10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

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Amberly Ray
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3 DISCLAIMER... 3 Why Gifting Homemade Christmas Presents Makes Sense... 4 Make Mittens From An Old Sweater... 5 Making Homemade Soap... 7 Make Pasteli (Nut And Seed) Bars Dried Soup Mixes Flavored Salts Porcini Salt Smoked Paprika and Ancho Chili Salt Celery Salt Lime-Ginger Salt Herbs de Provence Salt Curry Salt Arm Knit Blanket Pine Cone Fire Starters Draft Stoppers Sweater Slippers Fingerless Gloves From Socks Final Words Useful Links And Sources

4 THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN 10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IS MEANT TO SERVE AS A COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF TIPS AND TRICKS THAT ARE ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE AUTHORS, AND READING THIS EBOOK DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT ONE S RESULTS WILL EXACTLY MIRROR OUR OWN RESULTS. THE AUTHOR OF 10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS HAS MADE ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS TO PROVIDE CURRENT AND ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR THE READERS OF THIS COURSE. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY UNINTENTIONAL ERRORS OR OMISSIONS THAT MAY BE FOUND. THE MATERIAL IN 10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS MAY INCLUDE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES BY THIRD PARTIES. THIRD PARTY MATERIALS COMPRISE OF THE PRODUCTS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THEIR OWNERS. AS SUCH, THE AUTHORS OF THIS GUIDE DO NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY THIRD PARTY MATERIAL OR OPINIONS.THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH THIRD PARTY MATERIALS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE AUTHORS GUARANTEE OF ANY INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION, OPINION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICE CONTAINED WITHIN THE THIRD PARTY MATERIAL. WHETHER BECAUSE OF THE GENERAL EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNET, OR THE UNFORESEEN CHANGES IN COMPANY POLICY AND EDITORIAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, WHAT IS STATED AS FACT AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, MAY BECOME OUTDATED OR SIMPLY INAPPLICABLE AT A LATER DATE. THIS MAY APPLY TO THE 10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS SIMILAR COMPANIES THAT WEHAVE REFERENCED IN THIS EBOOK, AND OUR SEVERAL COMPLEMENTARY GUIDES. GREAT EFFORT HAS BEEN EXERTED TO SAFEGUARD THE ACCURACY OF THIS WRITING. OPINIONS REGARDING SIMILAR WEBSITE PLATFORMS HAVE BEEN FORMULATED AS A RESULT OF BOTH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS THE WELL DOCUMENTED EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION SHALL BE REPRODUCED OR SOLD BY ANY ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL OR OTHER MEANS WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHORS. ANY AND ALL REQUESTS FOR SUCH PERMISSION SHOULD BE SENT BY TO support@survivopedia.com. COPYRIGHT 2014 SURVIVOPEDIA, 10 EASY DIY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS 3

5 Making your own Christmas presents has several benefits. First and foremost, people love it when you take the time to make something for them. Some people are even touched more by the effort that you put into the gift than the actual gift itself! Making DIY Christmas presents is often cheaper and you get to exercise your creativity in a way that makes both you and your loved ones happy. Just because you ve never made gifts for Christmas before doesn t mean that you can t start now. Every single project on this page is easy enough that you can do it right now with excellent results. As with everything though, the first couple projects that you complete may be a bit rougher than later ones. If so, just consider them your warm-up and move on. The fun thing about crafting is that the more you do it, the better you get! Let s get started! 4

Don t throw it away make mittens out of it! Here s how. 1.

6 Do you have a favorite sweater that s made of awesomely soft, pretty material but is misshapen or maybe has a hole? Don t throw it away make mittens out of it! Here s how. 1. Start by turning your sweater inside out and laying it on a flat, solid surface. 5

2. You re going to be using the hem of the sweater as the wrist cuffs of the mittens so place your left hand on the sweater so that the hem is on your wrist.

7 2. You re going to be using the hem of the sweater as the wrist cuffs of the mittens so place your left hand on the sweater so that the hem is on your wrist. Keep your fingers together but separate your thumb a bit. 3. Depending on the size of the sweater, you may be able to get two pairs of mittens from one sweater. 4. Trace around your hand with chalk, leaving an inch or so all around so that you can sew it. Remember that it s better to measure them a bit too big than too small. 5. There are now two ways that you can proceed: You can either cut through both layers of the sweater (front and back) using the chalk line, then sew them up, or you can just sew around the chalk line then cut them out. 6. Tip: When we made these, our first pair was too big at the wrist, so you may want to sew them so that the wrist area is a bit small. 6

There are 4 basic ways to make soap but only 1 of them is really simple enough to do without worrying about chemical reactions or a bunch of cooking and stirring.

8 There are 4 basic ways to make soap but only 1 of them is really simple enough to do without worrying about chemical reactions or a bunch of cooking and stirring. The melt-and-pour method simply involves buying pre-made clear, unscented blocks of soap, then melting them and adding scents and colors. The main problem with this method is that you don t have much control over what goes in the actual soap. However, unless you want to get complicated and learn about lye calculations, you ll probably want to stick with melt-and-pour. Also, this soap is ready pretty much as soon as it s set and doesn t require any cure time like the second easiest method, cold pressing, does. 7

Here s what you ll need: Melt and pour wax, available at your local craft store Scents, colors and additives such as buttons, sea shells or other items that you want to use to make the soap pretty A

9 Here s what you ll need: Melt and pour wax, available at your local craft store Scents, colors and additives such as buttons, sea shells or other items that you want to use to make the soap pretty A microwave bowl Measuring spoons Soap molds or a cake pan A metal whisk A knife to cut your soap with And here s what you need to do: 1. If you re using soap molds, measure out enough wax base to fill it, as indicated. Place it in a glass container. If you re using a cake pan, you may need to guess at the amount. 2. Place the wax in the microwave and melt according to directions. 3. Add the indicated amount of essential oil or scent based on how much wax you have. A good rule of thumb is to start with about.4oz of oil per pound of soap, or 2-3% of the weight. 4. Next, add in your color if you want. You don t have to; it s just an option. Start with about 10 drops of soap-safe color per pound of soap. 8

10 5. Whisk well to ensure that it s blended. 6. Pour the soap into your molds or pan. 7. As soon as it s hard you can pop them out of the molds and enjoy! Tip: If you can t get a bar to release from the mold, just run the bottom under a bit of hot water for a minute or so. Now you have soap and you can decorate it however you d like. Tying ribbon around it is really pretty yet simple. 9

This is a Greek tradition but because it only requires two basic ingredients (though we ve added lemon to this one) it s managed to survive the test of time.

11 This is a Greek tradition but because it only requires two basic ingredients (though we ve added lemon to this one) it s managed to survive the test of time. It probably doesn t hurt that they re delicious too. You can always add nuts or dried fruit to them if you d like. Not only are these bars delicious, they re also nutritious. Honey purportedly has many health benefits and sesame seeds have protein, omega 3 oils and amino acids. It s a great energy bar base, too! Here s what you ll need: 1 cup toasted sesame seeds 10

12 3/4 cup honey 1 t lemon juice And all you have to do is follow the steps below: 1. If you haven t already toasted the sesame seeds, toss them in a pan and heat on low until they re just starting to brown. Remove from heat and put them in a small bowl until step Add honey and lemon juice and stir to blend. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly for 5 minutes. 3. Remove from heat and add sesame seeds and any nuts or fruit that you d like to add. 4. Empty mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 5. Flatten with a spoon or spatula. If you spray the spoon with cooking spray, it won t stick. 6. Refrigerate until it s nearly hardened then slice with a knife. 7. Wrap in cellophane or store in a plastic lidded container. 11

13 Everybody loves some type of soup and with this project, you can put together most of the ingredients in an attractive, easy-to-fill quart jar. This is just one recipe that you can use but feel free to get creative. You can also do this with brownie, cake or cookie mixes. When you put it together, make a cute recipe tag that tells your friend how to prepare the soup. Just print it out on nice paper and then cut it out and tie it to the container with a ribbon. This is a recipe for traditional turkey noodle soup and is great because of all the extra turkey that s going to be around. 12

14 Layer the ingredients in a jar in the order listed. 1/2 C red lentils 4 T dried minced onion 3 T chicken bouillon powder 1 t dried dill 1/4 t thyme 1/4 t celery seed 1/4 t garlic powder 1 bay leaf 3 C dry egg noodles Make your recipe card with these instructions: 1. In a large stockpot, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil over high heat. 2. Add contents of jar and 1 lb. bag of baby carrots. 3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 4. Stir in 4 cups of turkey chunks. 5. Boil for 5 more minutes and remove from heat. Enjoy! 13

This DIY Christmas present idea is for the foodies on your list. There s nothing that a kitchen doodler loves more than a cool ingredient and this one really tops the list. The best part?

15 This DIY Christmas present idea is for the foodies on your list. There s nothing that a kitchen doodler loves more than a cool ingredient and this one really tops the list. The best part? They re quick, easy to make, and will be a sure-fire unique gift. This recipe makes 4 gift tins with 6 types of salt each. 24 two-ounce jars with good lids 4 tins big enough to hold 6 of the jars Porcini Salt 4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms 14

16 1 C fine sea salt Grind porcinis in a spice grinder until finely ground. Combine in a bowl with the salt then divide among the jars. Smoked Paprika and Ancho Chili Salt 4 dried ancho chiles 1/4 C smoked paprika 3/4 C fine sea salt Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers. Break into pieces and grind finely in spice mill or food processor. Combine in a bowl with the paprika and salt, then divide among jars. Celery Salt 4 heads celery, leaves only 1 C fine sea salt Grind the celery leaves in a spice mill until finely ground. Combine with salt in a bowl and divide among the jars. Lime-Ginger Salt Zest of 6 limes (about 1/2 cup) 3 T ground ginger 1 C fine sea salt Spread lime zest across a baking sheet and let it dry for several hours or overnight. Combine with the ginger and sea salt and divide among the jars. Herbs de Provence Salt 1/2 C herbs de Provence 6 T dried lavender 15

17 3/4 C fine sea salt Pulse the herbs de Provence with the lavender in a spice mill or food processor then combine with the salt and divide among the jars. 16

18 Curry Salt 12 medium dried bay leaves 1/4 C garam masala 1/4 C curry powder 2 t ground cumin 1/2 C fine sea salt Break the bay leaves into small pieces and pulse in a spice mill. Combine with other ingredients and divide among the jars. Make sure that the jars are well-sealed. Make a pretty label for them and pack them with confetti into the tins. 17

19 This blanket is extremely easy to do even if you can t handle knitting needles. Your arms actually act as the needles because you re using super big yarn and the blanket is pretty big about 4 feet by 3 feet or so. You really can do it in under an hour and as long as you keep your stitches tight, the blanket should turn out beautifully. It s a bit complicated to explain using written steps so we re just going to show you a photo tutorial! 18

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21 You can use the same technique to knit a chunky scarf, which will take much less time and effort. 20

This is the perfect gift for friends with fireplaces or those who like to camp. Pinecones themselves are great kindling but when you dip them in beeswax, they really get the fire going in a hurry.

22 This is the perfect gift for friends with fireplaces or those who like to camp. Pinecones themselves are great kindling but when you dip them in beeswax, they really get the fire going in a hurry. As a bonus, you can add pretty colors or luscious scents to the wax make them look and smell good. Adding salts to your wax will change the color of the flame, too. Epsom salts will make it white, table salt will make it yellow and salt substitute will give you pretty purple flames. Finish the gift off with attractive homemade boxes or scalloped gift tags and you ve made a gift sure to bring smiles. Here s what you ll need: 21

White Beeswax Dry Pine Cones Candle Wick or cotton string Large Tin Coffee Can 4-quart Sauce Pan Drying Rack Tongs or oven mitt Here s what you need to do: 1.

23 White Beeswax Dry Pine Cones Candle Wick or cotton string Large Tin Coffee Can 4-quart Sauce Pan Drying Rack Tongs or oven mitt Here s what you need to do: 1. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom of your saucepan and place it on the stove. 2. Put the beeswax in the coffee can and then put the can in the saucepan. Bring the water to a slow simmer over medium heat so that the wax melts. 3. While the wax is melting, tie the candle wick or string around the top of each pinecone so that there is a wick at the top of each one. 4. When the wax is melted, add the scent and color if you re using any. 5. Remove wax from heat and dip each pinecone in it so that the whole thing is covered. Use the tongs or oven mitt to tilt the can to make the wax easier to get to if necessary. 22

24 6. Set each pinecone on the drying rack and dip once or twice more in order to get a good coating of wax. 7. If you re going to add salt, sprinkle it on when the wax is still wet. 8. Make a tag or box for each one that says what it is along with your name or whatever else you d like to add. 23

25 Nobody likes to have cold feet in the winter time and drafty doors or windows are a tremendous waste of energy. The US Department of Energy reports that drafty doors account for 5-30% of your energy waste and usage that really adds up and detracts from your shopping budget! These attractive draft stoppers are easy to make and will keep that cold air from blowing under the door to steal the warmth and comfort from the house. You can either use old socks that you have laying around or you can buy new ones. Here s what you ll need for this DIY Christmas present project: 2-3 socks, depending upon how big they are you just need enough to stretch across your doorway. 24

Stuffing. You can use quilt batting, polyester fill or old stuffing from pillows or old stuffed animals that you have around the house. You could even use cut up old t- shirts if you d like.

26 Stuffing. You can use quilt batting, polyester fill or old stuffing from pillows or old stuffed animals that you have around the house. You could even use cut up old t- shirts if you d like. Popcorn kernels or dried beans Plastic disposable cup with the bottom cut out or a funnel And this is what you need to do: 1. Place the cup or funnel in the top of the first sock and about a cup of popcorn or beans. 2. Add a couple of handfuls of stuffing on top of the popcorn or beans. 3. Repeat until the sock is almost full, finishing with a layer of stuffing. Leave enough room to join each sock together. 4. Repeat with the other sock(s). 5. Once the socks are full, join them together by stitching them up or gluing them together. To do this, slip the opening of one sock 25

27 over the toe of the other, like you re putting a sock on your sock! I personally like glue because I m not a big fan of needle and thread. 6. Try it out by placing it in front of your door you won t feel even the tiniest draft now. 7. Make another one, because you re going to want to keep the first one for yourself Tip: If you don t want to use socks, you can also use a piece of fabric that you buy or that you have around. Just measure it to be a few inches longer than the door, cut it to be about 10 inches wide. Fold it in half lengthways inside out. Sew (or glue) each end together. Sew or glue the long seam but leave about 6 inches open in the middle that s how you ll stuff it. Turn it back right-side-out and stuff as directed above. Sew or glue the opening and voila! 26

Here is another use for that old, soft sweater that s seen better days turn it into warm, fuzzy slippers. These are cute and the extra warmth will make anybody feel pampered on a cold, blustery day.

28 Here is another use for that old, soft sweater that s seen better days turn it into warm, fuzzy slippers. These are cute and the extra warmth will make anybody feel pampered on a cold, blustery day. You may want to gift these with a pack of hot chocolate and a mug. Warning: you re going to need to know the approximate foot size of the person that you re making these for, then use either their foot measurement or your own foot (if you re about the same size) for the pattern. It helps make these cuter if you know how to sew a chain stitch. Here s what you ll need: 27

29 An old sweater Yarn in either the same color or a complimentary one Craft foam to use as the insole And here s what to do: 1. Slide your foot into the arm of the sweater and pull the sleeve up so that it forms a nice cuff around your ankle. 2. Leave a couple of inches extra at the bottom and trim around your foot. Repeat with the other foot. 3. Using either your own foot or the measurement from the person that you re making it for, draw the pattern onto the craft foam for the insole and cut it out. Make one for each foot. 4. Lay each foam cutout on the sweater and cut around them to make the bottoms of the slippers. 5. Using a chain stitch or overcast stitch to join the upper and the sole of the slippers. You may want to stitch around the ankle too, just for looks. 6. Insert the foam sole and you re done! 28

30 These are absolutely adorable and will help keep hands warm on chilly winter days. They re also fashionable right now, so dress them up according to the style of your loved one and they ll be an instant hit. Our guess is that you re going to be making a lot of these! The big plus to this DIY Christmas present is that you get a really cute pair of knitted gloves without having to actually knit. Big plus in our books because we don t have the patience or the skill to pull that off. Both the Dollar Store and your local Wal-Mart or Target will have good deals on wool socks as well as the decorative ribbon, fabric or whatever you want to use to decorate the gloves with so I d start there. 29

Here s what you ll need: One pair of wool socks the length will be based on how long you want the gloves to be you want the heel of the sock to be roughly where your thumb is, so the rest of the sock

31 Here s what you ll need: One pair of wool socks the length will be based on how long you want the gloves to be you want the heel of the sock to be roughly where your thumb is, so the rest of the sock is going to come up your arm. Matching thread and a needle (yarn is really cute too, if you want to add a rustic, colorful look to the gloves) Fabric cutouts, buttons, ribbon or whatever you want to decorate the gloves with. Scissors And here s what you need to do: 1. Put your hand inside the sock with your thumb in the heel. Mark the outline of your hand with chalk, leaving a 1/4-1/2- inch sewing allowance. 2. Turn the sock inside out and fold the seams that will be around your fingers and thumb back. 3. Stitch the hems as well as the area where your thumb joins your hand. 4. Turn the sock back right-side-out and add any decorations that you want. 30

32 There are many crafty projects that don t require a ton of time or an expert skill level. As preppers, we re pretty good at repurposing items, so use that way of thinking to your advantage. Figure out what your friend or family member needs or would love, then think of a way to make it yourself! DIY Christmas presents are economical and show that you care enough about the person to take the time to make them something. Plus, it gives you something to do when the weather outside is frightful! When you have these types of crafts to do, you can gladly just say, Let it snow while you sip hot chocolate and watch it from the comfort of your living room. Happy holidays! 31

33 A special thank you goes to all the wonderful people who put their ideas and effort out there for us to be inspired by and share. We hope they know how much we appreciate their work and we d like to give proper credit where credit is due

Dear Friend, treasure the time spent with the family and the joy of selflessly giving.

Dear Friend, treasure the time spent with the family and the joy of selflessly giving. Dear Friend, I have to confess that Christmas is my favorite time of the year! Call me melancholic, but I treasure the time spent with the family and the joy of selflessly giving. However, I don t buy