Comments on Crunchy Chicken: Buy Hand for the Holidays Challenge

I am making cards and scrapbook pages, maybe some ...

2009-12-12T15:35:25.448-08:00

I am making cards and scrapbook pages, maybe some baked goods, too!

I'm spending time on Etsy this year for presen...

2009-11-28T15:07:29.338-08:00

I'm spending time on Etsy this year for presents. That and my local Saturday market. Etsy has everything. I'm splurging and buying a beautiful handpainted duvet cover for my husband, my girls are getting handcrafted toys from a Xmas craft fair (wooden cameras and baby doll slings) and my mom is getting a handmade purse. I also tell my mom to buy clothes for my girls second hand and they always end up with more than they otherwise would have.

I meant to post this forever and a day ago, but fo...

2009-11-25T18:57:11.766-08:00

I meant to post this forever and a day ago, but for my "Christmas in July" presents I took canned items that had a poptop and opened the bottom of the cans with a safety can opener so the poptop was still in tack and then filled the cans with the gifts. I then used a glue stick to glue to bottoms back on. After I pilled the labels off the cans I took the advertisement junk mail and decorated the outside.

We've been moving more and more in this direct...

2009-11-25T01:19:12.441-08:00

We've been moving more and more in this direction. In fact last year I did make the vast majority of our gifts.
This year's ideas so far:
- something-in-a-jar for aunt/uncles/cousins (may necessitate buying canning jars, but I think I probably have enough)
- homemade preserves for our dads
- homemade bath fizzies/bombs for mom's and sisters
- homemade bread/treats for the neighbors
- homemade playdough for friend's kids and my niece
- used books for my niece and his nephew

We've been moving towards a totally handmade h...

2009-11-22T15:17:43.912-08:00

We've been moving towards a totally handmade holiday for the last few years. We're not all the way there, but we're getting close! I know that this year no one will get anything from me that isn't handmade.:o)

We have lots of lovely homemade gift ideas in our ...

2009-11-07T17:17:25.549-08:00

We have lots of lovely homemade gift ideas in our friendly forum.
All are welcome to join :]

http://lickyalipsdelish.com/

I mentioned this on my blog a couple of weeks ago...

2009-11-07T15:50:00.918-08:00

I mentioned this on my blog a couple of weeks ago but don't think I actually signed up. I'm in, although I think it will be more like 80%. I will make some things for my husband, but may also buy some things as well. Most of my other gifts will be homemade. I'm expanding this to include items I buy that might help another achieve success in making their own things (if I know they're interested). For example, my BIL loves to garden and I have a couple of great books that I think he'd really love.

I'm in too. Bath melts, sleep pillows and bath...

2009-11-07T05:47:10.447-08:00

I'm in too.
Bath melts, sleep pillows and bath bags are in the works along with knitted scarfs, mittens and hats.
xx

Count me in! We had already committed as a family...

2009-10-31T07:57:49.883-07:00

Count me in! We had already committed as a family to do this from this year forward...and now that there is a platform for bartering via blogspot, thanks to your challenge, even better... I am a jewelry artisan, selling statewide to high-end gift shops and health food stores, also have a fiber studio...sooooo...I would love to barter some of my jewelry or raw fiber( merino or angora) for just about anything. I can work something out on the shipping, so no problem there...and if anyone is in MO, then local is even better. I can also do custom orders on the jewelry, so those of you who want something super special for wifeypooh...bring me your barter offer! Kudos to you for starting this up...I will be promoting it for you on my blog, and in my other ygroups.namaste, Sidonie

i am painting little wooden houses and angels i fo...

2009-10-29T07:02:58.707-07:00

i am painting little wooden houses and angels i found at the thrift store...i got really lucky...and am making gift tags and small cards....maybe some jewelry...i also support local business...i found a local candy store and bought candy last year....the last 2 years everything i gave was handmade, made locally or from the antique store...just got some beeswax candles made in VA for this year too!

Hey Crunchy: Do you know about regretsy?, for the hated one on your shopping list? Or for hours of hilarity for yourself. (NSFW...well most of the posts anyway)

Okay, Aspiemom, I am taking the challenge. If my ...

2009-10-23T08:39:13.525-07:00

Okay, Aspiemom, I am taking the challenge. If my 7 kids get wind of it, it will be all over for me. It is a necessity this year for us since there are 9 of us living on one income. My hubby got no overtime this year. Most of us are struggling with the recession. This will be fun to do, I hope.

I made banana breads, full loaves, for the teacher...

2009-10-23T06:52:08.375-07:00

I made banana breads, full loaves, for the teachers last year instead of purchasing gift cards.

I'll do the same this year or I might give jars of cookie mix. Here's an example:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/gingerbread-cookie-mix-in-a-jar/detail.aspx

Will pass this along on Facebook.

I love it!! Thank you for such a wonderful idea!

2009-10-22T14:52:09.168-07:00

I love it!! Thank you for such a wonderful idea!

I love the name "buy hand..." I was plan...

2009-10-22T04:03:46.463-07:00

I love the name "buy hand..."
I was planning on hand making gifts anyway, but what fun to do it as a challenge. I'll be knitting toys and hats, sewing toys and decorations and bags and who knows what else. My husband plans on trying to make a wooden castle for our son. We'll see...

I'm in - this is our usual plan anyhow =)

2009-10-22T00:41:44.899-07:00

I'm in - this is our usual plan anyhow =)

Great post! I read through all the comments and g...

2009-10-21T18:21:16.314-07:00

Great post! I read through all the comments and got some good ideas. Every year I make more and more presents. These are the gifts people love most. Here is a link I recently did with last years posts on handmade goodies for anyone that wants some ideas.

http://achornfarm.blogspot.com/2009/10/homemade-christmas-presents.htm

I'm signing up as well. Last year, I didn'...

2009-10-21T12:53:48.869-07:00

I'm signing up as well. Last year, I didn't plan my holiday shopping at all. I usually do a mix of used and new. We ended up at the mall in between snow storms, doing a last minute scramble to purchase all of our gifts. :(
I love this idea.

Our Christmas celebration has always been 95% home...

2009-10-21T09:00:54.007-07:00

Our Christmas celebration has always been 95% homemade even when we had more money than now. This year people will get baskets with our honey, beeswax candles, homemade soap,soup-in-a-jar and their must have gift of date-filled oatmeal cookies...heck, probably could skip the other stuff but never the cookies!!!!

Already have our turkey ordered from our Mennonite friends that raise pastured poultry. We try to eat our Thanksgiving meal with everything straight from our own farm...and usually only the coffee isn't.

When my kids were little they always got homemade matching pj's and several pr. of mittens..was I wrong when they reached their teens thinking I could skip the jammies! This a a GREAT challenge...I'm in. DEE

Poverty is sometimes a blessing, from demand I beg...

2009-10-19T04:21:54.987-07:00

Poverty is sometimes a blessing, from demand I began making small baby blankets, its a fraction of the shop price, food I have always given as gifts, and as my repetoire expands from jams, cookies, herby cheeses, to bath scents etcs. I like to think I have quite a reputation now for "good stuff" Besides the price, and the green factor, the sheer enjoyment and ideals I bestow to my kids is precious.
Contrary to being a miser/frugal, I took the thought and love behind every present and trully gave a gift:)

Okay. Count me as someone with no skill in making ...

2009-10-16T08:56:29.129-07:00

Okay. Count me as someone with no skill in making stuff. Most of the time I give donations to things, and/or experiances (ie concerts, theater etc.) This will he a whole new experiance for me so I'm going to get a jump on it and start now.

Thanks for the challenge!

I'm in.

2009-10-15T15:45:30.746-07:00

I'm in.

Wow...just the challage I was looking for to motiv...

2009-10-14T09:37:51.539-07:00

Wow...just the challage I was looking for to motivate me through the season. Thank you.

i'm thinking about 75%. i love to buy handmad...

2009-10-10T13:11:10.077-07:00

i'm thinking about 75%. i love to buy handmade, but i wish i were craftier myself! i can make a mean lemon curd and cranberry infused vodka, tho:)

I'm finally committing! We've increased ou...

2009-10-09T18:25:03.861-07:00

I'm finally committing! We've increased our handmade gifts each year as well. There are a few store-bought green gifts that I plan to buy (which is why I hesitated to join the challenge) but I can safely say that about 80% of our gifts will be handmade, with the other 20% still being pretty green (the Simple brand shoes I bought for the hubby).