Try your hand at homemade gifts for all occasions

Making your own presents is both enjoyable and thrifty. Your recipient will be delighted to receive a special hand-crafted gift that is quirky and personal. It is not long until Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and there are a number of gifts that you might want to make, or you could start planning for your homemade christmas gifts!

Here are some festive suggestions for treating your friends and family.

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Make a mosaic tray or dish

What you’ll need:
-Attractive old china – preferably thin and with a similar colour scheme
-Old rag (for wiping away grout)
-Light grout
-Tile glue
-Old tray or dish
-Hammer
-Large working surface

What to do

Put the plates below a cloth and smash them using a hammer, then use tile glue to position the shards on the tray or dish. Use only the flattest china pieces. After the glue is set, put grout over the cracks; wipe it off the tiles while it dries.

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Make strawberry brooches

What you’ll need:
-Soft oven bake clay
-Strawberry cookie cutter
-Pin backs
-Acrylic paint and/or paint markers
-Strong glue

What to do

Roll the clay out and punch it with a strawberry-shaped cookie cutter, setting the clay pieces on a baking tray. Cook in the oven according to clay instructions.
Paint your strawberry shapes red. For the strawberry’s face, paint two U-shapes to make the eyes and one for the mouth. Glue on the pin backs and allow to dry.

This would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift or perhaps a thank you gift for the Live in Care London professional that supports one of your family members.

See more ideas for gifts you can make yourself at https://www.mookychick.co.uk/how-to/arts-and-crafts/make-cheap-christmas-gift-ideas.php.

Make a Christmas stocking

What you’ll need:
-About 50 cm of material (felt, burlap, old cushion covers or blankets)
-Velvet or satin ribbon
-Fake fur

What to do

Although we advise 50 cm, you can make your Christmas stocking any size. Draw your stocking shape on the material’s reverse in chalk. You need two shapes for the final item.

Take a strip of fake fur two times the width of the cuff. Fold it over your stocking shapes to conceal the top and sew it into position. Attach velvet or satin ribbon trim to your Christmas stocking rims. If you have felt remaining, cut out some petal shapes, and sew them on using a button for the flower’s middle.

Pin your Christmas stocking shapes together so the sides you want showing are inside. Sew together, leaving a seam, then pull your stocking inside out.