| People look forward to homemade gifts: | | | | Dewberry's One Stroke Painting. It's really easy to do |
| Every Christmas I've crocheted slippers for each of | | | | with a bit of practice and the results are beautiful! |
| my 5 daughters, in addition to getting them a few | | | | Need some other ideas? |
| store-purchased gifts. Last year I didn't make them and | | | | My oldest daughter makes adorable clay jewelry out |
| boy did I hear about it! I didn't realize how much they | | | | of Fimo clay. My 4th daughter is making plaid flannel |
| looked forward to their homemade slippers. (I've just | | | | scarves. My second daughter shops in thrift stores |
| completed the third pair last night. :) | | | | looking for much sought after tomes at a fraction of |
| For friends and co-workers I make dark chocolate | | | | the original price then makes handmade bookmarks |
| fudge and pack it in tins I get from the dollar store. | | | | out of ribbon and lace to go with them. A friend of |
| Around the end of September I start getting emails | | | | mine takes beautiful photographs, has some enlarged |
| and phone calls asking if I'm still going to send out my | | | | and framed then gives them to the people on his gift |
| "To-Die-For-Fudge." If I didn't, people would be sorely | | | | list. |
| disappointed! | | | | There are many sites online devoted to homemade |
| Try something new each holiday season: | | | | gift ideas. For me, the simpler the better. I try not to |
| Even if you're a pro at knitting leg warmers, it's fun to | | | | stress myself out and tackle huge or meticulous |
| try new things each year. This helps reduce boredom | | | | projects when I have a large handful of people to |
| for you and increases the recipients' eagerness, | | | | create gifts for. I always believe that crafting should be |
| wondering what you'll come up with this time around. | | | | relaxing. A natural stress reliever! |
| One new project I'm doing is to make gifts in a jar. I've | | | | Handmade gifts should be a tradition in every |
| been saving my jars all year long and looked online for | | | | household. It's not too late to start thinking of some |
| some interesting suggestions to fill them with. The best | | | | things you'd like to make for your friends and loved |
| site I found is I also plan to buy champagne glasses | | | | one. You'll save a lot of money and create memories |
| and glass plates from the dollar store and paint some | | | | that last a lifetime. |
| pretty designs on them. I got the idea from Donna | | | | |