Wanting creative, inexpensive Christmas gift ideas.

[Acre of Blessings]

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YOu could also get a large serving spoon and fill it with kisses and then saran wrap it, add a note saying " A spoonfull of kisses for the cook" or "for the family"

It almost midnight and I'm talking about chocolate.....thats almost like a Gremlin with water on his head!

Those are really CUTE!!! I am gonna steal them....

Go ahead.....I think I will make one for each basket.

 

[fldiver97]

Another one to share....even if you can't knit o sew - felted items are cool. I got a bunch of old sweaters at the thrift shop/Goodwill and old sweaters out of my own closet to make felted gifts from for Christmas. It has to be wool (any wool, merino, cashmere etc). I threw a few old wool sweaters (somewere less than a dollar at St Vincents) with a couple of tennisballs in the washer with just a little bit of detergent, highest temp, shortest cycle. After about 10 min I stopped the cycle to check how much the items shrunk/felted. Most sweaters took a full 25 min cycle to get nice and 'felty'. Then I dried them a bit on a low setting, finished drying on a rack. I used an old thigh long sweater that had pilled a bit and no longer looked good (one of my own antiques) and cut the felted material down to a bolero type shrug/jacket. Will not run as it is felted. Cut the front bottom rounded and cut the sleeves to 3/4 length Looks really cut and still fits small womens size as a top over a snug fitting shirt. Used an old XL mens sweater to make leg warmers for my friends daughter from the sleeves; the body of the sweater will become a fleece vest for her brother, just have to sew in a zipper. Also have material for a couple of felted tote bags. Ideas and directions came mostly from felting books that I got from the library. Sarves and placemats are easy to make and decorate too.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

^ Need pics, please!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Wow, I must really have pregnancy brain... how could I have forgotten about this? A few years ago a former neighbor of mine made this for me for Christmas. She took a basket and spray painted painted it gold. Then she filled it with pine cones that she had sprayed gold and a small strand of white lights. I have it on a bookshelf and use it every day. It's brighter than the pic shows and looks really nice.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You could make those really inexpensively if you stocked up on those strings of lights at an after-Christmas sale and spent the rest of the year collecting the baskets at yard sales and the pine cones here & there in your travels. Robin, do you use that all year or just at the holidays?

 

[Country Heart]

Beautiful basket!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

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I use it every day, all year long. It fits in the bookcase and gives a nice, soft light to that area of the room.

 

[lowgap]

SECRET SAFE:
Use a pint jar and put an empty toilet paper roll in the middle of the jar. Then pour anything you would like to use around the outside of the toilet paper roll...I used buttons, but you could use pennies, beans, corn, anything that is small enough to fit between the roll and the jar. Then stuff cotton balls around the top of the roll to hold the objects in. Put a canning lid on top of the jar, then a circle of material, then the canning ring. Decorate it with a ribbon or whatever you want to and there you have a little SECRET SAFE you can put your money, rings, or any treasures you want to keep safe in. Mine sets out in my bedroom and no one knows it's not just a jar of buttons

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Well isn't that a clever idea.... where do you live again?

Seriously, that is cute!

 

[vicki2x2]

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Ooooohhhh, I like this!! Might make some of these for myself, my kids, hmmmm, thinking now, look out, this could be dangerous!!