[matilda duck]

Hand made soap ,......... I know it's not food but it's my topic so 

How do you do hand made soap?

[SAMANTHA MOLLY]

therer are loads of soap websites, try just soap.

Bath bombs are super easy, just bicarb, citric acid and essential oils. I add shea butter to mine, makes them very lux.


XS

[Lady Lottie]

You could also do Petit fors or Florentines maybe?  Oooooo.......Truffles - my mum used to make lovely rum truffles at Christmas time..........

[Poolfield2]

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/EPQuc9jTb7iH2FM5sJ3_sA?feat=directlink

This is how I wrapped my puds last year, first in tissue and then cellophane and ribbon and labels to finish off.

[Lady Lottie]

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/EPQuc9jTb7iH2FM5sJ3_sA?feat=directlink

This is how I wrapped my puds last year, first in tissue and then cellophane and ribbon and labels to finish off.

Very profesh Poolfield.  What is the pud in though?  Did you buy special bowls that you could give away to cook them?

[Poolfield2]

I bought plastic bowls with clip on lids in a pound shop.

[joyfull]

very posh, can I be on you Christmas list? 

[Janeymiddlewife]

One year I used the wooden boxes that Lidl sell oranges in, painted them gold & used red tissue paper.
You can make lip balms and body scrubs very cheaply and easily - use shea butter, cocoa butter & beeswax. There are plenty of websites that will sell you colours, fragrances & pots - but you do need to order early as they often sell out.
I did a lovely rose & lavender body scrub with sea salt one horrendous year when the kids all had job share teachers - think I had to buy 8 Christmas pressies - the teachers loved it so much I had requests the following year!

[Poolfield2]

I don't know if it's this thread or the weather but I'm beginning to feel christmassy Well we did light the woodburner last night to cheer us up

Turkey anyone

[HLS]

Wish I was on all these Christmas lists!  Last year I tried making chestnuts in spiced syrup but they turned out to be not very nice - I think I overcooked the syrup somehow.  I did make some crocheted scarves and flower brooches, though, and they seemed to go down well.

It would be really nice if we could arrange a swap of some of these homemade goodies but I think the postage for anything in jars would be a bit steep, unfortunately. 

[Moosey]

I'm just trying to work out who exactly I could make these for.  Shame but my mother won't eat anything i've made.  Gave her some marmalade and some cranberry chutney at Christmas and I noticed they lived in the back of the fridge unopened for months and then just dissapeared 

[JoseyJo]

I've made quite a few 'hamper' style pressies and now try to steer clear of fragile things because they are a nightmare to transport or post - also things that need to be refrigerated or might melt - some of my family have their central heating on sooooo hot grrrr! Stuff might be sitting around for a week or so in it's wrapping and you want it to be as impressive as when you first wrapped it.

Truffles good but a bit melty. You can make really nice boxes from layers of newspaper folded up - can't remember where i found the pattern but it was somewhere on the internet!  Making your own packaging keeps the cost down and makes it more orginal. You can also make your own gift bags from newspaper or old wrapping paper.

Last year i made...
Arancello - Italien orange liqueor. Similar to Limencello
Biscotti - to dip in the liquer after dinner. Keep for ages as they are sort of dried.
Apple and cranberry chutney - nice and cheap ingredients. All recipes from BBC Goodfood website
Orange, lemon, grapefruit candied peel - bit of a faff by tasty gorgeous and miles better than bought stuff. Keep really well.
Assorted tree decorations - mostly made from recycled stuff, have a hunt on the net.

One year i made mushroom logs, they were quite original and made a talking point. But no mushrooms yet....so bit of a waste of money....

It's never to early to get thinking about Chrimbo, i love it!!

[Lady Lottie]

Now I know the idea is keep the cost down and reduce, reuse and recylce etc BUT, I just thought this website  http://www.candigifts.co.uk/?gclid=CJPluPnHgpwCFd0B4wodM19KAg had some great baskets and hampers on it...and they sell every other "hampery" bit of kit you could want too.  While its never going to beat a poundshop purchase I thought the prices were reasonable compared to others I've seen for some baskets that look really posh.

[joyfull]

And if you go to their easy instructionals section there are ideas and instructions on how to do/make things like ribbon roses  Well done lady lottie for finding that site - mind you I could spend a fortune on there  :blink:

[Lady Lottie]

I know..................... I love those lidded picnic style baskets......always had a "thing" about baskets....don't know why... :blink:

I had a look at the instructionals too........but I couldn't follow the cellophane wrapping one! lol  Probably just me being thick............I just gather, scrunch and titivate! :happy: