15 Homemade Gift Basket Ideas

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This holiday season, treat your friends and family to homemade gift baskets! I usually make a few gift baskets every Christmas. They are always a hit!

And here's a tip: To save money on basket fillers, stock up on items throughout the year when there is a great sale, coupon or clearance. I recommend checking out Target, CVS and Walgreens for great clearance items.

You could create:

  • Pampered Spa (Twirly towel, bath mitts, cozy slippers, eye pillow, luffa sponge, body sugar scrubs, bath salts & bubble bath, shower gel, bath bombs, candles)
  • Chocolate Lovers (Chocolate of every kind and in every shape, nuts, gourmet coffee)
  • Coffee Lovers (Gourmet or flavored coffees, flavored sugars, cinnamon sticks, two coffee mugs, demi spoons & a coffee table book about coffee)
  • Homemade Specialty Treats (Flavored sugars, extracts, flavored vinegars)
  • Gourmet (Pickled peppers, gourmet cheese, deli crackers, fruit, wine, smoked oysters, olives, pickled asparagus, deli meat sticks)
  • Tea Buddy (Gourmet teas, flavored sugars, cinnamon sticks, tea cozy, two pretty tea cups and saucers, homemade cookies/baking, homemade jam, small potted houseplant)
  • Pet Lovers (Personalized pet dish, pet toys, pet treats, hair brush, pet shampoo–see the Rachel Ray video above)
  • Gardeners (Gardening gloves, gardening book, garden journal, small hand tools, handmade seed packets, garden clogs)
  • Bookworm (Books, bookmarks, gourmet coffee or tea, snacks, online bookstore gift card)
  • Productivity Guru (Moleskin notebook, index cards, post it notes, post it flags, expensive pen, book on productivity tips)
  • Welcome Baby (Baby blanket, washcloths, socks, rattle, toys, sleepers, check out the diaper cake for more ideas)
  • Crafty (Expensive scissors, rotary cutter blades, needle case, pin cushion, spools of good quality thread, glue sticks, needle threaders, box of pins, sewing machine needles, fat quarters, craft store gift card, craft magazine or book)
  • Movie Lovers (DVDs, popcorn, popcorn seasonings, bottles of water or pop, chocolate bars, licorice, movie rental coupons)
  • Christmas (Poinsettia plant, homemade cookies, tarts, baking, Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas music CD, neatly handwritten Christmas poem or prayer–scroll or framed, pine, peppermint or cranberry scented candle, box of chocolates, candy canes, mix of nuts and nutcracker, Christmas crackers, angel figurine, paper snowflakes, mini-stockings filled with candy, fireplace firestarters, hot cocoa mix with mugs, small prayer or blessings book)

Source:Tipnut.com

25 Days of Christmas Ideas

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Here are some fun ideas for 25 days of Christmas! Plus, here's how to make this Advent calendar.

1. Present advent calendars to your children
2. Sing Christmas carols together then eat yummy cookies
3. Visit Santa Clause and have their picture taken
4. Go shopping and allow each child to pick out a new ornament
5. Attend a Holiday event
6. Host a family game night and invite another family
7. Take kids to pick out your Christmas tree
8. String pop corn
9. Build a Ginger bread house
10. Serve Sparkling cider with dinner
11. Bake cookies together
12. Paint holiday scenes on your windows
13. Coloring night…each year color in the same book and date it
14. Have a happy Birthday Jesus party, invite the neighbor kids
15. Make Christmas cards
16. Movie night….popcorn and yummy treats
17. PJ Night…everyone gets a new pair
18. Go for a ride and look at all the decorated houses
19. Have dinner by the Christmas tree picnic style
20.December 6th St Nick Night. Have kids place their shoes out with carrots and apples in them and while they are sleeping replace with a small gift
21. Make homemade fudge
22. Decorate your Tree
23. Make Christmas gifts
24. Host a Christmas craft club for your children and their friends
25. Help a family in need …choose ways to teach your children to give.
26. Make or purchase Thank you gifts for community service workers then take your children around town to drop them off.
27. Red or Green night…. Serve food in these colors, decorate the table in these colors
28. Tell the Christmas story and place a light in your window inviting Jesus into your home
29. Make paper chain garlands
30. Snowman night—decorate table with snowmen be creative
31. Ice Cream night ..make sundaes or go out
32. Take kids shopping for Daddy or Siblings or Grand Parents
33. Wrap gifts…. kids love to help
34. Bake a pie
35. Make a sugar cube castle
36. Elf hunt
37. Let your kids decorate their bedrooms
38. Bake a gingerbread man and tell the story
39. Play bingo with dollar store prizes…invite your neighbors over
40. Advent wreath
41. Learn about another Countries traditions
42. Celebrate Hanukkah
43. Tell the Christmas story and wear costumes
44. Dec 22nd first day of winter..take a day trip to the snow
45. Have a slumber party by the tree
46. Elf on the shelf arrives.
47. Jingle your neighbors ( ring and run)
48. Star your neighbors ( ring and run). Click here for FREE download
49. Create Christmas Blessing Mix for friends and classmates. Click here for FREE bag topper.
50. Make Snowman Soup for family and friends. Click here for FREE bag topper.

Homemade Glitter Ornaments

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Here's what you'll need to make your own glitter ornaments:

  • Clear glass ornaments
  • Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with Future Shine
  • Fine glitter (Martha Stewart glitter, sold at Michael's, is a good choice.)
  • A funnel
  • A few cotton swabs

To make the ornaments:

1. Take off the hangers from the ornament
2. Squirt some floor wax in the ornament and roll or swirl it around.
3. Take the cap off of the floor shine and stick the ornament upside down on it so the extra drains back in.
4. Pour a generous amount of glitter into the ornament through a funnel.
5. Roll the ornament around so the glitter coats the inside.
6. Put your thumb over the opening and shake the ornament, making sure glitter coats the neck and any other bare spots.
7. Take the lid off of the glitter container and turn the ornament upside down on it so the loose glitter can empty back in the glitter container.
8. Put the toppers back on the ornaments.