Something New. *Christmas Gift Ideas*

It's Christmas Eve and I'm not the only one who is still trying to get last minute presents..

This is something new for the blog but this is my last minute gift ideas. Including something I made for my own family.

Salt Dough Ornaments

Ingredients

•  2 Cups of Plain Flour
•  1 Cup of salt
•  1 cup of warm water.

What else you might need:

• A child to do the hand and foot prints
• Paint
• Sharpie
• Glitter
• Ribbons

Method

Preheat the oven to 110 degrees Celsius (230 Fahrenheit). Mix all the ingredients together until you get a dough like consistency, at this point it may feel gritty but that's the salt in it. When its coming together, pour out onto a clean work surface and work it like a bread dough until the consistency is smooth. When smooth roll out to a cm thick. You then can do absolutely anything as a design. I used Noah's hand prints and footprints but be warned, if you are using a toddler, they like to investigate and they aren't too happy about keeping still and pressing their hands and feet without scrunching up. I then used the last remaining bits of dough to make little stars and bauble shapes. 

Remember to poke holes in if you want to thread ribbon through to make them hanging decorations!

This then goes into the oven for a few hours. But check it often! I found checking it every 30-45 minutes, flipping them over, so the bottoms cook to and because I had 2 trays in the oven I also swapped them over half way through. You know they are cooked when the sound hollow and are a light beige/browny colour. 

I then left overnight to cool and then painted them with paints the next day. I used basic paint that they used in schools. I used the hand prints to look like Santa and the footprints for Snowmen and Reindeer. (Although I don't have a picture of the reindeer)

I know I paint like a 5 year old. But I have really shakey hands! I also used Sharpie Markers to outline and glitter for all the white bits and added that when the paint is still wet.

Sock Snowmen.

What you will need:

• Old or odd Socks (White and any colour)
• Rice
• Buttons 
• Glue
• Scissors
• Elastic Bands
• Sharpie

Method

Use a white sock and fill with rice until the sock is 3/4 filled. Tie up the end (leaving a few cms after the elastic band) with an elastic band. Tie another one a little bit down to make the head. When secure, bash it around using your hands to shape your snowman to how you want it. Then use the little bit of excess sock at the top and fold it down to make it as a hat. Use another colour sock and cut a little bit to make a scarf. Then use glue to glue the buttons on his belly. Then use a sharpie to make a nose and eyes. Ta da Sock Snowmen! I don't have a picture as I haven't done them in years! But have a look on google and go wild with your designs!

Pebble Ornaments

This is the lazy version of the salt dough ornaments and works best if you have a pebbly beach near you.

What you will need:

• Clean pebbles
• Paint
• Sharpies

Basically you clean the pebbles and then paint them. You can use detailed designs or let your child go crazy. You can then write on the back to remember the year. I live close to so many beaches and love the idea that Noah can paint as many as he likes and the fact I will be 80 with millions of them.

Go crazy and make memories.

Design your own baubles.

What you will need:

• Clear baubles, which you can pick up from craft stores or Amazon.
• Paint
• Pens
• Anything to fill the baubles.

This one is self explanatory and I personally haven't tried it. But I've seen some great ones on Pinterest. I saw one where they filled it with baby stuff like the hospital bracelet, a little vest and a cord clip. You can go wild with this one and could do baby's hand/foot prints on the outside or paint little snowmen/Santa on it. These are perfect to be used more multiple Christmases and it's a great momentum. I was going to do one this year and put a little picture of my little family in it and write on the back which year I made it. 

Hope you liked this different style of blog post and all the ideas i have compiled onto this post. I will be making these to give to family and keep for myself. Your babies are only going to be small once and I will be that embarrassing parent who will bring it out when my children turn 18! But it's nice to keep! 

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that everyone has a lovely time and lets see what's in store for 2017!