Homemade Christmas
Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas from busy Mommas. Take a look:
Our family is making what we call “capsters” and turning them into magnets to give to the kids’ teachers. A couple of years ago, Ethan was given a Klutz® kit as a Christmas gift, which is how we got started with these. They are incredibly easy and inexpe
nsive
(you can order a bottle of glaze that should make 20+ caps from the website for about $8 shipped)… which fits perfectly in our life this year! We’ve been saving bottle caps and have been on the lookout for any little trinket that can fit inside them. The possibilities are endless!
Here’s what to do: Clean your bottle caps well.
Find a fun background. Ideas: Scrapbook paper. Magazine clippings. Clip Art. Last year we cut the kids’ faces out of some extra photo cards.
Trace a circle the size of the cap on your paper and cut to the appropriate size.
Place a dab of glaze on the inside of the bottle cap and secure your background circle.
If desired, place a dab of glaze on top of the background and secure a small trinket. Ideas: Beads. Scrap-booking embellishments. This year we cut the post off of a broken earring. Legos. Little gems or sequins.
Cover the entire circle with a thick layer of glaze. There is no need fill the whole cap with the glaze…just enough to keep everything in place.
Decide what you want to use the cap for. The glaze can be used to adhere key chain fixtures or magnets.
~ From Valerie, Mother of 4
This superhero cape is a quick and frugal project. I used basic cotton fabric from Jo-Ann Fabrics and cotton twill tape for the ties. 1 yard, 1 – 40% off coupon and this project was less than 5 dollars. It’s also a quick project in case you’re finding yourself scrambling the week before Christmas for a gift. This took me about half an hour to make, including the time for my husband to draw me a lightening bolt.
Since this cape is for my 2 year old, I only needed 1 total yard of fabric. I cut a 20 inch square on the natural fold of the material from how it was stored on the bolt. Fold the material in half with the fold at the top. Then, mark the fabric at 4 inches and cut a diagonal line from the 4 inch mark down to the corner at the bottom of the cape. The top of the cape will measure 8 inches and the bottom will measure 20 inches. Using scrap fabric in a contrasting color, cut out an emblem for the back of the cape. I used fabric from another project, but you could also use felt. Once you have the emblem you’d like to use, pin it to the back of the cape, on one side only. Sew or glue the emblem to the back of the cape. I used a zig-zag stitch to sew my lightening bolt on with black thread.
Now, turn the cape so that the emblem is on the inside and you will be sewing the right sides of the fabric together. Pin the three open sides together, leaving an inch and a half unsewn at the top on BOTH sides (this is where you will insert the neck ties). Sew around the sides of the fabric, using a 5/8 inch seam allowance. Once you’re done sewing, flip the cape right side out by pulling the material through one of the spaces you left. Iron the cape so that the sides are smooth and the seams flat. Cut 8 inch strips of the twill tape to use as the ties. Slip the ties in the unsewn spaces and pin. Adjust the fabric so that when sewn, it will be even with the rest of the seam. Then, top stitch around the edge of the cape so that the ties are sewn into the cape and the fold at the top of the cape is finished like the rest of the cape.
Now, all that’s left is to tie the cape around the neck of your little superhero!
~ From Laura, Mother of 2
Here are some of my ideas that I have done in the past. Last year, my oldest son, Keegan, made a hot chocolate pack filled with marshmallows and a cookie stick. (We used one of those plastic or cellophane bags that are often used at parties) Hayden made homemade ice cream and divided the batches into smaller Ziploc containers. We kept it in the freezer and he made a little note for them to read during gift-opening time. The next few, you’ll find in the website by name. In 2009, Keegan made Printed Memo Blocks. Hayden made the Retro Ornament out of paper towel tubes. This year we are making it a little easier…instead of doing 4 individual crafts, they are working together to make one gift, Handy Coasters. Because of the thickness of the two fabrics and interfacing, I have to do the cutting. So, I braved Jo Ann Fabrics with my four kiddos and let them choose their fabric to increase the amount of their participation. They will also be able to trace their hand and cut it out to make the template. If I do everything right, I’m hoping to have four “hand” coasters sizing from the smallest to the largest. Here is the link to see the projects I did and to browse all the other ideas.
~ From Emilee, Mother of 4
Cinnamon Ornaments
First start with equal parts applesauce to cinnamon, I did 1 cup each. Mix together and then form in your hand. I then laid it on parchment paper and put a piece of parchment paper over top and rolled with a rolling pin.
Roll out to about a half an inch. Use cookie cutters to cut out design. Then you will need to poke a hole at the top when they are cut out to put a string/ribbon through to hang them with. Sit them where they won’t be disturbed to air dry. They will take some time to dry. When dry, you can put the ribbon through to hang them. They smell SUPER!
~ From Ashley, Mother of 1
About Juls, Author Of This Post
