Crafting for Christmas

[Babycakes]

Anyone else started yet??
I have to admit I have been building up my stash throughout the year in preparation for christmas, as I'm going to be (hopefully!) selling some of my makes at craft fairs this year as well as giving more home made presents to family and friends.
I have started making cards, mostly christmas cards, but a few birthday and other occasions too. I've also made some nice stamped gift tags.
I came across little bags with a small soap, a small bottle of bubble bath, a matching bottle of body lotion, and a little candle that sits on a terracotta saucer for just 50p each! So I bought 20, and am planning on re-packaging them - but not sure how? I might try making nicer bags (the ones they are in are plain white voile-type stuff, not really that nice and some are coming apart at the seams) Any suggestions?
I am also going to make some soy wax candles in pretty teacups and saucers, and some gifts in decorated jars - things like dry soup mix (home made I mean not out of a packet!) or cookie mix.
Has anyone else started crafting for christmas??

[Effie]

A nice gift for children is a gingerbread house kit. All year round, look for red or green sweets. Make the walls of the house (or dry mix, templates and instructions), put royal icing mix in a disposable piping bag, layer it all up on a cake board, wrap in cellophane and curly ribbon.

[Babycakes]

Oooh Effie, I'm liking that idea!

[ma larkin]

Babycakes, I cannot believe you have started so early! Very organised!
Some lovely ideas, especially the candles in teacups and saucers.

I tried everywhere last year to get a decent template and instructions for a gingerbread house Effie. If you have any advice I would be very grateful.

I made some vintage fabric chickens last year for Christmas presents, they were very well received! Theres an idea for you Jen! I kept the pattern very simple. (I may make them bigger and turn them into rice doorstops this year.)

I have already started my pickling for Christmas pressies, but I also thought I would do handmade bars of soap, wrapped in scraps of vintage fabric. I attempted to make a few lavender bars a while ago, but got carried away and with the ingredients and they were awful! A little practice maybe....

[Babycakes]

Am also going to make individual christmas cakes, baked in those small tins you get kiddies spaghetti shapes in

[ma larkin]

I will see if I can make some over the weekend and post some pictures. I will try and work out the pattern for you aswell if you like,

Best wishes to you and I hope you are feeling better Jen

[ma larkin]

Babycakes, I love your idea of mini christmas cakes!

Ma Larkin

[Effie]

I tried everywhere last year to get a decent template and instructions for a gingerbread house Effie. If you have any advice I would be very grateful.

I took inspiration from here, but Martha Stewart always does things which look way beyond perfect.

What I ended up with was much more homelyand not as tall and thin, I got the template from somewhere else, probably googled it. I have got a new computer since and I'm having trouble finding my instrctions and photos, I suspect i haven't kept them I'm afraid.

A lot of stuff that comes up is very fancy, I think I went for something really plain. I'll see if I can rough up a plan - you could try making your own template out of cardboard, sticking it together and seeing if it is the shape you want.

[seahorse]

Having just bought a new sewing machine last saturday, I have been busy making my patchwork quilts. Finished a small one and now I'm on the big one for our bedroom. I have ideas about making fabric animals for the xmas tree, simplistic ones !!! I may even have enough to give away, that's if I find enough time, the wool carding and felting take up too much time. The spinning wheel is coming soon, so I will be sitting by the fire this winter spinning the Alpaca fleeces.....does anyone know where I can find more hours in the day??? Oh and we may be giving a home to a siamese kitten if she gets over her heart op next month, that will be interesting...kitten...wool...hmmm!

[Babycakes]

I think I have caught some kind of bug. I was in the £1 shop this morning and saw little glass bottle of Orangina - 3 for £1. I looove Orangina, it reminds me of holidays in Greece, so I bought 3. As I left the shop I thought, what a nice shaped bottle...and sent OH back to buy another 3 so I can make flavoured oils and vinegars in them for christmas pressies
I am looking at the recycling/repurposing potential loads now when I'm out. I also stocked up on small tins of spaghetti shapes for Grace while they were on offer so I can bake individual cakes in the tins....