A Very Merry (Frugal) Christmas...

my DD13 and I this year made garland out of little squares of felt and buttons. I saw this in a book. You thread the buttons,,around 10 ,,then 10 or so squares of felt then buttons and so on for as long as you want the garland to be.

They turned out so cute I am giving a couple to my sis for a present,,,along with other things I made for her.

and of course some for my tree

use different colors of buttons and felt...I got a great deal on bulk buttons at Micheals and on felt at Joanna fabrics

That site looks great Susannah - some really good ideas! Are you going to try any? Why not pick some easy ones for the kids to do and then you'll have Christmas gifts for people AND you'll have done some homeschooling too (around here we call it design technology )

Kitty - how big are the squares of felt and buttons? Your garlands sound interesting.

I am doing a few small cross stitch projects this year, a card for my parents, also a Christmas coaster each. I have also made some little felt ornaments, after seeing the price tag on them in a large store here and thinking 'I could do that!'. So I did Trouble is, I had to buy stuffing, which only came in HUGE bags, so now I have added to my clutter problem

Last year I made DS a journal jar -
http://organizedchristmas.com/article75.html
They also have an adult journal jar, and some other gifts in jars. I always meant to try making the bath salts, too, but never did get around it it. I think Lenora made some for gifts. Lenora? You out there?

This site has a lot of crafts too http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_xmas.html

Not strictly crafts, but frugal ideas.....
I think the gift basket idea is a good one, where you fill a basket/suitable container with appropriate gifts for someone. This could be a way to reduce the overall amount you spend on one family by making them a 'family' basket, rather than buying individual gifts. I was thinking of doing a movie basket for friends of ours - a couple of movies (good condition from charity shop), popcorn, soda, candy. I haven't seen any suitable movies yet though, as I've not been out shopping much yet, so I might save that idea for another year. Another idea I heard, was to buy a board game as a family present. I may be taking advantage of that idea too, this year - buying one family a board game and a big box of candy.

I have applesauce and cinnamon to make christmas ornaments for the tree, can't remember where I got that one from - has anyone made those before?

Looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas!

Honey's right, I did jars of "peach" scented bath salts and home made (scented and molded) soaps. I put the "stuff" in a cute little basket lined with peach fabric and threw in a couple of peach-herbal tea bags. They made darling gifts for teachers/busdrivers/Scout-mom helpers etc.

This year I'm doing small jars of differently scented/tinted bath MILK, and putting three in a basket/box together with cute little spoons on which I hot glued coordinating-colored ribbons (pink ribbon for rose scented, purple with the lavender...I havent picked a color for the "peppermint" spoon...maybe a red-and-white stripe???.

I bought my little "jelly jars" last fall when they were discounted/on sale at canning time. I will have 12 little sets of bath-milk for under $5.00 a set!

I did the journal jars last year for the older Girl Scouts and for the Youth Fellowship at church. Both groups seemed to really love those!

I've seen a cute garland made of fabric strips that are "torn" and then just knotted along some twine/jute. Tie in some cinnamon sticks and/or pinecones every so often, too for filler...this is pretty "rustic" looking so not my own style, but darling if you are into rustic/americana decor. I would bet that you don't even need to buy "new" fabric, either...REALLY old flannel shirts (thin) would be great for this...and any type of thin cotton/calico that you could pick up at a thrift store!

Happy crafting!

Lenora

wow ladies GREAT ideas

Honey the felt squares are about an inch and a quarter square ,,,you can use many sizes of buttons as this adds to the cuteness

I feel homemade things always mean alot more than some store bought gifts,,,unless you put them together with thought as some of you have given ideas for.

Honey use the left over stuffing by making sock dolls!! recycle old socks,,,probley a book at the library,, I have Sock Doll Workshop by Cindy Crandall-Frazier,,,,Lark Books phone in Europe 828-253-0467

Sue can get this from Capricorn Link Pty Ltd ,,Australia

have fun everyone and remember this is suppose to be a JOYOUS holiday!!

An idea for some of that big bag stuffing, Honey. . . I saw an idea for a pillow once that looked quick and was really neat looking. Make a long rectangular shaped pillow and stuff it loosely. Then tie it in a loose tie. . . just like you are tying a shoe but stop before you make the loops. It will have to be pretty long. I haven't done one, but the finished product in the magazine was darling. Showed it a couch.

Do you string the buttons and felt pieces face-to-face? How many did it take to make a garland of sufficient length? 'Cause that sounds like a really cute idea. If we don't do that, there's always the popcorn and cranberries. I thought we might make gingerbread cookies to hang on the tree as well. Also, we made a gingerbread house last year, so I'm thinking of doing that again this year.

I think we're going to cut paper snowflakes tomorrow while waiting for our meal, and also do the chocolate advent calendars, one for each child. I really want to do Advent this year with some devotional readings. That reminds me to put Advent candles on tonight's shopping list!

Great ideas! Hope others add theirs as well.

yes Susannah..you thread ,,I used[ double up] button thread [strong] and thread the felt face to face ,,,buttons too. It takes alot of squares and buttons. I made the garland about 6 or 7 feet long. I don't know how many I used but ALOT,,and it gets a tad heavy,,,but WORTH IT!!

go for the bulk buttons

pink [ pinking shears] the felt for a cuter look

Honey, I do those! Some of the recipes use glue...but I have always just used: applesauce and cinnamon! I buy a bulk bag of ground cinnamon, and just mix in enough applesauce to make a dough....save enough cinnamon to use a "flour" on your pastry board for rolling ( didn't that sound "official"...I roll pastry right on the counter-top! ) cut with cookie cutters and let dry....drying takes about a week, but if you have an oven with a pilot light, you can keep them in the overn WHEN IT IS OFF! Don't forget to put a hole at the top for your ribbon/hanger (which I have also done!)

Simple and easy!...and smells yummy making, drying, decorating and hanging!

Lenora

The advent calendars on that site are really cute! I just made J.D.'s. They require only plastic wrap, Hershey's kisses, and curling ribbon...and maybe construction paper for a poem on the top. They are fun to make!

Today I came across this site, this link is to their recipe for oatmeal milk bath sachets. It gives the recipe, plus printable sachets - choice of Valentines, Mother's Day and a floral one. I'd be seriously tempted to make some of these if my printer was working

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/milk_bath_sachets.htm

Fern, that pillow sounds lovely and might even be simple enough for me to cope with! I might have to try that in the New Year.

A couple of years ago DS and I made lots of snowflakes and we used them to decorate the walls and windows. Might make some more this year.

Lenora - I didn't realise those cinnamon and applesauce ornaments took so long to dry, I'll have to think of where they could be put in the meantime - we don't have a lot of unused surfaces! Maybe on top of the kitchen cupboards.....

We also make the cinnamon ornaments, we like to use the gingerbread boy cookie cutter and paint them when they are dry. Have also made angels, and this year I saw the idea in Martha Stewart to do birds and glue on seed beads and glitter as their feathers.

Other great, easy, kid-friendly gifts we've made are:

A jelly jar filled with peppermint hot chocolate mix (just hot chocolate mix and candycanes crushed really fine) packaged with a ziplock bag of homemade marshmallows. I know I have the recipe, but can't find it.

Bath salts in a pretty jar. Mix coarse sea salt with a bit of glycerine and a few drops of essential oil. You can also give it a drop or two of food coloring. We made a honeysuckle one and a tangerine-bergamot. They were a big hit and 10 jars cost about $10.

Spiced nuts-mix 3 tablespoons of melted butter over 4 cups nuts. Top with any spice/sugar/salt blend you like and toast in the oven. We did pecans with brown sugar, salt, and a bit of chili pepper and another batch of curried cashews. Sounds strange, but they were really good!

Chocolate turtles-the kids made turtle shapes on baking parchment on a cookie sheet by placing 5 pecans to look like one head and four legs, kind of star shaped. Place a couple of caramel candies on top and place in a warm 250 degree oven until the caramel melts. Melt some chocolate chips in the microwave on super low. Once the caramel has cooled, have the kids swirl the melted chocolate on top for shells.

Snowball candleholders-paint a thin layer of craft glue onto the outside of babyfood jars and cover with superfine holographic white glitter. Let dry and package with some yummy smelling tealights. These are really pretty!

Snowflake onraments-hot glue 3 craft sticks with the notches out of them-what are those called? Anyway, hot glue 3 of them stacked on top of one another in the middle to make a 6 pointed star/snowflake shape. Paint it with craft glue and sprinkle with silver, gold, and/or holographic whilte glitter, first on one side, and then the other. String on fishing line or gold thread. These are very pretty and sparkly for the tree or just to hang anywhere.

We've also done hand-dipped candles, cranberry-orange muffin mix (if anyone wants the recipe, just holler and I will track it down and post it), soap, and window stars (which you can find a kit for in the Hearthsong catalogue) which have also been fun and well recieved.

I have frequently given a board game to all the kids in a family, and they've loved it!

We also will often fill a box with a ream of copy paper, gluesticks, tape, watercolor pencils, oil pastels, glitterglue, markers, and a Costco package of construction paper. In fact, that is exactly what we are giving DD3 for christmas, and I got it all for about $17. If she is anything like the other children we've given it to, she will get hours of entertainment out of it. I do the oil pastels, watercolor pencils, and glitter glue because they are kind of unusual, so the kids don't usually have a bunch of them already, and you can never have too much paper! I figure they have scissors already.

I made a bunch of these last year and they turned out really nice.

You need to buy a bottle of white or clear(I used clear for a more delicate looking flake) Gallery Glass paint. The stuff one uses for doing the fake stained glass look. Available from Walmart to craft supply stores.

Use it to draw snowflakes onto wax paper. If you want very precise snowflakes you can make patterns and put them under the wax paper to trace over. I sprinkled a little glitter on them while they were wet. Let them dry(maybe over night).

The flakes will just peel off the wax paper, and can be pressed to your windows....they cling. You can also put them on mirrors and walls, any surface actually.

Kids can make window clingys anytime of the year. Just get a number of colors for them and they can use simple coloring book images to trace. Have them trace with the fake liguid lead, and after it sets up abit they can fill in with color. Once dry just peel and stick.

Those sound like fun, with pretty results.

We just did the *cutest* little snowmen at our homeschool craft day. You need a white tube sock, bird seed for filler, lengths of multicolored yarn, sharpie pens in various colors for eyes, buttons, etc., and a pom pom to glue on top. You fill the sock 2/3 full of bird seed and knot; fold down the part above the knot to make a little knit hat; squeeze the snowman to make a head and body and tie yarn around the indent to look like a scarf; draw on eyes, carrot nose, buttons, etc.; and glue a pom-pom on top of his knit hat. It turned out so cute!