Homemade Gifts

This Christmas I decided that I would like to make some gifts for people.

Mum got this handmade gardeners scrub. Very easy to make and gets the dirt off making your hands feel moisturized afterwards.

Handmade Scrub

1. Mix equal parts rock salt, brown sugar and white sugar together in a container.
2. Drizzle over a small amount of Olive oil. Just enough to combine the ingredients. Mix together.
3. Add a squeeze of lemon juice.
4. Add essential oil if you wish. I added some lavender from my garden instead.

I spent some time sewing some dresses for my niece. The first dress (in blue) I made my own pattern for. The second (in red) I used the Sew La Tea Do pattern for the "Miss Adorable Frock". She sure looked adorable in them both!

And no gift would be complete without a homemade gift tag. Here's me and my little helper preparing our gift tags in preparation for some good ole hot glue gunning!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Giving!!

Homemade Gifts

Storm Trooper Snow Flake

For all of you Star War's geeks out there....

I made this one Friday-Crafternoon at work. You can make one too by downloading the template from this awesome website. You can also make Darth Vader, a Clone trooper, Boba Fett and a very elaborate R2D2 (which will require some experienced cutting skills).

My 3 year old nephew was very happy with his Storm Trooper Snowflake - who would have thought?

Storm Trooper Snow Flake

Kingsley's Christmas Cake

Due to the popularity of this previous post here is the recipe for the infamous Christmas Cake that I used Jack Daniels in.

1½ kg mixed fruit (we add packet of glazed cherries to mix)

½ cup sherry, rum, whisky or brandy

1 granny smith apple

1 tbsp golden syrup or honey

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

250g butter

4 eggs

1½ cups plain flour

½ cup self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

Place chopped mixed fruit in large basin, add the alcohol, peeled and coarsely grated apple, golden syrup (or honey), sugar and eggs. Mix well with wooden spoon or hand to break up any clumps of fruit. Add cooled melted butter, sifted flours and spice. Mix thoroughly.. Place in deep 23cm round or deep 20cm square cake tin lined with three sheets of greaseproof paper – bring paper 5cm above edge of tin.

Bake in middle of slow oven (around 130°C) for 3½ hours or until cooked when tested. Remove from oven and brush evenly with about 2 tbsp of extra alcohol, cover tightly with tinfoil, leaving greaseproof intact. Can be refridgerated in plastic food wrap for a least 6 months.

ENJOY! (we have had this made for us this year to eat on Christmas day - holding out big time!!)

Kingsley's Christmas Cake

Homemade Yoghurt

So I've been an owner of an Easiyo yoghurt maker for quite a number of years now and go through fads of using it. One of the pro's was that it was better for the environment for me to make my own yoghurt than to purchase something in a plastic container (which up until recently was non-recyclable in Wellington, NZ).

However the cost of a sachet (over $3) and the convenience of buying many different flavours already made at the same price made me less ecologically savvy and more focused on how much money I had in my pocket (selfish I know!)

Then from reading many different blogs about sustainability and frugality I kept reading about how people make their own yoghurt from milk or milk powder and I thought - I can do that! So I have found a recipe that has worked for me and it created this delicious thick yoghurt featured below with boysenberries.

Homemade Yoghurt

• 2 Cups of Whole milk powder
• 2 Tablespoons of natural yoghurt (I used a previous batch of Easiyo Greek Style)
• Cold water (close to room temperature)

1. Put ingredients into the Easiyo jar.
2. Use a whisk to mix together.
3. Top up with cold water and put the lid on.
4. Fill the Easiyo maker with boiling water up to the top of the baffle. 
5. Place jar into the yoghurt maker and top up with boiling water.
6. Put the lid on and leave for 8-12hrs 
7. Remove jar and refrigerate.

Result = thick creamy yoghurt for around $1.50!

Homemade Yoghurt

Christmas bunting

What could be more festive than Christmas bunting?

 Very easy to make. Simply make a triangle template for the size bunting that you want. Fold some material in half and cut out the triangle. Repeat with different fabrics. I used pinking shears so that I didn't have to do any extra sewing but you could sew them to give them a nice finish. You can buy a long piece of ribbon by the metre (around $1) that is already folded. Simple place your triangle material within the fold of the ribbon, pin in place and once you have them all put in you can sew from one end to the other. Or if you really can't be bothered.. a hot glue gun is the next best thing!

Christmas bunting

The best type of compliment

My Secret Santa "giftee" (who still doesn't know it was me) thinks that the brooch I made her was purchased from a shop!!!

Wish I had taken a photo of it!

So glad to see someone genuinely happy about their gift. That in itself is a gift back to me.

The best type of compliment