Handmade Items for Gifts

I'm in a swap on another forum & we are to include the instructions for handmade gifts. It can be food items, like Brownies or cookies in a Jar; or anything hand made that would make a nice gift for a teacher or a friend you were going to visit or something like that. I don't have anything along those lines & was wondering if anyone on here could help me out.
Jan

Hi, Jan. Here's a link to Allrecipes.com (a really good all-around recipe site.) In particular, I've pointed it to the "cookie in a jar" recipe stuff: http://cookierecipe.allrecipes.com/directory/571.asp

My personal favorite is "Munchy Crunchy Cookies", which make very delicious cookies (as well as an attractive mix.)

Other ideas are Hot Cocoa Mix (I can post my recipe on the Recipes forum if you'd like) or "Friendship Soup Mix", which makes a nice, non-sweet gift.

Last year for Christmas for our adult siblings, I purchased inexpensive glass canister sets. I filled the smallest with homemade beef jerkey, the two middle sized ones with cookie mix and soup mix, and the largest with hot cocoa mix.

They gifts were a hit, and cost less than $20 including the canisters......

I make corn husk angels.They cost next to nothing..you can get the husks in the Mexican food dept. in the supermarket or Wal-Mart as tortilla wrappers.If Dave will help me,I'll try to post instructions with pictures on how to make them.
They're easy and even kids can do it.

go_vols,
I'd love to have your recipes. I'll start checking the Recipe forum for them.

Melody,
I'd also like to have the instructions & pics. If you can't get it posted here, you can email them to me.

Thanks,
Jan

Hi Hostangifts,
That's a cute name...If you like baskets, I could give you instructions for making them with 5 pieces of cardboard, a paperbag....grocery bag size, or smaller if you prefer a smaller basket, and 2-3 packs of Bowties...which is wire-edged paper ribbon.The cost of the materials is minimal, and everyone that i have made them for love them.They are sturdy and attractive.
Some people like to decorate straw hats with ribbons, flowers, small beads, strings of small pearls (costume jewelry of course)
A friend of mine, hand-paints cute little faces on decorative jack-be-little pumpkins and odd shaped gourds.
How about a pattern for something that is knitted, crocheted or even counted dross-stitch.
I'll keep thinking about this and try to come up with something unique.
Sandy

Does anyone have any instructions for those adorable clay pot people?

"eyes"

Melody

I would love to try those. I have a Brownie Girl Scout troop of 30 girls and That may be perfect for them to make for the Nursing homes for xmas.
if you cant post the directions & pics here, can you please email them to me. tamlamb@netzero.net

thanks

'eyes' go to HGTV site and put in clay pot people in the search or go Michaels.com and put in clay pot projects and will get all kinds of projects for making things out of clay pots.
Can make all sort of things out of clay pots. I personally have done many things with clay pots...even toad houses, which are real cute.

Thanks, CoCo....what's a toad house?

"eyes"

A 'toadhouse' is where you cut an opening at the top part of the pot...like a small door way,then put your pot.....the opening part where you would plant a plant downwards on the ground and then place a saucer beside it and you now have a place for the toads to go into and have a saucer of water right there by it. Or you can just take a clay pot and prop it up just alittle ways with a flat rock or something,just so it's up only alittle ways,just high enough for a toad to go into.
Take a clay pot and decorate anyway you wish/matching saucer.
'eyes',I hope you understand what I'm talking about here. Not very good at explaining some things too good. Easier for me to show someone how to make things then it is to explain the directions.
Now, if you already have a pot that is cracked,put it to use and use it as a toadhouse.

This message was edited Tuesday, Oct 2nd 11:04 AM

SDoglover1512,
I'd like the directions for the baskets. They sound like they would be real cute.

CoCo,
The clay pots sounds great too.

You're all comeing up with great ideas. thanks so much.
Jan

I'll work on the angel thing...I'll see what we can do.

Great Melody, I'll be watching for it.
tamlamb

Eyes-I have a small booklet on clay pot people and decorated pots...I'd be glad to let you use it! I had our VBS decorate clay pots and then plant annuals in them for a craft. Email me and I'll send it to you if you'd like. "T" :)

In the forum "Hands on Home, you'll find the most adorable candle holders made out of clay pots. posted by BLOOMER, Jun. 8th. I went to Wal-Mart this week and got some of the small pots and liners for under $1....NOW need motivation to paint them...Jo

I used to take wide lace ribbon, sew up both sides to make bags and stuff with potpourri from my dried petals which had a little orris root and a bit of extra fragrace oil added to the batch,several days before stuffing the bags) and tying with complimentary colors of 1/8" satin ribbon.

Hey, Jan... If you are looing for a recipe that is a fabulous gift, and VERY easy to make, try Biscotti. If people who pay $1.25 - $1.75 each for ONE biscotti knew just how very easy they are to make, they might not be so willing to buy them, if they could make them, LOL. (Besides, they keep a very long time!) I have a great, and easy, recipe if you want one.

Darius,
I would love that recipe. I love biscotti with my tea at night and can't afford it all the time
sandy

the post on toad houses brought back memories for me! we used to make them as children by pressing dirt over our bare feet! and I'm really not that old! just a little bit country! did anyone else ever do that? I need some toad houses so they'll stay out of my flower pots!