Handmade Ideas

I am cranky crabby today. It was a great day at work, all of my kids had great sessions and worked really hard, and I still came home cheesed off. I'm choosing to chalk this up to hormones and the anti-depressants/anxiety medication that doesn't seem to really be working. In an attempt to make myself feel (or at least sound) more content, I wanted to share the homemade chain that's going around Facebook right now. I got it from my friend Kathy in California. Her status update read:

"Pay it Forward 2011: I will send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment to this post. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime... in 2011."

Love it! I managed to squeak in at comment #5, and so sometime in 2011 I will be receiving handmade body scrub from Kathy. Sweet! I reposted, of course, although I did make one slight alteration, following up with this comment:

"I'm making mine 4, though, I think, because the handmade dresses I sent to my nieces last week were received in 2011."

Although one of my friends cried loophole (although she still wants her something handmade, LOL!), I think it's fair. A woman with her plate full can only do so much, right? Here are the dresses I upcycled for my nieces:

Dresses from the front...

...from the back...

...and on the girls!

Now I have four more people to make something for, and none of them seem to be able to decide what they want. They all want surprises! What's a girl to do but troll the internet for something gift-appropriate and also a new, fun challenge to make?

Idea #1 - Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar

My Spin - Why not make a sampler pack, with various types of cookies like chocolate chip, sugar, snickerdoodle, gingerbread, brownies, etc? You get the ease of using a prepared mix, but still know you're making homemade treats. It's the sugary gift that keeps on giving!

Idea #2 - Cute Little Handmade Dresses (yes, I know I already did this one!)

My Spin - Two of my friends who responded have sons, not daughters. I'm thinking some handmade pajamas may be in their future. Knits are so fun to work with!

Idea #3 - Knit a Scarf

My Spin - Make a scarf out of upcycled clothing, using various colors and textures. Cut into squares or triangle, piece together, stuff lightly and quilt. This might be perfect for my friend who lives in New York...

What other ideas do you have for handmade gifts? Are you going to participate in Pay it Forward 2011?