I actually have a Christmas puffin! A few girlfriends have a joke about puffins and one of them gave us all a puffin wearing a scarf stuffie one year for Christmas, so every year it comes out in December to decorate! I have to put it up high so Delia Dog doesn’t notice it and pine for it.
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What a great idea! I am halfway done with a pile of quilted potholders that will be Christmas gifts. My family just drew names for Christmas a few weeks ago. I’m still generating ideas for them and this thread will help me find the right inspiration.
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p.s. I also think we will bypass our big family gathering. This decision will hurt some feelings, but the consequences for our family contracting even a mild case of COVID are far greater for us compared to those in our extended family. I agree that handmade gifts may be a nice way to smooth things over.
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My first thought: of course you do! Cuz you amazing!
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Awww, you! All the credit goes to my friend!
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I found this photo on Pinterest. Now I’m on the hunt for the perfect vintage tablecloth.
EDIT: Here are my finished scarves.
https://forum.lettucecraft.com/t/retro-christmas-scarves-from-vintage-tablecloth/9186?u=mightymitochondria
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Brilliant idea!
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I will also be away from my family and friends this Christmas…but, the idea of sending a little something handmade is wonderful!
I am going to have a few of my mom’s recipes printed on fabric and make them into recipes for my nieces and my sister. Most of the recipes will be for favorite foods we used to eat as a family when my mom was alive, so this will be special. I thought about doing tea towels to match with some additional recipes as well.
- Apron for Summer
- Apron for Donelle
- Apron for Nancy
- Fish painting for Bob
- Bookmarks for Bill
- Guitar strap for Jim
- Tea towels for all
- Pouches for great nieces
- Steelers Pillow and blanket for great nephew
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That’s also a great way to incorporate family recipes! We’ll be alone in our own homes this Christmas but we’ll be together in spirit. And we can cook old school family recipes. My sister isn’t much of a cook but apparantly she has started cooking during the pandemic. Maybe I’ll make a small family cookbook for her.
My mum visited today and she’s also in doubt about Christmas now. My mum is shocked about my aunt’s behaviour - she is sick right now, has been in contact with an infected person and refuses to test or stay at home. Oh, and she works in the food industry.
I meet up one on one with my mum for tea, but unlike my siblings I feel uncomfortable with overnight visits. We all live in small homes with a small staircase, one bathroom etc. So we don’t agree about that aspect, but my mum is using her common sense and would never meet people if she was ill. But apparantly my aunt doesn’t have any common sense at all.
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Oooo…maybe this will be my mom/gram/aunt gift idea! 
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This is the very thread that I NEED! I’ve always enjoyed following what everyone is making over on the Other Site. I’m happy to jump in again and get inspired by you all. 
Like some of you, we most likely won’t be traveling to the large family get togethers this holiday season. I’m putting extra thought into my mother’s gifts and those for my In Laws. If anyone has good In Law gift ideas, please share!
Here’s my list so far:
For my family:
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Ornaments for my kids - The Child for DS who’s a SW fanatic, and something baking inspired for DD…maybe a chef’s hat with her name on it?
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T-shirts for both kids - Mandalorian or Cthulu for DS and…gotta work on the idea for DD.
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Lap blanket for my mom - I thought about sewing one, but I’m opting for a no sew fleece so that she can fidget with the fringes. Probably going to have my daughter help with this.
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Either canned or frozen soups for mom as well. She enjoyed the ones that I made for her last year.
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Maybe a photo album of the kids with more candid photos for mom if I can find an album I like
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A sewn fleece hat for my Husband’s noggin - He’s been working in the man cave downstairs since March and he gets cold easily.
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Assorted pet toys using old t-shirts and some home made pet treats for the Fur Children
For my coworkers (there’s 9 of them!), I’ve something already in the works. (I’m retiring in May so this is my last chance to make them some goodies. :D) I’m making reusable holiday gift bags filled with hand made ornaments. I have a truck load of felt to work with, so…I’m just making whatever makes me happy!
For my close friends, I purchased some naturally scented lotions from Etsy and I’ll make them a make up pouch.
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Welcome @Bajita! And congrats on your upcoming retirement.
In-law gifts are always hard (for me at least!). Last year I sent some quilted potholders and didn’t hear back. Hope they like them. None of them seem to have any kind of very special interests, except for FIL’s wife who is a great cook and loves to garden. It’s much easier to craft for people who are into one thing or another!
I think canned / frozen soups or other items of food are a brilliant idea for people who are in that stage of their lives where they no longer wish for more material stuff. When my grandmother was still alive I used to bring her things like pies, cakes and meat stews. Food that freezes well, and frozen in small portions.
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What a great idea about the recipes!
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Thank you, Immaculata! Once upon a year ago, I might have considered another year in my classroom, but this school year has been awful, and I’m almost a quarter of the way through.
I came up with an idea for my MiL! She loves to decorate for Christmas, I think I have enough holiday fabric to make a table runner or some placemats. 
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Ain’t that the truth! Easier to buy for, too. a
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I don’t even understand people without hobbies or special interests. I get that people are busy and may not have a lot of time to spend on them, but not actually having anything at all that excites you?! I could name like three dozen things I would want to get into on top of what I already do!
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I think for some people their interest is something that requires no accessories, like watching TV. And for others they have an interest, but it is one that is so specialized that it’s not really craftable and even buying things for it are difficult because they have very specific needs and wants; this is the case with TheMisterT’s BIL who is very into cycling. So what he could use for that is very specific to his tastes and outside our knowledge base. And just because a fabric has bicycles on it, doesn’t mean I could sew him something he’d like out of it. Sigh.
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I’m in.
I am handmaking several things this year. I planned on a sweater for DS because I made his sister one and naturally he has to have one too. My parents and grandmother are getting handmade as well. I plan on maybe some cute decorations. I am doing a LOT of chirstmas table runners.
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Does anyone have any opinions on those kitchen boa thingies?
You wear it hanging from your neck and it has oven mitts or kitchen towels at the ends.
My sister and BIL both do a lot of cooking, but I don’t want to give something they won’t ever use.
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They seem like an invention that’s neat on paper but impractical for actual use. I feel like if I had something like that I’d end up getting it in food, shut in the oven, dragged in the dishwater, etc. 
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