Inexpensive DIY Holiday Gifts + recipe

Making our Molasses-free Gingerbread (We made 3 batches and it made enough for about 20 Tins/Baskets) 

RECIPE; 

 Cookies;

• 1 c. Butter/Magerine 
• 3/4 c. Brown Sugar 
• 3/4 c. White Sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 2 1/2 c. Flour 
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda 
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon 
• 2tsp. Ginger
• 1 tsp Clove & 1/2 tsp Nutmeg (I Substituted both for 1 1/2 tsp Allspice) 

~Cream Together Sugars and Butter/Margarine
~Beat in Egg 
~In Separate Bowl, Combine  all remaining ingredients including spices  
~ Combine two bowls, mix evenly and pat into ball 
~flatten slightly and chill (3 hours in refrigerator or overnight)
~Preheat oven to 375
~roll out to 1/8 of an inch and cut out with cookie cutters (or roll into og and slice into 1/8 inch circles) 
~bake for 6-12 mins on lightly greased baking sheet


Faux (Marshmallow) Royal Icing

•  2 cups powdered / confectioners  sugar
• 1 tbs Corn Syrup 
• 2 1/2 tbs Hot water 
• 1 tsp Vanilla 
• 2 C Mini Marshmallows (Melted)

~Mix first 4 ingredients until smooth.  

~ Melt marshmallows (until they puff up) in the microwave (15-30 seconds) 

~ Combine and blend on High for 2 min.s - Until smooth 

**Icing can be refrigerated - add a few drops of hot water and blend again if necessary **

 

Our Materials, Decorating, and our baskets full o' goodies

 Beautiful once wrapped, This was 

Big T's Christmas gift to his Teacher

These gifts are perfect for unexpected guests, people you don't know well enough for personal gifts and people such as Doctors, Teachers, Mailman, Bosses etc.

Upcycled Christmas Bow {Craft}

Christmas can be an incredibly Stressful time, Laden with Commercialism, Waste and Unrivaled in Expense. A good way to Curb some of ALL of the above, is to Make gifts.  I often bake cookies which I put in decorative tins, a few people get knitted scarves and dishcloths each year. But some Cost are unavoidable... Wrapping paper, Ribbons, Bows, ..or are they?

Today I'm going to show you how to make your own Christmas bows ...for next to nothing!
You can use Either Magazine pages, to 'WOW' a green Friend, or to simply keep costs low you can also use Scrapbooking paper - to customize and streamline your gifts look.

You will need;
Scrapbook paper or magazine page
Glue or stapler
Ruler
Pen or pencil
Scissors

• Take your pencil, Ruler and paper, and Measure out (vertically) 9 strips  Each measuring 3/4". Cut these out and line up 

• Next Divide you're strips into some groups Two Groups of 3, One Group of 2 and one Group of 1
• Put one of the groups of 3 to the side (we leave these as-is) Cut 1" off the end of each of the second group of Three
• Cut 2" off each of the group of 2 
• Measure out the last Strip to 3.5" 
• The tricky part; you need to 'Twist' each of the large strips (8) into a figure-8 and glue ends in place - The easiest way to do this, is to do one side at at time, the colored side of the paper out - you won't see much of the white once we're done anyways. This is tricky but gets easier with a little pratice.

• When you have twisted  all 8 of the strips, roll the 3.5" strip into a circle. 
• Next Glue and place each of the size groups together.(Two Groups of 3 and one of 2) Let dry.
• When your groups have dried. Glue together. then glue the circle into the middle. 

VOILA 

 

NOTES;
When using scrapbook Paper, you may find using a stapler to work better, as the card-stock is heavier than Magazine pages.
I used Glue, but it was much more difficult.

Peace, Love & Happy Holidays