FUN GIFTS TO MAKE ~ EASY ON THE BUDGET ~ GREAT TO RECEIVE!
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
When you give a handmade gift, made with your own hands and mind, you are giving a part of yourself, and I find people especially love to receive something using your own natural talents, whatever they may be. If you are skilled in woodworking, ceramics, poetry, writing, calligraphy, photography, music, painting, cooking, organizing, gardening, crafts, sewing, knitting or crocheting, use your talents in gift-giving. Some gifts could be given in the form of a coupon to do later, according to the desires of the person receiving the gift.
Check on the Internet or go to the library and search out more ideas. Think about some sewing and craft items you could make "assembly line style" for a number of family members and friends - something more than one person would enjoy. There are countless Christmas ornaments you and your family could make together to give to friends and neighbors.
BATH SALTS
Mix well and heat until mixture thickens. Roll into ball and chill. When cold, roll out mixture about 1/4" or a tiny bit thinner. Cut into cookie cutter shapes. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheets. Decorate with glitter, beads, sequins, poster paints, nail polish, old jewelry, felt, another color of ceramic dough or any scraps. Be sure to make tiny holes with a large needle for hanging or insert a paper clip while wet. These make wonderful Christmas ornaments that last for years if packed away carefully in a cool, dry place. I have some ornaments that I made which will soon hang on our tree for the 38th year - still in great condition! My favorites are gingerbread men, hobby horses, Christmas trees, angels, sleighs, bells. A candy cane can be made by twisting two "snakes" together with the colors already mixed into the dough. The pastel colors in mine didn't even fade. An ornament is nice to give to friends. Everyone loves an unexpected gift! A box of these handmade ornaments makes a nice wedding gift, since most newlyweds don't have ornaments when they get married.
CAKE CANDLES
You can make beautiful candles in your kitchen! Buy several 1 # boxes of paraffin in the canning department of your grocery store (about $1.39).
Each candle will take all four slabs in a 1 # box, plus some extra melted paraffin.
*Melt several 1/4 # slabs of paraffin in a double boiler. A large coffee can of paraffin immersed in a pan of hot water on a medium burner will work fine and the wax will not ruin your pan.
*Use a small amount of melted paraffin, to "glue" the four 1/4 # slabs together, with a candle wick in the center - at least two inches above the top. You'll need this to hold on to while you apply the paraffin.
*If you want a colored candle, add a crayon to the hot paraffin. White, periwinkle blue or light green are some colors our family has tried. They are all pretty, especially the periwinkle.
* Using an electric mixer, beat the melted paraffin until it sets up and turns a lighter color.
* Using a rubber spatula or a table knife, apply the paraffin to the sides of the candle (work quickly - before it hardens), while you hold onto the wick and tip the candle to the side. If the paraffin does harden in the bowl, simply reheat and rebeat it.
*Apply paraffin to the top.
*While still wet, tip candle over, holding onto the wick and sprinkle with clear glitter. Beautiful!
*Put candle in freezer for a few hours or more before burning, and it will burn more slowly.
CAKE CANDLES WITH PICTURES ON THE SIDES
*For a lovely variation of the candle above, find four coordinating pictures from old cards. Make candles for Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine's Day, you name it! Adhere pictures of your children, husband or friends on candles for great personalized gifts!
*As soon as you have glued the four slabs and candle wick together, trim the four pictures (on card stock with nothing on the opposite side) to fit each side.
*Using the whipped paraffin, apply around the edges of the pictures and on the top with knife.
*Apply glitter on the wet paraffin.
*The pictures will glow when the candle is lit!
*Use either Christmas cards or everyday cards, if you want to use the candle all year round.
*This is a great gift idea and can also be made to decorate you own home.
*Older kids can help and younger ones can watch. This is a project that needs your undivided attention, so you might have your husband or a friend supervising younger children as they watch, since hot wax is involved.
TEACUP CANDLES
Do you have some teacups and saucers, as I do, that came with your set of dishes that you never use? If you're like me, you like to use coffee mugs, rather than the cups and saucers that come with most sets of dishes. Slowly pour hot melted wax into a pretty teacup with a candle wick. I save odds and ends of leftover candles for this purpose. Add some crayon to provide some color and invest in a small amount of fragrant oils for candle making. A very easy way to melt wax is by using the large Pfaltzgraff candle warmers! If you have a jar candle that is pretty much used up, melt that in the warmer, and add bits and pieces of other candles, as long as they are similar. Melting old taper candles and adding crayon and scented oils will produce great candles. For a wick, these can be purchased at craft stores or you could trim an old tapered candle and stick the shortened candle to the bottom of the cup before pouring melted wax. As the wax hardens, you will probably need to pour a little more wax into the center where the it shrinks down. This is a creative way to use up extra cups and saucers that you don't need and get the most use out of your old candles. Most of all, it turns into a very special gift!
FRAGRANT SOAP BALLS
You will need: Ivory Snow Flakes ~ Perfume or scented oil ~ Food coloring
Moisten soap flakes with water to the consistency of very stiff dough. Divide into several bowls if making a large quantity, so you can make a variety of scents and colors. Shape about 2 tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on wax paper to harden for several days, turning each day. Wrap in colorful cellophane and tie with a ribbon to give as gifts. Arrange in a small box or in a small basket lined with colorful tissue paper.
BATH BALLS
2 cups finely ground sea salt 1 tsp. Vitamin E oil
½ cup baking soda 2 eggs
½ cup cornstarch 25 drops fragrance oil
2 Tbsp. light oil
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Using a teaspoon of the dough, gently roll it into a 1 inch ball. Continue this method, placing balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, you can decorate balls with whole cloves or rose buds. Bake the bath balls for about 10 minutes until they are lightly browned do not over bake. Allow the balls to cool completely. To use: Drop 1 or 2 bath balls into a warm bath and allow to dissolve. Note: If you give these bath balls as a gift, be sure to list all the ingredients in case of allergies, as well as instructions on how to use.
FINGERPAINT
Ingredients: 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 cup cold water, 1 pkg. unflavored gelatin, 2 cups boiling water, food coloring or poster paint.
In saucepan, mix cornstarch with 3/4 cup cold water to form a smooth paste. Soak gelatin in remaining 1/4 cup cold water and set aside. Pour boiling water slowly over cornstarch mixture, stirring. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and is clear. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin. Cool and divide mixture into separate batches, placing each in small containers with screw-on lids. Add coloring/paint. Refrigerate to store. Paint is transparent, strong and durable with a high gloss finish. May be used on wet or dry paper.
PINECONE FIRE STARTERS
Melt paraffin or old candles in a coffee can placed in a pan of hot water on the stove. If color is needed, add old crayons. Add a few drops of scented oil to the wax cinnamon, cloves, orange. Dip each pinecone into the melted wax. You can do that by tying a candlewick or heavy crochet thread to the top of each pinecone to make it easier to dip into the melted wax. Allow the wax to harden, while holding or resting it on wax paper between dips. For gift-giving, arrange pinecones in a basket with a note of instructions: Add 2-3 pinecone fire starters to kindling wood when starting a fire in the fireplace. Light the wicks.
Another version of this gift is to dip pinecones into melted wax several times, without the wicks, using tongs. My one adult son and I gathered pinecones and made these one year over Thanksgiving vacation. He used the nicer ones on his Christmas tree branches and they looked really good!
SAWDUST FIRE STARTERS
Fill muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill each with sawdust. If your husband doesn't do woodwork, anyone who does would be thrilled to give you as much sawdust as you want. Melt old candles in a double boiler or in a candle warmer. A small amount of candle fragrance would give off a nice aroma. Carefully pour melted wax into each cupcake liner, by pouring into a measuring cup first. Allow to dry thoroughly and remove from muffin tins. Package into celephane bags to give as gifts, with instructions attached - "Fire Starters - Toss one or two fire starters into fireplace with logs to help ignite a good fire." Add the name of the fragrance used - "Cinnamon Fire Starters."
HEATING PAD OR FOOT WARMER
This is great to warm cold feet when going to bed or to sooth tight neck muscles.
½ yard cotton flannel 4 cups uncooked white rice
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
Cut the flannel into a 14x18 rectangle. Fold with right sides together, so the rectangle measures 7x18. Sew around edges, leaving an opening for turning. Fill with rice and cloves. Hand sew the opening shut. For gift-giving, include instructions: To use as a heating pad, microwave for 1-2 minutes in High.
HOT PADS WITH AROMA
Using similar directions above, make square, round or oval hot pads. When setting a hot dish on the pad, it will give off a pleasant aroma. I used cotton fabric, with a double layer of white fleece as extra padding, then sewed around, leaving a 3-4" opening, turned right side out, poured rice between the two layers of fleece, added some potpourri oil and sewed the opening shut.
CITRUS AND SPICE POTPOURRI
Peel 4 oranges and 4 lemons, leaving the white pith on the fruit. Process the pieces of rind in a food processor until quite small. Spread peel on a large tray to dry. Combine ½ whole cloves, ½ cup whole allspice, 10 broken cinnamon sticks, and 10 crumbled bay leaves. In a large bowl combine the spices with the citrus rind. For even more fragrance, add a few drops of cinnamon, orange or clove oil to perk up the potpourri. Store in airtight container. To use: Display in a pretty open dish or put 1 tablespoon of potpourri into a potpourri pot with hot water. Great fragrance! If you dont have a potpourri pot, just simmer on the stove in a small pot.
For a more simple version try this recipe. For neighbors, the postman, newspaper carrier and friends at church, I made Citrus and Spice Potpourri, using orange rinds (chopped finely in food processor), whole cloves and clove, lemon, tangerine and orange oils. After drying it, I wrapped a tablespoon of potpourri in red cellophane, folded in the edges and stapled them. Then I stapled a Christmas greeting and label on each one. I also stuck these in some cards, especially hand-delivered ones. Print out labels such as this:
Contents of package:
1/2 - 1 tsp. or more of each spice ~~ cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
BUTTON EARRINGS
Select appropriate buttons with a shank from a fabric store that would make pretty earrings. There are so many beautiful buttons that work for this project, even ones that look like ceramic. Remove the shank with pliers. Purchase earring backs from a fabric or craft store. Glue the earring backs onto buttons with jewelry glue.
GLASS BEADED BRACELETS
Check in a craft store for glass beads to make bracelets. Cut a section of clear or black elastic longer than you think you will need, so you can tie knots when finished. Choose beads that are similar in color or a mixture of various colors, with metal separators in between. Thread glass beads and metal separators onto the strand of elastic and tie the ends with a double square knot. Trim ends of elastic.
BEANBAGS
Children love tossing beanbags and they are so easy to make! This is a great stocking stuffer. Simply cut a circle from a scrap of pretty fabric about 4 ½ in diameter. There are also so many choices of childrens fabrics available. Sew a 1/4 seam around the edge, leaving an opening to turn the fabric and fill it with small dried beans or rice. Hand sew the opening shut.
SCOOPS OF HUGS AND KISSES
Fill washed laundry scoops with wrapped candy hugs and kisses. Wrap plastic wrap around the scoop and gather it around the handle, tying with a pretty ribbon. Attach a note saying, Hugs and Kisses from me to you!
CANDY TRAIN ENGINE
A fun favor or ornament! Glue a roll of ring-shaped candy such as Lifesavers to a wide side of a package of gum. Glue 4 round peppermint candies to the bottom against the gum pack for wheels. Make a loop of narrow ribbon and glue the ends to the top of one end of the candy roll. Glue a caramel on top of the ribbon ends for the engineers cab. To the other end of the candy roll, glue a chocolate kiss for the smoke stack and another kiss on the same end of the package of gum for a plow in front. Remove the tag from the second kiss.
SPICED WALNUTS
1 pound (4 cups) walnut halves or large pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the salt. Stir to mix well. Cook, uncovered, on the high heat setting about 2 hours or until the nuts are toasted. Stir in the salt. Let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Serve at room temperature. Makes 4 cups.
FIVE BEAN SOUP IN A JAR
(Layer the dried beans in a jar and tie the recipe to the jar)
1/2 cup dried black beans
1/2 cup small red chili beans
1/3 cup dried Great Northern beans
1/3 cup dried cranberry beans
1/3 cup dried pinto beans
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil (1/4 cup dried)
1 tsp. salt
Soak beans overnight in large bowl, with water covering the beans by 3 inches. Drain, rinse and set aside beans. In a large Dutch oven or casserole, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add
onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes or until softened. Stir in carrots and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and basil, and cook 3 minutes. Add 8 cups water and beans and bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming any foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir salt into soup and ladle into warmed soup bowls. Serves 6.
FRIENDSHIP SOUP MIX IN A JAR
1/2 cup dry split peas
1/3 cup beef bouillon - low sodium
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
Additional Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
3 quarts water
1 can diced tomatoes - (28 ounces) undrained
In a 1 -1/2-pint or 1 quart jar, layer the first seven ingredients in the order listed. Seal tightly. If ingredients do not come right up to the top of the jar, place a crumpled piece of plastic wrap on top of the last layer to keep layers from shifting. Yield: 1 batch. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
To prepare soup, carefully remove macaroni from top of jar and set aside. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, brown beef and drain. Add water, tomatoes and soup mix, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes. Stir and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until peas, lentils and barley are tender. 16 servings
CAPPUCCINO MIX
3 1/2 cups dry milk Mix all ingredients and package in a jar.
2 1/2 cups sugar Include directions:
1 tsp. cinnamon
HOT CHOCOLATE MIX
2 # box instant chocolate flavored drink
8 quart pkg. non-fat dry milk
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (You may want to use NuStevia for sweetener!)
1 (10-16 oz.) pkg. miniature marshmallows (optional)
Combine all ingredients. Stir well until blended. Include directions:
Use 1/4 cup of mix per cup of hot water.
For a "Triple Chocolate Drink" ~ Combine 1 ripe banana
DOG BISCUIT MIX IN A JAR
1 cup unbleached flour ½ cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp. brown sugar or white sugar
½ yellow cornmeal pinch of salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
Combine all ingredients. Pour into a 1 quart, wide-mouth canning jar. Close jar tightly. Tie a dog biscuit cookie cutter and instruction card around the top of the jar with a ribbon:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place contents of jar in a medium sized bowl. Add one egg, ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ - ½ cup hot chicken broth, beef broth or very hot water. Make a very heavy, but not sticky, dough. Add more flour or water, a little at a time until the right consistency. Turn dough onto a floured table and knead 8-10 times until elastic. Let dough rest for 5 minutes before rolling dough to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut with a dog-bone shaped cutter. Place cookies close together, because they will not spread. Bake for 1 hour in the center of the oven, rotating the cookie sheet 180 degrees. Bake for another 30 minutes. Cool on the pan for a minute before transferring to a wire rack or counter top to cool completely.
FLEECE GIFTS
Fleece is very popular in the last few years. If you don't believe that, visit a fabric store. You can find many fleece gift ideas there - some free. Since finishing the edges is not necessary with fleece, you can make quick work of fleece projects. Some fleece patterns may include directions for multiple items, such as a poncho, mittens, hat and an afghan.
With one yard of fleece you can make two adorable ponchos as shown at this Mommysavers link (permission was given by the editor):
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. You may receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at [email protected]. New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit."
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