JOYS OF THE HOMEMADE GIFT EXCHANGE
Easily the best thing we’ve done in a long time. This guest post/provident living testimonial is courtesy of my daughter, Samantha (Card) Kelly. Maybe homemade is an idea you’d like to try. (Thanks so much, Sam!)
This Christmas, we drew names with my family for the gift exchange.
And we made a rule that your gift had to be homemade.
It was awesome.
Seriously the most excited we’ve ever been to open each other’s presents and definitely the most memorable!
Even the process of making our gifts was fun.
Chas and I loved having our own separate project to work on in tandem on weekend nights while we listened to Christmas music.
Then, to top it all off, we had a little photo shoot and took pictures of everyone with their gift.
Like I said, we were all pretty excited about our gifts.
Here’s the breakdown:
Rosie made me this amazing car seat cover!
(Baby Banks was nice enough to let me use his car seat for the pic.)
I think little cryings will love it!
Chas painted a family portrait for Sarah!
He worked really hard on this and I’m so proud of him for sticking with such an ambitious present!
This is Sarah’s husband, Michael. (Love him.)
Michael is a huge smarty-pants computer programmer.
So Lizzie made Michael his very own computer programming wizard cape!
Sarah made Lizzie this killer jacket and hand-bound book/diary!
I made Hailey a big, snuggly fleece blanket!
(Should be helpful in securing a suitor.)
Michael used his hands (”handmade”) to pick out some college essentials for Rosie.
My favorite part about this was apparently he asked his wife, Sarah, “Do you think it would be ok if I got Rosie some pantiliners?”
Michael knows what’s up.
And Hailey painted this ahhh-mazing portrait for Chas!
I’ll have to scan the original so you can really see how glorious and perfect it is.
We’re gonna commission her to paint one of me and then we can hang them both right above little crying’s crib!
January 4th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Great job on all the handmade gifts!!! I love it when some thought really goes into these type of gifts, be it Christmas or otherwise.
About two weeks before Christmas I decided to give each of my at home family members a special something from me. My rule was that it had to be made from things that I already had in my home, no purchasing allowed.
I remembered when my children were younger and they had a rice bag that they would put in the microwave to heat up and keep them selfs warm. Well, I am a miser and keep my house cooler to save on the heating bill so I thought…I should make them something like that so that they will be toasty warm when ever they want. Can I just say that my 11 year old tells me every night that his “wheat bag” is his most favorite gift!!!!! (he warms it up and puts it at the foot of his bed every night) My entire family really loved the handmade gift that will keep them warm all year long
Even my 19 year old son warms his up and takes it to work with him every morning! I may need a new microwave because of all the wheat bag warming that is going on.
Anyway, I have several cases of 40 some-odd-year old wheat in my basement and used that instead of rice. Next was bits and pieces (and I do mean bits and pieces) of flannel material that were left over from various projects. I basically made a 9 patch of flannel, put a back on it and sewed it so that it has 3 sections to it. Filled each section with the wheat and stiched the section closed. T.H.E. B.E.S.T. present ever!
xo
January 4th, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Kriiiiiiiis! WE ARE WHEAT-BAG-HEAT-BAG TWINS! I can’t believe it! Only I didn’t make mine for Christmas gifts. Dang good idea though. But I did make it in December and it wasn’t nearly as fancy as what you created.
Mine was an emergency wheat-heat-bag and it was to help Lizzie get through the horrific two weeks of recovery after all four impacted wisdom teeth were pulled. She was one sick little camper and couldn’t tollerate the pain meds. At least we know she’ll probably never have a serious drug problem.
All I did was fill a tightly woven long sock with old wheat. I tied the end in a knot, and heated the thing in the microwave. Lizzie slung it under her chinny-chin-chin and was finally able to get some relief, and sleep. Maybe I’ll talk her into letting me share the picture. She looks like one of the characters from Chicken Run
January 5th, 2012 at 10:51 am
So glad that Lizzie got through that ordeal and all because of her A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. mother, some old wheat and a sock! Go figure! My husband is really surprised at how long the wheat bag retaines its heat and how well it melts away those sore muscles and warms the body.
For the last 2 weeks my 11 year old has sat in bed with the wheat bag and a pillow reading through 3 books! And once again, last night as I kissed him good-night he said; “Mom, this is the best Christmas gift ever”!! I love that Boy
xo
January 5th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
LOVE all the pics above. And love the wheat bag idea because that sounds like something I a) can actually make and b) will actually use.
Thanks!
January 5th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
The photos of the gifts are fantastic – what wonderful ideas! DD and I made a cherry pit bag (use what you have, right?) this summer after saving cherry pits from a couple of seasons, and she just loves it. (It has dinosaur fabric – her favorite!) We warm it in the winter for toasty toes, but in the summer I keep it in the freezer for really hot days. When we come in from the garden or playing outside or something, she likes to use it to cool off.
January 6th, 2012 at 12:48 am
Hold it. Did you just say CHERRY PIT BAG? I love that idea!!! And I love the thought of tossing it in the freezer during the hot months! If I were smart…I’d get making more of these whatever bags and have them sewn and ready to give, next Christmas.
Thanks Laura!
January 6th, 2012 at 12:59 am
Thanks Bonnie! Try to think of those pictures as our Christmas card
oops
You’re helping me feel motivated to hunt for the shots I took of Lizzie, post-wisdom-teeth, when she was right in the middle of her emergency hot sock situation.
Tomorrow.
January 6th, 2012 at 1:00 am
Kris, that Brandon is truly a GEM! Last the best of all the game!
January 6th, 2012 at 7:24 am
I also hear good thing about wee ‘hot packs’ to be put into pockets on cold winter mornings for keeping hands warm. I wouldn’t mind a pair of those myself! I’m going to need more cherry trees.
(Actually, we have more baby trees planted, so yay!)
January 6th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
And another great idea!!!
More reasons to plant cherry trees. Thanks Laura
January 8th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
You can use rice or dried corn in the bags too. To be extra fancy, you can make a washable pillowcase for your heatable bag, and then you can tuck a packet of herbs in AFTER heating so it’ll smell yummy. Peppermint teabags work, or you can make lavendar sachets or use whatever you like.
January 9th, 2012 at 2:05 am
Amazing, Elizabeth. You, Laura, and Kris sound like experts. What filling have you found to work best? I want to make some of these fancy ones!
January 9th, 2012 at 2:06 am
Oh, and what are “your” suggestions for the best fabric to use?