Christmas Gifts

Hello! I hope that you've all had a lovely Christmas!

I thought I'd share with you some great Christmas gifts that I received that might be of use as ideas for you to use next year!

First off, coffee! I luuuurve coffee but you may've noticed that it's a pretty expensive habit, especially the flavoured lattes I like best! My sister's boyfriend got me some ground coffee and a set of flavoured syrups, so now I can make my own! (Or pull a bottle of syrup from my sleeve and add it to my coffee at work, just like Elf! :D)

My Nana gave me a book on preserves, complete with some Kilner jars! I can't wait to try making jam, or possibly the citrus marmalade.

My parents gave me a waterproof rucksack. This is ideal for anyone who has to walk a fair distance on the way to work. My bus stops about 15 minutes away from the University, and I get SOAKED fairly often! My old rucksack just wasn't keeping my books dry!

One of the things I got from The Boyfriend was a book on growing vegetables. I've already picked out what I want to try growing next season! I am restricted to whatever I can grow in containers though, because the garden of our flat is pebbles and decking. :(

The Boyfriend's dad gave me a Post Office One4All voucher. They can be used in several shops, although they are a bit of a pain because you have to know exactly how much is left on the card.

Anyway, I am sure as an avid gardener he would approve of my use of the gift card this morning; I bought a mini greenhouse (and a big container for future veg growing!). I'll use it to raise some seedlings in the spring, then transfer most of the plants outside whilst keeping tomatoes and other fussy things inside. I'm excited already!

Oo, oo, I also got some ball-point needles for my sewing machine. They allow you to work with more stretchy fabrics than my normal choice of polycotton. I think crafting supplies would be a welcome gift for a lot of people - I got my sister some card-making stuff, which is something I know she likes to do.

As you can see, I have lots to be getting on with in 2013! Growing my own food and preserving it, lots of sewing and more! :)

Did you get any frugal-inspired gifts that will make your life cheaper and easier in the new year? Leave a comment below with gift ideas to send and receive!


To Pamela:
I must confess, we didn't get the chance to make tofurkey! The shop had sold out of tofu, so we had mushrooms with our Christmas dinner instead! 

What's Your Favourite Thing About Christmas?

Hello all! How is your run up to Christmas going? We've been busy visiting The Boyfriend's family, going to carol concerts, wandering through the Christmas markets in town, drinking mulled wine... :)

My question to you is: What's your favourite part of Christmas (or this time of year)?

I'll start! 

My favourite part is putting up the Christmas tree with my family, with the CD full of top tunes blaring in the background (favourite songs: Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney, Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie, Baby It's Cold Outside - Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews). 

Wearing a scarf, wandering through the Christmas craft fayres with the family (perhaps with a cheeky cup of mulled wine to keep you warm!)

Wrapping Christmas presents with my sister with a movie on in the background. (Top Christmas films: Elf, The Santa Clause, Love Actually).

Carol concerts - am I the only one who can't hit most of the notes in 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing'?


Hope you are all having a nice month! Only a week to go! :)

Homemade Christmas Decorations!

Hello! I come bearing tidings of great joy, in the form of a couple of snazzy Christmas decorations you can make on the cheap!

Glitter swirl bauble

These are so simple to make but I love them! :) You can personalise them to suit your tree or make one for each family member.

Get yourself some cheapy cheap plain baubles. I think Poundland do some, but I got 30 from Tesco for £2.80 (ish) because we didn't have any for the tree! You will also need some glitter glue (or glue plus glitter). You can get three bottles of glitter glue in Poundland for... £1. ;)

All you do is draw a pattern onto one half of the bauble using the glitter glue. To do the swirls, draw one coming down from the top, then add another coming off that one, and so on until you fill the space. Instead of swirls, you could draw stars or snowflakes if you like.

Then leave it to dry overnight and do the other half the next day. (To dry the baubles, I cut some toilet roll tubes in half and balanced the baubles on them - pretty sturdy!)



Fabric bauble

This one's a little more complicated than the glitter baubles, but they still only take about fifteen minutes.

Cut out two shapes from your favourite fabric, leaving a 5mm seam allowance. I used heart and star shapes, but Christmas trees could work too.

To embellish the bauble, I used a piece of ribbon and a button on the front. If you'd like to do that too, position the ribbon over the right side of one of the pieces of fabric and pin it into place. Next sew your button into place, remembering that it will be closer to the sides both because of the seam allowance and because it will be stuffed.

Pin the two pieces of fabric together with the right sides (and button/ribbon) facing in. Make a loop of ribbon or twine and position it in the top centre of the bauble, with the loop facing down between the fabric and the ends of the ribbon pointing up and out (see my Advent calendar posts if you don't know what I mean).

 Sew the two pieces together leaving a 5cm gap along one edge for turning and stuffing. Make sure the gap isn't where the ribbon is or you're making the final seam much more difficult for yourself!

Turn the fabric right side out and fill with stuffing or scraps of material.Using small pieces to stuff will give a more consistent shape overall.

Use a ladder stitch to close the seam of the bauble.



I made some paperchains instead of tinsel, as you can see in the photos! :) Also the Advent calendar is hanging in our living room as a bit of additional festive decoration.

Do you make your own Christmas decorations? Post a link below if you've done some Christmas crafting!

Ready for Christmas! :)

At the start of November I gave myself one month to get ready for Christmas by December. It was based on SFT's challenge to get all of her Christmas shopping done before the 1st of December, but I added that I wanted to finish making an Advent calendar for The Boyfriend and I, as well as a few decorations for the tree.

Well good news! I finished! I have precisely one person left on my Christmas list, but The Boyfriend is sorting their present out (his side of the family), so I'm done and dusted! :) I've wrapped the ones I have in Bristol, but most of the things I ordered online were sent to my parent's house in Cornwall so that I didn't have so much to bring home in the car!

The Advent calendar is up and filled with chocolatey goodies and challenges.

I've also made some decorations for the tree, which I will show you soon. :) We have a few cheapo baubles from Tesco, with a couple of nice ones from the amazing Trelawney garden centre in Cornwall and paperchains that I made because we don't have any tinsel!

I will be spending December enjoying frugal festivities like carol concerts, mulled wine and Christmas films! :) Can't wait!

How did you get on?

How to Make an Advent Calendar: Part Five - Finishing Touches!

Today is the moment of truth, but first there's one last job to be done!


You will need:

• Cardboard or thick paper in a festive colour (I have red)
• Mini pegs
• Approximately 4 metres of ribbon / twine
• PVA glue, scissors, a marker pen

Directions

1. Cut the cardboard into whatever shape you'd like for numbering your Advent calendar. I used circles about 3cm (1.25 inches) in diameter. Handy hint: you'll be needing 24!

2. Write a number on each cardboard disc, 1-24.

3. Dab some PVA glue onto the side of the mini pegs. Stick it onto the back of the disc, so that the mouth/clamp part of the peg is pointing towards the bottom edge of the disc. Leave to dry overnight.

4. Decide how you want to hang your Advent calendar. I've strung mine across bookshelves, so I cut my twine into six pieces, each holding four days worth of stockings, bags and pockets. Cut your twine/ribbon to measure, leaving extra length at the ends to tie or hang the twine up.

5. Position your stockings, pockets and bags on the twine. Using the mini pegs/date labels, clamp them into place. I've done mine in numerical order but it might be fun to have a random sequence!

Now's the fun part! The exciting question is what will be filling the calendar? :) Well, I have some little chocolate balls, a few candy canes, some hot chocolate sachets and best of all, some little challenges.

Here are some of the challenges/activities:

• Wrap Christmas presents
• Put the tree up (I got a Christmas tree for my birthday!! :D)
• Go and see the Christmas lights
• Make Christmas biscuits
• Christmas movie
• Name all reindeer
• Sing the chorus of a carol
• What was given on the 4^th day of Christmas?
• Make paper snowflakes
• Winter walk

According to the weather forecast, one of the challenges could even be to make a snowman! 

Anyway, I hope that this guide has been of some use to someone out there. I really enjoyed putting this Advent calendar together and hope to use it for years to come! :)

P.S. How are your Christmas preparations coming along?

How to make an Advent Calendar:

Step One - Getting Ready
Step Two - Making the bags
Step Three - The Triangular pockets
Step Four - Mini Stockings
Step Five - Finishing Touches 

How to Make an Advent Calendar: Part Four - Mini Stockings

Hey-ho Advent calendar crew! :)

Sarah over at The Little Family of 3 had some nice suggestions of things to put in a homemade Advent calendar. She said she fills hers with little decorations for the children's mini Christmas trees, as well as Christmas badges and a treasure hunt clue for their Christmas PJs. Sounds great!

By now I have piles of little bags and triangular pockets for the Advent calendar, and it's time to add the stockings to the stash!

Before We Begin

As well as the stocking shapes you cut out two weeks back, you will also need some material to make the "cuffs" of the stocking. I used the same white material as the lining fabric. We will measure and cut it out later on.


 Directions

1.  Take the two pieces of outer fabric and the two lining pieces. Pin them together, so that the bottom layers are the two outer fabric pieces, right sides together, and the top two pieces are lining fabric, right sides together.

2. Sew all the way around the outside edges, leaving the top of the stocking open.


3. Reach between the outer fabric layers and turn the stocking inside out. The lining fabric will still be together. Reach inside the lining fabrics and turn the stocking inside out again, so you are left with an inside-out stocking.

4. Now is the time to make the cuffs I mentioned earlier. You need to cut a rectangle that is TWICE the width of the top of your stocking plus an extra two centimetres, and about two centimetres longer than you want the cuff to extend down your stocking.

5. Fold the cuff rectangle in half longways and sew along the open edge, about half a centimetre from the edge.

6. Wrap the cuff around the stocking and mark where the edge of the stocking comes to. You want the cuff to be tight, but not so much that it starts to fold the stocking material.

7. Remove the cuff from the stocking and sew along the line the stocking came to. Trim the excess material from the side.








8. Cut a 15cm length of your trusty twine/ribbon. Tie it into a loop.

9. Sew the loop onto the top of your inside out stocking. It should be along the seam of the heel side of the stocking (as shown in image).

 

10. Take the cuff and slide it down around the top of the stocking, over the loop. The long seam of the cuff should run along the very top of the stocking. The second cuff seam (which holds it in a circular shape) should be against the opposite seam to the loop of twine.

11. Sew the cuff onto the stocking. I had to do this by hand as it was too fiddly for the sewing machine. Make sure that you do not sew the stocking shut, so only sew through the cuff, one lining layer and one outer layer. I used the seam of the cuff as a guide for my own stitches.

12. Turn the stocking right side out and pull the cuff out over the outer fabric.

(Note that in the image below I used lining fabric, not twine, to make the hanging loop. Most of my stockings have twine loops because making them out of lining was far more fiddly than it was worth!).





Once you've made the stockings, all that remains is to add the numbers and assemble the calendar next week! :)




Here's a sneak preview of how mine is coming along (I still need to do the numbers and no, it won't be hanging in the kitchen like it is here!):

I've got some little chocolate balls and some hot chocolate sachets to put into my Advent calendar so far, but I might take Sarah's suggestion and make some Christmas tree decorations to put into a couple of the days. I will also put in a few activity ideas, like going to look at Christmas lights, putting up the tree, or wrapping presents! :) (I think I will like these activities more than The Boyfriend!).

I'm excited now! :)



How to make an Advent Calendar:

Step One - Getting Ready
Step Two - Making the bags
Step Three - The Triangular pockets
Step Four - Mini Stockings
Step Five - Finishing Touches

Say No to Payday Loans this Christmas!

Christmas is coming. Shops are looking to drain every last penny from their customers, and payday loan companies are happy to provide you with a boost of money to spend... for a price. 

A new report from the Office of Fair Trading says most payday lenders do not follow rules put in place to protect customers. A payday loan is a short-term loan, with the money often provided within an hour of applying for it. The APR interest rates can be as high as 4248%, leaving customers paying through the nose when repayment day comes. According to a study by R3, an estimated 5 million Brits are considering taking out a payday loan in the next six months.

Last year the average cost of Christmas in the UK was estimated to be around £600, with poorer families spending nearly £200. An estimated one in three people went into debt to pay for it. Getting a case of the January bills blues isn't unheard of, but what if you'd funded Christmas on payday loans alone? The absolute lowest estimated gift budget for an “acceptable Christmas” was £113.43 (of course many people spend hundreds of pounds more than that!). Wonga.com proudly proclaims that it could lend you that sum in 20 minutes. Come January 1^st however, you would have to repay £166, an increase of 46% over 40 days. 

There is a huge amount of pressure on people to buy the best Christmas presents, especially for parents. If you don't have a lot of money for gifts this year, try to find a way to minimise your costs and avoid going into debt at all costs. If you can't afford something now, how will you afford it next year?

A couple of ideas to reduce the costs of Christmas:

• Talk to family and friends about your gift budget. Everyone is feeling the strain of the recession, so they might be grateful you brought it up! 
• Have a chat with older kids about trying to save money. They might even have some ideas to help you out!
• Buy cheap crafting supplies for younger children and spend time with them making Christmas decorations or art for your walls!
• Shop second hand. Always a bit controversial, but consider a quality second hand gift from ebay or even a charity shop. You might find the perfect board game for the kids or handbag for mum. Just make sure there are no stains, it doesn't smell weird, etc.!
• Homemade gifts are brilliant! There are thousands of websites full of ideas to pick from, such as this one or this one. Why not make a big batch of truffles or try the fake Ferrero Rocher I made last year? 

The most important thing you can do is spend time with your loved ones. Focus on your traditions and festive-but-free activities that will keep the kids entertained! Give yourself the best possible start to 2013!


Have you ever been a victim to what MP Stella Creasy has dubbed "legal loan sharks"? How do you plan on saving money this Christmas?

Challenge Updates: Bills, No Spend and Christmas!

Christmas Completed by December

SFT asked whether everyone was winning at the Christmas Done by December challenge. Just to recap, my targets were to get Christmas gifts completely finished, to buy one Christmas decoration each, to finish my Advent calendar and to make some decorations to send to family members.

Well, here's how it stands now:

• Finish Christmas gifts - Over halfway! I started the month with just one person (my sister) crossed off my list. Halfway through, I now have nine more people crossed off (actually eleven if you split "the kids" category up!). I have ideas and half-presents for another five people, which just leaves a couple of very awkward people causing me trouble! (Looking at you, Dad!)
•  Buy a Christmas decoration - Complete! It is a bit of a family tradition of ours to visit Trelawney garden centre in Cornwall each year to marvel at the Christmas displays and get a bauble/Christmas decoration. Well, this year we went a bit earlier than usual and even let The Boyfriend tag along. I bought a beautiful glass bauble with hand-painted swirls, whilst The Boyfriend got a glass robin with mistletoe painted on its flanks!
• Finish Advent calendar - Nearly there! On Friday I posted part three of how to make an Advent calendar, but over the weekend I finished the stockings for part four too (will be posted on Friday!). Now I just have to sort out the numbers and bits and bobs to put inside them! :)
• Make Christmas decorations for family - Gathering materials! I am still in the early stages of this one! I want to post them at the start of December so I need to get cracking! I want to make star or heart fabric decorations from some leftover gingham. 

No Spend Week

Last  week I challenged myself to a No Spend Week, with the caveat that if I saw some good Christmas present deals I would be allowed to snap them up. I have to be honest guys, I failed the challenge. I managed five of seven days as No Spend.

I do have some excuses if you want to hear them? :) On Thursday I had to give a presentation about Physics in Biology. Now if you know anything about biologists, you'll know that they gave up physics as soon as they possibly could at school then ran away, avoiding all talk of the subject ever after! After a week of stressing about my presentation, on Thursday evening I did knowingly go to the pub with everyone else and have half a pint of lager!

My second excuse is slightly better; I bought some red card and red buttons to complete the Advent calendar and Christmas decorations respectively.

Still, overall most days were a success, right? :)



Lowering the Bills

Last month I wrote about how The Boyfriend and I planned on lowering our bills. Between 5th September and 5th October we spent £36.07 on energy (including £34.01 on electricity) and £26.55 on water. Following the plan of shorter showers and turning things off at the wall, I'm pleased to announce that between October and November (31 day period) we spent £34.15 on energy and £24.70 on water, a decrease of 5% and 7% respectively. 

I want to keep this up and hopefully report even lower costs next month! :)



SFT asked if we are winning. I think I have had some success in these challenges. How are you getting on? :)

How to Make an Advent Calendar: Part Two - The Bags

A few days ago I started to describe how to make an Advent calendar.

I think making your own advent calendar is  great way of starting a tradition, perhaps with your children or in my case a new home. You can create it based on YOUR ideas of Christmas, for example it could contain anything from chocolates to Bible verses. The best part is that you don't have to pay three quid for 24 nibbles of tasteless chocolate, and that you create a meaningful Christmas decoration to enjoy for years to come!

Anyway, on to the next stage of creating the Advent calendar! I have chosen to start by making the bags, mainly because they are the simplest design.
 

Directions

1. Grab the fabric pieces you cut earlier. Pin the good material together, right sides facing in. Stitch along three edges, leaving one of the shorter sides open. Do the same with the lining material.

2. Turn the lining material pocket inside out, so that the right side is facing outwards. Put this pocket inside the outer material pocket, so that the right sides of each pocket are touching.

3. Cut a 10cm length of twine/ribbon and tie it into a loop.

4. Insert your loop between the two pockets, with the tied end facing out of the tops. Pin the two pockets together.

5. Stitch around the open ends of the pockets, leaving a 2 inch gap on one side. Ensure that the loop is secured by the stitched. I find it is easier if you don't try to sew directly over the knot!

6. Turn the bag right side out. The loop will be sticking out. Sew around the top of the bag, which will seal the gap and give your seam a better finish.












7.  To finish the bag, cut another length of ribbon or twine approximately twice as wide as your bag. I added some glue to the ends to stop them from fraying. Tie it in a pretty bow around your bag.


We will add the numbers on at a later date!


If you are making several of these bags, as I did, it can help speed things up if you make them all at once. I did step one for all of the bags first, then step two, and so on.


I think these little bags could also make cute little decorations for your Christmas tree, perhaps filled with cinnamon or just sweets! :) 

How to make an Advent Calendar:

Step One - Getting Ready
Step Two - Making the bags
Step Three - The Triangular pockets
Step Four - Mini Stockings
Step Five - Finishing Touches

How to Make an Advent Calendar: Part One - Get Ready!

I recently posted about getting organised for Christmas by the end of November, including gift-buying and homemade decorations. We want to have a frugal Christmas, and this means DIY and festive spirit! :)

My biggest project is a handmade Advent calendar, which needs to be completed pretty soon!

My Advent calendar is comprised of three repeating units; a stocking, a bag, and a sort of folded over triangle pocket! They will be strung up on white and red twine with their cardboard numbers held on with mini pegs, but for now you can see the basic design opposite.

I will be posting the stages of how I am making the calendar on the next three Fridays of November, so by the last week of the month the calendar should be done and dusted!

It's a pretty easy project, but a little time-consuming. From the work I have done so far I estimate that the calendar will take a total of 7-8 hours to complete (at a fairly novice rate), which means that if you want to join in, you still have time! :)

If you want to make an Advent calendar, you will need:

• A sewing machine (it will take a very long time to make without one)
• Needle, pins, thread, scissors
• Approximately two metres of material. I think I used half a metre of the spotty polycotton, nearly a metre of the gingham material and part of a pair of old worn-out jeans. You can use whatever you have lying around; it doesn't matter if the fabrics are different for each unit!
•  Approximately two metres of "lining" material. It doesn't really matter what kind of fabric it is, just something cheap and easy to work with. I think mine was cream-coloured polycotton, or perhaps it is cotton, not too sure! :)
• Coloured ribbon or twine. You will need approximately 7 metres all together. 
• Eight small buttons (I used white ones from an old shirt)
• Some form of numbering. I am using numbers written onto cardboard disks, held on by mini pegs. You might want to choose iron-on numbers, or stickers, or something else entirely!

To begin:

Once you have your fabric, create a template for each of the designs you want to use. I made stockings, bags  (the rectangle template) and triangle pockets (diamond template), so my templates looked like the following:

To give you a bit of a sense of scale, the stocking and diamond shapes are about a handspan in length. Pay no attention to the fold at the top of the stocking. It should be flat and the folded part is included in the length.

I am wearing a blanket, not a skirt!

Cut out the fabric based on your templates, leaving a 0.5-1cm gap around the edge for the seam allowance.

Ensure you cut a matching pair of fabrics, so that the right sides will face out on both sides when assembled. The best way to do this is to fold the fabric in half and cut through both pieces at once.

Altogether you will need 24 units of fabric and the matching lining fabric to go with them. It's up to you whether you want more of one design than the other, or which colour fabrics you want for which. Just as long as each unit has two matching shapes of lining material and two of "good" material!


OK, easy so far! Tune in on Friday for part two: making the bags!

How to make an Advent Calendar:

Step One - Getting Ready
Step Two - Making the bags
Step Three - The Triangular pockets
Step Four - Mini Stockings
Step Five - Finishing Touches

Christmas Completed by December Challenge!

Hello all! It's nearing that most wonderful time of the year once more. Wouldn't it be nice if Christmas was all ready and organised by the 1^st of December, leaving you free to crank up “Do They Know It's Christmas?” whilst decking the halls and getting merry, rather than drudging through town, getting more and more stressed because you don't have a clue what to get anyone?

Saving for Travel (SFT) has set herself a goal to finish her Christmas shopping by the end of November. I'd like to take up the same goal! I pledge to finish my Christmas shopping by the time advent rolls around.

I am also extending this goal a little. As you may know, it is the first year The Boyfriend and I have lived together in our own little flat. I LOVE Christmas decorations and making the house look festive, but we don't want to blow all our money on lots of expensive decorations in one year!! We decided to buy one decoration each year until we have a nice stash to put up every year, but until then I have got a couple of basics. Tesco are doing 20 fairy lights for about £1.75, so I got two sets, as well as these 30 red baubles for about £2.40.

To add to this I am making an Advent Calendar (more on this very soon!) and a few fabric-based decorations for the tree with some leftover gingham polycotton. (Oh man, do I love gingham!) As we all know, my attempts at handmade things often take longer than expected and things can go wrong, so I'd like to be finished with it all well in advance this year!

So far I have made most of an advent calendar and have completed a few people's Christmas gifts, but there's lots to be done! Is anyone else out there getting organised already? My friend has pretty much finished her Christmas shopping already! I am inspired!

Homemade Christmas Roundup!

Well, Christmas is done and dusted for another year! I can't help feeling relieved! I was up really late on Christmas Eve wrapping presents and making food-based gifts that couldn't be kept long. The past couple of days have been blissful though, if only for being rid of the niggling “I still need to make this, I have to hurry and finish that” thoughts! Soooo good to be done! I was given some truly lovely gifts this year too. Thanks to friends and family. <3

Guess what? The Boyfriend's mum saw the Christmas card holding tree that I made my Nana and has requested that I make her one next year! Result! Must've looked good then!

I did learn a lot from having a homemade Christmas however:

1. Working 50+ hour weekends in split shifts does not leave a lot of time for crafting, family, The Boyfriend and friends, and all of them require a lot of dedicated time in the run up to Christmas!
2. Cellophane is evil.
3. Sometimes you can buy things more cheaply than you can make them.
4. Continuous crafting takes up A LOT of space! My room is still full of boxes, fabric, gift wrap and various Christmas-type accessories.
5. Tissue paper and crepe paper are not good choices of wrapping paper if you have a cat that likes to rub up against things!
6. People do actually appreciate the time you spent something specially for them, rather than another generic set of shower gel.
7. I need a lot more practise!!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. I've eaten far too much the past couple of days, but spent the time with all my favourite people. :) 

Merry Christmas! 

Homemade Christmas Card Display

Finished tree hanging on the wall

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!
Not only green when summer's here
But in the coldest time of year.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!

My Nana uses sticky-back strips to hold her Christmas cards on the wall. The problem is that you can really only use them once and the cards tend to start dropping off before Boxing Day! I thought I'd make her an early Christmas gift of a new way to hold the multitude of cards she gets. (Not joking, she gets 50-100 from all her friends!)

Already filled!

I got the idea for a tree-style card display from this website and I followed their basic instructions, although mine has a different design. I made two trees using two sheets of holly-green A2 cardboard, which was about 1.5mm thick. I had to borrow a scalpel, which resulted in cut fingers. :D To hold the cards on, I bought some red mini-pegs cheaply from Amazon. A lot of shops seem to be selling mini-pegs this year too.

She was really pleased with it, although she'll need another one next year – there is still not enough room for all of her cards!

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!

The Horrors of Handmade

I'd like to say I've really been enjoying making presents this year. I'd like to say that it has all gone off without a hitch. That would be a lie.

GRRRR! It's been so frustrating! Overcooked shortbread, toy dogs fraying as you try to stuff them, cutting myself to shreds with a scalpel, making something only to have it all fall to bits again, sewing machine motor burn out (before I'd even started using it), congealing cream, stitching some fabric inside out and only noticing at the end, chocolates breaking as you make them...

I think my problem is that I'm just not experienced in all of the things I'm attempting. I know that I CAN cook and use a sewing machine, but I don't make sweets or sew things often enough to be in practice. I'm just glad I gave myself a lot of time to do it all. I've been doing this on and off since September and I'm still not finished (making a lot of food items does not help this!) Will I eventually succeed? Who knows?!

I've got to post a couple of things today. (Last date for second class postage – first class is Tuesday 20^th in case you need to know). I need to write some letters to go with them now.

Please wish me luck with it all – it's starting to look like I'll need it! :-/

Busy!

Along with everyone else this past week or two, I've been soooo busy! I've been working A LOT, so even when I've had free time I've been knackered! My sister and I decorated the living room for Christmas the other day, and we've been knocking out our homemade Christmas presents. I've got to finish a lot of it by tomorrow because The Boyfriend's dad is coming down to visit him (from Coventry) and taking all The Boyfriend's (TB's? haha) family's gifts when he goes back home. I've made most of the things we are giving them (I'll post again when they're done to show off!), although TB got his dad a bottle of apparently very nice (but pretty expensive) whisky, plus some stuff for his brother too.

Today's goals are to make a stuffed toy dog for TB's niece and to proof-read his university applications (before work). Tomorrow I'll be hunting for PhDs again, putting my Nana's Christmas decorations up and baking shortbread for Christmas gifts (before work again, haha). So much to do, REALLY NO TIME AT ALL! 

How are your Christmas preparations coming? Are you nearly finished? I can't wait for a bit of time off in January (the Chinese is closed for a month!).  

Mulled Wine

Ohhhh, mulled wine! The second best part of the run up to Christmas! (The first is putting the Christmas tree up whilst dancing around to Wonderful Christmastime, obviously!) I went into town last night with my family to soak up the late night shopping atmosphere (more relaxed than the BUYBUYBUY during the day!) and to sneak ideas for homemade Christmas decorations! They were selling hot mulled wine for £2.50 a cup. Quite expensive, but it was very cold so mum and I happily got some!

The way they were making it was to heat a vat of wine with some clove-studded oranges floating around in it. That's the simple version. The better tasting and more interesting gift idea is to make a spice parcel!

These spice parcels contain a cinnamon stick (cut into two), 30 cloves, 20 allspice berries (aka pimento berries – you might have to find a specialist shop, or they can be bought online HERE), three green cardamom pods and some dried orange peel. I got the recipe from this website.

You tie all the ingredients up inside some muslin, using some white cotton. Then just tie a bow around it to make it look nice. They literally take seconds to make and are an ideal gift to post because it's very light yet festive. To make the mulled wine, the recipient just has to remove the ribbon and heat the spice parcel up in a saucepan containing a bottle of red wine and three tablespoons of sugar.

I'm also giving some local family members a cheap (I usually buy a half price bottle that would normally be around £8 or £9) bottle of red wine with the spice parcel, to make it a bit more exciting! :) Considerably less than £2.50 a cup too!

I'm currently storing these spice parcels in my room. It smells soooo nice!! :D Win win!