Making Lamps...
Take canning jars, fill with
marbles, potpourri, candy, fishing lures, etc. and then
put an electric light attachment on with a cute shade
(which could be stenciled, rubber stamped). Lamp can
reflect a favorite hobby of the recipient.
Stepping stones using a mold from
Lowe's and Quikrete for a garden. We'll put our
handprints and names and maybe some shells in them.
Tonya
Grapevine baskets made from our
own grapevine.
Sewing kit...
Sewing kit for a teen-age girl
using a tiny canvas tote, write Sewing Kit in flowery
script with craft paint and fill with scissors, needles,
threads, thimble, measuring tape.
Last year I ordered some
personalized stationary from Colorful Images with
matching address labels and envelopes for a niece. It
came to about $14.95 and then I found a stamp with her
name on it that made a nice gift.
A family video (or a couple of
movie passes) wrapped with a box of microwave popcorn.
A set of homemade placemats or
napkins.
One last idea, my husband found an
Andy Griffith tape in the USA Week-end that he wanted to
order last spring. It was a comedy tape from the 60's
that had been rereleased. It was about $15.95, I'm sure
more with shipping. It's hilarious and I just knew my
hard-to-buy for brother would love it. A couple of weeks
ago I found it on Amazon.com for $6.52!! I bought it!
Tonya
For a college student,
grandparent, or pen pal, send stationary along with
stamps ON the envelopes.
Scrapbook
pages. Get everyone in the family to help make a few scrapbook
pages to send on to the grandparents. These could be made on
standard 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock and then covered with clear plastic page
protectors and put into a nice 3-ring binder. This way siblings
from far away can send pages without having to match a particular
scrapbook page size. Keep on sending pages every Christmas or for
birthdays or special celebrations. No wrapping, easy to ship, a
surprise from each family involved! ~Ginger
Bird seed...for those who enjoy
bird watching. I heard of a grandma who got 200 lbs of
seed for Xmas from her children. She loved it. Buy in
bulk at the feed stores.
My kids *love* Roy Rogers! We gave
our son the set of "Singing Cowboys" videos
from Costco for his last birthday. My husband and I just
watched a clip last night of an old interview of Roy and
Dale. They don't make heros like they used to, it seems!
Karen in OR
Ornaments...
My sister paints wooden ornaments
for our children each year and they love hanging
"their ornaments" on the tree. Then when they
grow up and move away, I'll send these along for their
own Christmas trees.
Jody
Photographs...
This year I am getting copies of
some very old photos of my grandparents and giving them
to my brothers and sister. I have the only original
prints and wanted them to have their own.
Jody
Spiritual Gifts
Advent
Boxes...
I
keep all my Christmas things separate from the Advent
things. Advent is the season that includes the four
Sundays before Christmas. We observe Advent to help
prepare ourselves for Christmas. I have found it takes
the focus off of the business of the season, we
concentrate on our need for a Savior.
We
have a couple of Advent boxes. I keep one for books &
puzzles. One for the Nativity set and one for the Advent
mugs and dishes. We make a big deal out of changing the
coffee mugs. Every one wants cocoa from a favorite
Christmas mug. I try to buy left over Christmas
papergoods after the holiday to save for the next year.
Bren
in Oregon
Operation
Christmas Box...
Operation
Christmas Child is headed by Franklin Graham and is an
organization which brings prepared Christmas boxes to
unfortunate children over seas.
Samaritan's
Purse - Operation Christmas Child - 801 Bamboo Road -
P.O. Box 3000 - Boone, NC 28607 - I would *think* there's
still time to do this. I hope so! I like for our kids to
be in this "giving" frame of mind rather than
the "gimmies". Let me know if you want anything
more specific from this brochure. They have a helpful
list of suggestions as well as what to avoid putting in
your box.
Karen
in OR
You
asked about spiritual gifts, too, right? This is where I
get stuck every year. Having family who are
"inoculated" Christians (a term borrowed from
Billy Graham - meaning someone who has just enough
religion so they won't get the real thing...) I'm really
search for something that will be from my heart, and yet
not push them farther away (after all, I'm already
involved in this weird homeschooling stuff, right? )
This
year we've found a video that I think we'll get for
family members called St. John in Exile. CBD has it. It's
a one man play starring Dean Jones (yes, from the old
Disney movies) as John in exile on Patmos. It is well
done enough to intrigue even the stuffiest "cultural
elites", but the gospel message comes through in
such a powerful way that you can't ignore it.
Not
a frugal gift, but sometimes I feel time is getting too
short to be frugal about some things.
Jan in KY
Relying
on God...
Many times I think of all these things that
I want to do
but just don't follow through or I wait to long and don't
leave enough time for making them. THIS YEAR IS GOING TO
BE DIFFERENT!! I say that every year! The only difference
is that this year I am relying on God. I have been a
Christian for most of my life but God has really made a
difference in my life this past year. With the decision
to Home School, change comes naturally in a lot of other
areas as well. It really puts other things and priorities
in perspective.
Natalee
Crisis
Pregnancy Center...
We
support the local pregnancy crisis center called the Care
Center. My children wanted to do something for them last
Christmas so we called and asked if there something we
could buy for them since I figured it would have much
more of an impact if my children could "b u y"
something with the money they had saved than just give
the money. They told us they put together newborn baskets
when a mom they have counseled has a baby.
Robin
Each
year we sponsor a family to give gifts to...usually from
the social service. This has been a wonderful
"gift" to our children. They've enjoyed picking
out clothing, toys and such for children they know
wouldn't have had these things.
Caroling...
Our 4-H club
baked goodies and boxed them into wrapped boxes and then delivered them
to bachelors or old folks as we went caroling. What a gift it was to
these people and especially to us!!
Small Gifts
I
love to give small things in gift baskets or decorative
sacks and so all year am on the look out for
"little" yet practical things...little
scripture magnets....little things that one likes but
probably wouldn't buy for your self.
Robin
Gifts of Music...
We
love to give music so I look for cassettes tapes or CDs at Bible
book store sales.
Give
tickets to a coming concert.
A
family friend who is very talented in singing and playing
piano gave a concert at her church for the public. She
asked for free will donations which she then gave to
"For Haiti With Love" (a missionary charity).
She sent the charity $1000 that year!
A
harmonica or recorder with cassette on "how
to".
Ask
Grandparents if they would like to pitch in on piano
lessons for their grandchildren!
Give
lessons on cassette to a budding guitarist...Homespun Tapes is a
great source for this!
Sewing Ideas
One
idea that might be nice is to make knitted washcloths
with 100% cotton yarn. I did this last year and there was
a super-easy pattern rig ht on the yarn package. I
remember thinking that they would make nice shower gifts
because they're so soft!
Becky
in OR
Field
Corn Pillows...
You
take some flannel, fold and cut on 3 sides in a small
square (don't know exact measurements but the finished
pillow looked to be around 10-12 inches). Sew leaving a
hole to fill with your field corn...fill and sew hole
closed . Now the best part is what they were used
for....you place the bag in the microwave (about 2
minutes or until pillow is hot). Voila! instant cold feet
warmer....hot pad...etc. My friend has really cold feet
and takes it to bed with her every nite. She uses it for
everything like a warm stress reliever....even takes it
in the car to use under the seat belt at her shoulder so
the belt doesn't bother her there. She wouldn't be
without it. So many things you could do...you could add
lace....embroidery their name for that personal touch
ideas are endless I am sure. Make it round instead of
square.... Just had to share this, I thought it was so
neat....something children could do too!!
Robin
Scarves
made from polar fleece and edged with a blanket stitch.
Tonya
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