apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

cool post, i'd love to see more diy holiday projects... or affordable holiday-decorating tips!

those modern diy ornaments are pretty cute! i'd love to try them with some fancy decorative paper.

I plan on harvesting the rest of our lemons to make limoncello, lemon curd or lemon preserves.

I might also make beeswax candles and holiday cookies for gifts this year.

For more ideas, search 'voluntary simplicity' sites! There's plenty to make yourself. Or buy handmade at such sites as Etsy, Folksy, etc... I don't know how to sew, but i offer drawings and paintings to friends and family.

Gourmet wine vinegar is easy to make! The hardest part is to find a good "vinaigrier" to store it in, preferably made of earthware.

Pour high quality vinegar at the bottom of your ceramic jar (the said "vinaigrier").
Then add any wine that doesn't taste good to you or has turned bad for some reason. You'll have to let it rest several months, before the whole brew turns naturally into red vinegar.

Filter then pour into nice-looking clear glass bottles. Make a gift.

note : i've seen my mom do that and i'll ask her more details if available.

BM

We're about to start the process of moving across the country, so a lot of DIY will get shoved out of the way, but I did make our Christmas cards:

http://embritadesign.blogspot.com/2008/11/photo-christmas-cards-how-to.html

Cool idea, EmmieB! This year I'm baking everyone mini bundt cakes (though I haven't figured out which recipes I'll use for whom, though ... probably do that at the very last minute...). I'm also making little bird-shaped lavender & chamomile sachets to put on top of the boxes, based on the pattern from this post:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/how-to/how-to-make-a-bird-softie-052147

Handmade Christmas cards. I bought pre-cut cards and envelopes from Paper Source, rubber stamped them, and used a glue pen and fine glitter to accent a few details. I printed Avery address labels which saved a lot of the grunt work.

I also dig gingerbread houses. Last year, Trader Joes had an affordable kits, with everything in one box. But I've also done ginger bread houses made from graham crackers glued with frosting to a small cardboard box for stability. Its a cheap, small party for a night in December.

Sort of unrelated:

Is anyone else experiencing the margins recentered in the middle of the page, taking priority of the original post? I see the blog list running down the page, which I can discern between the lines, with the exception of the black box claiming "1% for the planet member". Anyone?

Frusterating, and I can't fiqure out how to correct it.

I love to make scarves as presents. You only need the most basic knitting skills and everyone could use a cute colorful scarf. Last year I knitted some cute cell phone and DS cozies (some monogrammed). They're pretty easy projects that you can finish in a night. I just got a puppy so this year I think I will get into dog sweaters.

CC- yeah, it's annoying.

I found a really cool diy terranium ornament in an old garden book.
Here's the idea:
Take one of these:

http://www.christmasdepot.com/product/Crystal-Clear-Set-of-10_9120V1000.htm&utm_term=clear

Remove the top.
Fill in this order (with the aid of a funnel and a chopstick at times):
1 tbl small pebbles
pinch of charcoal (necessary to stop molding, I think)
1/3 c potting soil
small sprigs of thyme with roots still connected or other small plant.
Glue the top back on and be very careful not to mix or shake the ball all the way into the gift recipient's hand.

It should last for at least 6 months, and I bet you could even make succulent one's if you put in a table spoon of sand.

This page is displaying very badly with overlapping text. How disappointing that I can't read anything.

The same thing is happening to me with the display/margins. I'm sad I'm missing out...

I've been tinkering with old clock faces and found boxes in the effort of creating collages which, to the best of my knowledge, tend to resemble those of Joseph Cornell. I have been determined to create a fine few to give to those closest to me. Gifts we can create by our own hands have more love and self incorporated into them. I do hope everyone can find the time to make at least one gift this season.

Hmmm, I'm not seeing what you guys are, but I forwarded it along to the tech staff. et me know if you still see the blog displaying weirdly.

Also you guys have great ideas, I'm going to borrow some!

what's the line drawing of the camper at the bottom right of the compiled image up top? Looks cute & I want to know more...thanks!

I am so with this and loathe that my kids should get caught on the band wagon of buying gifts, so I have posted a whole series of gifts kids can make for Adults; Friends, Kids, from the kitchen and I will do one for siblings this week as well...

here's the link if you are interested:

http://www.se7en.org.za/se7en-do-christmas