Is Christmas too Commercialized? Low cost gifts and Activities

Decorations are in the shops from August in some places, carols are playing over the speakers in shopping centres, and xmas comes earlier and becomes more commercialised every year.

Even kids are organized early these days. This appeared on my bedroom wall, posted by my daughter, several weeks ago. Just in case I was unsure of what exactly to buy for her for Xmas.  There is such expectations around gift giving now. Mind you, can't really blame the kid for trying, even if the follow through does not reach such dizzying heights.
Humbling was the child from one family, who when asked what they got from Santa, was overheard to say, ," ...A new lunchbox for school"  and did this pull at my heart strings?  Oh yes, indeed. Makes me think of some possible options for non material gifts, and low cost or free activities, that one can request and give for Christmas such as the ideas outlined below:
( These could be written on pretty gift cards, placed in a "surprize bag" and pulled out by each child/ adult as a kind of lucky dip)
* A warm and cosy evening/day spent doing whatever each child wishes, one on one, without disturbances from computer, phone, mobile phone or Ipod, Ipad etc etc.  It might be a board game, cocoa and a chat, playing games, like hide n seek, or pictionary/ monopoly.
* A walk or play on the beach, perhaps with the promise of ice cream afterwards.
* Rainforest hike
* If the kids are into books, a trip to the library.
* Building a cubby house, go cart, or raft together. This can be as complex or as simple as you like: the full wooden hammer and nails bit, or a large cardboard box.
* Sewing or embroidering a calico bag
* Making a card or memory album for Grandma
* Comstructing a year in my family chronicle to give out to family members at Xmas with recipes, funny stories, and photos.
* Making the Christmas cake/ lolly or cookie jars to give to others.
* Setting out tea light candles on your street and letterbox dropping others to do the same. We do this and call it 'Santa's highway'.
* A puppet show and stage presentation to family members
* A talent quest for family members with a Christmas theme (Prizes for everyone)
* Swimming or running races
* Trampoline competitions
* A Christmas themed movie or powerpoint presentation for Grandparents and/or extended family
There are plenty more ideas available on the net or in books, so these are just a few that came to me, off the top of my head. Believe me, this kind of experience stays in a child's memory for much longer than the short lived joy of getting a toy that will be forgotten in a few months time.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6383128_cheap-holiday-gift-ideas-kids.html
http://voices.yahoo.com/ideas-cheap-christmas-gifts-kids-4754448.html
Feel free to add your own. Christmas need not be super expensive. Be creative and have fun, and still be giving a priceless gift that has the bonus of being environmentally friendly.
These activities will surely be Something kids will ponder about when they themselves, become parents.

More Mini Note book covers - inspired by Pillow a la Mode

 I just love this fun idea of using up beautiful paper. It is practical and functional and you can appreciate the lovely paper far more often than before. Sometimes the paper is so pretty, I am reluctant to use it, but I had no such trouble with this project. Some are planned to be small gifts, others I will use myself and then I cna appreciate the paper each time I use them.

I must credit Pillow -a la- Mode for the idea....
Pillows-a-la-mode

Not only something  I will ponder about but something I will write in....










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Quick crafts - MIni Notebook Covers

These wonderful ideas come from a talented and inspiring person, which you will find on wordpress at Pillows-a-la-mode,. These crafts that can be quickly achieved, are fun and can be used as activities with older children who are into crafts! Thanks, Pillows-a-la-mode   Here are my first few efforts, but upon obtaining further supplies, will post more photos. Love doing these simple but elegant and very relaxing crafts.   The therapeutic and relaxing nature of craft is something we should ponder about whilst stuck in traffic jams!  :-)

More photos to come....





 
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Recycling craft project for kids - Used mattress projector to New Dog Mat!

I am in a process of de-cluttering, it is gradual and it is slow, but it is happening!

I have had in the linen cupboard, a used mattress protector, one without elastic bands to hold it on. ( In its former life, it covered a waterbed bladder so the elastic bands were just extraneous). That aside, I wondered what I could do with it. Not really hygienic to donate it to the thrift shop is it? NO good to anyone without elastic bands, which I could re-attach, but is it worth the cost of elastic and the effort? I think not…

Then a brainwave hit me…. The dog would love it. Best check that first....

Dog mat Trials:

Step 1. Cut mattress protector in half lengthways. Fold each half, in half lengthwise again. You should have a piece around 1 metre by 1/2 metre or so, depending on whether you used a Queen or Double protector.
Step 2. Sew all around the permeter using zig zag or straight stitch. It is quite thick so you may need to use a different foot on your machine. Contrasting thread colour looks nice.

Cut mattress protector

Step 3 Test that dog will accept new mat ….call the dog and say “mat”

Claimed!

Step4.  Trial successful! Mat has been claimed and dog in situ.

Now it is time to enhance the bed with a few simple designs or if you are feeling particularly energetic, ( which I wasn’t today) a new cover made of fleece or used old flannelette sheet, or cotton towelling fabric. At least something that will be durable and withstand the washing machine claws!

Naive decoration of Dog Mat

Step 1. Remove dog from mat.
Step 2. Select a half drop or crazy random design and decorate to your heart’s content using fabric marker (permanent) In other words, give the markers to the kids and let their imagination take over.





You can even decorate the reverse side if you wish. Now you have a quick Sunday project, kept the kids and the dogs happy…. enjoy.

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Decorations, Food and Favours for a Girl's Birthday party

Preparing for 12 year olds to celebrate a birthday involves three main items:

 1. Decorations
- preferably  fancy do-it-yourself (unless you are a millionaire)

2. Youtube 
(or once again if you are wealthy, a Karaoke machine)
I set up a laptop and added extra speakers for volume and internet wi-fi connection to Youtube... cheap as chips!

and...

3. Chocolate
- lots of it and all different varieties

Chocolate slice (recipe to follow) ***see post for 31st May 2012
Tim tams
Fantails
Snowballs
Freckles
Any chocolate covered lollie or biscuit
A Large Block of chocolate for chocolate eating contest and several more for prizes (Instructions to follow)

Party Favours/Bags

You can also make fun party bags/ favours with inexpensive noodle boxes filled with a few lollies decorated with flowers, patty cakes leftover from the party ( if there is any left ), and nail polish, lip gloss, stickers and other fun things for girls.

Chupa Chupa Flowers
Cut a small square of pretty paper about 10-15 cm and fold in half to form a triangle shape. Fold sides in and up to the opposite side, as shown in picture. Draw a petal shape over the centre and cut.  Cut a very tiny section off the point and open up to reveal a flower shape. Insert a chupa chup or lollipop on a stick and voila!!




Patty Cakes Party Cake
With some icing and simple decorations, a patty or cupcake can take on a whole new dimension. Supermarkets sell pre made flowers, and some icing and cachous/sprinkles really jazz it up to look good.

I must ponder about how much money I saved, not what I spent, but nevertheless this is so much better and less expensive than a McDonald's party..... and the Kids will have more fun...

Folk art flowers in a flash - Painting for school craft stalls for fete or Mother's day

Simple quick and fun designs to paint

These simplistic flowers are done freehand, in a flash using a # 3 or #4 round brush and some acrylic gouache. I used Brilliant violet, Magenta, Yello light and Pine Green. A basic " comma" stroke with some centre stippling is all the technique needed. ( see further instructions below)

All these items cost less than $1.00 as a raw material. Base paint was leftover house paint or acrylic gouache itself. Teenage and tween girls go ga-ga for them, so they could be equally useful as a inexpensive birthday gift (to be teamed with some pencils, erasers, or sweets), or as a $5.00 item in a school fundraiser/ Mother's day craft stall. The fridge magnet can be embellished with any number of sayings appropriate to the target audience: Mum's cafe: Open 24 hours, Girls only.... etc.

 

My second projects are just now cooking in the oven. I used glossies to paint white ceramic ovenware to create a Japanese/Scandinavian effect. Glossies need to be cooked in the oven to make them permanent. 

I hope this simple projects provide some inspiration for your fundraising efforts.

Comma strokes are created with a brush fully loaded in acrylic paint thinned to the consistency of cream with water.  

N.B.It is important to hold the brush straight up at a 90 angle to the project, not as you would a pencil.

  1.Press down on the brush to flatten the bristles, ( right down to the    ferrule if necessary for a wide stroke such as on on teapots shown here)

  2. Pause to allow the bristles to fan out...

3. Gradually lift the brush, (allowing the bristles to come together again) and direct the  brush tip away from you making a tear drop shaped comma stroke. The emphasis is on gradually. If you lift the brush too quickly, the end of the stroke will be blunt and not tapered nicely. 

So remember, press, pause and lift.