Steps

• Make chocolate-covered spoons. Go to your local dollar store or discount supermarket and stock up on plastic spoons. Melt chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for one minute(if you have a fixed setting, do it for 30 sec.. Stir, and continue melting in 10-second increments at 50% power until smooth. Dip spoons until generously covered with chocolate. Lay them on waxed paper lined cookie sheet to cool down. If you want to get fancy, roll in crushed peppermint candies or drizzle them with melted white chocolate.
• Make a peppermint candle. Buy a large plain white unscented pillar candle and peppermint candies (round or stick). Unwrap the candies. Using a hot glue gun or glue dots (found at craft stores), glue candies all around the sides of the candle. It will look like candles sold for $15 and more in catalogs and fancy stores.
• Assemble a winter warm-up basket. Your basket can include homemade marshmallows and hot chocolate. You can purchase hand-crafted marshmallows in gourmet stores like Williams Sonoma for $15-$18 or simply make your own. Make homemade gourmet marshmallows (recipe can be found in links below). Purchase instant hot chocolate in sample sizes or in fancy tins. Buy a cheap basket at the dollar store or craft store. Line it with a decorative kitchen towel or shredded tissue paper. Fill it with hot chocolate, homemade marshmallows and, if you like, an inexpensive mug or a favorite movie. Wrap the basket in shrink wrap and use a hair dryer to blow-dry the shrink wrap on the basket to stay in place.
• Decorate a picture frame. Buy an inexpensive picture frame. You can use plastic, but other materials should work fine, too. Gather or buy plastic Barbie doll accessories, beads, jigsaw puzzle pieces, and other knick-knacks that symbolize the interests of the recipient. For example, for sports, you could use a plastic Barbie doll tennis shoes or plastic toy baseballs and popcorn from a doll house set. Find a jigsaw puzzle with pictures of footballs or soccer on it and use those pieces. And get some sports-themed scrapbooking or card-making accessories from the craft store. Using hot glue or glue dots, glue the items on the frame. Put a special poem or message in the frame, and you’ve got a show-stopping gift without an extravagant price tag.
• Give fancy soap. Buy a glycerin soap block, found in most craft stores, divided into small cubes. Tie ribbon around the block to make a loop, turning at ninety degree angles to create each additional loop. Carefully run one scissor blade on the back of the ribbon until you have completely curled it. Repeat with the other side. They will look like gourmet soap and cost a fraction of the price.
• Knit a warm fuzzy scarf. It will be a lasting memory and really useful if your gift recipient(s) live somewhere cold. If you don’t know how to knit, there are many websites, books, and magazines that can teach you how. Or you could go to the nearest yarn store and ask one of the people there for lessons.
• Make a necklace. Buy an inexpensive cotton cord from the craft store along with some multi-colored beads. They are available in any craft store for a small amount. Cut 48 inches of the cord and start threading some beads into it. Rub some glue around the sewing tip to make it stiff. You will have a nice long bead necklace for the teenagers and friends on your list.
• Make gourmet candy apples. Buy a bag of apples, preferably Red Delicious or Granny Smith apples, as they work best for this project. Also get semi-sweet chocolate, wooden sticks or skewers, cellophane wrap, and the toppings of your choice (peanuts, coconut, cookies, etc.) Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on the stove. Skewer the apples and dip into melted chocolate. Roll into a topping and allow to dry. Wrap in cellophane. You can use colored cellophane or add a pretty bow. These are a delicious treat for your friends and family.
• Take a picture of the gift receiver. Stick it in the center of a piece of cardboard using a glue gun or a glue stick. Collect picture of things the receiver likes. Make a collage of the pictures around the person’s picture. This inexpensive gift is very cute for people of all ages.
• Personalize a shirt. This is a gift that most fathers enjoy. Write things such as “#1 Dad” on a T-shirt or sweatshirt with squeezable fabric paint. Use his favorite colors and designs. Or, you can use T-shirt transfers.
• Make a themed gift basket for newlyweds, college students, or new home owners you can create a gift basket with several inexpensive items from discount stores. Theme the basket for the kitchen, bath, or dorm room. Avoid a color theme unless you know what they want.
• Bake breads or cookies and package them in a tin or basket. Add a decorative ribbon to dress it up. If you can splurge a bit more you can include a bread knife, wooden cutting board or bread cookbook with the bread gift. For the more experienced cook you can try truffles, candies, etc. For an easy fix, buy tubes of cookie dough.
• Give hot chocolate mixes with a mug. Just find the ingredients you like, mix together, seal in a bag or container and give with a big mug for drinking. This is a great gift for families as you can give each person an individual mug. This is also a great just in case gift to keep at the house for a last minute hostess gift or that person you accidentally forgot. Easy to transport, it’s great for giving at the office or school.
• Mix kitchen oils or vinegar. Combine vinegars or oils with rosemary, garlic or other herbs or spices, and pour into a decorative bottle and cork. There are many methods for doing this available online. There are also options available for marinading cheeses.
• Create a customized journal. Purchase an inexpensive, old-fashioned, black and white composition book (usually smaller than a regular notebook, and with the pages sewn in). Cover the book with aluminum foil, giftwrap, or fabric, wrapping the edges to the inside. Use spray adhesive to secure it to the inside of the cover. For teenagers, even duct tape (which comes in colors) can be used to cover the book. Add stickers, photos, magazine cutouts, and handwritten words (inside jokes, names of recipient’s children) reflecting the recipient’s interests. Write a short note on the first page about how much the recipient means to you.
• Give candy coated pretzels. Dip one end of a big pretzel stick in melted chocolate. Roll in either mini M&Ms, colored sprinkles, chopped nuts, or crushed candy cane. Allow to harden by placing the undipped end down in a drinking glass. Wrap in cellophane.
• Go for a movie theme. Buy a bucket of movie popcorn, include a box of candy and a gift card for a movie store. Makes a great last-minute gift.
• Give cute tea cups and saucers. Shop thrift stores, antique stores, pottery outlets, yard sales or your own cabinet for tea cups and saucers. Add several gourmet tea bags, individually packaged tea bags or fill with packets of gourmet cocoa mix packets. Wrap with cellophane and top with a holiday bow. (Hint: add a drop of glue or piece of tape to attach the saucer to the cup to prevent from slipping or breaking.) This is a great way to get rid of old china.
• Regift! Never be afraid to regift old gifts you’ve never used/opened. This can save you a lot of time and money, and you’ll be getting rid of an unwanted item.
• You could knit them a pair of mittens or socks
• Make a “water bottle bracelet”! Get a water bottle. Then, you cut out a bangle from the water bottle. Glue thick ribbon on the inside. Next, go get a a map (Europe usually looks best). Glue the map to the bangle. Now, get some Mod Podge, and put a layer on it every 20 minutes (do this about 4 times.)Let it dry. Give your bracelet to the person!

Tips

• Shrink wrap can be purchased on rolls that look like wrapping paper rolls in most craft stores. Look for the kind you simply wrap around the basket and blow dry to seal.
• Picture frames come in a wide variety of materials, from hard paper to wood. Hot glue one item on a small corner of the frame first to make sure it will hold.
• Don’t buy an expensive shirt; just buy a cheap t-shirt instead.
• Most parents and grandparents would love a photo of you. Put it in a nice frame. You can get great deals on frames at stores like TJMaxx, Big Lots, or by a multi-pack at a club store.
• If you have a nice photo of a friend you can give pictures as gifts. Go digging through old photo albums, scan and re-print an old photo of you and your best friend when you were kids and find a more recent picture. Use a hinged frame and put both pictures in it.
• Go looking for great deals on frames and then print your photos to match the size frames you find. There are some really cute ones in discount bins. If you shop for the frame first you’ll save money.
• Think ahead all year. Take photos at family events, make everyone pose for it. Later in the year give everyone the photo as a Christmas present.
• If your friends have developed a saying or if you all love a TV show or band you can create a custom T-shirt with a fun saying and a picture on it. T-shirt iron-on transfers are available for your computer printer.
• For non-computer friendly family members you can create fun things with your printer. Make them address labels, This book belongs to: labels or any other kind of label that fits their needs. Use a family crest or photo to personalize it even more.
• If you have a specialty food you can make it and put it in a container. Include a recipe card with the details of how to make it. If you make a sauce or marinade, bottle it and include a card for ways it can be served or used.

Warnings

• Make sure that these projects fit the personality/style of the recipient.
• If making a t-shirt make sure it is the correct size.
• Do the math! If it will cost you $20 to get the supplies to make the present you may be better off buying a small gift. Try to make gifts utilizing items you already have or doing a craft you are already good at. This may not be the time to embark on a new craft hobby if you’re not crafty. There are still inexpensive gifts you can give but embellish the wrapping or give it in a basket to make it seem more homemade…
• If you’re planning to regift, consider the following: NEVER regift to the person who gave it to you!!! Don’t regift if the item is opened, used, or was customized for you.

Steps

• Slowly bring the living tree from the outside to the inside of your house starting with the garage or enclosed porch, and ending up inside the house. To expose a dormant tree from the cold outdoors, to the warm indoors immediately will start to grow. This growth is what you want to avoid. Make sure to check the tree for bugs or insect eggs, while the tree gets used to the warmth.
• Buy a spray with an anti-dessicant or anti-wilt product so that during the introduction to the house phase, the needles will not drop. It will also help keep the moisture in the tree, that might be lost once it is brought inside.
• Place the tree and the root ball in a large galvanized tub.
• Locate the tree indoors in as cool a location as possible. Keep it away from heating vents, fireplaces and other heat sources. Use limited numbers of miniature tree lights. Provide as much natural light as possible.
• Place the root ball or container in a water holding tub. Fill the bottom two inches of the tub with gravel and place the ball or container on the gravel. This will keep the tree from sitting in water. Keep the root ball constantly and evenly moist, but not flooded. A handy technique for watering trees while indoors is to place crushed ice over the top of the root ball.
• Learn that a piece of pipe inserted vertically at the side of the tub provides an easy way to check water level in the tub. If there is water at the bottom of the pipe, you do not need to water the tree. You can check the water level by inserting a “dip stick” into the pipe.

Tips

• Skip the galvanized tub and stabilization steps if the tree comes packed in a plastic bucket. Use something under the tree to protect the floor.
• Look for Anti-dessicants and anti-wilt product under the names of Wilt-Pruf or Cloud-Cover.[4]
• If the work of bringing a live tree in and out of the house seems excessive, consider planting the tree directly outside and decorating it there. This can become an enjoyable occasion that is less stressful on both you and the tree.
• If you do not have space in your own yard for a living tree, you may be able to donate it to a local school, church or park. Be sure that there are such options in your area ahead of time.[5]
• Place old cotton towels on top of the root ball and keep the towels moist. Wet towels will generally remain moist for for 1-2 days depending on conditions in your home. They also make it easier to apply water to the tree root ball without spillage onto your flooring.

Warnings

• Living trees can stay in the house for only a brief period, no more than 7 to 10 days. Longer periods in a home can lead to death of the tree.

Steps

• Begin by preparing a list of children to invite. Keep it relatively small and manageable.
• Choose the menu you will serve. Collaborate with your kids for this but remember you have the final say.
• Plan for games and activities. Below is a citation which gives further ideas of games, skits and songs.
• Enlist the help of a teen or adult to help supervise the party.
• Ask your kids or other kids about trendy kids Christmas music. Find this ahead of time.
• Be sure to give parents a clear pick up time and collaborate the games and activities to this time.

Tips

• Serve foods that won’t cause hyperactivity. If you do plan on handing out alot of candy or sweets save it for the end of the party or send it home with the child.
• Over plan games in case you breeze through the planned activities so you can have back up things to do. You don’t want kids saying they are bored.

Warnings

• Get parents contact info: Phone numbers, name etc in case of an emergency so you can contact them if needed.

• Find out what has prompted their inquiry. Maybe they heard something at school or maybe some part of the story seems illogical to them. If the latter is the case, praise them for their critical thinking. This is actually a positive developmental step. In any case, knowing their reasons for asking the question will help you answer the question more skillfully.
• Ask what the child believes. Just because the child is asking questions doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she is emotionally ready to believe the truth. Asking, “Well, what do you think?” will give you an idea of where the child is both emotionally and cognitively. If the child still believes in Santa, despite any outside doubts, it’s not time yet. But if the answer is more skeptical, it’s time to tell them.
• Tell the truth. If your child is old enough to ask if Santa is real, then the jig is up. Your honesty will help provide order in the child’s life and help build a priceless relationship of trust.
• Apologize, if your child feels betrayed by you. Most children will not be angry, but be prepared for this outcome. Explain that until he or she asked the question, you could not reveal the answer. Also explain that you did that because it’s a wonderful story that brought you and the child a lot of joy. Likewise, instruct your child to keep the secret of Santa and not ridicule anyone (friends, classmates, or younger siblings) who argue that Santa is real; the best reason to give is because his spirit is real and enduring.
• Explain that Santa embodies the real spirit of Christmas. Something like this: “Santa Claus is a magical spirit that lives inside of everyone who believes in him. He is real only for as long as you believe he is real and not for one moment longer. When your friends tell you that Santa is not real, they are correct. He isn’t real for them any more. If you believe he is real, like I do, then he is. You can keep Santa alive in your heart for as long as you want to do so. Even when you’re as old as I am.” Or simply state: “We are all Santa,” and discuss the times you do nice things for people throughout the year, expecting nothing in return.
• Recruit them to become one of Santa’s helpers. Children who ask the magic question, “Is Santa Claus real?”, may become Santa’s helper if they want to be. Santa’s helpers are people who help Santa fill the stockings and arranges the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve while everyone else is sleeping.
• Remember. You can tell them about how you learned. Also, there’s no proof that he isn’t real!

Tips

• The true story of St. Nicholas can be helpful in explaining Santa’s characteristics of generosity and anonymity. When he died, his spirit remained alive in the hearts and minds of those who loved him and that spirit lives on to this day. Although the stories of St. Nicholas include incidents of omniscience and even flying, there are not reindeer or arctic toyshops. Explain that those were just made up to make the magic of Santa even more special.
• Maintain eye contact with your child while speaking and listening. It’s respectful.
• Keep the explaination simple and to the point.
• Expect some children to relapse into denial of the truth and let them. This is a sign they are not emotionally ready to handle the truth, and perfectly normal.
• Wrap some stocking items so the child still has the surprise of a stocking on Christmas morning.
• It may be better to never start the lie to begin with, but the story of Santa is so popular, they are bound to hear it from someone. (But consider if not allowing the magic of Santa into his or her life is worth it.)

Warnings

• Be prepared for some anger or hurt feelings toward you for not telling them, especially if they have heard this from a friend or older child. But the resentment, if any, does not tend to last long.
• Don’t try to force the child into believing in Santa when he or she shows doubt. Avoiding the end of this innocent magical time may be tempting, but when it’s time, let your child cross into a more adult understanding of Christmas.

Right Click, Copy & Paste into word… Print!

Right Click, Copy & Paste into word… Print!

Right Click, Copy & Paste into word… Print!

Right Click, Copy & Paste into word…then PRINT!