2009 Christmas Challenge.

**Debbie-cat** · 01-13-2009, 09:57 PM

Finished with my first homemade Christmas gift today. A hat and scarf set for a friend of mine. I hope she likes it!

**Maine Girl** · 01-14-2009, 08:52 AM

Very good debbie!!! Don't you feel good!!!

**kmonokwe** · 01-14-2009, 09:57 AM

I've finally finished one of my overdue Christmas 2008 scarves! Yay! Now to finish the second one, and then I'll be on to Christmas 09!

**Kaos Kitty** · 01-18-2009, 01:51 PM

I finally had a chance to shop the January Christmas deals and get my gifts ready for Christmas 2009. Just remember I live in Canada where everything is almost twice as much! Here's this weeks deals:

Spray snow with 10 Christmas templates: 29 cents (reg. $2.99)
2 fancy mini stockings to hold gift cards: 29 cents each (reg. $2.99)
1 stuffed penguin that holds a gift card in his hat: $1.00 (reg. 8.99)
8 rolls wrapping paper: 98 cents (reg. $6.49)
3 rolls, gold, green, red foil wrapping paper: 60 cents (reg. $5.99)
8 large silky/tasseled wine bags in gold and burgundy: 99 cents each (regular $9.99 each)
10 copper cookie cutters 39 cents each (reg. $3.99 each)

I avoided buying Christmas cards, despite the good deals because the few I need I can make from last years cards.

Family Gifts: Just in the past month and half I've earned 1000 Airmiles points (about $120 in GC's) and 100,000 Bay points ($10 GC) to use for gift cards (which is why I bought the fancy card holders).

Family gifts: We bought a wine making kit this year and are going to make our own wine. So, many on our list will get wine or port ($2-$5 bottle) in a fancy wine bag as part of their gift.

Work Gifts: I also have some very fancy cookie cutters to make cookies with and will add the copper cookie cutter to each bag of cookies.

So, out of 22 family members to buy for, I've have all or most of a gift for 11 of them, plus various work people gifts done.

Oh - I spent a little over $1000 in 2008 for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries and various holidays. This years goal is $600 for everything. I'm saving $50/month.

**joyofsix** · 01-18-2009, 02:55 PM

Hopefully this week I can go through the bazillion bookmarks I've got and pick what I'm going to make so as to get started. I've found so many cool projects. And found even more blogs to waste time on.

**Debbie-cat** · 01-18-2009, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Kaos Kitty

I finally had a chance to shop the January Christmas deals and get my gifts ready for Christmas 2009. Just remember I live in Canada where everything is almost twice as much! Here's this weeks deals:

Spray snow with 10 Christmas templates: 29 cents (reg. $2.99)
2 fancy mini stockings to hold gift cards: 29 cents each (reg. $2.99)
1 stuffed penguin that holds a gift card in his hat: $1.00 (reg. 8.99)
8 rolls wrapping paper: 98 cents (reg. $6.49)
3 rolls, gold, green, red foil wrapping paper: 60 cents (reg. $5.99)
8 large silky/tasseled wine bags in gold and burgundy: 99 cents each (regular $9.99 each)
10 copper cookie cutters 39 cents each (reg. $3.99 each)

I avoided buying Christmas cards, despite the good deals because the few I need I can make from last years cards.

Family Gifts: Just in the past month and half I've earned 1000 Airmiles points (about $120 in GC's) and 100,000 Bay points ($10 GC) to use for gift cards (which is why I bought the fancy card holders).

Family gifts: We bought a wine making kit this year and are going to make our own wine. So, many on our list will get wine or port ($2-$5 bottle) in a fancy wine bag as part of their gift.

Work Gifts: I also have some very fancy cookie cutters to make cookies with and will add the copper cookie cutter to each bag of cookies.

So, out of 22 family members to buy for, I've have all or most of a gift for 11 of them, plus various work people gifts done.

Oh - I spent a little over $1000 in 2008 for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries and various holidays. This years goal is $600 for everything. I'm saving $50/month.

You did great! Good for you.

**Kaos Kitty** · 01-19-2009, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

Finished with my first homemade Christmas gift today. A hat and scarf set for a friend of mine. I hope she likes it!

Good job finishing your hat and scarf set! I keep trying to learn how to knit/crochet but I can't get my sister to sit down long enough to teach me!

**McD** · 02-10-2009, 07:43 PM

I am SO in this challenge!! I have approximately 300$ in the Christmas Club and will continue adding 100$ a month.

Also, I found some really great deals at an antique mall this weekend.

I found a set of Indian salt and pepper shakes for 2.25, an Indian pitcher for 2.50, and a 3 piece set of Indian salt and pepper shakers (two Indians sitting in a a canoe) for 14.99. Those will be for my daddy.

I bought my grampa an Indian bust for 5$.

I bought my gramma a Moss Rose perfume bottle for 12$.

It's a good start I think.

**Debbie-cat** · 02-10-2009, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by MrsMcDowell

I am SO in this challenge!! I have approximately 300$ in the Christmas Club and will continue adding 100$ a month.

Also, I found some really great deals at an antique mall this weekend.

I found a set of Indian salt and pepper shakes for 2.25, an Indian pitcher for 2.50, and a 3 piece set of Indian salt and pepper shakers (two Indians sitting in a a canoe) for 14.99. Those will be for my daddy.

I bought my grampa an Indian bust for 5$.

I bought my gramma a Moss Rose perfume bottle for 12$.

It's a good start I think.

They sound like great deals!

**mauimagic** · 03-04-2009, 05:57 PM

I love thinking about and working on Christmas throughout the year - really puts me in a good mood. Just read the last few postings and as soon as I can I want to read them all!!

Glad I found you. During Christmas break I made a lot of scrubbers out of nylon net and dishcloths out of cotton yarn. Need to do counts to make sure I know what I have.

Does anyone know where to get dish towel fabric - think it was once called flour sacking?

Glad to meet you all!!

**madhen** · 03-04-2009, 09:42 PM

I am woefully behind, but I have lots of yarn to play with!!

**kmonokwe** · 03-05-2009, 10:16 AM

Well it is already March, and I'm still catching up. After working for months and months on projects for other people, I went a little crazy on projects for myself. My lacy scarf (FO), my sweater (WIP), and my Dashing fingerless gloves (WIP)...I need to regroup, finish things up, and get a solid idea of what my Christmas 2009 goal is!

**Lady_V** · 03-05-2009, 10:40 AM

It's March -- when did it become March??? I'm WAY behind schedule

only 295 days until the holidays :faint:

Part of me wants to start the mindless projects (scarves, neck warmers - stuff I don't have to count) but, the other part of me wants to start the detailed stuff.

I have added a few more things to the gift closet... but not much, we really ARE trying to slim down the gifts this year.

**madhen** · 03-05-2009, 10:42 AM

I've experimented a bit with the various knitting projects, and I've not been happy enough with the results to consider giving them away as presents. So I'm still in the "drafting" stage.

**Debbie-cat** · 03-05-2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by madhen

I've experimented a bit with the various knitting projects, and I've not been happy enough with the results to consider giving them away as presents. So I'm still in the "drafting" stage.

I am the same madhen. I have been trying so many different projects and have so many ideas, I need to tighten up, make them perfect and then they can go out as gifts. With all the new ideas on this site I am afraid I won't have enough people to give to with all the new things I am making!