kfeusse Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 My daughter (age 12) and her friend (age 10) have been making Christmas gifts for friends and family (mostly female peers and family members) for last couple years. One year they made bath salts and last year they made liquid soap and sewed little bags to put them in. We are looking for a new idea for this year. I was thinking they could sew homemade hot pads from layering fleece and denim....which would be nice for the adult females...but not so much for peers. So, please, if you have any ideas for them, I would love to hear them. Both girls can do basic stictches on a sewing machine if that helps. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 A great-aunt made a plastic canvas tissue box holder for me that got used throughout my teenage years (and got lost in a move :( ) Something filled with smelly stuff to put in the underwear drawer and make stuff smell great. Scented candles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 This year the dc and I are doing decoupaged boxes of various sizes. We got the boxes at Michael's and are using up various paint and paper items from around the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 pillowcases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/11/crisscross_coas.html I know I have posted these on a thread before, but honestly these were such a hit when my dds made them & gave them as gifts. We went to our quilt shop, bought the packages of quilt squares, gave each person a set of 4 wrapped up with a ribbon. The instructions are well explained & they are easy enough for pre-teens on up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 One year I made hair rinse for everyone. Since the recipe was not girly smelling, it was fine for men as well as women. Recipe: Cut a bunch of rosemary, enough to fill a big pot fairly densely. Cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Then cover and move to the back of the stove to cool to room temperature slowly. Strain through cheesecloth. Put two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar into a quart canning jar. Fill with filtered rosemary water. Cover and refrigerate. I shopped for odd creamers in thrift stores for months to find enough for everyone. The recipe should be microwaved in the creamer to a lukewarm temperature, poured over clean, rinsed hair, and left in. It smells pretty strong in the bottle, but the smell does not linger in your hair once it dries. The nice thing about this recipe is that rosemary is an evergreen plant, so you can make this all year round. It MUST be refrigerated, though, or it will turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 (edited) http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/11/crisscross_coas.html I know I have posted these on a thread before, but honestly these were such a hit when my dds made them & gave them as gifts. We went to our quilt shop, bought the packages of quilt squares, gave each person a set of 4 wrapped up with a ribbon. The instructions are well explained & they are easy enough for pre-teens on up. These are cute and my kids like these type of projects but what exactly are they used for? ETA: Okay...I'm dumb. The things are called criss-cross coasters. That should have been my first clue. Edited September 25, 2012 by Trresh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in MO Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 My 14 yo DD has been making items out of colored and printed duct tape that are really cute! She has made a wallet, a couple different patterns of clutch purses, and wrapped a pen with a rose at the end. Just google for ideas. They really are cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 For the gals this fabric bracelet would be cute. I don't usually craft gifts for guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 A couple of years ago, dd and I made up decorative candles for gifts for our neighbors. Start with a 3-inch candle, and wrap with several strands of raffia, tying the ends in a bow or knot. Add a charm to one of the strands while tying the knot. Secure the raffia with a drop of glue or glue dots in several spots around the candle. Ta-da! Quick and easy gift! Of course you can make it as complicated as you want by using ribbons, beads, multiple charms, etc... But we found that we liked the simple approach, in a clear bag, tied with matching raffia. eta: Forgot to add that younger recipients should be cautioned that the candles should only be lit with the permission and help of an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 thank you for all of the ideas....not sure yet what we will do...wouldn't mind some more ideas...or websites I could look at for some ideas too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 do some beading projects. earrings, bracelets, necklaces. lots of beading supplies at craft stores and they can make up their own patterns. or make keychains or zipper pulls. there are tons of free patterns out there, and they can vary size by using different size beads. seed beads to pony beads. Here's an example. eta: with the keychains, depending upon what you choose, some are appropriate for teenage boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamarie Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I'm teaching my girls and two of their friends how to crochet. My plan is to have them make either scarves or dish rags for Christmas presents, depending on how motivated they are to keep at it. (They're 5, 7, and 9, so we'll see;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Have you checked Pinterest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 (edited) These reindeer rootbeer six-packs are cute but don't require a ton of effort. Great gift for neighbors. http://adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.blogspot.com/2010/11/handmade-gift-idea.html And we made these ornaments a couple of years ago. A big hit with close relatives but may not be the best for friends/extended family. http://www.littlebitfunky.com/2010/12/make-these-now-handprint-snowman.html Edited September 25, 2012 by trinchick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 Have you checked Pinterest? I havent' really been on that site...how do I navigate it to find what I might be looking for?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 W bought a clock kit at Walmart (though I think you can get the hands&battery part separately cheaper) that my kids painted and then put the number stickers on. My FIL loved it, and my sis-in-law requested one so we'll be doing that as her Christmas gift. It cost about $10, but it came with the working clock part, the wood base, paint, and number stickers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I havent' really been on that site...how do I navigate it to find what I might be looking for?? It's basically a visual bookmarking system you can share with friends. You can log in via your Facebook or Twitter account and see what your fellow FBers or Twitterers are pinning. You can do a search for anything--"Christmas" "Homemade Christmas" "gift ideas", etc. and then 'pin' them into different categories (I have boards for recipes, crochet, sewing, gift ideas, entertaining, homeschooling, etc.). If you find someone who consistently pins a lot of things you like, you can follow them so that the things they pin show up regularly in your feed. In fact, I usually have my feed set to JUST people I follow. You can also pick and choose which friends boards to follow. For example, if someone pins a bunch of stuff I'm not interested in, I just go to their profile and click "unfollow" under that specific board of theirs, but I can still see everything else they pin that I DO want to follow. Clear as mud? Just go try it out. It's pretty self explanatory once you're there :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 If they can get w/ the people ahead of time, it would be fun to make silhouettes (of people, their kids or grandkids, or even pets). Here's one quick & easy idea. Silhouette mason jars are cute too & you could use any design (not just people's profiles)... Or, you could do the photo part, trace onto heavy black paper, & cut it out. Then, layer it onto a printed piece of scrapbooking paper to make a card or something.... Some Pinerest silhouette ideas.... I also like the idea of homemade chocolate syrup. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 We had a great time making pompom wreaths one year. I bought a nice set of pompom makers and wire wreath frames. Great way to use up left over yarn! Here's a cute felt pin cushion tutorial (uses simple hand stitching): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Beaded napkin rings. Get that wire that is used for bracelets--the kind that spools around and around. String beads onto it. Add cloth napkins that you make from linen or cotton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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