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| Library of Congress: Mr. and Mrs. William O. Douglas, and family, in Washington, Christmas, 1939 |
This is the time of year I like to start planning for Christmas. I want to create and make special things for my children and grandchildren. I would like to have plenty of time so I can work at my leisure. I will be sitting by the fireside, on cozy afternoons, and sewing a pretty apron for a granddaughter. I will do little hand-stitches to make a set of tea napkins for another grand-girl. These will just be precious little gifts, that mean a lot, but do not cost very much.
I also want to come up with ideas to do giveaways here on the blog. I will be hosting a couple of giveaways, here, the week after Thanksgiving, starting Tuesday, November 27, 2018.
I plan to make a set of little tea napkins. I make these by hand, without a machine. They are not perfect or professional, but they are charming and homemade with love. I will be giving them away here on the blog. If you are the winner, perhaps you will use them at your own tea table at home? Watch for an announcement of this offer in late November.
I will also be giving away one of my favorite Christmas books, "Dear Christmas Mothers" by Mrs. Connie Hultquist. I did the editing and publishing of her writings to create this book in 2013. She makes you want to have an old time Thanksgiving and Christmas as she talks about her daily life and projects in her home and kitchen. Watch for this giveaway in late November as well.
I am also thinking about hand-sewing an apron to give away. I will see if I have enough energy, but it is very possible. I have some pretty floral print fabric that would look lovely and feminine for an apron. Would you be interested in winning an apron if I made one? Should I made it for a little girl, or for Mother?
What kinds of things can you bake, or create, that cost very little this Christmas season? I like to bake brownies, fudge, and cookies to give to those nearby. I would love to hear what you do to make a frugal, old-time Christmas for your family!
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
We need - Mothers with Christmas Courage.
A Happy Marriage - When Groceries are the Presents.
Precious Living - Gracious Homemaking.
Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:"Introduction to Home Economics: Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking." Paperback, 200 pages.
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24 comments:
Mrs. White,
I so love your blog posts. They inspire me to be a better wife and mother. Thank you so much for writing these posts.
I love the idea of handmade giveaways. I think a mother size apron would be lovely. I just purchased Connie's book "Dear Christmas Mothers" last week. It is such a charming book with ideas and recipes for a homemade Christmas. I enjoyed it very much!
I get so excited when you put up a new blog entry! You are such an inspiration because you stay so close to God and so calm & collected. I wish i could be more like that! Oh, I would LOVE to win an apron made by hand from you...I love aprons. You take care and I will be looking for your giveaways and for every new post.
God Bless,
Kay Walker
An apron would be wonderful for a giveaway. Anything you make sounds delightful including napkins. Your book on old-fashioned motherhood as well as others you have written would also be so nice. : )
You could post your recipes for Christmas gifts, that would be a gift to us all! I think this post was so nice, I enjoyed it. I too am thinking of Christmas. I enjoy *all* of your posts.
Love, Amelia
Dear Mrs. White,
As you know, I've spent quite a bit of time making charity items over the last month or so. I need to make a plan for the gifts I'm going to make for my family now. Here's a post I wrote awhile back with some gift ideas. It has lots of handmade ideas.
https://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2016/07/christmas-in-july-handmade-gift-ideas.html
God bless you and your sweet hands that reach out in love in so many ways.
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
I, too, get so excited when I see a new blog from you <3 This morning I have been going over Christmas gift ideas. We already bought a couple of gifts last weekend at the Rural King for our grandkids. I have found some inexpensive DIY's for Christmas decorations I am going to buy the supplies and take to a long weekend family gathering. I think my daughters and daughter-in-law will enjoy making them with me. I have brought in most of my plants because the nights are colder now and the house is getting all tucked in for a cozy warm happy season. Best Blessings, Lori
I also get a thrill when I see a new post from you. Anything you might choose to give away for Christmas would be a treat. I make food gifts a lot of times, especially cranberry sauce bread, since I always end up with a lot of cans that no one uses over the holidays--they give them to me, because they know I'm frugal and find a use for everything!
I love your blog and always look forward to it. We have no money for gifts but your ideas are helpful and doable. . Thank you for inspiring me and countless others.
Vicki W.
Mrs. White, I love to crochet things like baby items and sewing aprons, napkins etc.
I have some napkins I should have sewn last month for National Sewing Month but it never happened. Next month it will be our turn to host dinner for our dinner group from church. I hope to get them done before then.
I love aprons an apron for a mother would be great!
I'm so thankful for your blog it's always so comforting and a reminder of the Joy found in simplicity. I would love anything homemade, especially an apron!
My passion is books, so for Christmas frugality I keep an eye out, while thrift shopping throughout the year for just the right ones to give as gifts. It's so much fun! This year we found several hymn stories and some favorite classic devotionals, and I'm so excited to pair them up with homemade goodies.
This is the kind of Christmas that appeals to me. I love all things hand made. I have a sewing machine in the back room, but much prefer to hand sew.
I'd love for you to run a giveaway for your latest book. That would be a grand prize!
All of your ideas sound good, especially the handmade tea napkins. I do so love linens! For Christmas gifts I, too, make or bake gifts. No mall shopping for me - I gave that up many years ago. Since my husband and I raise popcorn, and also are beekeepers, our Christmas gifts are usually a little bag of popcorn and a jar of honey along with a plate of baked goodies or bread. I don't buy gifts for grandkids either, as they have way too many toys already and the electronic gadgets they want are far beyond my budget. They understand this, and actually look forward to Grandma's cookies and popcorn and special holiday meals made with love and lots of hugs. Nowadays most folks buy what they need or want all year long anyway, so simple homemade gifts at Christmas seem more special. Besides, Christmas has become too commercialized and gets further away from the true meaning every year. Putting Christ back into Christmas with simple gifts and more love to others is what we need to do.
I love the emphasis you communicate to enjoy the simple things. I too,enjoy making homemade gifts. This year I am planning to do some vintage skirt sewing for my daughter. I found an old linen type table cloth at a garage sale this year which has some holes so I plan to cut it up and make cloth napkins with a little white on white embroidery if I have time. I like to line different projects and get to as much as I can but do it with prayer and leisure. Thanks you your inspiring posts. Any of your writings would make a great gift as well as the homemade items.
Everybody loves a give away! Especially when the goodies are homemade.
You are very special to be giving away your gifts. I'll be entering, for sure!
What a great idea to hand make Christmas gifts.
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
Sylvia
I found 4 little white hankies at a church rummage sale. They have a tiny lace trim. I'm going to embroider a little flower in a corner of each one for some ladies gifts.
It has become a bit of a tradition to make my best friends some kind of kitchen linen. The usual are embroidered flour sack towels. I do a set of two for each. I've done coffee theme, vegetables, herbs, & I have some monogram iron ons that I might do this year. I've been wanting to do aprons but haven't gotten there yet.
I've also done those little microwave pillows with feed corn in them and a couple of extra flannel covers. Everyone seems to love those in winter.
My old college roommate lives in the Montana mountains and has all kinds of berries & fruits on their property so she sends me jars of jellies and syrups that are sooo delicious. The huckleberry is my very favorite.
I'm a homemade gift girl and I love to receive them as much as giving them to others.
I'm never sure what to send my mom for gifts. For her birthday this year I packed up a half dozen books (used, from my bookshelf) and included some tea and cookies. She thought it was the best gift ever! If you have a book lover on your list, books from your own shelf would be appreciated I'm sure. It's economical and a great way to share something you love. I've also knit dishcloths for my book club friends.
Lovely post. xo
Hello, I think anything you made would be a lovely gift, but I think one of your books would be a great idea also! But after reading this post I am reminded that it is time to get busy with those homemade gifts. I may try to paint some bookmarks! May you have a lovely weekend! The leaves are falling off the tree as I type.
Always enjoy your words!
Hugs, Roxy
Wow how creative thank you for such great ideas on this web site of yours. I'm so thankful I came across it during my search for Godly Homemaking!
Missy
Anything homemade no matter what we think about the things we make ourselves. are TRULY Special
I too love to make homemade Christmas gifts. In this world we live in sometimes it's tough to not feel the pressure to spend spend spend on everyone. I can pickles and jams during the summertime with things from my garden. I also enjoy to crochet. I plan on making an afghan for a dear aunt and some towels for my Nana (you know the kind...with the little topper that has the button you can attach to your oven door handle). She loves them and I collect towels all year with different holiday patterns so she can use them all year round. And of course...lots of baking!!
Oh, my!!! What do I do to make Christmas happy and content??? One thing I do every year, is save vegetable cans for like corn and green beans, etc, wash them thoroughly and dry and then I make different kinds of holiday breads, like cranberry eggnog and or lemon or almond poppy seed bread!!
Before baking in the cans, I spray them with a vegetable spray to coat. I make the batter and then pour into these cans 3/4ths of the way up the can. bake and then cool and remove from cans...sometimes, mix up some orange juice and powder sugar and pour a little over the cranberry one and or lemon poppy seed bread.
I usually wrap them in saran-wrap and then put in a festive little bag or wrap in Christmas paper...
I give these to family, neighbors and friends for Christmas. Everyone looks forward to these every year. and the other thing I make every single year is my fudge and its just the recipe on the back of Kraft marshmallow cream jar!! Everyone says its the best tasting fudge they have ever had...………..smile...……...its all in the stirring and timing I'm sure!! This is one thing I do every year!!!
Your ideas, Sharon are adorable!! I'm not handy with needle and thread..I'm more outdoorsy type and there have been years, where I will cut different kinds of pines and make Christmas wreaths with added dried flowers, such as hydrangeas, etc...sometimes, I spray-paint the foliage gold or a rose color, etc and add this to the wreath with a big colorful bow and give these as gifts!!!
Make your holidays special!!
I love all these ideas! Thank you so much for sharing. Everyone's comments are giving inspiration and ideas to all of us. Homemade treats are wonderful presents!
I am looking forward to hosting giveaways here on the blog the week after Thanksgiving. Some of you suggested I do a giveaway of my new book as well. That's a good idea!
God bless!
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