DIY Christmas

Here it is, the final post of my hand-made gifts and my total spent.

Tote bag made with materials on hand - cost: $0.00

Purse made with same fabrics as above - cost: $1.27 (zipper for interior pocket)

Apron made with materials on hand - cost: $.89 (purchased d-ring for neck strap)

Child's apron - cost: $0.00

Braided trivet/hot pad - cost $0.00

Knit dishcloth (this isn't the one I gave, I had forgotten to snap a picture) - cost $0.00

Child's apron - cost $0.00

Wall hanging - cost: $4.30 (needed to purchase coordinating fabric)

2 ties and matching wrap skirt - cost $10.37

Diaper bag for Elle's doll - cost $0.00

Vegetable Spice Mix packets for 5 Sunday school teachers (recipe here) - cost $13.06 (extra spices and bags - made cards on cardstock I had)

Jumper for Elle made from Trick or Treat coat fabric - estimated cost $1.50 (I need to purchase buttons for shoulder straps)

Made with purchased notepads - removed the cover, cut out cereal boxes, traced, hole-punched and re-wired - cost $13.78

Vest to match his brother's from Trick or Treat - cost $0.00

Handbag donated to hubby's work Christmas banquet - cost $0.00

Two small blankets donated to Project Linus (this was something my "team" with the Challenge did - we felt we can bless our family and friends with our gifts but how much better, to bless those in need. We each chose an organization to donate to - you can read more here). What a wonderful opportunity to be able to make and donate projects with materials that I just had in my home and were not being put to use - cost $0.00

This was my biggest project in terms of time, but not size. These ice skates (idea here) - cost $2.68

I made 9 for my family (including parents, siblings/spouses and nephews/niece). Then, I made 28 for T's family (10 adults, 17 grandchildren, 1 great-grand). I think they are adorable. In year's past, the kids and I made the glass ball ornaments you see on the above picture on the top right, but this year I wanted to make something for everyone. Here's a picture of the ones for T's family just after I finished them the night before we needed them.

I LOVED this challenge. It was exactly the motivation I needed to finish all the projects I had swimming around in my head since early November, plus some! Even though I wasn't a "winner" in terms of winning any of the prizes YCMT randomly chose winners for - I was a winner for completing, at final tally,

67 gifts for $47.85

The idea of the competition was not to make every gift, but to see how many gifts we could make for under $50.

And, a final surprise gift for me?

I won a $50 pattern bundle from You Can Make This from a different website! Cool - I got a return on my investment!

It was such a joy, for me, to see the faces of my friends and family as they opened their handmade gifts. At T's parents' house, we used the ice skates on the table for seating and they all loved them. I think I got the biggest gift of all...as the giver!!

A quick update

Not only is it hard to believe that Christmas is 2 days away, but the end of 2008 is just around the corner...I can still remember bringing in the year 2000!!!!

I wanted to share that while I didn't win any of the great prizes being given away in the You Can Make This Thrifty Under $50 challenge, I did win - because I was able to make over 50 gifts for under $35.  I was able to add in gifts for the kids' Sunday School teachers as well as making ornaments for each member of our families.  I am still working on some gifts, obviously they are no longer a part of the challenge.  I plan to post all my pictures sometime in the next week.  A few of the receivers read this here blog and I want them to be surprised!!!

Despite not winning anything through YCMT, I actually won a $50 gift bundle from YCMT from a contest on another blog!!

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and I can't wait to catch up with you after the holidays!!

A day to celebrate!

The You Can Make This "Thrifty Under $50" Challenge ended last evening at midnight. Those 4 weeks went by so quickly. I will be taking pictures of my latest projects and adding up how much I spent. But that will wait until a little later.

Because, we have another birthday to celebrate today.

This sweet little face is turning 4 today!

age 1

age 2

age 3 1/2

Happy Birthday Noelle!!!!

A few more presents to present...

This project took me the longest amount of time. LOL!! I made cross-stitched this back in 1999 for my mom and gave it to her for Christmas. With it, I gave here an idea of what I'd do with it if I had a sewing machine. I had found the cute wire hanger and gave it with the cross-stitch. I told her the idea in my head was to frame the picture with fabric and then have straps on the top to place it on the hanger.

Two weekends ago I was in my mom's sewing room and found the piece and the hanger...exactly as I had given them to her 9 years ago. I took them and said she'd be seeing it again this Christmas - because now I could finish them!! I found the adorable Christmas paisley fabric and a match was made. I finished it up very quickly, despite its 9 year hibernation. I think it turned out great. I even top stitched around the picture and just inside the outer edge to give it a more finished look. I'm so pleased with it and I just had to show her when she stopped out yesterday. I also let her know that if she didn't think she had any place for it, that I wouldn't be hurt if she gave it back to me! ;-)

I acquired an adorable tie pattern from my Thrifty Under $50 team captain and wanted to create a fun coordinating set for my kids for Christmas without it screaming "Red and Green."

Quintin's tie is a little long in the picture, but I was doing them myself...while watching a how-to video on you*tube!! T will have to tie these on a Sunday morning. Speaking of T, he was not real impressed with my idea of ties for the boys - but after seeing Quintin's HUGE smile at his new tie, he softened up a bit. I don't know if it was just more of a bother to think of having to tie them for the boys! HA!

The last project I finished yesterday is for Elle. She is getting some doll clothes for her bit.ty baby and I wanted her to have a little "diaper bag" to carry around. My mom and I made a pattern from the diaper on the bi.tty baby and she is sewing some for her too. I did let Elle pick the fabrics without her knowing what it is for - can you tell she loves pink!?!? I took the pattern of a bag I love, and printed it out at 75% to get a smaller version for her!

I have a few more projects to finish up before the challenge ends on Monday! Stay tuned for more...

More completed projects for the Challenge

I've also been updating my team's blog for the Thrifty Under $50 challenge this week - you can check out our team's progress here. And you can see what the 4 other teams have made by going here.

Let me start out by saying that I am really, really enjoying this challenge. I am the typical 'wait until the last minute to start a project' type person - but with the upcoming challenge deadline - I've moving right along with these gifts. I love that we will have the last 2 weeks before Christmas to just enjoy and not have the rush of making gifts driving us all insane!

This week I finished 2 aprons. One for my sister and one for her son.

I used this same denim (purchased last year on the clearance rack at joann's) to make a hot pad - putting to work those rug braiding skills from January.

Right now, my project is making 40 felt ice skate ornaments. I have several more projects before our December 15 deadline.

Oh, did I mention two of my kids have December birthdays? I'd like to make them each one thing for their birthday too - Did I bite off more than I can chew? We shall see!!

I'm not hiding - I'm just buried

With only 2 weeks left in the "You Can Make This DIY" Thrifty Under $50 Challenge - I'm working to get my projects finished. Unfortunately for me, my work space is in our un-heated basement ... brrr!

A peek at some in-progress gifts:

Two finished gifts:

(an apron for my 7 year old niece)

(a pocket handbag for my mother in law)

So, now you know were I've been! I'll be popping in and out for the next 2 weeks as I work to finish everything up! :-D

So, how is your Christmas gift buying going? Are you finished, half-way, or not even started?? Are you buried or just hiding? ;-D

Follow the "50"

and win. Read more here. If you save their "button" to your computer, you can upload it in your blog's layout page. Blogger now offers the choice to link your pictures - so you can link the button back to their blog!!