Making Gifts

[Headless_Ninja]

Well, winter holidays are fast approaching and I was wondering if'n you playgrounders could help me with some suggestions of gifts that could be handmade by someone with little to no skill at crafts, and has access to no greater work area than a student bedroom. Any ideas? I would be very grateful :).

[thubby]

origami is pretty easy if you pick the right things, it looks nice, and many of them have historical or cultural significance. and you just need paper (you can get special origami paper from any craft store if you like)

homemade jewelry is similar, and a well stocked library should have books on it.

[Jack Squat]

home-made baked goods are another option. So long as you can follow directions, it's pretty hard to mess up a well-written recipe.

[Dragonrider]

Learn to crochet? :smalltongue:

Seriously, I'm making dolls for everyone in my family. It's really quick and easy, but I've known how to do it for a long time so that's probably why it's not harder.

[Berserk Monk]

If you wanna know how to make chain jewelry, PM me and I'll give you a walkthrough as well as some links to some sites that can help.

[Gullara]

If you wanna know how to make chain jewelry, PM me and I'll give you a walkthrough as well as some links to some sites that can help.

You and your chain jewlery:smallamused:

[Berserk Monk]

You and your chain jewlery:smallamused:

Me not get joke.

[Gullara]

Me not get joke.

I just remember the thread when you were trying to sell some.

[Berserk Monk]

I just remember the thread when you were trying to sell some.

:smallconfused:Joke not that funny.

[Quincunx]

Embrace your rep, Berserk Monk the Chainmail Mask Guy! Every good geek circle needs one Chainmail Guy.

The skill curve on homemade jewelry between beginner and "looks good enough to be sold" (we're old enough to post here, we're old enough to not get by on cuteness and good intentions alone) is not too bad, especially if you're going to be making unusual items into jewelry. Entry cost: a small hand-crank drill, a fine drill bit, jewelry findings (base items like rings or ear loops), glue or wire. Entry cost for chainmail: wire or rings, pliers. Drawback: doesn't work nearly as well for guys.

The skill curve on baking or homemade candies is a little more steep, but I assume you have basic cooking skills already. Presentation counts: a simple square of cloth laid over the top of a recycled jar and tied with a ribbon at the neck makes the candy within into a gift. Entry cost: ingredients, recycled jars or nice dishes to hold the product, possibly kitchen access. Drawback: recipients on diets.

The skill curve on sewing is as steep as the angle of the line you're sewing: straight lines like square pillows with appliqué decorations are simple, curved and intersecting lines like stuffed animals' seams are more complex. If you can find an interesting fabric in an outfit at the second-hand shop, the costs can be kept very low. Entry cost: hand sewing kit, fabric, possibly stuffing for stuffed animals. Drawback: hard to disguise home-made nature.

[Headless_Ninja]

Thanks for the ideas, guys! All very helpful, I hadn't even considered things like baking/candy, crochet or origami. Jewellery definitely an idea too, though I'm a bit worried about difficulties with my ability to screw up the simplest of practical tasks. Same goes for sewing and crocheting... Oh dear oh dear! But baking will almost certainly be a part, if only a supplement to other ideas. Thanks again!

[HotAndCold]

Learn to crochet? :smalltongue:

Seriously, I'm making dolls for everyone in my family. It's really quick and easy, but I've known how to do it for a long time so that's probably why it's not harder.

Man, speaking from experience, crochet dolls are hard for a beginner. You'd have to be mad talented to go from "I have never crocheted in my life" to "I can crochet nice-looking dolls for my entire family" between now and Christmas. And that's just crocheting and stuffing the body and head, to say nothing of doing things like attaching limbs or facial features or clothing. Knitting or crochet are good hobbies for making gifts, yeah, but just. Not this close to their due date, especially for a beginner.

Well. Actually, maybe if you knit a bunch of simple scarves. I did that for a few of my friends a couple years ago, took just a couple of days each. I used this pattern (http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/10/12/one_row_handspun_scarf.html), and the stitch pattern looks quite nice in a solid color if I do say so myself (http://www.flickr.com/photos/17676007@N07/2101756239).

[Berserk Monk]

Jewellery definitely an idea too, though I'm a bit worried about difficulties with my ability to screw up the simplest of practical tasks.!

It's not that hard. Still, some of it is time consuming so if you want to know how, PM me soon for instructions.


Embrace your rep, Berserk Monk the Chainmail Mask Guy! Every good geek circle needs one Chainmail Guy.

Especially when you can make things like...

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/berserkmonk/YAYcopy.jpg?t=1259630696

The world will look up and shout "Save us" and I'll look down and whisper "No."

Expect the complete costume made out of chainmail sometime in 2010.

[Serpentine]

Every good geek circle needs one Chainmail Guy.Well, crap. All we have is Science and Maths Guy, Really Weird Environmentalist Guy, Oddly Quiet Guy, Gamer Guy, Hipster Guy, Camarilla Girl, Eclectic Girl, Fantasy Girl...
Berserk Monk, will you be our Chainmail Guy? :smallfrown:

I recommend sewing, especially if you have access to a sewing machine. The first thing I made was a platypus out of an old towel and a few scraps of bought material. It was very easy (although I did screw up a couple of times, but it was pretty simple to fix). If you want, I can find some simple patterns for you.
Costs: If you don't have access to one already, a sewing machine will be the most expensive. Mine was a couple of hundred (Aussie) dollars. I'm glad I bought it.
Material varies. Ranges from free, in the form of old towels, sheets, clothes, etc, to $30+ per metre. For simple toys, though, you'll rarely need more than a metre.
Thread and needles are no more than a couple of dollars.

I've never tried it myself, but felting looks very easy. I think a felt bag would be very easy to make, and very easy to make it look good.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

When one of my friends was feeling sad, I made her a journal, paper and all. It's really not too hard.

[Froogleyboy]

Learn to crochet? :smalltongue:

Seriously, I'm making dolls for everyone in my family. It's really quick and easy, but I've known how to do it for a long time so that's probably why it's not harder.

Dolls? But your hats are like the greatest I've ever seen! Why not give hats?

[Berserk Monk]

Well, crap. All we have is Science and Maths Guy, Really Weird Environmentalist Guy, Oddly Quiet Guy, Gamer Guy, Hipster Guy, Camarilla Girl, Eclectic Girl, Fantasy Girl...
Berserk Monk, will you be our Chainmail Guy? :smallfrown:

Depends on what you mean by "our."


When one of my friends was feeling sad, I made her a journal, paper and all. It's really not too hard.

True. Book binding isn't that hard. All you need is paper, needle, thread, and scissors. I'm sure you can find a demo online.

Or if you want to make a truly epic gift, I present fireball shooter. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TvAjGOj-BE)

[mikeejimbo]

I am painting miniatures for my gaming group, because they all thought I did a very nice job on the miniatures I painted for myself. I realize that most people find the fun in miniatures to be the painting itself, and that I may be taking some of the fun out of it by painting them, but I think I am justified because I took time to think about what figure best represents each player and am painting them accordingly.

[Supagoof]

Another simple thought is pre-paring recipe's for people.

Example - instead of giving someone cookies, you measure out and package all the ingredients, stuff them into a nice package with the recipe (being careful of course not to put and spoilable food into the package - like eggs and milk might be something to make the recipient provide), and give out as gift.

The recipient then doesn't have to worry about eating the food right away, but they know if they want cookies in the future, all they have to do is grab your gift from the cupboard and BLAM - easy home made treat for them.

My brother did it for chocolate chip cookies. Flour, sugar, chocolate chips all in ziplock bags and stuffed into mason jars. Nice big ribbon on them and it was definitely a hit around the x-mas tree.

Can be done with soups as well. :smallwink:

Edit: Reading above - on the sewing thing you can even get away with fleece and scissors. Here's the instructions to make a Fleece balanket! (http://www.craftelf.com/Craft_elf_general_no_sew_fleece_blanket.htm). Now the big cost here is buying the fleece, but at the fabric store you can get all sorts of design fleece to custom fit the personality of anyone your giving the gift too. For example, if they have a favorite football team, you can probably find fleece with that kind of design on it already. A bit of cutting and a lot of tying later, a great gift that they'll remember you for anytime they get cold.

[Adlan]

I used to carve or whittle gifts for my (now ex) girlfriend.

Costs: Hacksaw-$5
Whittling knife - $10 (I like an Opinel, sizes to fit all hands)
Sandpaper - $5
Oil/Varnish - $10
Speciality wood - Anywhere from free to $50 for a big block. Look in skips, ask at building sites and wood shops for offcuts, or buy online. For a begginer, I recomend an easy to work wood, like pine, Ash, hickory or ceder. Stuff like Mahogany, teak, Oak, maple or curly birch should be left till you know more about the wood and carving

Skills required: Ability to follow an outline, use a sharp tool and not cut your self.

I recommend simple animals for a bigginer, Find a simple drawing of the animal you want to carve, Trace it onto the block of wood (idealy like a plank, this won't be a true 3d carving, but a textured 2d). Cut along the outline with the hacksaw, then carve with the knife, it's fairly instinctive and easy to make it look good, just pick out prominent details, like an elephants ears, or a lions mane, and then minor stuff like eyes, or the texture of fur.

When finished, use an oil or wax like linseed oil, or Briwax. I prefer these to modern sealants, they feel better in the hand and have a nice smell, in addition to letting you smell the natural odour of the wood (especially with stuff like mahogany or ceder).


PM me if you want more advice.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

True. Book binding isn't that hard. All you need is paper, needle, thread, and scissors. I'm sure you can find a demo online.

Making paper isn't bad, either. With an afternoon and some clothes that you can make a mess all over, you can make someone an entire book basically from scratch.

[SDF]

You could build people guitar pedals like me! You kind of have to be able to solder and, have some knowledge of transistors (or just follow diagrams off the interwebs), and access to power tools.

It helps if your friends play guitar.

[Trobby]

My big homemade gift idea this year is to make a mix CD. Since me and my girlfriend have promised to do a low-budget Christmas, I'm getting her to share with me her favorite romantic songs, so that I can put her absolute favorites on there and send it out to her.

Maybe not as "craftsy" as other gifts, but a good idea if you know a person very well.

[zeratul]

You could build people guitar pedals like me! You kind of have to be able to solder and, have some knowledge of transistors (or just follow diagrams off the interwebs), and access to power tools.

It helps if your friends play guitar.

You can make effects pedals?:smallconfused:

You sir have just gained +5 to the "awesome" statistic.