Since my cousin and I both recently got engaged and were going to be starting our own households, my mother quietly collected all of our favorite recipes from the family and published them into personalized cookbooks using the computer. She even scanned in pictures of the people who contributed or developed the recipe as well as some of the orginal handwritten recipe cards from our grandmother and great aunt who had both passed away. Both of us were really touched, and whenever I use it, I remember the good times we had as a family at holiday meals, parties etc.

Have fun!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pinkegrl:
Or this: How to make a sock puppet II

Have fun!

[This message has been edited by Pinkegrl (edited 11-05-2003).]

---

i love the hoodies at the Gap [direct link to the monogrammed hoodies]... totally screams DIY (Lady Foot Locker has velour hoodies on sale right now, buy one get one free so 2 for $15... I'm sure you could find hoodies anywhere else.)

quote:

---

Originally posted by crowjoy:
You've reminded me about making boxers out of t-shirts.

---

How is this done? sounds like fun!

Thanks! Been looking for these...cheap

Nevermind. I didn't know there was a Corning NY. Oops

*edited because I can't spell

Originally posted in another thread:

quote:

---

Originally posted by rocyn:
I so wish I could sew. Is anyone else here a sewing spaz? I can't even sew on a button. I'm a home ec. reject!

Love the idea of the hot water bottles with covers. Saw this in Regal (Canada) recently and on ebay, would be cool to make this, but again, Cynthia no sew!

I think I'll make some of those marble magnets. Really cool. In the past, I've made Candy Cane Bath Salts (recipes all over the internet and there's no special equipment required, easy), home-made CDs, felt mitten ornaments that I'd put a candy cane inside (or you could put a couple bucks for kids or whatever). Looking for new ideas.

My parents are difficult. Can't do food or bath products for them, and they're not decorative, frilly people. Blah! They're quite outdoorsy as well. Hmmmm. Any ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by chitowngal:
What about buying a picture frame and then glueing sticks on it so that it looks all outdoorsy...and then get a picture of you and your siblings if you have any and put it in that picture frame.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by rocyn:

That's a cool idea, except I'd probably use a picture of something else. I hate being photographed. She gets quite a few photographs of my nephew and I think they're covering every horizontal surface.

I'm also thinking of doing some homemade gifts for friends this year. Looking for cool ideas for the 25 - 35 un-domesticated group. Any ideas?

---

As well, there was this fun idea that I had forgotten about, too. When I originally found this, I thought it was a brilliant idea, on a much smaller scale. Having posted that, I have to ask if anyone has any ideas for how to use my I-Zone to it's full crafting potential. I played around with making some thank you cards, once, but that's it.

Also, Martha had some good gifty ideas for your girlfriends or little girls. She does two types of headbands that I liked: this kind and this kind. Very cute. There are also some fun little beaded hair ornaments that are fun. Lots of ideas on her website, actually - everything from hair stuff to babies' "quiet books", and from flowered flops to button magnets. Very cute stuff.

quote:

---

Originally posted by emcarb:
In my reenergized efforts to find holiday gift making ideas, I remembered this page, which renewed my love of Shrinky Dinks ages ago. I tried to find the old link on the boards, but I think the digskeepers have whisked it away. It was very old, if I recall. Thought you might enjoy.

As well, there was this fun idea that I had forgotten about, too. When I originally found this, I thought it was a brilliant idea, on a much smaller scale. Having posted that, I have to ask if anyone has any ideas for how to use my I-Zone to it's full crafting potential. I played around with making some thank you cards, once, but that's it.

Also, Martha had some good gifty ideas for your girlfriends or little girls. She does two types of headbands that I liked: this kind and this kind. Very cute. There are also some fun little beaded hair ornaments that are fun. Lots of ideas on her website, actually - everything from hair stuff to babies' "quiet books", and from flowered flops to button magnets. Very cute stuff.

---

That's a great site emcarb (the first one you linked to)! For the i-Zone... do you have a sticker machine? You could use the camera to take a bunch of pictures on a theme and then make stickers sets as gifts... like if someone is into kitchy neon signs you could drive aorun town and take phots of some, then make stickers out of them. Voila.

And the shrinky dink thing... that reminds me I bought shrinky dink paper about a year ago and never used it! Off to shrinky dink now!

I think I may have to make some of the flower flip flops for my niece too... maybe for her next birthday though since it's too cold right now (and none of the stores have flip-flops anymore).

quote:

---

Originally posted by BionicGirl:
Is it for girls, boys, or a mix? You could burn some CDs with favorite tunes, give 'em a mini bottle of liquer, and make party hats. Everyone needs a party hat.

---

Cool. Like that too.

In the past, I've given bath salts. I read on one of these threads of someone doing spa baskets with homemade goods. Just an idea: instead of searching everywhere for cheap baskets, why not use new paint cans? Home Depot has them for around $2. You could label the cans as well. I've seen similar packaging on retail products for mucha moola.

Other things I have done: I made coasters this summer. I would make them for Xmas, but they're too heavy to mail and I won't be visiting anyone in person. Just buy a box of backsplash tiles in any design you want (varies in price. I used tumbled marble and they were $11 Canadian for a box of 9, but there are other far cheaper alternatives). Then buy some thin cork (also bought at Home Depot or Kent Building Supplies from a roll, you'll cut it to size at home with an x-acto knife by using the tile as a template). You'll need Five Minute Epoxy (in the glue section) and a couple leftover popsicle sticks or disposable cutlery and maybe a styrofoam tray or old meat tray (the expoxy has two parts that need to be mixed together for a minute before applying and then you can throw out your stuff when you're done.) Only mix a small amount of epoxy at a time so it doesn't dry before you have a chance to spread it on the back of the tile and cork. Use your popsicle stick or plastic knife or whatever to spread to glue mix on both parts. Wipe off excess. Leave along for 24 hours. That's it. Coasters to match any decor.

I'm really intrigued by this magnet idea. I wonder if they have strong enough magnets at Walmart? I live in a city with no craft store! I'm personally not one to put magnets on my fridge but I saw a neat magnet board idea in a magazine. Just custom paint a cookie sheet. Maybe I could make sets as gifts?

Now, if I could just break myself of procrastination, perhaps one year I'll have time to do homemade gifts for everyone before it's actually Xmas!

quote:

---

Originally posted by rocyn:
...I saw a neat magnet board idea in a magazine. Just custom paint a cookie sheet.

---

You take the person's name and go around town taking photos of all the businesses that have that person's name in their sign. So for example, the blog mentions her friend Tony's birthday and she goes around and takes pics of places like Tony's Pizza, Tony's Collision, etc. Develop them and put them in a picture frame that holds several photos. My boyfriend is totally getting one of these for his birthday. It's a totally personalized gift and seems quite simple yet really neat.

And rocyn mentioned new empty paint cans. The Jacqua company makes kits and they package them in those, which is a great idea but you could easily make them for a lot less. So you could copy their idea and make your own kits for sisters, friends, etc. My favorite is their "slumber party" set with toe separators, cuticle pushers, nail polish, some hair bands to hold your hair back, facial masks, etc. You could also add a gift certificate to Blockbuster and a bag of microwave popcorn. The Container Store sells the paint cans too, along with some other containers like Chinese take-out and regular take-out boxes, those could be used creatively also. The take-out boxes could hold smaller gift sets, like soaps, candles, Chinese take-out magnets, nail polishes, etc. And the regular boxes remind me of what you might get at a bakery, so sweet smelling bath products would go great, like brown sugar scrub, bath salts, candles, bath bombs, lip balm, etc.

And rocyn's other idea of coasters reminded me of a coaster idea I saw once. Took me a while to find it on the web since I didn't keep track of it in my "craft projects that interest me" file.

tile drink coasters with transferred images
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_furnishings_other/article/0,1793,HGTV_3433_1395390,00.html

I'm totally doing that thing with the names/pictures - for a lot of people!

Also, I thought of something that I did a few years back that I want to try again: I made stuff out of cardboard - a lamp using cardboard and 35mm negatives from snapshots I had taken over the years, and also several clocks. Here: here's a link to to HGTV, where I saw the idea on that show Treasure Makers. I didn't have the directions when I made my stuff, though, and I didn't use Mylar on my lamp - it worked fine without it. These projects were super cheap. All I had to buy were clock parts (I think they were 8 bucks at the craft store), and a lamp kit (which was also cheap at the hardware store). Cheap, but totally awesome gifts. Everyone loved me that year!

Edited because I realized the pictures of the lamp and clock are a little blurry. Do you get the idea, at least?

here is the link: http://www.megan.scatterbrain.org/notmartha/tomake/marblemagnets.html

quote:

---

Originally posted by emcarb:
I'm totally doing that thing with the names/pictures - for a lot of people!

---

For the co-workers, glass coffee mugs with their names etched onto them.
And for the girly friends, girly packages. I love the paint can packaging idea. I'm planning on filling it with sort of homemade monogrammed tank tops, cute little compact mirrors that I saw on Uncommong Goods' online store (a bit pricey, but I can splurge I think), maybe some marble magnets or pics on regular magnets, little monogrammed canvas purses, and maybe any other knick-knacks I can drum up.
No idea what to do for the boys though.

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChiefPete:
No idea what to do for the boys though.

I really liked the pictures of the names idea... but I tried this, and couldn't find enough places! Darn, I love that idea though.

---

What name are you looking for? I'm sure one of us (or several of us) have at least one place with the name you're looking for.

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChiefPete:
I really liked the pictures of the names idea... but I tried this, and couldn't find enough places! Darn, I love that idea though.

---