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Yikes! Time is flying! I'm sure everyone has ideas to share in the run up to the big day? Family traditions, party games, ideas for hand-made gifts, unusual cards ... please post them here.
If you are a points collector you may claim 30 points for each idea you post, to a maximum of 90.
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Great idea to have this thread, I love Christmas ideas :)
I know it’s getting close to December but I will look out my advent calendars, I have done custom ones for my kids for years. Watch this space ......
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For a few years our family has been too big for us all to squeeze into one house over Christmas so we hire a local hall for a few hours the week before Christmas for a good old fashioned knees up. We always play games and the party will begin this year with a game of 'Find the Sock'.
Each person will be given a 'pair of Christmas socks' one of which is obviously theirs and one which clearly isn't. I can't wait to see Granddad Geoff hopping around with Baby Tilly's sock on his big toe. The idea is that you have to find the person who has your odd sock.
I found the best place for cheap socks to be Primart and managed to get 30 pairs for under £20!
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Each odd pair has been bundled up with the person's name and a sticky label (below) ready to be given out as our guests arrive.
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Sounds fun ! Can’t see your pics though :(
Oh what a fab idea Sue ... love it.
Will put my thinking cap on
We downloaded the quiz from The Big Sheep last year and it kept the family entertained for ages. They don't post the answers until Boxing Day so there's no cheating :P
My tip today is a shout out for a scrapping tool I would not be without! It is useful, quick and easy to use and ... helps use up my ever increasing pile of papers I'll probably never scrap with. What's not to love? It's the WRMK envelope board.
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How many times have you made a card without regard to the size of envelope you will need? I do it all the time!! Now all my Christmas cards have neatly fitting envelopes :)
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Okay, if you are looking for smellies then I recommend you get along to Boots. They not only have a 3 for 2 on gifts, a lot of them also have a 25% off price tag. Champneys, Jack Wills, Sanctuary, Ted Baker, gorgeous presents and loads more brands if you are looking for toiletries and make-up gifts in particular for him and her (well, probably not the make-up for him):lol: but you know what I mean. Lots of gorgeous slippers and glittery girly things and all on 3 for 2. If you collect points then it is £10 for every £50 pound spent. The offer is on until Sunday and it is online too. Some of the Armani fragrance is half price too and I check the internet and couldn't find a better price on any of the other sites.
Must go and write my Christmas cards for abroad whilst I think on.
Sue, I have made so many odd sized cards and all the family keep their envelopes which no-one dares write on, just for me. Nevertheless, I often make something that simply doesn't fit any envelope known to mankind, so thanks for the tip.
Do you have a link to the quiz Tina ? Sounds like a good idea :)
Sue, I’ve put the envelope board on my wish list !
Ok, so advent calendars....
Since my son was about 8 or 10 I have been making Lego advent calendars for him, he’s 28 now and still expects one ! I buy one of the small kits and follow the instructions step by step and divide the pieces into 24 little baggies, then I wrap and number them and pop into the advent calendar pockets. Over the month he adds a little to his model each day and by Christmas it is complete...
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As my eldest has grown up and now is part of a family of 6 I have tried making them a family advent calendar. I go round the pound shops, etc andbuy little gifts like card games, Christmas Decorations, packs of sweets, paper chains, bubbles, ...then wrap them and number them. One year I fixed all the little gifts to a wreath which I was quite please with, here it is....
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When DD was at uni I copied an idea from a Christmas magazine ( I buy them all every year !)
I wrapped a coat hanger in tinsel, added some star decorations, wrapped her 24 little gifts - lip balm, highlighter pens, socks, mini nail varnishes, etc and hung from the coat hanger. Here’s a photo giving you the idea, sorry it’s not the best photo but it was all I could find....
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What great ideas Alison.
Ellie
They are fantastic Alison, what a lovely idea. Of course, your son maybe 28 on the outside, but he's still 8 on the inside.:rolleyes:
Alison, that's super. The lego idea is fab!
Today I am sharing a wreath I did a while ago made with paper poinsettia flowers pinned into a polystyrene florist's ring.
I hope the instructions are attached as a pdf :)
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Oh my goodness Sue that is absolutely amazing
What utterly brilliant ideas for advent calendars Alison ... I love the Lego idea. My husband is 50 plus tax and he’d still love it
There’s still time to make a Lego calendar ladies :)
Lovely wreath Sue, and the instructions look very clear, will have a go if I can find some time, great way to use up some papers x
Great Ideas for advent calendars Alison and what a beautiful wreath Sue.
Just spent 2 days making a December Daily Diary for my GD. Rebecca, She records her E.O.T.S antics, its a great way to encourage her to write a little every day.
Not yet, I did have a look yesterday but they haven't put it up yet; will post a link as soon as they do.Quote:
Originally Posted by alison 2
Love those advent calendars!
That wreath is stunning Sue.
Ooh can we see a photo?Quote:
Originally Posted by scrapnanny
I have done Journal Your Christmas so many times. I do love it but one year I did a twist on it and dis an A - Z album of what Christmas means to us. I did 8" x 8" in a special album and did a page for each letter of the alphabet. It was great fun and more generic than doing a daily journal for a change.
https://i.imgur.com/xWbNiiq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NumlPlR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BF2xNgz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Z9x5GE9.jpg
That is fantastic Karen, love that first LO.
Lovely album idea karen, an ABC may suit me better than a daily journal which I’m rubbish at keeping up with :)
Are your alphas a stamp set ?
Yes a very very old stamp set
It’s fab ! Great for an ABC album :)
aww some lovelly ideas here ladies.... loving the sound of Sues sock game, love your sparkly advent Alison and i will have a go at the wreath if i can get a foam ring.... will have a look in town tomorrow. thanks for the instructions. I also love the idea of a scrapbook for the ABC challenge.... i often do those layouts and it would be a nice idea to do a whole album, i may do that i think.
Well i havent really got anything to show you but i have got a heartwarming christmas story for you.....
About 8 years ago i was dreading Chrismtas after losing a family member, a husband and then a dog! ive never liked it much, my family is all too spread out to spend time together then and it really isnt nearly such a big thing over here. Anyway, I was utterly dreading it that year.. My teamie Susibee sent me out here (to France) the most beuatiful advent parcel with 24 beautifully wrapped presents - the postage alone cost her over £15 and i was so very touched. i will always remember it. I made a layout of it (ages ago, see pic below) , but the comfort it gave me was more than the sum of its parts.... she had put a load of mini dairy milk bars in too.
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A few years went by and i had various fortunes, up and down moments and various christmases,including one where i took myself off to Tenerife to try to avoid it completely, but i was still a grouch and my poor teamies kept counsel with me and sent me vairous things like christmas cards saying 'warm winter wishes' (that was ScribbleMonster) and generally put up with my bah humbug attitude,
Well a couple of years ago I met my lovely Jean Louis (who i married in June this year) and all of a sudden last year I found myself looking forward to Christmas but well, it isnt a big thing here as i said, and traditions arent the same.... I embraced, for once with great gusto Miniowners christmas countdown and made several of the projects, but was a bit stuck on supplies having been such a grouch for years that i had no christmas paper or motifs or anything. I badly wanted to have a go at making Sues Christmas crackers, but was stuck for various bits of that too, and then there was scrapdollys post about the elf on the shelf, a tradition that had completely passed me by.... Anyway, imagine my joy (it actually made me cry) when i received a huge box from Miniowner (i am lucky enough to be in the Bijoux Belles and have Sue as my teamleader) FULL of christmas supplies including papers, bangers for the crackers, christmas hats, even a DOG HAT and chair covers. There was also CHRISTMAS ELF (henceforth called Elfie Roberts in Sues honour). there was som chocolate in there too, two gingerbread men and all manner of great things. It just goes to show, the best thing you can have for Christmas really is the love and support of your friends and family (as well as your UKS team, but they ARE my friends!). It sounds corny but I so know this is true. heres a picture of it:
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Anyway, I made the crackers (gonna do it again this year, i cant buy them here and they cant go in the plane either so couldnt bring them out) and enjoyed everything, put the elf all round the place in silly positions (gonna scrap that all one day when i get round to it) and im happy to tell you that i am looking forward to Christmas this year and dont feel grumpy about it.
there, not a Christmas game or tradition exactly, but for me, it epitomises what its all about. I expect you will give me 30 points just so i shut up! Right enough of my waffle. here's a photo of the crackers i made and the dog wearing the hat from the parcel
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Aww Maria :love::love::love: your amazing post!!
I have not yet contributed to this thread - but pop in to have a read anyway - and just want to say what a lovely post by Maria. Heartwarming and inspiring and I am so glad it is now a season of joy again for you.
Love the idea for the sock game. Wondering if I can do something similar for my family on Christmas day.
Love the advent calendars Alison. I did a lego one a few years ago for the boys and it was fun.
The wreath is fab Susan and I may save it for another year because this year I'm going to a class to make my own wreath out of greenery etc which should be fun (I've never done it before)
Maria - Thank you for sharing. What great friends you have. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas this year with your new husband.
Talking of Advent calendars reminded me of this jar I did containing family activities for each day leading up to Christmas. I used jars from Ikea but any empty jar will do. I was delighted to find that Stickles draw and dry very well on glass to add some sparkle :)
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Oh wow Sue, that’s a great idea, will try that for my kids and their partners/families - a project for next year though I think as I’d like to do it properly :)
Marie, thanks for sharing your story. I’m so glad you now look forward to Christmas again, you can teach your hubby some of our crazy British customs xx
Loving all these suggestions. Some great ideas.
Maria, thanks for sharing. So glad that you have found happiness again.
Ellie
We did something similar last year Sue for my niece. Her mum wanted a jar full of mindfulness quotes and ideas. So she sent me the list and I typed them up and printed them and they were folded and went into the jar. Each day she had to pick out one slip of paper and follow whatever it said. They were printed on beautiful pearlescent paper and my sister found a pretty jar. They were quite varied and mostly they were about focusing on the positive things in life, simple things to do that we miss out on in the rush of just getting through the day.
These are the Christmas Crackers mentioned by Maria :)
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