Re: Homemade Christmas 2015 Edition!!
Yes, I did read the whole article and my conclusion is that 4 people tasting homemade cookies around a kitchen table (as pictured) does not a scientific proof make.
Like Swick, I'm much fonder of homemade vanilla. Have you ever tasted it? Its divine!
And now, back to our regularly scheduled "Homemade Christmas 2015 Edition!"
I have tasted it (and made it), and these people have too. They are made up of professional chefs and food writers, so I can assure you their palates are more refined than ours. They are also using triangle tests and detailed data analysis.
Perhaps you should try the test yourself and see what happens. I'm a little surprised at the responses on a site that is all about challenging convention, and saving money where it isn't used efficiently. I thought you might enjoy a different perspective. This is useful outside of finances!
But yes, back to great gift ideas.
I'm planning to knit some fingerless gloves for relatives this year but haven't come up with other ideas yet.
I did vanilla extract last year. My sister made some awesome personalized photo coasters as well.
I know someone who made their own bacon salt as a gift and a friend who infused liquor and gave that out. Limoncello is pretty easy to make apparently. As is strawberry vodka.
I found an awesome handmade tincture press off of etsy that I am going to buy for my sister. It is totally self-serving as she will in turn gift me with a whole bunch of tinctures, salves and other goodies from her garden, but it would make her life much easier.
FiTech, Could you post the recipe for bacon salt?
James!, I have a lot of vanilla beans I am using up. I have been looking for a homemade hot chocolate mix to give for gifts so thanks very much.
swick, could you post a pic or a link to the type of gift bags you make?
I am all about simplifying Christmas this year and I feel as though this thread is helping. Last year we gave far to many gifts, and they were made at the last minute which created pressure for us. This year the gift recipient list is shrinking and that gives me relief.
I haven't gotten that far yet, just bought a bunch of Christmas material at a steep discount. Truthfully, I'm pretty helpless in the sewing arena. My mom and sister and I are getting together to make a bunch of bags, and divvying them up. I'm hoping to learn, apparently they are not that hard. My understanding is it is basically a basic bag sewn on three sides and we'll sew a pretty ribbon on to close them.
Sounds good. I was given one with satin necklace lace as handles which I think will last well. I regifted it immediately so I cannot remember exactly what it looked like.
Do you know anywhere with discounted Christmas fabric right now? (I am assuming that places like Joann's have nationwide sales?) I could ask a friend to pick some up for me.
I got mine in February from Fabric Land (Canadian?) One idea might be to put a post on a facebook buy and sell group or craigslist...apparently those who sew and collect material have a lot of Christmas patterns kicking around. I found out after I bought a bunch my MIL has TONS she wants me to use too.
I should make the homemade hot chocolate mix for my mom this year--I usually buy her one.
Maybe those two things plus sugar scrubs will cover me on the mom/SIL front.
While you may prefer a drawstring bag for a gift bag (plenty of tutorials online), the Morsbag is a great shopping bag as well as a container for a gift. The online instructions are clear, plus there is a video for beginning sewists who need to see more than the diagrams.
Okay, I'm in - my husband and I only buy gifts for each other (no kids) and this will give me enough time to start on a counted cross-stitch that I'm going to make for him to hang in his office - it's a silhouette of Thomas Jefferson (one of DH's heroes). I'll have to cross-stitch it on breaks at work so he won't see what I'm making.
james 4 people tasting food items does not a statistically significant sample make. Some people cant tell te difference or even prefer instant coffee over brewed coffee but doesn't mean they are not chemical and taste differences.
I like all the ideas. Some may actually even work if don't procrastinate!
Is making vanilla extract significantly cheaper than buying it?
No, according to Erica at www.nwedible.com. Just cooler. You can use alcohol other than vodka to give a different taste. She uses bourbon.
Yeah if your goal is inexpensive, just buy it. Now if your goal is really awesome....DIY. Cheap beans and cheap liquor won't do this DIY justice, and the stuff at Costco isn't bad for the price.
My goal this year: simple, simple, simple. Like, maybe run away to a cabin for a week, skip everything else and call that Christmas.
For gifts, I'm thinking body care products. Lip balm, moisturizer, body scrubs - that kind of stuff. I won't give away my canned jams, etc. anymore except to a few select folks who I know are ok with home canned food and will actually eat it.
Simple is good, Erica! We left our larger family last Christmas to be with our 24 yr old who could not leave her new job for a week; what a blast! Only little gifts were allowed.
I will have 100,000 girls making our presents for others--2 bee hives for honey. I do make some peach and beach plum jams for those I know love them.
Planning to amke myself a throw pillow soon (have to buy the insert--using an old sweater) and thinking of these as a possible xmas gift if it goes well. Maybe doing some cross stitch with embroidery floss? All of these things mean buying some supplies, but I think it'd be neat.
My neighbor is a beekeeper. Really FRESH raw honey is like a revelation. He brought me some comb honey the other day....OMG-level delicious.
I did this the year before last, but I crocheted them. A big hit.
A family member crocheted or knitted me arm warmers as a gift and I love them. They're like a tube but have a hole for my thumb and they keep the area between mid-hand and my coat sleeve nice and warm without getting in the way of using my hands/fingers at all.
We got a huge load of old wood (cherry and walnut) from Mr PoP's family property that his dad and brothers cut down when they were building the family house thirty years ago and we'll be making butcher block counters for our kitchen out of it. What the family doesn't realize is that we also want to make butcher block platters/fancy cutting boards for everyone else so all of our homes can have some of the family wood in it and hope to have them done in time for Christmas this year.
I will get there one day.
I spent a lot on Christmas last year and would like to stop the haemorrhaging this year by being prepared. Do you guys do other things in advance like making cards, printing your own wrapping paper or sewing reusable gift bags?
Last year I made cards for everyone that attended the holiday. I found a cute stick figure drawing of a person with lots of cats so I printed off several of those, drew on santa hats on all of them and Christmas lights wrapped around the person, and wrote "Meowy Christmas!" plus some other wordage. Silly? Maybe, but everyone lol'd so mission accomplished.
This year I'm going to make cards using photo art prints from Deviantart.com You can buy awesome art prints directly from the artists (well, the site prints and ships them to you), and they are very inexpensive (like $0.47 for a 3x4) So for example I'm going to find a Christmas penguin for my brother's card, a Christmas horse for my mom and MIL, etc. + double sided tape + blank cards from a craft store = personalized cards for cheap. Maybe I'll dress the cards up with ribbon.
For wrapping paper you can use the brown packing paper from Amazon + twine or hemp. I bought a bunch of wrapping paper from a swap meet last year for $2 so once I use all that up I'm going to use the packing paper + let my toddler color on it for the "aww" factor.
Check Etsy for fabric. If you find a high volume seller they might offer the occasional discount. Some sellers will list their fabric at low prices just to get rid of it.
I will check Etsy. Last year I sent cards and gave a variety of gifts, many of which were baked and made last minute and it all seemed too much. This year I am figuring vanilla for all plus some sort of homemade artsy thing for immediately family and friends which means 12 of those. And, the numbers of people who get the vanilla is going to go down, no more delivering baked goods to all and sundry.
I want to do a card like you suggest, with an image stuck on the front or, perhaps, printed if that is cheap, I will see. Perhaps I can print out my own cards on card stock.
I think it would feel amazing to get to September with all the presents made and the envelopes addressed so that there is little to do other than regular seasonal cooking and decorating in December. Maybe I would even have some reusable bags made by then?
Am in the process of drafting an email to send out to friends and family giving them the heads-up that we are doing a "Homemade" Christmas for everyone this year and encouraging them to join us.
So I figured it was a good time to revive this thread and get going :) Anyone have plans to turn some of the summer bounty into Christmas gifts? Anyone else have plans they are working on?
I'm skipping the vanilla this year. I brought in the beans I bought to work to share, and everyone was excited. So yay for that.
I'm planning out gifts now, and I"ll start shopping sales and obtaining necessary supplies. The grandparents are getting photo calendars of the little one per Husband's request through Shutterfly (I think) They have good sales I hear so I'll be watching.
I'll be picking out art prints for cards today, and I'll compare them with cards from Cafe Press.
SWICK - How was that email received by everyone?
I'm going to make some felt play food for my son. A lot of items can be hand sewn, which is great because I don't have a sewing machine. There are so many free tutorials out there.
I'm also going to make him a felt board with different shapes, numbers, letters, animals, etc. I came across the idea of putting a felt Christmas tree on the wall with decorations so the little one can redecorate as often as he wants, and I thinking about doing that too, but not as a gift.
Most of my Christmas stuff is done, gift-wise. I made needlepoint coasters, using yarn already in the family. There's somewhere around 50 of them. Just need to figure out who's getting which ones and package everything up.
No idea yet what I'm doing for my parents or sister. But everyone else is taken care of.
Ermm..it hasn't gotten out of my drafts folder yet. I wanted to pass it by my hubby first and got totally side-tracked. will get it out this week!
Making a bit of progress on the presents. Discovered hubby's grandma has an English walnut tree in her yard. Picked a bunch to make some Italian Walnut Liquor. Have a few different batches going. One plain with Vodka, one vodka, lemon peel and spice, one plain with spiced black strap rum and one with cacao beans, coconut sugar and vodka.
I'm a little late starting them, so they might not actually be drinkable by Christmas, but I don't think my family will mind. I might use a batch or two (probably the cacao one as a base for some homemade bitters. That should be ready by Christmas.
Hubby's grandma also has an amazing apple and pear tree so going to be processing them in the fall to make more gifts. Still trying to sort out what aromatherapy gifts to do. I might just make up a bunch of professional looking coupons for an Aromatherapy massage.
I have decided to knit the vast majority of this year's Christmas gifts. I have lots of free time right now and access to great, cheap sock yarn (< $8 per pair for lovely homemade wool socks in custom colors/sizes!)...I have completed 1 scarf & 5.5 pairs of socks so far-pic of some socks is attached! I think I only have 2 pairs left to make and then just a few non-wool gifts for my itchy sister & family friend. Wool is so nice and warm its a pity that some people are allergic. I've made all of my gifts in past years and forgot how much fun it is. I'll still be supplementing with purchased items but that's things like beautiful glass earrings from a recent trip to Venice (not super expensive) & copies of our wedding album for both sets of parents. I put the album together online and had a few copies printed. I think this still counts as homemade! Best of luck to all of you guys. I may steal some of your food gift ideas-they sound really tasty!
Some of these ideas are great. I made little crocheted stars as ornaments the year before last, and last year we gave out oven mitts, but normally my energy runs out before my gift list. I need to pick something very simple this year. I like the look of the cookie-mix-jars I see on Pinterest, but everyone I would give them to makes their own cookies from scratch, so I can't see it being a good gift for this crowd. Swick's bag idea seems like a good one.
What about flavoured salt? Herb salt or such? For a crowd that makes cookies from scratch I'd say they apreciate flavoured salt. If you want to go extra fancy (but still not overdo it in regards to time and labour) you could make 2-4 different types and give all one of each in tiny bottles/jars. I'd be impressed.
I finally got around to ordering vanilla beans off Amazon in January 2015 and got a big thing of vodka. I had 2 different types of beans so I put 1/2 in each large canning jar. I labelled them so I could taste the difference. I started using the vanilla after 2 months, although it was still very boozy. At the 7 month mark now, its just excellent.
Absolutely a no brainer. Slice vanilla beans, lengthwise, put in jar, pour alcohol to top. Place in dark cupboard. Give it a shake anytime you notice it!
I've gifted a few tiny jars to friends and they are just blown away by how good it tastes and that its homemade!
Great thread! Posting to subscribe.
buy more beans and add them on top of the old ones and youll keep getting a more vanilla and less boozy taste!
@Blany, Thanks is for the suggestion! I hadn't thought of that!
Um, I'm having a baby the week of Christmas. Does that count as a homemade present to my family? Similar to many gifts, they didn't ask for it, have little use for it, and will probably be annoyed/bored by it with in a few hours.
My family does a traditional Christmas typically and I'd really like to change it up this year. Rather than everyone spending money on everyone else, it'd be cool to draw names from a hat and do a Secret Santa type thing. If we end up doing that, I want to cross stitch something awesome for whoever I get. It's surprisingly cheap with giant bundles of thread only being 30-40 cents each. There's also some free software to make your patterns, so really you're only spending money on thread, aida fabric (which is also cheap), and time. Pretty win-win, if you enjoy it.
Following! I've been thinking about this lately, too! I love making things but my family has a bad case of Amazonitus, so they have just about everything they could want, I think. We will see!
Word nerd - best Christmas present ever! Congratulations!
I've been slowly taking photos of my childhood homes and have thought about compiling them into one of those multi-photo frames for our parents. Might take me a few years to get to this!
For Christmas and other gift giving events, I much prefer to give homemade gifts (and often do)! This year doing mostly homemade - various drawings and paintings, some homemade almond extract (if it comes out well, fingers crossed), maybe some other baked goods. But I've been having fun playing the cvs game this year so everyone is getting some assorted personal care products as well - I mean, nothing says Christmas like toothpaste and soap right?
Here is a cute idea when you go to someone's house. Could be root beer or real beer. I made these last year.
This year I am taking cuttings of my African violets, and propagating my orchids and painting flowerpots. I will give house plants to the few we exchange with.
I love giving and receiving homemade ornaments. Last year after Halloween I found skeleton keys at Michael's for 70% off. Used them to make Innkeeper key ornaments based on something I saw on Pinterest. I also made hat ornaments using a toilet paper roll and yarn. So cute! I showed some to family during Thanksgiving dinner and they all wanted to make them, so we broke out the supplies and had a crafting party.
I also did 52 reasons why I love you cards for my family. I did 52 weeks of inspiration for a friend. This year I'm doing 52 weeks of fitness cards.
I should get on Pinterest and look for more crafts to make!
Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming!
I am thinking of doing stamped metal keychains this year (a hobby-sidegig)- or, alternatively, nothing except for mom and bro. My aunts, uncles, cousins (grandparents are gone) are much beloved but I think this year I will send a card and perhaps MAYBE one of grandma's coffee cakes or her cookies from her recipes.
My friends are being pared down as far as gifts go- I can make jewelry or those keychains mentioned above.
And voila! That's 99% of my gift giving done!
And then there's always the gift of time. Babysitting, house cleaning (new parents, upcoming surgery, etc), cook them a meal, etc.
We tried making some apple cider and apple wine 5 years ago from Hubby's grandma's apple tree. It was not drinkable. We tried it 3 years ago...still horrid. Then we promptly forgot about it. Turns out all it needed was time and now it has mellowed into a strong, almost port tasting apple wine. Hubs is creating some awesome classy for those who won't get it Portal (video game) themed labels. I have sewen a bunch of wine bags and it is going to be awesome.
So most of the extended family is taken care of, just need to figure out the customized gifts for immediate family - this will be the tricky part, no stress still have time!
How is everyone else doing? Share your plans and fun projects!
I decided to go for a "handmade by someone else" Christmas this year, so I'm out! Still going to make chocolate dipped pretzels and gingerbread, but otherwise I'm going to craft markets to find peoples gifts.
I did put together a vanilla extract (have to buy bottles) and I made kahlua, though I'm worried about the sugar in it--think I overboiled? Both new projects so I feel pretty good about it.
Sister in law hates salt and will not use it in anything. So we are making Brother in-law a variety of salt+spice shakers he can add to his food.
The beeswax candles turned out lovely and we were able to use up some wax and supplies my mom had purchased about 20 years ago. Win win!
We have everything ready to go for the crackers...but then realized we actually needed the toilet roll paper tubes so have to save some up before we can make them.
We have been stumped about a gift for Hubby's dad. He is super practical, makes enough money to go buy whatever he needs and generally, no matter how much thought we put into the gifts they need to be both nostalgic and practical for them to ever be used. So...we decided to make record bowls out of old vinyl records (he's big into music and has lots of memories about his collection) and we'll use it as the base for our gift basket to them - with something yummy to go in it afterward.
Still a couple of people we are stumped on, but it is all coming together!
Anyone else want to share what they are making or handmade by someone else?