I don't know about all of you, but many people I know (myself included) are opting for handmade Christmas gifts this year. With the new baby and new house around the corner, we're sticking to a budget this holiday season.We have a HUGE family, with my side, Pj's side and all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc so we're doing the much-loved homemade holiday treat tin with cookies, toffee, fudge and truffles. I loved baking Christmas cookies with my mom when I was little and now that I have Olivia, I want to carry on the fun, messy baking tradition. In addition to a few family favorites, we're making some delicious internet-found recipes too! To make it extra fun, I'm adding a recipe booklet with all of the treats that I  made. I found this beautiful recipe card maker on Skip To My Lou. You can add your info and print them at home for free.
  I've always really loved handmade gifts and cards. They're not only special because they're unique but also because someone spent a lot of time and care on your gift. Not to mention, in the 1930's and 40's when money was tight and times were hard, you bet that you would get a lot of handmade gifts! Tap into this old-fashioned Christmas tradition and explore your crafty side through sewing, knitting, cooking, paper crafts, jewelry or photography.
  Here are a bunch of  fun, free tutorials for homemade gifts. not all vintage-y but all cute!



Surprise Ball Christmas Ornaments by AlphaMom



Ruby Doll by OneRedRobin



Kanzashi Hair Flowers by Bitty Bits and Pieces- I used to have SO much fun making these Japanese-inspired fabric flowers. It's just folding scraps of fabric and gluing or sewing them together. You can make ornaments, hair flowers, brooches, magnets, etc. This is one that I made.




Felt "Play" Food Patterns collected by KeeperoftheCherrios I can't wait to make these for Olivia next year!! For more felt food tutorials, just google "felt food"



Hair Curlers by LifeWithMonkey




Basic Baby Bib by happythings












Bitty Booties By HeatherBaileyDesign PDF pattern I made these for Olivia when she was 2 months old! They are made of vintage satin, lined them with rabbit fur and beaded  with Swarovski crystals!



Airy Fairy Choker/Headband by Crochetie












Recycled Silverware Garden Signs by CrapI'veMade

















Home-made Apple Pie filling this is really fun if you go apple picking in the fall. Pie fillings have a shelf life of 18 months to 2 years. They're so pretty in a jar with cinnamon sticks tied around the lid.


















Soup in a Jar Pie filling is fun but nothing is more appreciated than a full meal after the busy holiday season. Package the soup jar with fancy crackers, soup cups and cocoa.















Terrarium (miniature garden) by PoopscapeProjects  I love these, especially when I have winter blues. I open them and smell that dirt and rain scent and it's divine! Add a little gnome, fairy or frog for a whimsical touch.Make miniature terrarium necklaces by putting a tiny piece of moss in a small bottle pendant. Water the moss with 2 drops of water once per week. Make it fancy by beading the chain and adding chips of gemstones to the bottom of the bottle. Terrarium necklaces live for a very long time, believe it or not!






 Hard-cover journal by hipchickscrafttoo












Photoshop Silhouettes by MoreWaysToWasteTime- very elegant (and vintage)!
 Silhouettes by Hand by Fave Crafts for those like me who can't use photoshop! : )














10 recycled tea set gifts by CraftingAGreenWorld
















 Magnetic Poetry by LandofMisfitToyz- Oh, the endless hours of joy! I made set for my house and we are still enjoying it a year later. Personalize your fridge poetry with the owner's names or add strange or naughty words for extra fun! This is a great gift for teenagers lockers, college kids, bachelors or newly weds apartments.




Picnic Basket Kit by Make-it-Do- find a great old basket at a thirft store and fill it with picnic goods such as a tablecloth, napkins, silverware, plates, salt and pepper shakers, etc. Follow beautiful sewing instructions at Make-it-do













Elf Slippers by MayaMade














Bubbling Bath Salts  When I was on my honeymoon, I bought a tub of bubbling bath salt from Bath Junkie and LOVED them!! When packaged nicely, this is a fantastic gift!













 Tin Full of Sweets  This is what we're doing for Christmas this year. Mine will be separated with corrougated paper like this and recipe cards will be included.

For directions to make the package to the left, click here
Here are my 8 recipes....
Toffee Butter Crunch
Oreo Truffles (also called Snowman Poop!)
Icebox Shortbread 
Eggnog fudge
Linzer tart cookies
Thin Mints
Cocoa Rum Balls
Chocolate Hazelnut Thumprints








And here's a tutorial from me.....Fairy Jars!
 
Supplies:
a clean jar with a lid
"grass" such as dried moss, raffia, shredded newspaper, etc
embellishments- jewels, ribbon, charms, buttons, thimbles, etc
a fairy- I use images of vintage ladies, which you can find by googling "vintage ladies" or scanning old photos of your own. Print them to your desired size
wings- for the fairy's wings, you can print images of butterfly wings or cut your own from irridesent cellophane.

1.) cut your fairy out of heavy cardstock and leave a little tab at her feet (or butt if she's sitting) so that she has support to stand up.
2.) Glue wings to your fairy's back
3.) Embellish the jar- cover the lid with fabric, moss, buttons or whatever you like. Print out little phrases and glue them all over the jar. You can print a background scene and insert it inside of the jar. Use your imagination. You can glue beads, fabric and other things to your fairy to give her clothes or jewelry.
4.) Put your fairy in her new home. Put a little glue on the fairy's support tab and glue her to the bottom of the jar. I use hot glue because it dries super fast. If she flops over, you can glue a little stick or something behind her to help her stand up. If she's a sitting fairy, perch her on a thimble, a spool of thread, a miniature chair or whatever you like. 
5.) Cover the bottom of the jar, surrounding the fairy with your "grass"
6.) finish up by adding other little tidbits to your jar, hang beads or crystals from the inside of the lid and so on.
*look online for fairy jar inspiration. Google "fairy jar"  "mixed media fairy jar" or "altered art fairy jar"