Thanks for all the great ideas you shared on my last gift post – I’ll work on adding them into the big list soon. If you were wondering, the new ideas are always added at the bottom of each section.
I’ve got a busy day today – carpet cleaning, cake baking,cycling with Rainer, soccer party, and a bit of knitting – but before I head off to start it all off with porridge, here are a couple of wonderful gift ideas I’ve come across in the last few days:
- sew these adorable and practical bags: grab bags – such a different approach
- make ginger ale syrup for that impossible giftee, and then use the leftovers for candied ginger for yourself or someone else. Waste not, want not.*
- super simple button-chain earrings
*There are a number of sayings that baffled me as a child. Like this one. If I didn’t waste it then I would end up not wanting it? How was this a good thing?
Handmade Homeschool 
Thanks for linking to my syrup & for sharing the other links, too! I definitely need to try that grab bag pattern. 🙂
Such a great list! Thanks so much for all the much needed ideas. I hope it’s ok that I shared your list link on my blog!
http://minivanlife.wordpress.com
I think the idea is that if you don’t waste then you aren’t left in want (in need.)
Great links! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing such great ideas!!
Isn’t it funny how our mind’s work as children?! For years I didn’t understand why the Dry Cleaners had a sign saying, “Plant on Premises”. I’d wonder why I needed to know they had foliage inside. LOL.
I’m a bit behind on my RSS feeds, so I missed the original post. But here are some of the things we’ve done.
We gave a booklover set to all the cousins last year. It’s more adult work, but advanced kids could handle quite a bit of it. It included… a personalized bookplate stamp (handcarved), a personalized bookbag (complete with library card pocket) and a handsewn and painted bookmark (which also function as the gift tag for the whole she-bang).
Let me just say that adults were jealous of the kids’ presents that evening.
http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2009/03/tutorial-personalized-book-plate-stamp.html
http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2009/03/tutorial-personalized-library-book-bag.html
http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2009/03/tutorial-handsewn-bookmark.html
We also gave a seed sprouting kit for birthdays… http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2008/05/seed-sprouting.html
And a big (but fun) present was to turn my daughter’s band t-shirts into a duvet cover… http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2007/10/oh-waitings-so-hard-to-do.html
I think that’s about it. Thanks so much for compiling this list. I have sent it out to several friends.
Sarah, I think the saying means, “If you don’t waste, you’ll have fewer wants; look around you and see if you can use up something – create something new – from what you already have.”