HomeMade/HandMade Gift Suggestions Needed
 

I have this Special friend who is male and I want to MAKE something for him for Christmas this year.

I know it's kind of early to be thinking about this but I don't knit or crochet, which really wouldn't do me any good with this since he never wears anything I could make like that.

I need some ideas on something I could make him. I have to get on this early since I am EMPTY in the idea department. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/im...onsb/crazy.gif

AND I don't want it to be anything I COOK. No jams or jellies or cakes, I've already done those things.

PLEASE Help!! :o

What kind of guy is he? Outdoorsy, bookish, athletic, sports animal? ;)

My DD made all her boyfriends blankeys from fleece. You've probably seen the ones that are fringed all the way around. All you have to do is be handy with scissors.

There is such a variety of cute fleece nowadays, and it is so inexpensive. WalMart has lots.

I love the ones that I have received. When I lay down for a nap, I think of that person! Even the one that DD's boyfriend made for HER!!! (I inherited it!)

Good luck and let us know what you decide to make!

I make popcorn bags especially appreciated by anyone who has pain! You sew a square small pillow sized flannel and fill it up with regular popcorn (unpopped) not the microwaveable kind just the kind in a plastic bag. Sew it up. You can throw it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to get it hot and it acts like a bumpy heating pad...and you can use it forever! That is unless you cook it for so long the popcorn actually pops!

what about a artificial xmas wreath, deb
makes them all the time, some of the trinkets u put on the wreath can be geared towards his likes or things he does

does he have a star named after him, I don't remember if it came frame or not, but it is neat, nicely done document and my father god rest his soul, his name shall live on forever in the heavens and stars

Naming a star after him MIGHT be one thing I could do.

Let's see, he is a simple guy. Loves cartoons and humour. Anything REALLY Goofy he just goes into hysterics over. I guess you could say he is kind of childlike. He does work hard though and is very thoughtful. Not a big eater or snack person though. I have already given him a quilt so I don't think I'd do that again. If this helps at all. :confused:

Can you draw? Or do computer-generated line art, or do you know how to use your photo software? You could make him a coloring book all his own. I still color, I use high-tech coloring books and good pencils. It's very entertaining to me when I'm in a mellow mood or just listening to a TV show, at the park, etc.

He is a Superior artist. He went to art school and has done some things for me. I wouldn't even Attempt something like that for Him but I sure would like to actually SEE what you're talking about AMN. Could you post something to actually show this idea?

By the way, has anyone ever told you your Avatar pic looks just like Hillary Clinton?? http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6...hefloorsm0.gif :D :p

I know you said you didn't want to cook anything but this is a REALLY easy and REALLY good Fudge recipe. I made 15 batches last X-Mas. BTW I just bought those Ziploc containers (the ones you cane even away), no wax paper needed, just pour fudge into the container and put it right in the fridge.


Easy Fudge

one 8x8 pan
WAX paper for the pan
1/2 stick of butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
3 cups of chocolate chips (1 and 1/2 bags)

Melt the last three in the microwave for 1:30 minutes, stir, then another minute. Make sure you stir in the middle, don't burn it.

Pour into a wax paper lined pan. Yes, use the wax paper, you need to you the wax paper, if you don't use the wax paper, you are really going to regret it. Even leave a bit up the sides.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then cut!

Very easy for variation.

Best "seller" is butterstotch, which is simply taking 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1 cup of butterstotch chips.

Mini M&Ms are another good subsitute.

You can use flavor extracts like mint, orange.

Cover the top with coconut.

Subsitute 1 cup of walnuts for one cup of chips.

normal recipe + 1/2 c chopped walnuts and 1 c mini marshmallows, turned in after the mix is well blended and ready for the pan = Rocky Road

normal recipe - butter + 1/4 c. peanut butter = extreme peanut butter fudge.

Yummo...running to store to get chocolate morcels:wink:

NaeNae, we have made them using rice as well. Oh, they are the best!! Sometimes I use them in the winter to warm my toes in bed...Olhipie won't let me touch him if my toes are cold:rolleyes:


Wow, Christmas shopping...hmmm...that would be fun! I usually wait until the night before to go shopping and then I do what I call stupid shopping...just buy something, anything...to be done with it...

I LOVE my popcorn bag! Alffe gave it to me. I think it's she and the church ladies who make them. Anyway, it is awesome and the heat is retained for a long period of time. Great idea NaeNae! If I had a sewing machine I'd make some of those myself!

Yes, he IS Bookish. His taste eludes me though. He seems to like Wierd stuff. He read me something once, I can't remember the name of it, about a guy who woke up one day as a BUG. :eek: Freaked me OUT. I told him I didn't like it but he seemed to Love it.

YES, I am doing the Star thing. Thanks wee. :hug:


I am picking a constellation that his birthday is in. :wink:

Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone, this is REALLY helping. Keep'em coming if ya got em. :D

Wiix, In addition to the star that blanket that Twink talked of is simple & pretty. My dad said 'no one get me anything for Christmas' so I made a simple blanket that he loves (solid on one side & autumn leaves on the other side) Just lay two pieces of fleece together. Cut fringe into the sides (about 3inches in, every 1-2 inches). Then just tie the two opposite pieces of fringe, together all the way around. It takes 1-2 hrs. You can even choose your patterns, like Twink said, they have many. Maybe solid on one side & silly bugs on the other side. LOL but nice if he likes that bug story. Two simple personal things sounds sweet.
(I just talked myself into secretly making my DH a blanket)

I already gave him a handmade quilt a few years ago, which he LOVED. :D

Just a fleeting memory I had about a quilt I WISH I could have bought once. It was PINK and very old. I saw it at a "Value Village". It was in mint condition BUT they wanted $600. for it. :eek: I dreamt about that quilt for months afterwards. I wonder IF they ever sold it. I surely couldn't afford it. Maybe 1 or 2 hundred but 6?? Uh Uh. :o

Here is an idea, just a small one I just came across for something I'd make myself:

http://www.bestincense.info/handmade_incense.html

I am thinking about looking in my area on computer for craft classes. See what's around for the Fall. :confused:

Once, a long time ago I had this idea for making candles out of Tuna cans. I called them "Tunacandles". :wink: :p I gave them to friends. NO, they didn't smell like fish either.

STILL needing ideas. :o

do you have photo's of him & you? you could do a photo album - I did that one year for a male friend - he loved it, I kept some open pages at the end so we could keep adding to it.

because I'm an artist and crafty person ...

what about a container (woven basket, etc) ... and fill with art supplies, or gift certificates to his favorite art store ... and a couple rolls of paper toweling, toothpicks, toothbrush (used for spattering paint) ...

you can pick up this sorta stuff at the Dollar Store and really make a nice gift arrangement with shredded wrapping paper for fill ...

Thanks V07 but he already has a mountain of art supplies he never uses. BUT the "Conglomerate" idea might work for other things. :confused: I just don't know what yet, he has everything. :o

welll...... how about making a batch of cookies?... and then have like a 'coupon' book for each month of 2009 ... then each month, he'll get homemade cookies from you all year long!! (using the gift batch as a 'taste' of what's to come!!) ;)

Whittle something.

Hmmmmm............. I Have sculpted before quite a while ago. Never actually whittled though.

Meet Bill. Bill the snowman. When my FL niece was about 2, she was ga-ga for snowmen, she learned about them on tv. She was up here on a visit a couple years ago and what began as a finger puppet clown, quickly got transformed into a snowman when I learned of her passion.;)

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Where I live there are quite a few artist. I mean STARVING artists. I went to visit one last week since I know he works with metals hoping he'd have something he made that is one of a kind and unique. WELL, he had this ONE, I don't know what you'd call it metal sculpture he did called " The Smoker". I right away was drawn to it. It was those two theatrical faces, comedy, one above the other, and tragedy, with each one having a big cigar it it's mouth. It was really cool. Kind of heavy though eventhough it was hollow since it is made of metal. I asked him how much he wanted for it. He hemmed and hawwed and really wouldn't give me a price. Then he started on the fact that he was on disability and would have to report the income and how he didn't want to lose his health benefits since he has MS. THEN he wanted me to write to our Congressmen complaining about how disabled people can't supplement their income without losing benefits. This little visit was followed by 4 phone messages on my answering machine of at least 5 minutes long EACH on how I should do this.

GEEZE man, all I wanted to do was buy ONE sculpture. :o

wiix, i haven't read the whole thread, just your first post...

is this someone you see "in real life"?

i ask because i posed this question in a way to my husband for you.

he said the best homemade gifts he has gotten from me and the kids were coupon books.

he loves the personal ones, like a night of total control of the remote :rolleyes:, but the ones he always use first is for things like doing all his filing or organizing stuff for him. shredding.

i'm skimming the thread as i'm posting this.

what about making him a bunch of bookmarks with your favorite quotes? add some nice graffics?

i love them. i tend to make a note about the book and leave it in there. if i want to pass it along to a friend, i leave the bookmark. i can never have enough. :D

Yes, he is someone I know in real life.

Now how exactly do you make a bookmark?? :confused:

is there something you could do for him, that he doesn't do for himself?

i know you want to skip the food type of stuff, but does he drink coffee?

you could make up flavored coffee's and creamers. a different type for each month of the year. same with teas. it would give you time for the flavors to mellow if you mix your own.

all you need is card stock paper. just print and cut them. you can even buy the self sticking laminate if you want.

do you have any graffics programs?

you can use clip art on a word or works document.

you don't even have to use a computer. you can write the words.

with all the scrapbooking stuff out now, you can add stickers. punch a whole at the top and add a cord.

i searched bookmark making. a bunch of free sites came up. you design them and print them yourself. free.

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/boo...t_Projects.htm

http://www.dltk-cards.com/bookmarks/

That's actually a great idea, Yappy! I've made dozens for friends. I go to the craft store and choose a broad ribbon that suits the individual, then write a sentiment about their contribution to my life, or a memory, then print it onto a complimentary card stock, then cut it to the width of the ribbon.

I use a thin layer of rubber cement on both the ribbon back and the card stock back, let them dry a little, and press them together under a book for an hour.

Trim the ribbon to fit the card then to Staples to laminate. Trim to size, punch a hole and add a tassle or a ribbon, or a strap of leather, what ever.

They look great, last long, and my friends really seem to appreciate them.

Sounds nice AMN BUT he's a GUY. :o

Do you have any pics of these things? I am wondering about "Masculine" bookmarks. :eek: :p

I am not good at visualizing things people describe to me. I need to SEE it. :o

if he likes sports..put some sports trivia on it along with pictures that go with the sport or the trvia. ( like the ballplayers picture.)

or since he likes to read...quotes from books with just scroll work or pictures of books.

what amn posted is what guy bookmarks look like. most will have some type of ribbon, so it's easily found in the book. it doens't have to be pink ribbon. ;)

Now here is something I would LOVE to make. These are already made BUT there MAY be a class somewhere around here where I could make one. What do you think?? Look at ALL the pages. :D Some of these are just exquisite:

can you tell us what it is? i don't ever just click on links.

Pages of Stained Glass Art you can buy already made. Here are just a few:

what about getting a small kit? at a craft store.

those are beautiful.

I think I'll go to the library and see if there are any DVD/Videos on how to make Stained Glass. Here is a site I just found where you can get kits:


GEEZE!! :eek: Looks like every KIT in the world is on this site. :eek:

Stained glass isn't hard. It's cutting the curved edges). Maybe they have some kits with already cut glass. All you do (there are different ways) is put copper foil along the edges (I imagine it's in the kit). Then sodder them together. I made 4 pieces, took the clear glass out of our little hanging light & put in those pieces.
(Now I'd like to go to "Michael's" & buy a kit :( but I don't drive.)

I just thought of something (weird that I didn't say this before, cuz I have a kit sitting here waiting to be done)...Mosaics. Mine is a stepping stone. He could put it outside by his ____ and have memories forever. They also have one where you put the tiles on a planter or any other thing.

I have a couple stained glass art hangings that I bought and always wanted to make one myself. My neighbor, across the street has 4 huge ones hanging in her front picture window with beautiful Victorian Lace Valance going across the tops. I just love looking overthere at night when the lights are on behind them, so beautiful.

One tall thin one I had, I had leaning up against the front of the couch when I was cleaning and I stepped on it and cracked it, I was SO mad at myself.:mad: The other one I have is very small and simple. Let me get a pic of it to show you:


This'd probably be the size I'd try first time out, nothing TOO Big or elaborate but if I am going to buy the tools I might as well make more after I do this one for his Christmas present. It'll probably take me months to make one anyway.