A DIY Christmas

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Every year after christmas day we have the inevitable 'what did you get for christmas thread', so I thought it would be awesome to make the opposite of that, with a thread full of gift ideas that are easy on the wallet. Not to mention they are awesomely creative and thoughtful, and you can personalize your gifts to make them especially unique to each person you're giving them to.

So, here are a few ideas to get us started!

Soup in a Jar

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/soupinajar.jpg

I love these things, and plan on putting some together myself. It helps that we've got a few packs of extra mason jars waiting to be used, and even if you don't have any, you can get a pack of twelve regular-sized ones from 7-20 bucks depending on where you buy. They're no-hassle, and the only real work you'll have to do is make the tag with the directions on it.


Homemade Jam

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/jam.jpg

There are about a billion and one recipes online for making jam. Charley and I have a massive surplus of blueberries, so I'm going to be making blueberry jam for some folks this year.


Wrap Bracelet (http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-wrap-bracelet/)

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/WRAPBRACELETS.jpg

These little guys are incredibly easy to put together.


Marble magnets (http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/marblemagnets/)

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/magnets.jpg

Stupid simple, and great for little personalized stocking stuffers.


Mod Podge coasters (http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/07/diy-tutorial-mod-podge-tile-coasters/)

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/coasters.jpg

Got some old comics laying around? or some old magazines that you saved? or heavens, if you're like me you've got stock photo magazines hiding somewhere. Either way, you aren't limited in any way what you can put on these.


Lion door knocker belt (http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-door-knocker-belt/)

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/lionbelt.jpg

This thing is so damn cool. I plan on making one for my sister.




Alien Abduction Lamp (http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2009/03/alien-lamp/)

And dammit, I really wish that Charley wasn't so damn terrified of aliens, because this lamp is so freaking awesome. I'm wracking my brain to look for an excuse to make one without damaging Charley's psyche ^_^;


Got ideas? Found some cool DIY stuff on other sites? Post them up and add to the collection of gift ideas :)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I'm making plushies for my kids and nieces and nephews. :D You know Ugly Dolls (http://www.uglydolls.com/home/index/322.0)? Yep, making my own.

Also I'm on Pinterest.com, that's where I have my DIY ideas all stored, lol.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

I hadn't ever heard of those, lol! I find myself partial to Jrumpy though for some reason ^_^;

I don't know much about Pinterest, so I'll have to check that place out.

[Sanis Prent]

I have two gallons of figs, so gonna try my hand at fig preserves too. Probably will make jerky and some kind of cookies.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Last year I gave cookies to everyone. I was considering suggesting we host Christmas dinner again but then I realized that I was going to be less than two weeks from popping out a baby (hopefully just a few days though, we really want to have the baby before the end of the year) so that probably wasn't a great idea. But I should be getting my 'nesting' surge in the next couple of weeks, so I'm gonna let the fabric fly and break in my new sewing machine. :D

[Emelie Shadowstar]

Still working on the gloves/hat set for my mum... but it's coming out so pretty that I'm rather tempted to make one for myself when all is done >_>

Bought the yarn for my favorite kinda-auntie-in-law who does my hair for uber cheap to make her a hat since she saw the one I made for the boy and basically demanded one in the nicest way possible. :D

Aside from that... not doing much this year. Not nearly as ambitious as the knitting doom that was last year.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

I'd love to see pictures of the gloves and hat when you're done!



Tried my hand at itty bitty origami the other day, since I want to make a few crane earrings for gifts.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/crane-earring.jpg

Also, I started the little marble magnets...
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/four.jpg

...and ended up with a bunch more, with four more magazines to cut through. They're so simple and fun, and I found the Crate and Barrel magazine I snagged at the thrift store today is awesome fodder for this little project.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/bunches.jpg

[Dasquian Belargic]

That origami earring is so cute :3

[Saidra]

was feeling artsy and the gloves have only one and a half fingers done on one of them so instead...

texture!

http://distilleryimage9.s3.amazonaws.com/7b08c9161ac211e1b20c123138140d11_7.jpg

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Textures make awesome signature backgrounds ;)




Made a little holocron today, but it turned out terribly. I put the design together in photoshop (and accidentally saved over my psd at the end of it all >_< ), then printed, cut, and folded.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/holocron.jpg

It's small because I was planning on putting it in the lightsaber box, but I can't bring myself to include its' terribleness. I'll probably pick up some plasticard on Monday and start on a proper holocron.

[Charley]

Givin folks the gift of enriched carbs because it's affordable for me to make bread.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p156/LoungieMu/5bada3ee.jpg

16 everything bagels
16 regular bagels
16 pretzels

(no this isn't all of them, it's just what could be forced in the basket)

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Taking a page from Jenny's playbook, I went to Lowe's today and got a sink assembly to make a Christmas saber for a friend. I tore apart an old air pressure gauge I had lying around and used some of the parts from it, and I plan on putting a little 'crystal' in the top open spot by drilling a decently sized hole through the plastic fins of the center plug bit and gluing whatever pretty shiny gem I pick into it so that when inserted, it's visible.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/bills-sabre.jpg

I haven't decided whether to get a pretty box, or make a stand for display, but I'm leaning towards the stand.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Hey, that looks great! Did you use the same part as me for the business end of the saber? It looks very similar.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Yup :) I might go back today and get a different style since I want to make another for a different friend, hehe. They're shockingly addictive to make!

[Dasquian Belargic]

They're definitely fun to make :D I think what really impressed me was how easy it was to find stuff that looked totally like real lightsaber parts.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Sarah!!! You should make this!

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/02/r2d2-knit-hat.html

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Made candles yesterday :D

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/candles1.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/candles2.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/candles3.jpg


And bottle cap magnets:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/silancy/caps.jpg

[Dasquian Belargic]

I love that wine glass candle, and the bottle cap magnets turned out great. I bet you could probably make hundreds of those!

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Thanks :D

The candles were stupidly easy to make, and I've got plans to make more. The bottlecaps were actually frustrating at first since I was using tacky glue, but I eventually pulled out my glue gun and took care of that real quick. And yeah, hehe, I could definitely make hundreds. I made 94 last night, and didn't even put a dent in the cap collection!