Handmade Holidays

[smalltowngirl]

Ok, I know its only August, but if you plan to make a lot of gifts this year, its time to start cracking, or at least THINKING about it. I really, REALLY want to make most of the gifts I give this year, at least to the people who I know will appreciate it. I dont have much of a list so far, but I thought it would be fun to get a list going.

Also for gifts I don't make, I'd like to buy handmade ones (ie: b/c I can't sew, but would like to give some sewn items). This also might be a good place to do some trading (say, some handspun yarn for a sewn thing, for example?!)

List away!

for friends: 22oz bottles of homemade hard cider
for mom: something handmade and with a daschund theme, but I'm not sure what yet

I'll add more as I think of things!

[weezil]

I'll probably be trying to squeeze out several small quick quilty things (i am a wholecloth/applique art quilt kind of girl, i guess, and it at least seems to go fast), and possibly some felted critters. maybe embroidery, since i have a megaton of fancy thread now.. at least this year i won't be in school, so i feel like i'll have tons of time to do the work!

i am currently imagining:
-drag race/car themed quilty thing for one aunt & uncle
(i have several sets of aunts and uncles so this could get complicated)
-finish the embroidered shirt i started a year ago for my grandmother
-felt animal ornaments for my younger cousins
annnd i usually paint little watercolor cards.

this could all change. and i might buy some things for people on etsy or something.
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etsy shop! recent works! Linus in Hats!

[Gigi]

I wish I could make all, or even most, of my presents handmade this year, but I just don't think it's going to happen. My course load is tough this semester, I'm working two jobs, my best friend is having her baby soon, I have doctor's appointments all the time...etc.

But I'm going to do my best. Right now I'm thinking I'll definitely handmake all my cards. I did that last year and they were a huge hit. Depending on time, I'll probably do a lot of scarves, possibly some hats, iPod cozies, etc. I'm kind of undecided on everthing at this point, so I need to get my ass in gear.

The only person I've thought about for Christmas is crushboy. How sad is that - who knows if he'll even be around come December? But I'm making him a scarf for his birthday in two weeks, and I bought an extra skein so I can make him a matching hat. :) Ha. I'm a little lame.

I'll post more when I have a definite plan.

[mikan]

I try to make at least one thing for all my gifts, if not the entire gift being handmade. My family all appreciate the things I make, and so does the boyfriend and his family (his mom, sister, and aunt all do crafting also, so they understand how much time/effort goes into each piece).

I've been working on projects all year long, some which I plan on keeping for myself, and some which I've made with the intention of gifting - though I don't quite know for who yet.. amigurumi, hats, scarves. The thing that is the most difficult, is crafting for the men, as I don't quite know what kind of things they will actually appreciate.
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mikan: a sweet fruit & mmm, so delicious.

[greenie]

Okay - I am SO ready for the holidays to begin! I bought some holiday craft mags this weekend. This will be my first year in my *very own* house to decorate for Halloween and Autumn and Christmas and New Years.....I've always lived at my parents' house for the holidays. Now I can be my very own domestic diva and I'm pumped. PUMPED I TELL YOU.

- Cards: I think I am going to make and print our own using a wedding picture. Usually I'm not so big on picture cards of me, but shoot, they cost a ton and I like them and I want people to see them, dangit!!!

- Household: ummm this is all me, because the crafting for Halloween and Christmas begins last month.

- Gifts: I haven't singled anyone out yet for something uber special, but I'm planning on making a LOT of gifts this year. Probably including lots of little things -- ie. little stuffed felt and sequin ornaments. They are so fun to make, and so sweet.

I will totally update as my holiday crafting extravaganza gets more complex.

I need to go to the craft store now.

[cake]

i'm going to knit all my gifts this year. in fact, i just went on a bit of a yarn/pattern buying spree but come xmas when i'm all done and don't have to run around spending $$ like a fool it'll all be ok. i think. i picked out a sweater pattern for mr. c. and a shawl pattern for my mom and stepmom. i need to get cracking!

hope people like socks!
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What can't that centaur woman do?

[iscoolster]

i'm starting a carpool on tuesday, so suddenly, i'll have at least an extra two hours a day to craft!

i'm thinking that i'm going to do up a bunch of scarves. i'll do a few of tangle's herringbone scarf, a few lucky thirteen scarves, and maybe few of a cabled or basketweave scarf, too for good measure.

i'll probably finally get around to making darrin's grandmother a shawl. i kind of like lion brand's ripple shawl.

i think i might make the boy's niece a sweater. lion brand's eyelet yoke cardigan looks adorable. i'll probably make her an amigurumi, too. maybe an amineko.

i'm thinking about also doing some coffee mug cozies. maybe make a set of two for some niceish mugs for the boy's dad and step-mom, and a bunch for the people at my office.

at home, i'm planning to do up more beaded ornament covers, probably for myself, but maybe some for gifts, depending on how many i get done.

i might craft up some pretty gift tags, or i might not. i'll see how i feel about that one.

i don't really know how many people i'll need to craft for. there are currently twelve people on my side of the office, so if i do something for one, i probably have to do something for everyone, right? coffee mug cozies, it is! i've got three male friends who can all have a scarf. then, there's the boy's family. mom & stepdad, dad & stepmom, brother, wife, child, grandmother and then the whole extended family. eeep!

i know the boy will also be buying presents for all of his family, so i probably won't feel so badly if i don't, say, knit a scarf up for his cousin, who probably wouldn't really appreciate it anyway.
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but i'm still here, and small. so small.

(be sound.)

[mikan]

[arabella]

[IrmaVep]

[alice-palace]

Wow. I think my family would faint if i made them sweaters and huge stuff like that! We're (fortunately) much more into the small gifts.. I am making hats and scarves at the moment, and i'll probably make some bigger stuff for my immediate family and my boyf, but beyond that, i just don't have the time! (This is because i'm quite slow at crochet, not because i have such an incredibly busy life.)

If anyone has any good handmade present ideas for men, they would be so much appreciated. Anything crocheted or sewn. I am hopeless at man presents - even bought ones - and over half the people i have to get xmas pressies for are male. Grr.

[iscoolster]

[Lilly-Lu]

Hopefully this year I will be organized enough to make a few handmade gifts. I am thinking of sewing clothing or toys for my niece and nephew...as well, my mother has always loved those flower-shaped chenille washcloths so I think I will surprise her with a bunch...I have found a good source of the chenille cotton they require. I may make my dad a hat, too out of a different yarn.

[aliwa]

[quote=]
I think that I will make a few bags to use as grocery sacks for most of the adults on my list
[/quote]

This is actually a great idea! I might have to steal it from you :) I will also have to steal a sewing machine, but that is do-able I think!

/Alva
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Oh gravity, thou art a heartless bitch

[aliwa]

All of my family already use them though, I just thought that they might enjoy some prettier ones than the standard off-white/beige store-bought ones.

I actually found a pretty good tutorial from Craftster for them that I used once. It takes a bit longer than the standard tote-bag, especially the first bag since I had no idea how to do it. But the result is very nice looking!
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Oh gravity, thou art a heartless bitch