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Here's How to Save Money During the Christmas Rush!!Nov 28 '00 Write an essay on this topic.The holidays are rapidly approaching and everyone is shopping away! There is so much to do and so little time to do it! You have presents to buy for almost everyone, well sit back and take a look at your list. I am sure you can work it out! Every year it seems like someone else gets added to the Christmas List. Whether it be a neighbor or friend, the list gets longer and longer, and yet, you can't exclude anyone without hurting feelings! Your children have teachers, friends and family members that they want to give gifts to as well, and it gets pretty costly! What our family started, about three years ago, was Family Craft Weekend. We pick one weekend in December, and that weekend is blocked from everything. A few weeks ahead, we sit down and think of what we want to make by looking through old books and magazines and we take a vote. We then write down the things that we will need and I get to go and do the shopping. If you plan ahead of time, you can get great deals at the craft store and grocery stores, depending what you decide to make. This year our gifts are really easy! We are making soaps and bath salts, plus cookies in a jar. This is very simple and probably will only take a half of day. As for the soap making, any of your local craft stores will carry the blocks of clear glycerin soap. I bought two blocks of it, plus the dye and a few scents. You melt the soap in the microwave, add a few drops of scent and coloring and then pour it into a mold. (I didn't have to buy the mold, I used an old Rubbermaid rectangular container.) This will harden in about 3 hours, and then you slice it and wrap it in cellophane. Decorate it with a few ribbons and you are done. I spent about $20.00 and it made 22 bars of pretty soap. The bath salts are even easier! Take Epson Salt (purchase at your grocery or drug store), and add a few drops of coloring, plus your same fragrance and shake it all together in a ziplock bag. Then empty into your favorite container! You can use baggies, little canning jars, Tupperware containers, etc. I have little baggies that we just attach to the matching soap. The cookies in a jar are just as simple. You will need to purchase the 1 quart canning jars (usually under $10.00 a box), material and some ribbon. Take any one of your favorite cookie recipes and lay all the ingredients out. Start layering your ingredients in the jar, packing them down after each separate ingredient. Once you are done, screw the lid on and then cut a square of material to put on the top. Tie the material on with ribbon and you are done! Make sure you write out the baking instructions to attach to the jar. I spent about $25.00 on baking ingredients at Costco, plus the jars. These go for about $9.00 in any store, already made. These ideas are so simple and something your kids can do, which make them very special gifts for special people. If these gifts are not to your liking, then go through the books and find something simple and easy your kids can help you make. It means a little more than something picked out from K-Mart that your teacher can't even use, plus this makes your kids feel special and proud for accomplishing this tasks. Plus it saves you money! Let me know about your favorite craft ideas as well.... I have a lot more that I have done in the years that are so simple and well cherished by all. If I have time in the next week I can add some more! Happy Holidays!  |
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