I can hear those jingle bells coming!!!! (Homemade Christmas Presents)

Member Name: KELLY170980

Product:	Homemade Christmas Presents
Date:	14/10/08 (316 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hampers are a easy and cheap way to make some home made gifts.

Disadvantages: Can take a lot of room up in your house and its so tempting to eat the choccies in them!!!!

Well i can hear those jingle bells a ringing!!!!!!

Here are some of the things i am making or have made this year or previous years in order to save money and give a little more of a personal touch!!

********* " the night before xmas hamper" ***********

I have made these for my children , i get a small wicker basket, or you could even get a box and decorate it with xmas paper. and inside i put in some new pj's, a xmas book, some cookies for santa, some reindeer food, a letter from santa, bath bomb, a carrot for rudolph, some puzzles, some hot chocolate and shortbread ........ there are many other things you can add dependant on your child, its a loverly gift to have the night before to give them a little excitement.

More details on hamper

***The letter from santa***
i type out myself just telling them to be a good girl or boy and go to bed early so that santa can get all their pressies ready for them...just add some clip art etc....there are also many free sites that you can use to print out a free letter.
*** reindeer food****
You mix porridge oats with glitter put it in some celophane or food bag what ever you prefer....i also make a tag with the rhyme on......
Make a wish and close your eyes tight
then sprinkle on your lawn at night
as santas reindeer fly and roam
this food will guide them to your home
***cookies for santa***
I always put some just normal cookies in some celophane with a blank tag and let my children write there own message for him.
***carrot for rudolph***
I wrap this in celophane also and just put on a little tag saying that this is to help him see and his nose shine bright.
*** xmas book***
I tend to buy one each year, but there are some websites where you can download a book, im ure my sister did this one year, or you could make up your own little story for them.
***Bath bomb***
I tend to buy one from Lush as it knocks them out!!! hehe!!....but you could just get some cheapy ones from the pound shop etc (although depends on your childrens skin type)
*** Hot chocolate***
I get them a xmas mug from Primark ...they are a pound, i then wrap a portion of hot chocolate in a bag with a ribbon and place it in the cup with a couple of marshmellows.

There are many variations but i can assure you your kids would love this.

***********hampers for family members*****************

I get empty boxes ( be it shoe boxes or larger ones) i decorate the outsides with nice wrapping paper or collages of pictures of the kids and then try and fill them with some personal things to them.......

This year i brought some nice frames from the pound shop and decorated them with some embellishments i had and then put a piccie of the kids.

There was a great voucher code on hotukdeals.com that enabled you to get a personalised desk calendar for free just pay p&p (1.50) so i ordered some of these.

I brought a buy one get one free jelly babies from woolies and i am going to wrap them in celophane with ribbons on.

I brought some little samples of foot and hand creams from boots on their reduced rack for 15p each ***bargain***

I have brought some of the five items for a fiver bubble baths etc from Avon.

There are loads of things you can get and as long as you do not go over the top you can really save yourselves lots of money.... it is great but also i have found that my family members have loved them much more than other years when i brought them a voucher or clothes

I could go on forever with all my ideas, stockings, decorations, cards, thrifty shopping etc etc but i do not want to bore you all.

Summary: So much thought goes into homemade pressies and i think that is the idea of xmas!!