Is anyone else doing christmas crafts?

Kimmer · #1 (**permalink**) 03-28-2005, 10:01 AM

I usually try and make most of my christmas gifts for extended family and some for my children DH and myself. for this reason I work on christmas craft gifts year round. Is there anyone else that does that?

If so what are you making?

I have my list pretty well made out for this coming year. So far right now i have made 26 tissue box covers and I am finishing up 7 more hoping to be done with them this week then its on to quilting and crocheting blankets. the crocheting I am just learning.

I would love to know if anyone else is doing this and what they are doing.

Jeannie · #2 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 02:03 PM

I'm doing that now...

I am knitting either shawls or ponchos.

I am making this particular one at the moment....

Shershe · #3 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 02:20 PM

I enjoy counted cross stitch and I am making everyone in my family Christmas ornaments. These are from a series of personalized, stocking shaped ornaments. I think there are about 8 in the series.

Since I have 10 to make for each Christmas, it's pretty much a year round project for me. I'm only on the third of the series!

dr.fine · #4 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 03:52 PM

Last year I made new fleece blankets for the grand kids and some fancy needlework table runners and pillowcases for my folks. {I am lucky to still have them both.} This year I haven't decided. I think I will make muffin baskets for my aunts, but it is too early to assemble them. They will include small jars of jelly and preserves. I will have to wait until the end of fruit season to make those. I will make some new fleece hats and mittens for the little ones, but as they grow so fast, they will have to be made closer to the end of fall. Thank heaven, they are a fast project. I am thinking of learning how to knit, as I would like to make some shawls. I have made fleece ones, but would like to make some simple knitted ones. I am also going to stamp some assorted cards [birthday, get well, thinking of you, etc.] and put them in decorated boxes as gifts for my aunts. In bad weather it is hard for them to get out to purchase them. I will enclose some postage and it will make a nice small gift. I am tired of lurking and decided to come out of hiding...HI! I will try to think of more ideas.

lornajjones2003 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 04:10 PM

I also start christmas in January. I have already made 200 octomops at least that is what i call them, they are octopuses made from yarn with eyes and decorative hats. they are sooo cute and we give them to the ladies at the local convel. hospital. with those all done, except for the candy to be placed on each leg and wrapped i can start on the other crafts i do. I have started making no-sewing blankets with fleece material i will make about 90 of them, lap size for all residents and family members. i have one done so far, he he i need some other ideas for the convl. hospital especially for the men. ugh! they are hard.

anyone have any cheap, easy manly style crafts for them?

Vrsherren · #6 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 04:14 PM

Make several things neck scarves, clothing, picture frames, gift baskets. I love to bake stuff and do mixes in a jar (cookie, brownie, friendship tea, etc.). I play in the "mud" making creamics both decorative and functional items. I crochet and am learning to knit. I've only done a few crafts I would not do again, but they shall remain nameles

Vivian

dinsky · #7 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 05:53 PM

Dh had surgery in December and I am going in in April so I have had a lot of time to knit in the past few months. Did lots of scarves for last Christmas. Am working on sweaters for the little relatives right now and baby blankets and perhaps pants/sweater sets for in the hospital and recovery. If the little sweaters turn out OK, I am going to try to enlarge the pattern for my daughter.

Dinsky

Shershe · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 05:59 PM

I second the fleece blankets!! I made those last Christmas and everybody loved them. I just saw pillow cases made of fleece & think they would be great to make to match the blankets!

Thanks for the reminder!

**cat lover** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 07:17 PM

Have done several counted cross stitch projects over the years for Christmas gifts, coasters with cross stitch queen, king, club and diamond inserts for a sisterinlaw that has card parties, pictures of favorite things for others, color, letters and number charts for children, sweats with names all over them or puctures of favorite things. Sweatshirts made into button down jackets, silk scarves for men, appliqued sweatshirts, puffy paint sweatshirts,and gingerbread houses that are sewn and decorated as well as wreaths. So many sewing projects over the years. Last year I went to the thrfit stores and bought baby overalls, cut them off across the legs right at the crotch, sew across and make clothes pin bags. Fill with clothespins and clip a couple right onto the pockets, put on a hanger and done!

This year we gathered grape vines and made wreaths and decorating them with each families favorites. One will be an Elvis theme, one hunting and fishing, one country, for my two sons some of their favorite things from childhood. Another one religious symbols, one crossword puzzle theme. It has been fun looking and finding various things to go on them. So half way through with 2006 Christmas gifts. Mostly we just exchange a "token" gift so these homemade things work well. Only the grandparents and our grown children and their families get all the other goodies also. The family has gotten so big we had to cut somewhere. So the "token" gift thing hads been working well and now others have picked up on it. So it is always fun to see all the different ideas.

One year we did the jar thing, some soups, some cookie, some muffin mixes. They were so pretty some of the recipients are still using them as a decoration rather than actual make the product.

Trying to think ahead for next year already!

dinsky · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 07:43 PM

I also collect/try new recipes all year as well as shop all year for Christmas. We have the Southern Spring and Christmas shows as well as the ACC Craft show (a wonderful juried event) here in Charlotte every year. I also buy Scholastic books through my son's preschool throughout the year for birthday/Christmas gifts. We are big on giving books and quality toys as well as homemade stuff.

Dinsky