Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan What's the best homemade Christmas gift you've ever received? Why is it special to you? Do you ever make homemade gifts? Can you share the how-to instructions for us?
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka This is one of my most favorite Xmas memories. One year, we were really broke and lived in this tiny house that we called the Gingerbread House. I was in the 3rd grade so my brother must have been in either kindergarten or 1st grade. We always read Xmas stories before bed and my mom would ask us what we hoped Santa would bring. My brother said that he wanted an elf for Xmas, something he had NEVER said before that night. Come Xmas morning, there was a small crocheted elf in his stocking. My mom sat up all that night making it. He had a felt face with pointy ears. It was very cute and I was so touched that she did that for him. Even at 8/9 years old, I knew that it was such a loving thing for her to do. As an adult, I can only imagine the panic at hearing a new request at that late hour and the stress of sitting up all night making it.
Originally Posted By MomluvsDisney When I was younger, my cousins and I were at our grandmother's house and we made clothes pin angels with her. Inspired by that, and with our families desire to return to old fashioned Christmas values, we make ornaments as a family project each year. We gather together around the Thanksgiving holiday and we make a craft table to allow any and all to make ornaments for others in the family. It is amazing what fabric scraps, clothespins, salt dough, paper, paint and glitter can be created into! I will tell you that my most prized Christmas gifts from the last two years are ornaments that my nieces and nephews have made for me.
Originally Posted By Ursula Not a Christmas present, but for my 30th Birthday, 999Haunts made me a scrapbook that I still cherish. Mom's chocolate chip cookies! I can NEVER make them right, but 999Haunts can. Good lord, they are good.
Originally Posted By goodgirl I love to receive homemade food items: sweets, breads, jams, etc. Other homemade gifts I have cherished: --A packet of recipe cards with my girlfriends favorite recipes written out on half of them. --For the last few years a very dear friend makes a calendar with photos of us, our mutual friends and family members. --Last year I used my computer to make an address book for one of my sisters. It has all our family members in it. I contacted her friends and got their information to include. --One year one of my sisters didn't have a lot of money. They gave me a coupon book. Each member of the family made a coupon for it. Hers was good for cleaning my house; my brother-in-law cleaned my garage; their teenage son cleaned my gutters and their little boy swept my sidewalks and patios For one of my other sister's birthdays earlier this year I created an "Experience." She had wanted to go to an area casino. So I made up a package. There was a CD of "gambling" type songs to serve as road tunes (Luck Be a Lady, The Gambler, Viva Las Vegas, etc.). Some good luck charms. Some of her favorite candy (See's) as road snacks. I took several $1 bills and allocated them to individual envelopes. Each envelope had instructions like "play this money in a slot machine that has a frog on it" or "play this money on number 4 on the roulette wheel" or "play this money in Big Bertha" or "Play 2, 11, 13 and 19" on a Keno ticket." Granted this did cost me some money but she had so much fun roaming around the casino and playing her money that it was a hit. (She also won $180 on a keno ticket.) Perhaps there is some sort of "experience" you could put together for someone.
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM Sadly, I never get homemade gifts. I am the MAKER of homemade gifts, and have been for over 30 years. My family says that they are too afraid to make me anything because of the things I make for them. I would love a homemade present.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I love the coupon book idea! This year, my son and daughter are making some of those fleece tie blankets for people. >> My family says that they are too afraid to make me anything because of the things I make for them.<< Yeah, it can be intimidating to make things for really craft-y people, but hopefully someone will make you something this year!
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt I once received a bottle of home made Kahlua..very warming.. I often bake cookies for people at work..they love 'em & share them with ME!!
Originally Posted By Kira I like to make semi-home made gifts (kind of like sandra lees semi home made cooking lol) Last year I was on a tight budget so I picked up a couple of the popcorn containers that are now located in Target's dollar corner. I bought bulk bags of microwave popcorn, red vines and assorted candies. I then put together several "movie night" packs to give away to family friends etc. The packs were a big hit since almost EVERYONE loves movies. The packs were very easy on the budget and I think I spent around $30 total and got 10 packs out of it =) Everyone's gift ideas here are super cute! Can't wait to read more stories and tips!
Originally Posted By TXDISNEYNERD In college, my Mom cross stitched me this picture with a girl on the phone and underneath it, it said "Call your Mom, you know how she worries" and then she stitched my home phone number on it (like I didn't know it). It just made me feel good being away at school looking at it and knowing she was thinking of me. I have cross stitched many towels as gifts. Sometimes that is the best way to match someones decor. One of the coolest homemade presents I have seen is one of my friends for her parents and sister researched all of their family tree and then drew a beautiful tree and had all of the information on the branches. MM - Don't worry I have a home made present just for you. Well, I guess it is really a yard made present.
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove Being the uber-grandmother, I have always been charmed by anything my children (and now their children) have made for us. DD28 made an apron for me with all of the kids' handprints on it and a loving message. I love putting that on. It's like an instant hug. Calendars...mouse pads...DDIL made us a wooden American flag. The big stars on the blue field are the wedding anniversaries of our children and the little stars hanging on ribbons from each month are everyone's birthdays. Priceless. Just a simple childish scrawl with a sentiment is enough to send me to tears, so it doesn't take a lot. When you consider how fragile our existence is, it's so important and so very nice to have a little piece of someone's heart when they are gone. I like to show my love by feeding people (thanks, Mom!) so I enjoy giving delectable treats at Christmas, too. And truly unlucky people may receive something I've crocheted. *sigh* DH made a cd of all the songs he's written and has shared that with the family with great success. I could go on, but shall not. Having mercy on y'all.
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM Aaah...that's ok, tx. I take back what I said about wanting someone to make me something.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>When you consider how fragile our existence is, it's so important and so very nice to have a little piece of someone's heart when they are gone.<< Exactly! I think appreciation for something homemade only grows over the years. It's like a snapshot in time more than any other kind of gift.
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I have several things: My grandma the year before she passed gave me the tamborines her father made for her as a young girl. She used these all through childhood and into her early adult years singing in various bands. I was speechless. My goddaughter made me a necklace that I only wear when dancing in ceremony. My godson made me one of those pillows with permanent marker where he wrote in his best 7 year old handwriting nice things about me, him and us. LOL it is so cute. Every year personally my sister and I make tamales for family and friends. It's a labor of love. I also love the LPWB because each year I have to research, figure out and determine what homemade gift I can do that will be just right for my pals. I love it, it's been the source of some of my best times during the holiday season.
Originally Posted By beamerdog A handmade star ornament from my best friend. Several handmade ornaments that a Canine Partners for Life recipient made for all the puppy home volunteers. Even though I don't have a tree, all of them are very special to me.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan One of my favorite homemade gifts is a couple of knitted scarves my grandmother made for me back in the late 1970's. They were the in thing back then -- real long scarves just hanging over your shoulders. I liked them when I got them, but it's so cool having something like that long after she has been gone. In 4th grade, we made these really cool candles. They were 4 cakes of parafin wax stuck together with a wick through the center, and then covered with a "whipped" wax that looked like snow, with a plastic sprig of holly stuck on the side. I remember being pretty darn proud of making that, and looking forward to my mom opening it. She still puts it out every year. ; )
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka HAHA! We made "whipped" candles when I was in the 4th grade too. I usually am the one making the gifts, too. We always had to make gifts when I was growing up and I hated it. I wanted to give really cool, store-bought gifts. But noooooo. ;-) Most of the people I know just love to get handmade gifts and now it's something that I love to do. I hate giving gift cards most of the time. (Unless it's Starbucks cards. Most people love them and I think about all of the cash I will have saved them by buying their fix for them.) ;-) I know a lot of people who aren't crazy about getting edible gifts. They try to keep that stuff out of their homes. I will probably still make them treats, though. Who cares what they do with them? LOL
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Ohh did you see if you buy the gift cards for starbucks at costco - you get a free one! 5 $20 cards for $79.99 I like the godiva gift cards... in a nice homemade card.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka Oh, and here's an idea that people seem to LOVE! We do a cookie party every year and one year, I had made 7 batches of cookie dough and we had a huge storm and none of my friends had electricity for quite a few days (we got ours after 30 hours). I ended up giving the dough to various friends (who had power) and they really loved getting the pre-made cookie dough. I think it would be neat to make up a batch of cookie dough, put it in a neat container or bag, add a few cookie cutters, maybe a rolling pin, some candy sprinkles and a spatula and you've got a great gift that can still be pretty cheap plus save them the time of making the dough themselves! Or you could make sugar cookies, leave them undecorated and give them to someone with some frosting and sprinkles. Hm, I think I might do this again this year.
