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A Handmade Christmas Challenge

​Who doesn't love to receive a handmade gift, made especially for them?  And I love to give homemade gifts, especially if they are consumable or useful. They are enjoyed while they last and when they've been eaten, drunk or used there's nothing left to clutter up the house, nothing to dust or polish or store or find a spot for - the perfect gift.

With that in mind, and seeing as Christmas is only 11 short months away, it's time for a handmade Christmas challenge.

If you are going to make the gifts you give this year, you need to start now. Those eleven months will fly by and before you know it, it will be the first of December and you'll be thinking you need to get a wriggle on, then it will be Christmas Eve and you'll be at the shops, frantically searching for a gift, any gift, to put under the Christmas tree.

If you want to have a handmade Christmas start right now, today, the first of July.

Start with planning. 

Make a list of everyone you will be giving a handmade gift too. 

Next to their name make a note of just what you'd like to give them. 

Then, and this is the important part, list those names in order, starting with the ones that have the most complicated and time consuming gifts next to them. 

For example if you are going to crochet a lap rug for Great Aunty Mable, you need to start it now. Lap rugs take a little time so you can't whip it up two days before Christmas. But if you are going to give Cousin Charlie a box of homemade Russian Caramels, then you don't want to be making them in August, they are a last minute gift, on the list for Christmas Eve. 

As you choose the types of handmade gifts you are going to give, remember your craft or cooking skills. It's probably not wise to try and crochet a bedspread if you've never crocheted before. Instead you could trim a matching set of bath towels or pretty hankies or even crochet a couple of dish cloths to match a pretty tea towel you've trimmed with a crochet edge. 

Here are some ideas for handmade gifts:
  1. Recipe cards
  2. A family recipe book
  3. Mini photo albums - theme them around a special occasion  i.e. family Christmas, weddings, new baby, graduation, 21st birthdays etc.
  4. Bath salts
  5. Handmade soaps
  6. Trimmed face washers with matching hand towels and handmade soaps
  7. Trimmed kitchen towels
  8. A hamper of MOO cleaning products and a handmade dish cloth
  9. Covered coat hangers - either knitted, crocheted or sewn
  10. Quilted, knitted or crocheted pot holders
  11. Quilted place mat set
  12. Quilted coasters
  13. Crocheted coasters
  14. Decoupage placemats
  15. Decoupage coasters
  16. Sets of personalised address labels
  17. Sets of personalised kitchen labels
  18. Craft kits - knitting, crochet, card making, scrapbooking, cooking
  19. Seeds
  20. Seed storers
  21. Seedlings
  22. Decorated pot plants
  23. Cleaning kits
  24. Laundry kits
  25. MOO body scrubs
  26. MOO moisturisers
  27. T-shirt shopping bags
  28. A set of re-usable veggie bags with labels
  29. A set of plant markers for the garden
  30. A tea cup pincushion
  31. Lined baskets - for knitting, sewing, hankies, bread etc
  32. Scented ironing water
  33. Scented sachets
  34. Shoe sachets
  35. Make-up purses
  36. Dough ornaments
  37. Embroidered cushion covers
  38. Monogramed hankies
  39. Monogramed towels
  40. Monogramed face washers
  41. Crocheted floor pillows
  42. Knitted dishcloths
  43. Crocheted dishcloths
  44. Flavoured vinegars
  45. Homemade sauces
  46. Jams
  47. Lemon butter
  48. Homemade pickles
  49. Homemade chutney
  50. Homemade Christmas puddings or cakes
  51. Pomanders
  52. Bird feeders
  53. A set of sock covered terracotta pots planted with herbs
  54. Pretty hanging baskets and a packet of seeds
  55. Pretty seed packets (perfect for the gardener who seed saves)
  56. Pretty aprons
  57. Garden aprons
  58. Hand-painted dustpan and brush sets
  59. Handmade doyleys (crocheted, knitted or embroidered)
  60. Photo frames
  61. Home management binder
  62. Personalised bill paying system in a pretty binder
  63. Sets of personalised stationery
  64. Sets of handmade greeting cards
  65. Hand knitted socks
  66. Hand knitted scarf
  67. Hand knitted beanie
  68. Hand knitted gloves or mittens
  69. Covered notebooks
  70. Personal first aid kits
  71. Decorated canisters for kitchen, bathroom or laundry
  72. Lingerie bags for laundry or travelling
​The list could go on and on and on. 

Throughout the year I'll be posting handmade gift ideas as the Tip of the Day on a Monday, so you'll get at least a weekly reminder of this challenge. 

Don't forget to check into Handmade Christmas Central right here in the Member's Centre too; you'll find new ideas and instructions appearing regularly.

And lastly, check in regularly to the Handmade Christmas forum. You'll be able to ask questions, make suggestions and of course share your ideas (with pictures if you want to!).

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  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
    • Gift Memberships
  • About Us
    • Cath's Story
    • Ask Cath
    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
  • Forum
    • Current Forum Discussions
    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
    • Getting Started
    • Handmade Christmas Central >
      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
    • Articles
    • Back to Basics >
      • Back to Basics
      • Back to Basics Index
    • Housekeeping Routines
    • Budget Renovations
    • Saving Stories
  • SAVING REVOLUTION
    • 2025 Saving Revolution Index
    • Saving Revolution Resources
  • Recipes
    • Recipe File Index
    • Meal Plans
    • Add a Recipe
    • $300 a Month Food Challenge >
      • $300 a Month Food Challenge
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  • Newsletters
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