Your Online Gift Store

Perfect Gifts For All
Seasons & All Reasons
Beautiful Home Gifts, Antique Style Decorator Gifts, Anniversary Gifts, Christmas Gifts,
Easter Gifts,Valentine Gifts, Motorcycle Enthusiast Gifts, Engagement Gifts, Make-up Gifts,
Just Because Gifts, Shabby Elegant Gifts, Household Gifts,
Baby Gifts, Toys, I Love You Gifts,Etc.
 perfectgiftonline.com



FREEBY STUFF:
Buying/Making Perfect Gifts
Home Made Gifts
Patterns For Free Gifts Page 1
Patterns For Free Gifts Page 2
Receipes For Free Gifts
Easy Noter Free (like a daytimer)



UNADVERTISED SALES, ARTICLES,
INFO, AND MORE FREE ITEMS AVAILABLE BY EMAIL!  **
USE FORM ON THE RIGHT!






































Have a Home Made Christmas!
By Joyce McNeill Christopher
Original Article 2009
The Christmas holiday season should be filled with joy.  Not a time when people feel overwhelmed
and disappointed, because they can not afford to give store bought gifts.  A homemade gift is often
 a priceless treasure that may have people remembering for decades to come. 
No more wandering aimlessly through obscure stores or web pages searching for Christmas gifts
 as the hours before Christmas tick down to zero.
'With the economy being like it is, this is the year for you to make a lot of the gifts you give for Christmas'. 
"This is an actual example of something that happened to me & you may have had a similar situation".
  • It's 1985 - Times were also hard!  At "21" I had three babies.  We were having a hard time getting by from one week to the next.
  • I was very sad and depressed because we were not going to be able to give presents to our parents, and maybe not even my niece and nephew. 
  • I knew my parents would understand and my brothers were having a hard time to, so I knew they were not expecting anything but a hug and our company.  My niece & nephew were babies, so their gifts would not cost much.
  • I did not know my in-laws very well at that time, so I thought I had to buy something special for them.  On Christmas Eve I still had not been able to buy them anything. I thought & thought about what I could give to my in-laws, finally I came up with a few last minute ideas.
Because of my own experience, Here are some of the gifts that I discovered can be made with little or no money:
Make Personalized Hand Made Gifts:
Example #1:
At that time I did not have a sewing machine, so anything I sewed would have to be by hand.  But I thought about it and decided that was the answer.  So I dug thru my old fabric scrap box I came across a small piece of red organdy. I began to think of what I could make for Morene (my saintly mother-in-law) out of it.  Then, I remembered that my mother in law always wore aprons when she cooked".
  • I got some newspaper, laid it out on the floor and cut out an apron pattern. 
  • It looked like it would work, then I laid the paper pattern on the fabric and cut out the apron.
  • I carefully hand sewed it together then embroidered a Christmas tree on it. 
  • It turned out to be very pretty and Christmassy.
Example #1A:
Next I started to work on something for Harvey (my father in law), I found some red and blue plaid fabric pieces, I thought he might like.
      • I took a vest of my husbands suit and laid it out on the floor and cut a pattern out of paper about 1 ½ the size of my husbands vest.
      • Used that pattern to cut out a vest for my father in law.
      • I worked on it almost all night, but by Christmas morning it was a very presentable vest.
Notes: 
Each year at that time we had Christmas breakfast at my in laws and then they went with us to my parents for Christmas dinner.  When we arrived at my in laws on Christmas morning, I put the gifts from us under the tree with the massive amount of gifts that were already there.  For a few minutes I felt bad thinking how small our gifts were in comparison.  But, I did not feel bad for long.  After the children had opened all their gifts, it was our turn to open gifts.  I handed Morene her gift and Harvey his.
When Morene opened hers she began to cry and then to hug me.  Harvey opened his and immediately went in the other room and put it on.
  • Till last Christmas I had never seen Morene on Christmas that she did not have the apron on.  She kept it as her Christmas apron and it still looks new.  She hand washed it and ironed it each year, on the day after Christmas.
  • She  passed away earlier this year, but before she past away she still wore the apron I made her when she was only 60 yrs old .
  • Harvey passed away in November 2008.  But, if he were here, he would have on his vest this Christmas Day.
Example #2:
My former daughter in law (Mellissa) made me a baby size quilt by hand. 
  • She embroidered a tree with branches and leaves on it. 
  • The grown children's Dad & I are the tree trunk. 
  • Each of our children are branches, and each of the grandchildren are the leaves.
  • She embroidered all of their names and birthdates on the leaves. 
It is a Wonderful and Unforgettable gift.  It hangs on my wall today.
Example #3
Shortly after my Dad passed away, my daughter in law (the same one) gave my mother a gift that she treasured for the rest of her life, and I treasure it now.
  • She took pictures that she had, got some others from me, some from my brother's wife, and some other family members. 
  • She made copies on her computer of the pictures. 
  • She then made a Memory Book named "My Paw Paw".
  • It has pictures of our family from when we were small kids (me and my two brothers') up thru all of the grand children and great grandchildren.
  • A lot of the pictures were of the children or babies sitting in my Daddy's lap.
  • It was and is a wonderful gift.
Example #4
Homemade treats always make the perfect free Christmas gift. I like to make gift baskets or tins for my neighbors and friends.  But it would also be wonderful for teachers, work associates, etc.
    • Make cookies and candy in large batches; usually stick to recipes that I know won't be a flop.  Like sugar cookies (decorated), chocolate chip, and shortbread or butter cookies.
    • The candy I make is normally fudge or divinity.
    • Split the recipes up and package them in Christmas tins, or put the treats on dollar store plastic Christmas platters and wrap them with red or green plastic wrap, and tie the top with red or green ribbon.
'People you give these gifts to will really appreciate them.  I lot of women work and do not have time for baking homemade goodies'.

When you give these free Christmas treats, the receivers will be thrilled. 
Whether they are family, friends, neighbors, your   mailman (woman), they will love treats for a Christmas gift. 
The candy and cookies are much more precious than any Christmas gifts that you could afford to buy. 
PS:  If some of them are diabetic, be sure you make diabetic treats...
Example #5:
Babysitting:
    • Give your friends or the neighbor the night off. Make them a Christmas card with an offer to keep their children for a night at your house.
    • A night of romance and relaxation for them is a wonderful Christmas gift.
Example #6:
Run Errands for Friends, Family, or Neighbors:
    • Do you have an elderly neighbor (with limited mobility), or just a friend with a very busy schedule?
    • Make them a card that entitles them to impose on you to do their shopping, doctor visits, or whatever else needs done. 
    • "Then Keep Your Word, Ask them again what they need, after the Holidays".
Example #7:
Make Crafts:

I have a friend who crochets knits, sews, etc.  She is always making something for somebody.
    • Any thing she makes is a wonderful gift; all she has to do is add a homemade Christmas card with our new great granddaughter's picture on it and she's made someone happy.
    • Are you good at a certain craft?
    • Make your loved ones a free Christmas gift using the hobby that you are good at.
    • Just add a card you've made on your computer.
A homemade Christmas gift that they can keep forever means so much.
When you put your time into a gift, your receiver does not think of the gift as free. 
That is a gift of love.
Example #8:
Get freebies from the Internet:

On many-many sites, there are free items that anyone who uses a computer would like to have.
  • One example is the free easynoter available Easy Noter Lite.   'It is like a Day-Timer for your computer'.  Just click on the link above and in the upper right hand corner where it says download you can download a NEVER ENDING copy of the Easy Noter.  It's smaller than the paid one, but works just as well & has the same features.
  • Download the free one to your computer & download the free gift skin generator also.
  • Then pick out a new gift skin (cover) and put it on your gift for free.
  • The new skin can be wrapped in ribbon with a tag from you.
  • Then send your completed gift by email, with a card to someone who is far away.
  • All for free.
You have just given a free gift that most people would not think of & EVERYBODY will use!
And, that is just an example of free items that are available on the internet!

These are just a few gifts that you can give; all come from the heart and are filled with
love.  Chances are your friends or family member doesn't need what you could afford to
buy for them anyway. 
What you could buy may not fit them, maybe they already have the item, or as my
Grandson said to me "We don't have room for it!" and they may just have to exchange
what you bought for them.
See Patterns & Receipes For Free Gifts!

Copy Written 2009 Site by John F Smalley & Joyce M Christopher