107 replies to this topic

[Silverstreak24]

Does anyone have any Christmas projects they want to share? I'm trying to get more ideas as I love making homemade gifts to go along with what I buy. I've already started creating individualized magnet sets for some of my family. They can be used with whatever theme you decide to create. I'm trying to make each set indivdualized toward whoever I'm giving the magnets to.
If you are interested in the marble magnets:
http://www.notmartha.../marblemagnets/
The only difference to the ones I'm making is that the marbles I'm using are about 50% larger than those on the not martha website.

Is there something you have made or make yearly at Christmas that you can share? I'm trying to get more ideas here before the Christmas season is upon us!

[mgmckny]

Cool idea. NO other suggestions at the moment but I'm stealing this!!!

[pogiporkchop]

I just found a couple of recipes to make non-edible ornaments and would be happy to share them if you're interested (got to find the notebook I wrote them in!) One is for cinnamon applesauce ornaments and the other is for a salt dough ornament you can decorate with pretty much anything imaginable.

[conj]

we made the cinnamon applesauce ones last year with the kids. they loved doing it. Came out pretty good too... and they are based on your cookie cutters... so you can do whatever - we did menorah ones and dreidles, and stars of David, in addition to the Xmas ones... and covered both sides of the family with one craft!

[motoXmom]

Thanks for the post these are really cute. I figured with a website name like that I can't go wrong! LOL

[Silverstreak24]

I just found a couple of recipes to make non-edible ornaments and would be happy to share them if you're interested (got to find the notebook I wrote them in!) One is for cinnamon applesauce ornaments and the other is for a salt dough ornament you can decorate with pretty much anything imaginable.

Yes, please do share! The ornaments sound like a lot of fun to make!

[Rockfordmom]

really cute idea silverstreak24, I had not seen those before

[AndreaInNC]

lol - I just put up 12 quarts and 12 pints of homemake green tomato relish. Guess what my friends and family are getting this year?

[pogiporkchop]

There are many variations for these recipes.. they're endless really and easy to find. My best suggestion for both recipes is to have fun experimenting with what works best for you. Don't forget that both of these are NON-EDIBLE recipes. Salt Dough Ornaments Ingredients: 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup salt 1 1/2 cups warm water Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Mix flour and salt well. Gradually add water, stirring with a large spoon. Finish mixing with hands. Knead until soft and pliable. 3. Roll out on floured surface about 1/8 inch thick. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets. With a straw make a hole in the top of the ornament for threading string. Bake until hard, about 1 hour. Decorate with paint and varnish to preserve. Some suggestions: 1. Use cut up paper clips for hangers instead of punching a hole in the dough. One clip should yield 3 hangers. 2. Use food coloring paste to color the dough before baking if you don't want to paint them; mix in after adding water. 3. You don't have to roll out the dough. For thicker ornaments lower the temperature to 200 degrees and bake longer. This also reduces the amount of puffing. 4. Use a garlic press to make hair and beards. 5. Supposedly the dough will keep in zip lock bags for a few days and can be freshened by adding water or flour depending on its state. Me, I would just make and use it fresh. Now the recipe I found the other day is the same as above except for the amount of water (1 1/3 cups at room temperature). Preheat the oven to 250F and line pans with parchment paper. Bake for 55 minutes, flip and bake for 55 minutes more. When they are cool decorate with glue, glitter, paints, sequins... anything you can think of really. Now for the other one: Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments Ingredients: 2c. unsweetened applesauce 2 1/2c. ground cinnamon plus extra for rolling ribbon for hanging Directions: 1. Using your hands, mix applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl until it's a nice consistency (like modeling clay). If it's too wet add more cinnamon; too dry add applesauce. Knead on cinnamon sprinkled surface until it stays together. 2. Roll dough out. Use cookie cutters to create shapes and straws to punch holes. Place on cookie sheets to dry; turn ornaments several times during the drying process (24-48 hours total). Alternatively these can be baked in a low temperature oven (200F or so) - make sure to use parchment paper on the pans. 3. When the ornaments are dry (and cooled if need be) they can be decorated with fabric paint (use white - it looks like frosting), glitter glue or whatever you desire. Be careful not to go overboard on the decorating - you don't want to lose the cinnamon scent! Suggestions: 1. Some people add white glue to the dough to help it stick together. Make sure to thoroughly mix it in if you do. 2. Any combination of spices can be used; it doesn't have to be all cinnamon! As long as the spices total 2 1/2c. you should be fine. If anyone tries these let us know what worked for you and pictures if they can be managed!

[pogiporkchop]

I don't remember the name of the book I found my salt recipe from but I found the cinnamon recipe on allrecipes.com. Got to give credit where it's due

[Silverstreak24]

Thanks so much! I'm so excited to try creating ornaments! :0) I was looking for something just like this to make with my new husband and my neice, and I think these ornaments will be perfect! I can't wait to get started and I'm sure my husband's going to think I'm crazy for wanting to make ornaments over a month before Halloween, but too bad lol! :0) Thanks again!

[2chia]

I would like to post something ... I do not cook ( burn stuff before ) and love eat dessert ( can't master bread. The kneading.... And can only say I can bake 3 items ). This is one item that almost every single Asian market has . Chinese Egg Tart ( why the Chinese part ? Well.... I only see it in 99 Ranch Market or Asian bakeries ) .. Do NOT worry , even a bake dummy ( I am one ) can bake. The only time consuming part is molding the shell . To get the dough from thick down to thin but not enough for the filling to fallen through. If you want to know what it look like... Go to Foodgawker's site and just type: Chinese Egg Tart . Ok. here we go. Another thing I want to stress you can find every single items on this list at your local market : Vons / Ralph / Albertson / Target / Walmart.... etc.. Egg Tart ( makes 12 regular muffin size tart or you can get it to the mini muffin for smaller serving size ) Shell: 3oz Cream Cheese 1 stick ( about 8 oz ) butter 1 Cup all-Purpose Flour Filling : 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 ( or 1/3 ) cup sugar, depend on personal taste Prheat oven at 375 degree 1. Mix all the ingredients from the shell . Divide the dough to 12 portions. Drop each one into the muffin tin section then press upward and stretch but not quit reaching to the edge . This is where time comsuming part ( atleast for me that is ). Too thick and you got a egg tart with not enough filling and too thick of shell.... etc. 2. Mix all the ingredient from the filling then pour into each shell. Do not reach all the way to the edge . I would say about 80 - 85% full. 3. Bake for about 20 min on 375 - 400 degree. To see if is complete done , you can stick a tooth pick into it and if is coming out no sticky filling and clean then is done. 4. Let it cool so the filling can settle down. Great dessert to bring to parties and all ingreidents you proably already have it in your pantry.... I hope you like it.... This recipe was from a ex-coworker who know I was really craving for these after moving away from the nearest Asian Bakery...

[pogiporkchop]

Those sound yummy! I'll have to try them.

[Gporter34]

I love sewing and crafting, when I have the time. Hopefully I will find the time to make some of these.

[ohitsunshine]

Ok, my husband just glanced at my computer while I was reading the directions for the magnets and he thought I was looking up recipes. When I said oh no, getting craft ideas for Christmas he was like ohhh noo....already?? Haha, he should really know by now! I was thinking of getting the cards I bought last year out to start addressing! Anyways, those magnets are definitely a must do for me this year- that is so cute! And I have never made the applesauce/cinnamon ornaments so this year it will be! I made the tile coasters last year for my sister and she loved them! I wish I took pics, but I forgot! I found the info in this same thread last year. Basically you purchase the tiles from Lowe's or Home Depot. I got the tumbled kind- they had a nice worn look. I printed out pictures of her children onto vellum. Then I printed out the phrase "live, laugh, love". I used glue to glue the pic and the phrase to each tile. After you let it set, cover the entire tile with modge podge. After that is dry, glue cork to the backs- which I found at Hobby Lobby. The glue seemed to seep through the vellum just enough to see the texture from the tile and they looked really vintage. They were great!

[AudreyNicole]

I have recently taken to rubber stamping and found a stamp set where you can make your own bookmarks and book plates. I have decided that I will be doing this for my sons' teachers, and a few friends, and some for my sons and DH. I plan to include a book for each as well as the bookmarks and plates and package them all together

[fluffkin79]

We made these last year, everyone seemed to like them. I had my kids make some for aunts, teachers, and me. I borrowed my friend's boys and helped them make some for their mom.

Paint a child's hand with white paint and make a handprint on a round ornament. The fingers leave a mark that look like snowmen. When the paint dries add decorations to your snowmen. Don't forget to put the child's name and date on the bottom.

[berry1014]

For the past couple of years after Christmas I have bought the foam ornament kits for the kids. We pick an afternoon and the kids will make a foam ornament for their grandparents, aunts, uncles and god parents. My daughter will also make one for her teachers and bus driver. The night before the last day of school before the Christmas break we will let the kids dip pretzel rod into melted chocolate (milk, dark and white choc) They can either sprinkle colored sugar crystals over the wet chocolate or after the choc sets up they will drizzle a different flavored choc over the dipped choc. We will bag them up and tie off the bag and attach the ornament which now can double as a name tag! These were a big hit last year... very inexpensive to do and it was fun, easy family project.

[hockeyfanamo]

Love the magnet idea!

[doublehsmom]

I really like the snowman ornament idea, I think that I'm going to do that with my kids! At first I when I was watcing the video I thought how in the world is that going to trun into a snow man but I guess that I should have read the rest of the post! very cute!

[Elmck]

Bought the things needed to make the magnets. they had the marbles on sale at Michael's for $.99 and I had a 50% off coupon for the glue. I do still need to get the magnets. DD and are excited about starting those. I love the snowman ornaments. I am going to make some of those too I think, and I want to share the idea with DD's teacher.

[AndreaInNC]

I have the cutest snowflake ornament that someone gave me that I cannot find the pattern for so I can share it. It's made with the plastic needlepoint sheets and it hold a school size photo (one of the small ones you can share). It's two pieces that you can put together and the pic is in the middle - and the when put together it looks like a snowflake. Anyone know what I am talking about and can share the directions?

[sns128]

I have the cutest snowflake ornament that someone gave me that I cannot find the pattern for so I can share it. It's made with the plastic needlepoint sheets and it hold a school size photo (one of the small ones you can share).

It's two pieces that you can put together and the pic is in the middle - and the when put together it looks like a snowflake.

Anyone know what I am talking about and can share the directions?

Is this it?

http://rootsandwings...ke-picture.html

or more like this?

http://hubpages.com/...icture-Ornament

[AndreaInNC]

Yipee!!!!! It's the 2nd link. Thank you so much. This is such an easy craft project and is great for the classroom since it's not Christmasy - but more winter themed!

[christmasangel]

I'm thinking of making a rag wreath for my MIL and maybe my Mom too. There are two different styles that you can do. One you make on a wire coat hanger and the other is more full and done on a straw wreath.

http://www.ehow.com/...rag-wreath.html

http://www.ehow.com/...rag-wreath.html

You can either do them in holiday colors or maybe just some nice colors that will match their decor so they can have it hang year round.

[christmasangel]

I just stumbled on this- it's so pretty!!

http://familycrafts....ibbonwreath.htm

[Elmck]

I just stumbled on this- it's so pretty!!

http://familycrafts....ibbonwreath.htm

Very Pretty!!!

[AudreyNicole]

I just stumbled on this- it's so pretty!!

http://familycrafts....ibbonwreath.htm

This is beautiful! I am definately going to make one for my mom for Christmas

[mom2monkiesx3]

We have been making the snowman handprint ornaments since DS12 was in kinder. I have a really cute poem that goes with but I cannot remember it right this second...The jist is
"See these cute snowmen, count them 1,2,3
but be careful not to lose them,
Look closely and you'll see
They aren't just any snowmen..
They are made with a special part of me!"

I am sure its cuter but that is the best I can do off the top of my head We attach them on cute paper, cut with decorative scissors at the top of the ornament. We also spray ours with adhesive glitter and be sure to write the kids name and the year on the back

[mom2monkiesx3]

AHHHH HHHAAA Found it, the closeup of the saying was in my 2007 folder!! I wasn't even CLOSE! It says "Count the snowmen 1,2,3 made with a special part of me. And everytime you trim the tree it will remind you how small I used to be! I love you!"