Thinking about Christmas already

Subject: Thinking about Christmas already Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:43 pm

Today, I printed off a free pattern from http://www.patternbee.com web site that I saw in one of Karla's posts. Thanks, Karla! I'm planning on making a little apron for my 6 year old for Christmas. The pattern includes embroidery, of course. My little girl will love it. Also, I went to http://www.quiltingassistant.com and got a free quilt block pattern and instructions to start for my oldest daughter and her husband. Hope I can finish that one!

I've got it in my evening routine to spend at least 15 minutes on making Christmas gifts. I think at this date, I'll have to step that up a bit, and change my 6 year old's apron to making it while she's at school.

Are any of you making Christmas or birthday or wedding or baby shower gifts? Talk about being vintage! Making your own gifts is very vintage. ;-)

Joined : 28 Aug 2007 Posts : 5 Name : Julia

I've definitely got Christmas on my mind already but haven't a clue what projects I'll try to do. On my husband's side we do a gift exchange where all the women bring a "woman" gift and all the men bring a "man" gift, draw numbers and you get to pick accordingly. This year my woman gift is going to be a "bedside" gift package with a bedside water decanter as the main part of the gift. I thought I could embroider a pretty pillowcase and edge it with a crocheted lace, add a lavendar sachet or some kind or calming fragrance and, of course, add a few chocolates in a little bag. But beyond this gift I need to get a list going!

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:07 am

I think about Christmas pretty much year round. I belong to one or two Christmas forums too. Great places to trade ideas for the holiday.

I think this year I'm going to forego the store bought crackers. I'm not happy with the quality of them any more. Alison had a great idea in Puttery Treats about making up mini stockings with wee gifts in them for guests. Sounds good to me! This morning I got online to my favourite printer and ordered Seasonal return address labels for the Christmas cards and notes I send out.

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:53 pm

Oh my gosh! Have you seen the 'Coming Soon' Christmas planners in Brocante Home????? I am so excited I have butterflies in my tummy! I did put in a little request, but I'm sure Alison had it all figured already, of course!

Your bedside gift idea sounds absolutely beautiful Blue Apple! I love a bedside decanter, especially in the spare room for guests, but they're not so easy to find any more, I have found anyway. Good luck!

I too am making my own crackers this year (I bought up boxes of kits in last year's Jan sales!) and have been collecting little gifts throughout the year as I have come across anything suitable. It can become an expensive business though, if you're not careful. It is too tempting to buy something regardless of it's cost, just because it will fit inside a cracker! At least the items can be personal to it's recipient, and hopefully much nicer than a plastic whistle or something!

Happy planning and making everyone!

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:47 pm

Yay Christmas talk. I've decided this year to make some jars of candy cane bath salts to give away. I like to keep something around for last minute giving. Now I just have to figure out a man type of gift, any ideas?

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:12 pm

Do they play golf? If it has to be home-made, how about knitting golf club head covers??!? Or a bobble hat (it would seem it's obligatory to look silly on the golf course in the winter, trust me!). Or, in the toiletry-type line, how about some sort of aromatherapy muscle rub balm/oils for aching sportsmen? Or even the bathsalts, for a hot soak, with a more manly fragrance would go down well I'm sure - just package them differently from the girls'.

How about home-made sloe gin? Or flavoured tipples? My Mum made a very nice lime gin for me once, and I've seen you can make blackberry gin somewhere....

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:35 pm

I often make pomanders - scented balls to hang amongst your clothes to scent the air delicately and deter moths - been in use for at least six hundred years!

Take an orange. A round one preferably. Put two strip of masking tape round it to make a cross at top and bottom, quartering it. Use a cocktail stick or knitting needle to pierce all the showing skin and put cloves in the holes. Take off the tape. Put pretty ribbon round where the tape went and either tie or stitch in place, with a pin top and bottom to keep it in place. Use enough ribbon for a hanging loop or longer ties. Leave for a few weeks (I just leave mine near a radiator and turn
them regularly). Many recipes say to roll in powdered orris root but I
don't bother. They shrink a bit and go hard but smell deliciously clovey-orangey, very Christmassy!

Kids love making them too. I made them when I was tiny and still make them now.

laura

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:02 pm

How lovely Laura. These would be really nice on the Xmas tree too I think?!

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:44 pm

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that! I always make our house really trad at Christmas as it's an old Victorian one full of dark wooden panelling and stained glass and real fireplaces, so lots of real ivy, fir, yew, holly and a real tree 9 foot tall - tiny clementines done as pomanders would be gorgeous, with scarlet ribbon and bows... oh lovely!

Thanks for that!

laura

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:14 am

No problem!

Your home sounds absoulutely beautiful Laura - the Christmas house of my dreams. As much as I always look forward to Xmas, I am a bit apprehensive this year, as we have TWO new-ish kittens, who already try climbing and destroying the houseplants - a Christmas tree stands no chance! So I'm not quite sure what to do! I am already jealous of your 9ft real one (aah, the benefit of high Victorian ceilings....)!

I cannot imagine Christmas without my beloved tree (we also now have a vintage piano where it would usually go - oops!) so will have to come up with some sort of ingenious plan. A table top version perhaps??? Oh, I want to sob at the thought!

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:00 pm

I made orange pommanders before but they went horribly mouldy after a short while, how do i prevent this, would cooking them in the oven to dry out work do you think? I also want to slice some oranges and thread on a string, what is the bestest way to dry oranges?
Holly, how do you make your candy cane bath salts?
If anyone has any recipes to make scrumptious cosmeatics, I would love it if you would share it with me.
Im thinking about making cinder toffee and giving it away at christmas, with homemade mince pies and maybe home bottled cranberry juice.

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:12 pm

Melanie,

That would be this bit of my post above: "Leave for a few weeks (I just leave mine near a radiator and turn them regularly)."

If you don't let them dry for a few weeks but hang them too soon in an enclosed space, then yes they would go mouldy.

I'd be cautious about home-bottled cranberry juice if you're not very experienced with preserving - botulism is fatal!!!

laura

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:07 pm

Sorry laura, Ive been nursing a hangover all day (too much red wine last night) and so have been dozy, obviously missed that part about the pommanders.
I have preserved before, but thanks I will be careful

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:08 pm

Has anyone got their Christmas PLanner yet?! I'm an eager-beaver I know...

Thank you Alison! Have just printed them off in all their organisational glory. I understand why you charge a nominal amount for them (after all, we got all the other's free - a girl's got to make a living!) as putting it all together must be time consuming and hard work. A good job well done though!

Now all I've got to do is find a suitable way of keeping them all together in some sort of folder type fashion, but in keeping with the Brocante/Xmas theme - any suggestions please anyone???

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:40 pm

With the children grown and gone and the vagaries that are the mood of the moment with Kev's family (don't ask), Christmas is a much simpler affair for us now. He takes a big chunk of his vacation allotment then, so we like it low key and congenial

The door is open to all comers from Christmas Eve to New Years Eve. There's food and drink available. If you get a bit too tiddly, well there's two sofas you can chose from to safely pass the night on. If we aren't home when you stop by, don't let that put you off coming round again.

The decorations go up right after Advent and come down New Year's Day. Gift giving is simple too. Let's face it, most adults have more than enough "stuff". I find gift certificates work well with Kev's family (mine are on the other side of the Atlantic) ie: to a favourite restaurant or for a pampering treatment, Amazon or other favoured retailer. I got some odd looks, and no thanks, for the handmade massage oil baskets I did one year (I'm an aromatherapist), so I haven't tried that since.

It does bother me sometimes how the mention of the Holidays more often than not triggers reactions ranging from rolled eyes to verbal outbursts that can't be reproduced here. I think Christmas is a wonderful time of year and pay no attention at all to the commercialism.
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