Homemmade holiday gift ideas

I have been knitting hats for a month.
Someone I work with is making cookies in a jar- does anyone have any great recipes for them?

I have made bath milk, you use buttermilk powder and essential oils and let them sit in a mason jar for a week or so before portioning them out into whichever gift container you are using.

 

What's Bath Milk? And what are cookies in a jar?

 

I'm crocheting toques and scarves, sewing flannel pj's and housecoats for most of my family. I pressed some hemp leaves and I'm framing them on a background of hand made paper for some of our closest friends. I'll also make a bunch of fudge, truffles and other goodies for everyone. I hope that I'll have enough time to make my Christmas cards as well.

 

i'm doing tye dyed hoodies and i'm going to do some embroidery on them for my good friends..

 

I'm going to make jewelry for my friends, just simple stuff like necklaces.

For my grandparents we are putting together a hamper of seasonal food we've made ourselves (mince pies, jellies etc) and some bought items.

Might make some sweets for my family, just whatever they like that is easy to make (fudge, coconut ice, truffles etc)

 

HADLEYCHICK - I don't have a specific recipe for it, but another great idea that is similar to cookies in a jar is beer bread in a jar, so that the person recieving the gift just adds a bottle (12 oz.) of beer and then bakes and then ta-da! they have bread!

 

cookies in a jar is cool. You get a jar add cookie recipe ingredients so it look layered and put a not inside or on the outside that says waht to add and how long to bake and there you have cookies ready to make.

I have made zen gardens for people. At the craft store you can buy the colored sand and a wooden thing to put it in and rocks you can get anyplace....then I wrappped hemp around a baby fork and used that as the rake..I added some cool stiff to it like painded a quote on it etc.

fleece (sp?) is really easy to sew with you can make pants or anything with it.

for kids.... get a hula hoop then go to the fabric store and buy some really see through soft or silky fabric sew the fabric so you can slid it onto the hoop so that the fabric falls long away from the hoop. hang it up with rope to the ceeling put a bean bag or pillows inside your kids will love to sit inside it like a tent or a hiding spot. You can also make tunnles using hula hoops and fabric.

 

Fabulous hula hoop suggestion!! I am definitely going to do that one. I thought this would be a Halloween thread, cause I am almost done making costumes! A bat for my four-yr-old boy and a cat for my 1-yr-old girl.
For Xmas I like to make scrapbooks that have some pages of pictures of my family and pretty blank pages so they can add their pictures, too.

 

you can make some really cool ones using different colors and ribbons too. Cool thing is that since it's winter that fabric will most likely be on sale

 

A body salt scrub is cheap and easy to make.

Just get a nice coarse sea salt, add a few drops of essential oils, like peppermint, sweet orange, bergamot, etc, and mix well. You can make vats and bottle them up prettily with a raffia bow. Add a bath sponge and an after bath lotion (or cocobutter cream) in a basket. Peppermint is especially nice fr tired feet.

Cocobutter cream is easy to make too, and a little goes a long way.
Grate and 1/4 cup cocobutter in an ovenproof glass baking dish, 1 teaspoon almond oil, 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil, and one teaspoon sesame oil. Heat gently until cocobutter is melted in oven. stir, and put in clean glass jar. (Makes about 2 ounces).

 

what about gifts for guys??

 

For Dad

Buy a pair of plain white boxers and have your child make handprints on them. Write "I'm a Hip Dad" with a paint pen.

The Armchair Quarterback Survival Kit
Get a new, empty paint can from the hardware store. Fill it with snacks that store well, like pepperoni sticks, popcorn, chips, Slim Jims, a gift certificate for pizza and beer, etc. Make a "Bad Call Brick" he can throw at the TV by soaking a sponge in watered down brick coloured paint and squeezing it dry. Dry in the dryer to make it more dense. Decorate the can with fabric in the colours of his team and glue on logos.

A fabric holder that goes over their favourite armchair, with pockets for the remote control, TV Guide, and their bottles of soda or water.

A "manly" throw pillow in team coloured fabric or other "manly" fabrics, like corderouy.

Homemade men's cologne, using essential oils. This recipe is good for relieving stress and fatigue;
Add
3 drops bergamot
2 drops frankincense
3 drops cedarwood
to 1/2 pint 70 proof vodka or alcohol into a clean, dry glass jar.
Shake well and store for a week. Put into a spray bottle and give it a manly name. Experiment with other oils, for scent and healing qualities, and the guy's personality. Citrus is always nice for manly men, too.

Shaving Basket

Almond Oil Shaving Cream
1/4 cup stearic acid powder
2 tbsp almond oil
1 cup hot water
1 tsp borax
2 Tbsp grated soap (Castile is th best)

Melt the stearic acid and oil in a double boiler until it's clear. Mix the hot water, borax and soap until soap is completely dissolved. Put in a blender and blend for one minute. Slowly pour the stearic acid mix into the blender and blend until a smooth cream. Pour into a clean, dry jar (mason jars are nice and manly) and cool completely before covering, or a large coffee mug with a plastic lid.
To use, soften beard with warm water and apply cream.

Aftershave;
1/2 cup witch hazel
2 Tbs 70 proof Vodka
2 tbs dried chamomile flowers

Mix all ingredients into a clean, dry jar. Cover tightly and store for 15 days in a cool, dark place. Strain through a funnel lined with a coffee filter into a bottle. Dsicard solids. Splash on after shaving.

Put the shaving cream, aftershave and cologne into a basket, buy a shaving brush to apply shave cream and a matching mug to stand it in. Buy stickers and print on the computer the names you chose for your products, with list of ingredients or "Specialty Products Made Especially For You By________"

 

Where is Matt In Vegas with the cookie recipes!

 

Those were all very cute ideas.

I have made him pants..frisbee golf bag etc before too. I like the bad call brick that was funny. I might have to do that bucket for my dad.

 

Baby Oil

Infuse dried lavender flowers or dried chamomile flowers in a base oil, (light olive oil, sesame oil, almond oil) in a clear, dry glass jar. Let sit in a window for 2 weeks. Strain into a squeeze bottle.

Baby Wash Bags
Combine Lavander bud powder, chamomile powder, fine colloidal oatmeal, cornstarch, and a few drops jojoba oil in a big mixing bowl. Make little bags out of unbleached muslin (about the size of the palm your hand) and fill halfway with powder. Use the bags as a soap alternative for baby's bath.

Diaper Ointment

16 oz sweet almond oil
8 oz shea butter
8 oz jojoba oil
4.5 oz virgin coconut oil
4.5 oz beeswax
2 drops calendula absolute
Melt together ina double boiler, add tea tree oil, lavender oil, and chamomile oils. Stir well and pour into clean, dry jars. Coole completely before covering.

 

I have some soap recipies and stuff I'll post them later

 

candies::

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordials

Melt your chocolate and plop a blob in a mold, use a small paintbrush to coat the mold - this is the outside of your cherry.
Put the mold in the fridge for THREE MINUTES - no more! If you chill for too long, the mold cracks and then you have leaks.
The inside is just fondant powder mixed with maraschino cherry juice till sort of between semi-thick and runny;
Plop a chery in (store cherries are usually too big...can usually get smaller ones at candy store)
Then you plop more chocolate on top and brush to seal the edges so you dont have leaks.
Chill for until solid, and they pop out of the mold. if they don't pop or fall out, you need to chill a bit longer.
Let them sit about a week before giving them away or EATING them.
Up

Chocolate Crème De Mints

2 c Milk Chocolate Chips;Nestles
1/4 c Sour Cream
2 1/2 T Mint Flavored Liqueur

Melt over hot (not boiling) water, milk chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Blend in sour cream. Stir in mint flavored liqueur. Transfer to a small bowl. Chill until thickened, about 30 minutes. Fill pastry bag fitted with decorative tip; pipe 1-inch candies onto foil-lined cookie sheets. Chill until ready to serve.

Up

Chocolate Raisen Truffles

250 g pure chocolate

250 g white chocolate

5 cl Grand Marnier

1/8 l fresh cream

50 g raisins

50 g cocoa butter

100 g milk chocolate

Preparation time:

3 days to soak the raisins

20 minutes

1 hour for cooling

Soak the raisins in Grand Marnier for three days. Fold a bit of aluminum foil around a stick. Melt the pure chocolate. Gently dip the sticks in the chocolate to form a little container. Put them on fat free paper. Make the other chocolate containers and save some pure chocolate. Cook the cream and melt the white chocolate. Mix the cream and chocolate and add Grand Marnier after cooling. Remove the aluminum from the chocolate and put a few raisins in each of them. The white filling -the experts call it 'ganache'- goes in. Melt the milk chocolate and mix with the cocoa powder. Put this mixture over the white ganache. Decorate your chocolates with the remainder of the pure chocolate.

Up



Rich Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles

2 1/2 c Vanilla wafers, crushed
1 c Almonds, toasted & ground
1/2 c Powdered sugar, sifted
2 ts Cinnamon
6 oz Chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1/2 c Pumpkin (canned)
1/3 c Coffee liqueur
1/4 c Powdered sugar, sifted

*Note: Apple juice may be substituted for coffee liqueur if desired.

In medium bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, ground almonds, the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Blend in chocolate, pumpkin, and coffee liqueur. Form into 1-inch balls. Chill. Dust with remaining powdered sugar just before serving.

Up



White Chocolate-Coffee Truffles

3/4 c Whipping cream

1 tb of Instant espresso or coffee powder

14 oz of white choc., (finely chopped)

2 tb of Kahlua

Dipping chocolate:

1 lb of White chocolate, very finely chopped

2 ts of Vegetable oil

3 tb of Choc.-covered coffee beans, (finely chopped)

Making the truffles: In a medium sized saucepan, bring the espresso powder and cream to a boil. pour the chocolate over and whisk until melted. Then whisk in the Kahlua. Refrigerate until chilled & firm. With a tablespoon, place pieces of the choc. onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate to firm; roll into balls and refrigerate again for around 30 min.

Preparing the dipping chocolate: In the top of a double boiler set over hot water, place the choc. and oil. stir until melting point. Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Then continue to stir until the choc. has cooled & reaches a temp. of 90 deg. F.

Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with aluminum foil. Dip each candy center into the melted chocolate, shaking off the excess and place on baking sheet. When you have dipped a row of candies, top each with a little of the chocolate- covered coffee bean. Before each dipping, stir the chocolate vigorously with your fingers. If the centers become too soft, chill for about 30 minutes. Let the candies sit for around 2 hrs. before storing in the refrigerator. If the centers start to come through the bottoms of the chocolates, as often happens with soft mixtures, dip the bottoms again in melted & cooled chocolate.

 

http://www.glasspaintingmaterials.co.uk/shop/paints-lightbulb.asp the only site on the net i have found light bulb paint

 

http://www.hutchal.clara.net/curtains/beanbag.htm bean bag chairs pattern if you need one...also you can get the bean bag popcorn online places as well

 

Sugar Scrub
Ingredients

50 percent white cane sugar (note that organic sucanat, while the best choice for food, doesn't work as well for this recipe)
50 percent vegetable glycerin to moisten the sugar (I used avocado oil since I was out of vegetable glycerin --as is my health food store-- and it proved to be a successful substitute)
small amounts of aloe vera gel, vitamin C crystals, or anything healing that dissolves in water
1 or two drops of essential oil if desired (Larry recommends combining orange and lavender)
enough ground hibiscus powder for pink color (if desired)
Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Scoop some of the scrub onto your hand and massage gently onto your skin for a minute (the scrub will actually tighten onto your skin like a masque). Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before rinsing.