glass paint that needs to be baked. You need the one that dries itself and is glossy. Now make a small temtplate of a snowman or holly or whatever Christmas design you want. (When I was starting this I used a Strawberry because it's soo easy to do). Attach the wee picture to the INSIDE of the glass with a bit of sellotape the use the black outliner to copy the design to the front of the glass. Leave it to dry, then use the glossy glass paint to decorate. It sounds difficult but it isn't. If you are going to try it start with the strawberry, you can get templates on line. These glasses can then be used with a tealight inside. An ideal gift!
Irene

After seeing your garden makeover pics, and looking at those amazing pictures of yours, i think individual art pieces by yourself would be the best and most appreciated gift ever,,, a Minnie P original


Summersun

Scrabble... Scrabble ... Scrabble ... I love those chrimbo decs!!!! especially the trees, gingerbreadmen and hearts... what about a few snowmen now ....

Did you make them with just kiddies clay,or daz??? what type of paint did you use???


aah only 40 days to Chrimbo


Summersun xx

Thanks summersun.

I just used air drying clay(I think I got it in Art and Hobby). I used acryic paint but for the sparkley bits I used Heat It Up! embossing powder (enchanted gold) and heated it up. If you don't know about heat embossing go to Docrafts.co.uk and they have videos that show you how to use some products. Its great fun.

Happy crafting
Scrabble

gorgeous
 

These are gorgeous....I'll be nicking the patterns for my own!

Thank you Unapam. I would love to see more of everyone elses creations. I need a few more ideas for this year.

homemade christmas pressies
 

i used to make really simple wooden xmas decoration, i collected the old wooden orange and fruit boxes and cut them with a coping or freight saw, ill find photos and post them when im at my mums house next.

My favourite this year was i made some really nice soups, sweet potato and coconut, tomato and basil, spinach and cheese. i put them in containers that i got in a pound shop and made pretty labels for them. i made these for my dad, he kept them in the freezer so he had them for the next month.

If i find photos ill post them or if i think of anything else ill put the ideas up, we have had a few xmas' with only hand made gifts.

Im not sure if this would be an idea for your parents, but this year I am making hot water bottles covers recycling my kids baby blankets. The blankets are fleece and are tiny, once the children are over 6 months they are way too small to use. My daughter loves the things from when she was a baby (shes only five but a big girl now) and she will love that she can still use her baby stuff. There are really simple instructions on the internet and they machine sew in five minutes.

My daughter is cross stitching cards and her brother (hes 3) is painting and glitter glueing picture frames to keep them in after Christmas. This sorts both sets of Grandparents for about 5 euro.

She is also knitting her daddy a present but I cant say what because I know he likes a sneaky peek at Jumbletown too ;)

Christmas present ideas
 

Hi jpmum,

Check out my picture frames in the Before & After forum:
http://www.jumbletown.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=73534

and my Christmas tree decorations:
http://www.jumbletown.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=72886

I've also made the tree decorations with pictures of my nieces and nephews in them.

Calander
 

Im not sure if anybody covered this. Last week was my couisin's birthday and money was tight so i made her a "calander girl".

I done the template on a word doc and put in the dates in black and the bank holidays in red then inserted a picture of her and printed it out.

Everyone including the star of the calander loved it!

You can do a 1 page year one or a 12 page month one.

All you need is a word doc, pictures and a printer!

And its a great idea if you have loved ones living away from home and cheap enough to post or light enough for them to carry home!

Hi,

here is a present my friend made for my son for christmas two years ago, its a decorated clipboard, with his name on it and there are little vellum scrolls with verses on them in the pocket, its beautiful and no money would buy it. she made one for my daughter as well.

Here is also a friendship box my friend made for me a few years ago,

still have it safely tucked away as again no money would buy it

Orca, these are really beautiful. And you are right,no money would buy them. Theres something very special about recieving or giving a homemade present. You know that a lot of thought has gone into it.
Happy crafting
Scrabble

homemade
 

Hi, I am always making stuff and a few things that always go down well are homemade 'Sloe Gin' or blackberry if you prefer. While Sloes may be gone for this year you could buy blackberries. If interested in the recipe let me know. The other thing is apple chutney really cheap to make and tastes great also one batch will give about 12 medium sized jars (enough to give to your friends over christmas) which when covered in some funky material and a ribbon look very well. Hope it helps

Beautiful! Anyone would be spoiled to get something so nice. Lucky you!