Christmas 2014...start now for this December and save big dollars.

Posted January 6th, 2014 by Mimi

Well, the silly season is behind us and I'm already thinking about what was successful in 2013 and what I can add to my steadily growing list of DIY gifts.

The big smiles this year were from:

First the do ahead ones....

After Dinner Mint Liqueur

Limoncello (a perennial favourite)

Home made Baileys

Onion Confit

Tomato Relish

German ivy plants in small terracotta pots trained over circlets of wire to look like a miniature wreath

Ribbon and rhinestone bookmarks

Monogrammed pillowcases

Lace trimmed cotton knit (tshirt material) scarves

Teatowels, hand embroidered with Scandinavian style birds

Pillow case dresses for the granddaughters, machine embroidered with characters

DIY facial serum and toner

Goats milk soaps (very popular)

....and the do-closer-to-Christmas ones...

Raw chocolate truffles

White Christmas bark

Caramel fudge with Anzac biscuit toppping

Coconut ice, both traditional and black/white

Craisin and nectarine Christmas Cake

This year I'm working hard on gifts for the men in the family. So far I'm doing:

Burlap sachets filled with blokey dried herbs like Cinnamon, Allspice, Bay Leaves, Rosemary, Mint and Lemon/Lime rind, to put in their sock drawers. Well, men like their stuff to smell good too, you know!

Blokey soaps scented with Cinnamon and Coffee

Cinnamon coffee hand scrub with garden gloves

And I'm on the lookout for old garden tools and workshop tools to restore and gift as is, or turned into some sort of artwork for the workshops and gardens

That's as far as I've got, but I've worked out I have to make 3 gifts a week to be able to gift generously without breaking the bank in 2013. It's not so hard if I start now, but being consistent is the key.

Join me if you want...don't dilly dally!

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