Homemade Gifts for Extended Family

The Boyfriend's family live up country so we only see them once or twice a year, so it can be tricky to know what to give them for Christmas. His brother has a young family, so I made them all a few little bits and pieces they all could enjoy. I'm feeling quite Martha Stewart-y about it all now that it's done so I thought I'd show off.

Firstly, I made each of them (adults and kids) a personalised bauble to hang on their Christmas tree. I bought some red baubles in Tesco and used a gold glitter glue pen to carefully write each of their names on one.

For the adults, I made a mulled wine spice parcel complete with instructions on how to make mulled wine. I wrote about this a few days ago HERE. I made several and will be posting them to a couple of friends from uni too!

For their three eldest daughters I made a “chocolate chip shortbread in a jar” mix.

The dry recipe is:

300g flour

100g sugar

150g chocolate chips

Then you write an instruction label of what “wet” ingredients to add (in this case, it's a simple recipe, so it only requires 200g butter/margarine). I included baking instructions (mix together and cook for ~15 minutes at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 if you're interested) on one side and a Christmassy poem on the other side of a piece of card (two of the poems I found HERE and the other I knew from primary school!).

I wrapped these cookie mixes up with festive crepe paper to cover the lids and string to hold the recipe card and a festive biscuit cutter in place (an angel, a Christmas tree and a star).

 
I wanted to get back into using the sewing machine, so for their youngest daughter (nearly 2 years old) I made a toy dog. I found the pattern in a sewing magazine that was once my great-grandmother's, and my mum made me toys from it when I was little, so I thought it would be pretty cool! :) Now this was a right royal pain in the bum to make. I think it'd be easy if you knew what you were doing but I was basically re-learning how to use a sewing machine at the same time! I'll post about making it soon. His front legs are a bit skewy but I guess it adds character? Haha! He looks like he's trying (and failing) to walk on ice! :D

Despite the setbacks, I'm glad to finally have this lot out of the way. There is still a lot more to do before the 25th!