Home made Christmas Presents

[sleepyowl]

How many people are making Christmas presents this year & what are they making?

[Loobyloo]

I'm making little boxes of treats for my friends (families stuff still has to be bought damn it) Inside are going to be little bags of spiced ginger biscuits, shortbread, tablet, and tasty roasted mixed nuts. As well as this they'll be getting an aloe baby (got to get rid of them all somehow) and depending on time/ inclination I might try to make pumpkin and apple Jam and/or onion marmalade too.

I just hope that I'm not giving myself too much to do at the last minute and that I'll get to give everyone their presents before they all go off to see family otherwise the biscuits will go to waste and they won't get so much.

[Silver Ether]

The Yule gifts I shall give are mini wheat bags, small enough to pop into pockets, reusable shopping bags, homemade, knitted bags,hats,scarves. Not perfected the socks yet.
There will also be chutneys, Jams, making onion marmalade as I type... Eggs pickled in red wine vinegar, afew specials of rasberry vinegar that I made earlier in the year. Home made books containing my visualisations and WRs poems. I suppose the list will arrive from the kids soon with the DVD/CDs they want shame that just when I was doing so well

[vegbox-recipes]

Reckon it'll be wheat-free organic fruit and vegetable cakes and biscuits, and some framed copies of nature photos taken in the last year, or maybe homemade calendars using the photos if I managed to take enough for each season - haven't checked yet!

[growingthings]

Little boxes of homemade chocolates, as I have some really easy recipes for these and the Tallest can lend a hand.
Pumpkin and Spiced Apple chutney - made last year so more than ready to be eaten.
OH has the compulsory pair of socks.
Christmas tree decorations, edible and non. (these are good gifts for Tallests playmates.)
Crocheted and knittted fash/dish cloths (also quick and easy)

I tend to find that the foodie things are more readily welcomed than the more 'homemade' items, esp for friends. Which is good as I really enjoy making them and they make the kitchen smell wonderful!

Lorna x

[jim]

Curry kits ....

Small labelled jars of of my own mixes for korma, tikka masala, madras. Small labelled bags of dessicated coconut, ground almond. (Ingredients available from Akrams' spice market. I'm sure most towns have a similar shop nearby.)
Printed recipes on laminated card for using above, complete with recipe for duplicating the curry mix when these have run out. (Word processors have a lot to answer for!)
All put together in a suitably decorated, small, recycled box with a personalized label on the lid.

"Gor bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim.

Love and Peace
Jim

[Rosendula]

I've never made Christmas presents before but I'm doing a few small things for my children. I'm printing off lots and lots of colouring pages for Katie and I've made her some 'find the pairs' cards which we can also use to play Snap. For the two teenagers I'm going to have a go at making some sort of chocolates - not sure what sort yet. I think I need to wait until nearer the time though so they don't go off(?) I might make some for Richard, too.

I know it's not much, but a lot more than I've ever done before

[red]

knitting some socks and hats
made some cloth handkerchiefs
liqueurs mostly done - got vanilla on the go at the mo
prolly make some cookies etc nearer the time
might make some candles

[Rosendula]

Home made books containing my visualisations and WRs poems.

Just read this. I used to write poetry for Richard when we first met, and for his 30th birthday (10 years ago!!!!) I typed them all up and printed them and bound them for him. He seemed very pleased with it.

[theabsinthefairy]

Yep - homemade pressies all the way this year - family and friends.

knitted things - brooches, scarves, hats
homemade bead jewelry and key rings
lavender infused candles
lavender herbal satchets


alongside homemade cards, and homemade table decorations and tree ornaments (had lots of white ducks this year -so lots of white feather balls, boas, and dangly decorations).

I love to make edible treats but so difficult to get them over to the UK where we still have friends and family so I tend to keep those for the new friends we have found here. Chutneys and jams - garlic and chillies under oil, shortbreads and biscuits - yummy - making my mouth water just thinking about them!

[Silver Ether]

Home made books containing my visualisations and WRs poems.

Just read this. I used to write poetry for Richard when we first met, and for his 30th birthday (10 years ago!!!!) I typed them all up and printed them and bound them for him. He seemed very pleased with it.

I did that for mines birthday a couple of years back and bound it in a leather.. then I bought some woodlast trust trees and we went to the wood and I gave him the book thereand his trees ... he was delighted.

[mrsflibble]

i have given two relatives hampers so far. small wire basket with a jar of jam, a jar of chutney, some hand made soap (not made by me lol!) and some cotton crocheted cloths. one hamper then had sweets added cos i dont know if the recipients drink, and the other has a bottle of woodland hooch (vodka cream liqueur flavoured with hip, hawe and blackberry) cos i know it will be much appreciated hahaha!

after my jam jar amnesty this week i have got 12 jars with lids so will be doing some pickled onions tomo (theyve been peeled and are just brine-ing right now) if i can get out and get some vinegar, and some chutney too if i go get apples too. sophs not well though so i may have to send james out for the stuff instead.

i'll be doing some mroe jam too if i can get jars lol!

[Russian Doll]

Curry kits ....

Small labelled jars of of my own mixes for korma, tikka masala, madras. Small labelled bags of dessicated coconut, ground almond. (Ingredients available from Akrams' spice market. I'm sure most towns have a similar shop nearby.)
Printed recipes on laminated card for using above, complete with recipe for duplicating the curry mix when these have run out. (Word processors have a lot to answer for!)
All put together in a suitably decorated, small, recycled box with a personalized label on the lid.

"Gor bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim.

Love and Peace
Jim

oh wow please please can i o on your xmas list that sounds amazing


mrs f i have more jars hun

[Cassiepod]

Jars fo jellies and pickles and home brew for family given that I can hand carry them south this time rather than post them. Knitted stole for my sister who's coming from a brazilian summer to a scottish winter....I'm dead excited about Christmas this year, I'm travelling so much just now that I've had to plan it extra early whcih has actully been fun!

[mrsflibble]

mrs f i have more jars hun

yay ta honey! I'll pick them up friday.