Homemade Gift Ideas for Christmas

Coloring Books

A very unique Homemade Christmas gift idea that is costs almost nothing at all is a coloring book made from your favorite photos. You can create coloring books for your friends & family from their favorite photos.

To create one of these coloring books, you will need a computer of course! You will also need either a digital camera or scanner to scan in your photos. After you have done that part, you will need to open your photos in Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and work with your photos. You can create an almost instant coloring book image by going to the photocopy feature in Adobe Photoshop. You will have to enhance & edit from there. After you are done, you can customize your pages in a Printshop program or MS Word then you can print them. After they are printed you can put them together with staples or pretty strings or bows. You can also frame one and give it to a loved one.

This makes a great inexpensive gift for someone who already has everything.

Contributed by Amanda of Contest For Moms

Paperdoll Year

My grandchildren, nieces and nephews now have children of their own who are playing with some of the Christmas gifts that I made them when they were young.

Their very favorite was the 'Paperdoll Year'. I took photos of each in their bathing suits on the beach one summer.
*Had them made into 8 x 10 photos
*Glued onto sturdy cardboard
*Cut out with a craft knife
*Laminated (you could probably seal with decoupage glue)
*Made a small slit in the bottom for a stand - also cardboard
*Made an outfit for each from regular typing paper - some had lace or sequins glued on, others were simply drawn and colored with crayons (added the 'Tabs' to attach these paperdoll clothes)
*Included several sheets of paper, trim scraps, a box of crayons with each so they could make more clothes for themselves

They were SO delighted to have a paperdoll of 'themselves' These paperdolls were played with constantly, taken into 'Show and Tell' at school, they added paperdolls that they made of photos of their friends and other family members, etc.

I was really surprised that the boys actually played with these - but a funny thing - the girls spent HOURS making more clothes for themselves while the boys went through their dad's sports catalogs and simply added accessories - guns, skis, binoculars, etc. LOL

Contributed by Frances Stewart of McColl Name

Unique wine glass basket

A new twist on a gift basket!
Calls for a little investigating!
Find out if they have a nice set or just a breakable one. Coordinate it with their decor: kitchen, living room, bed or Bath!!! Decide if making it for a romantic interlude or a "couples" get together.

You will need:
Wine glasses
Wine or other beverage - (Either in a nice bottle or bag)
Basket
Other items:
-Either etching material and stencils or glass paint that is safe for dishes to decorate glasses
-Beads and wire to make glass markers (Bead books should have patterns ) OR purchase already made ones
-basket filler : to fill bottom of basket colored shredded paper, straw, a table cloth & napkins
- tissue paper, ribbon, or beads to fill glasses

Note:
*For several baskets a grape type garland could enhance several.
*if you attach "garnishes" with wire the recipient can reuse the basket and change accents

Put it all together!
Decorate glasses with etching or paint

Make coordinating but different wine glass markers for twisting around stems. (option: Make them all the same with different charms at the ends)

Assemble the basket
Fill basket with "basket filler", wrap glass markers around your unique wine glasses. Put tissue paper and beads or napkins in wine glasses. Arrange in basket with wine

Add candles for a romantic twist. You now have a unique gift basket!

Contributed by Karen Osieczonek

Gift Mixes

The Gooseberry Patch book titled 'Gift Mixes' includes all sorts of great drink, dip, and cookie-in-a-jar mixes to make and give as gifts.

Contributed by Personal Coach - Megan Corwin

Tub-Time Bath Crayons

You will Need:
1 cup grated Ivory Soap
1/4 cup warm water
Food Coloring
Plastic Cookie cutters

How to:
Mix water, soap & food coloring together in med. size bowl. Stir the crayon mixture until it begins to stiffen. Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead until it is the consistency of a very thick dough. Spoon Crayon Mixture into plastic cookie cutters or other plastic molds (playdough molds work great too!). Press down firmly. Place the plastic cookie cutters in your freezer for 10 mins or in your refrigerator for 30 mins. When firm, Pop the bath crayons out of the cookie cutters (or other molds) and allow them to air dry overnight or until hard.

Ideas for Molds:
Ice Cube Trays
Playdough Molds & Cutters
Tupperware Cookie Cutters
Plastic Cookie Cutters
The Plastic divided tray that comes in choc. candy boxes and so forth!

Inexpensive Fun!

Contributed by Shelly L. Hill of Shelly's Discount Tupperware Store

Tree Ornaments

Every year my family makes ornaments for our tree as a family on Thanksgiving. This year all my 4 children will spend the holidays together for the 1st time in 3 years! We will be painting glass ornaments for our Christmas tree. We have a very multiethnic family in which 2 of my boys and myself are from the Virgin Islands, my husband and my youngest son are from Florida and our daughter was born in Cambodia. We are all going to paint our birth countries flags onto glass bulbs with acrylic paint with a light coat of clear varnish found in your local craft stores.

These can also be great gifts to give to friends and family.

Contributed by Yassin Young of Yammi Wear

Jar Mixes and Candles

I have a few good recipes for 'Jar Mixes' and I think they make great gifts. I also make candles and gift them. They are very cheap when made at home rather than buying them.

Contributed by Carrie - Proud Mom of Alan and Althea

Candles and Homemade Chocolates

Candles in various shapes and sizes made using Christmas Colors and homemade chocolates individually wrapped in foil make great gifts.

Contributed by Lata Budhrani of Dot Com Women

Cozy Fleece Scarf

Materials needed:
Scissors
2 yards of fleece material.

I bought mine from Walmart in the bargain bin. (Of course)

Fold into half side to side.  Trim each side to ensure a straight cut.

Open fold, then cut down the middle to make 2 separate scarfs, or 3 depending how narrow you want your scarf.

Fold in half from end to end. Take one layer and cut the end to make a fringe. About 3 inches long, 1 inch apart.  Be sure to use a sharp pair of scissors. Then cut the other layer while using the first layer as a guide.

Now... you have a nice warm and cozy scarf.

Contributed by Karen Armacost of Karen's Krafts

For Brides and New Moms

I like this idea for a new bride or a new mom.

Get a small unfinshed hinged box {that will hold some 3x5 cards standing up-take one with you just to be sure}at the craft store, small wooden letters that spell her name {first or last}. One rubber stamp {a small one}that you like.

Paint the box a color that coordinates w/ her kitchen, set aside.  Spray paint {or hand paint} the front and edges of the letters a complimentary color, {white or black if you're unsure} set aside.


When the box dries, take the paint that you used to paint the box and add a little bit of white paint to it and mix well.  Use this lighter color stamp a design onto the box-sparatically-set aside.
Either hand copy or print out your favorite recipes and kitchen tips on 3x5 cards or cardstock. -If you can, laminate the cards.

Glue the painted letters to the front of the dry box using a heavy duty household adhesive-let dry 24 hours laying face down {os top of the letters}

Spray with a high gloss polyurethane or sealer.  Let dry.  Fill with your recipe cards and tips-even some funny stories about your early days as a bride or mother.  This can also be part of a gift basket full of new wife/mom things!!

Contributed by Samantha Olea of TheBestMoms.com