Christmas gifts

Anyone make Christmas gifts? If so what have you made?

My daughter received a blanket that is knotted, not sewn. It's two pieces of incredibly soft fabric tied together. Sounds crazy, but it works. Since receiving her blanket two as gifts and is working on another.

In the past I have mainly baked cookies and fruit breads to give neighbors and friends.

I know those blankets!! I made many of them last year and gave them away as Xmas presents. Everyone who rec'd them loved them.......I heard from several people that it was the best gift they rec'd!
I make almost all the Xmas gifts I give. One of my friends is a flipflop freak, she must have 50 pairs, I crosstitched a welcome sign that has flip flops all around the border, and a flipflop keychain, and have found her coasters and a Xmas ornament to match. I have two more of the knotted fleece blankets to give to friends this year, some handpainted ceramic snowmen, and lots of other handcrafted goodies. I make stuff all year long.....crosstitch and otherwise......and put it all into a big plastic storage box. There are some things that I know exactly who I'm making it for as I create it........and there is some other stuff that as it gets closer to the holidays, I decide then who I'm going to give it to. My husband is from a large family and I usually have no problem finding someone who would enjoy the gift!
One of my pals is into sailing......I crosstitched a bookmark with sailboats on it, attached a sailboat charm with a ribbon.
BTW, have you seen the fleece pillows (knotted like the blankets)that go along with the blankets?

crosstitch, Your home sounds like a craft extravaganza! What fun. I hoepn your family and friends appreciate your labors of love.

No, I haven't seen the pillows. I'll have ato tell my daughter.

I'd really like to see a picture of the blankets...they sound interesting.
Any pictures on-line etc?
Sounds like I might even be able to put one together.

If this works, you can click on the link and see a pic of a blanket, and there are instructions on the site too:

http://www.exploringwomanhood.com/homelife/ideas/pom-jan03.htm

Is there any way to post photos here on BWS? I've got some photos on my computer of blankets I've made, but don't know how to post them here on the site, if that's possible.....

BTW the blankets are really easy to make. You can buy the fleece in pieces already cut to size and paired up (such as a navy blue plaid with a solid navy blue for instance) or you can buy fleece off the bolt and put together whatever combinations you want (I made one for a buddy who is a Dale Ernhardt fan with one side printed in race cars with Dale's # in black & gray and did the other side just a solid gray.) I can knock out a blanket from start to finish in about 2 hours.

[ October 31, 2005, 10:02 AM: Message edited by: CrosstitchQueen ]

Ann, yup, that's the blakets. Mydaughter bought the pre-cut cancer survivor set for my sister. She ahs since bought fleece and matched a print with a solid. She chose a couple great combinations. Thanks for th elink.

I asked her if she knew about the pillows and she did.

Thanks, for sending the site link.
Also, have a uncle who is into Dale, his wife is a cancer survivor so there goes the perfect gifts for Christmas.

Need to take a close up look at these blankets...wonder if Jo-Ann fabrics have them?
Saw an ad on the site.

Last year JoAnne's Fabrics had tons of them.......I haven't been to one lately, but I get their flyer in the mail, and they were advertising them.

Also saw some in Walmart recently, but most of the designs were for kids.....cartoon characters and the like.

If you have Hancock Fabrics near you, they probably have them too......

My daughter got the cancer survivor set at WalMart.

JoAnne's has the fleece fabric and some blanket sets. It's cheaper to buy the sets. My duaghter got the fabric at JoAnne's on sale for 30% off, but it was still more expensive than buying the set at WalMart.

Thanks, I check them out. Christmas is closer than we think.

Crossstitch Queen
Thank you so much for the link to the instructions for the fleece blankets- I went to Hancock fabrics this morning on my day off got 4 yards of fabric and some big beads to attach to the ties and started my best friends Christmas gift- it is coming out so well I'm nearly done and ready to make smaller ones for my grandkids!

When my son was in grade school and I worked part time, I made some very inexpensive and easy gifts for his teachers. They were simple aprons made of Christmas tree fabric I purchased for $1.00 per yard. And they only took 1 yard! I didn't even have to wrap them, I just rolled them up and tied a ribbon around them. The teachers all LOVED them and wore them the day of the school Christmas party (Remember when you could say it was a Christmas party instead of something so politically incorrect). My son was as the age when giving the teacher a present was a big deal and I think he felt like the IT kid of the day.

Daisygirl

One year I crocheted seven round afghans and gave them to relatives who still have them. I also made and sold a couple dozen at a craft show. It seems the relatives so enjoy and appreciate the gifts that are homemade and beautiful...Haven't had the time in a couple years to do that again. May try again next year.

PAttyann, what inds of beads did you get? Will they launder? I'll have to tell my daughter.

Daisy, those were the days when you could make gifts for a dollar.

Chatty, crocheting afghans is such a gift of love. MY MIL was not a crafty woman, but she did learn to crochet. She made all the grandkids blankets which they still have. It was her only year of doing anything crafty, but those blankets are wonderful remembrances of her love for them. I hope the poeple you gave them to were grateful!

Dotsie- I just got large plastic beads- like little girls use for crafting- the blanket is purple on one solid side and a modern artish type floral with golds and purples and blues so I used these goldish clear beads- and since you've got to wash on cold- no problem- they did say craft beads- machine washable

Dotsie they joked that this was the first year they couldn't eat what I gave them...Its been about 4 years ago now and all still use them or have them for decoration on their beds. The colored soft yarns are so beautiful. I use mine all the time. I really enjoyed making them but have some arthritis in my hands and they get too heavy to handle for me now.

Dotsie, I'm showing my age when I say I made something for a dollar!

I would like to learn how to knit! When I'm finished with my remodeling I plan to learn.

I am going to make these blankets too - they're cute and look nice and comfy = thanx for the site. We have both Jo=Anns and Hancock's here, so it should be an easy deal. I'd like to see a more close up picture too, but maybe Jo-Anns has some premade....

Chatty,
Would you send me the pattern for the round blankets? I love to crochet and I might could make one of those. I said might...

JJ