Handmade Christmas

**Peaches** · 11-17-2009, 12:32 AM

I've decided that this year I'm going to make nearly all the Christmas gifts I give. I did this to a lesser degree last year, but I decided to really go for it this year. Not everything will be handmade (I can't make Buzz Lightyear!), but we don't give alot of gifts (just our own kids, our neice and our best friends and their kids). My kids will be getting other things. This is just the handmade stuff:

DS: New playdough to replace his old, dried out Play-doh. I've recycled the containers and I'll try to make colours that are the same as the lids; socks.

DD: A giant soap cake and a scarf and hat.

Neice: Mittens (she snowboards) and a bottle of sloe gin.

BF Kid 1: 15 year old boy. He's tough! I could use some ideas here, actually.

BF Kid 2: 12 year old girl. A shrug and a gingerbread man soap.

BF Kid 2: 9 year old girl. A scarf and hat and a gingerbread man soap.

BF: An offshoot from my aloe plant, repotted in a pot that matches her kitchen; a basket of jams and jellies from our garden, and peppermint bark.

Mom in U.S.A.: Photos of the kids in nice (inexpensive!) frames (she's always pestering me for more photos).

It's not that we can't afford to buy gifts- we can, and we will buy some. But to me Christmas isn't about how much money you spend. I don't know if they'll appreciate these gifts, but they've come from my heart with a lot of thought and love.

**Palooka** · 11-17-2009, 12:48 AM

This sounds wonderful! What is a soap cake?

I think I'm doing some homemade candles for the MIL.

**nadine64** · 11-17-2009, 12:52 AM

Your gifts sound wonderful. Wish my family was more into that. With husband's side of family it's all about the $$$$, which we don't have, so we don't participate.

**militlady** · 11-17-2009, 01:10 AM

I was reading this thread and had an inspiration. My husband rotates gift giving with his brothers and sisters. This year we have his oldest brother. He lost his wife a couple years ago and doesn't cook very well. I am going to make him a month of dinners that go in his freezer so all he has to do is take them out and nuke em and eat. I need to be kind of careful on the sugar content because he is borderline diabetic. Any suggestions for what to put in the meals?

**Peaches** · 11-17-2009, 01:10 AM

Originally Posted by Palooka

What is a soap cake?

Something like this:

She saw one when we went to the warehouse club a couple of weeks ago and oohed and aahed over it. I make soap, so I thought I'd make her one. She's away this weekend, so it's the perfect time to git 'er done!

**pollypurebred39** · 11-17-2009, 01:13 AM

Peaches, I'd love to be your BF. Her gift sounds divine!

**Peaches** · 11-17-2009, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by nadine64

Your gifts sound wonderful. Wish my family was more into that. With husband's side of family it's all about the $$$$, which we don't have, so we don't participate.

I read last year in Amy D's CTWG that you don't have to conform to other people's value systems. She said something like, "If other people don't like it, it's their problem." That was my inspiration. Last year's gifts were really well received (it was BF and her kids that I was worried about - my own kids like my handmade stuff, and neice likes anything that involves booze!

). So this year I decided to do it again, be a bit more organized and plan ahead. My kids get so much stuff from other family members, that my husband and I just don't spend a fortune on them. I mean, how much stuff does a kid need?

**Palooka** · 11-17-2009, 01:15 AM

Originally Posted by Peaches

Something like this:

She saw one when we went to the warehouse club a couple of weeks ago and oohed and aahed over it. I make soap, so I thought I'd make her one. She's away this weekend, so it's the perfect time to git 'er done!

OMG! I want! I want to make that too.

that is so cute. Is it hard to make? I know nothing about soapmaking but sounds so cool. how old is your daughter?

**Peaches** · 11-17-2009, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by militlady

I was reading this thread and had an inspiration. My husband rotates gift giving with his brothers and sisters. This year we have his oldest brother. He lost his wife a couple years ago and doesn't cook very well. I am going to make him a month of dinners that go in his freezer so all he has to do is take them out and nuke em and eat. I need to be kind of careful on the sugar content because he is borderline diabetic. Any suggestions for what to put in the meals?

I think this is an exceptional idea. My FIL is on his own (MIL passed away 9 years ago), but he likes to cook and cooks really well, so there's no point. *shrug*

I would think really hard about what he likes to eat, and make a series of dishes based on that. Casseroles or soups, maybe?

**Peaches** · 11-17-2009, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by Palooka

OMG! I want! I want to make that too.

that is so cute. Is it hard to make? I know nothing about soapmaking but sounds so cool. how old is your daughter?

She's 12.

The easiest way to make a soap cake is to use a pre-made soap base. It can be done with cold process soap, but it would take a long time (setting and curing), whereas with pre-made soap base, it could probably be done in a weekend. If you really want to have a go, I think the best place to get M&P base is at Brambleberry.

These are the gingerbread men that I made from an M&P base:

**pollypurebred39** · 11-17-2009, 01:25 AM

Oh too cute!!!!

**militlady** · 11-17-2009, 01:28 AM

Peaches, Those soaps are soooo cool. I wish I could make something like that. I have a toddler running around and he gets into everything. He even can climb on the counters. He is just such a monkey. lol

Thanks for the ideas on the meals.

**frugalfranny** · 11-17-2009, 02:13 AM

Originally Posted by militlady

I need to be kind of careful on the sugar content because he is borderline diabetic. Any suggestions for what to put in the meals?

Peaches....what great ideas! For the 15 yo......how about something in the food line??? Can you think of something that he really likes to eat. I mean, aren't teenagers ALWAYS eating?

ML.......don't forget bread too. Super easy with a bread machine and LITERALLY EVERYONE I have given it to really likes it.

When I was doing meals for my dad....one of his favorites was roast. I found that if I put the gravy over everything....it protected it while in the freezer. I even put 'tatties in the tray and put gravy on them.

A bit pricey....but watch for sales......and ziploc makes (or used to...haven't done this for a couple years) sectioned plates with a lid that are just super handy when it comes to freezing meals. And they go from the freezer to defrost and cook in the micro easy.

**AnW819** · 11-17-2009, 05:52 AM

Holy cow!!! LOVE the soap cakes!!!

**vickilynn** · 11-17-2009, 07:21 AM

One more scarf and the hm gifts are finished....then I saw a pattern for fleece mittens and thought ...fast and easy....making a pair for the h,d,s,sil, grands....be fun to all open at the same time...last year that same gift was socks......took pictures of our feet.....