Holiday Blitz Day 3: Big Shot Snowflake Ornament Tutorial & another winner!

Great idea!! One more thing to add to the DS paper and Big Shot list of why everyone should have one!!

My belief in gift giving for both my husband’s and my familes is that everyone get’s something that let’s them know I am thinking of them. We are all pretty far apart. I like to make a homemade gift of some kind, as well as a card. The kids usually also get another small gift concerning one of their hobbies or needs.

I will say my two sister-in-laws do not agree with me. Their belief is that we should only give gifts if we are together. We have agreed to disagree. So I lovingly send gifts I hope they will love. I also beleive in the phone calls, cards and emails during the year, not just communication when we are together every couple of years.

Thank you once again for sharing, and may you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.

Debi Ryan

Wow!! What a beautiful Snowflake Andrea!!!

We have pared down our Christmas Shopping a lot over the years and keep our gift giving to immediate family adults and just buy gifts for the Children in our extended families……makes it So much easier and always fun to see the babes open their gifts.

Thanks for sharing another great idea! We still buy gifts for all of our immediate family. With the extended family, we draw names for the kids, which I think works well. The kids can choose for other kids, and we all go away happy!

In my family my husband and I presents for our kids and for each other. We also give gifts to our parents and siblings. That about covers it and of course we have some friends here and there that we may give something to or we give them a homemade treat to eat.

I knew there was a reason that I saved allthat chipboard! Finally, a great project to use it on! TFS!!

We currently buy for everyone on my mom’s side of the family as well as my DH’s mom. I usually spend a little more on the kids cause ya know, everyone has to have the same amount of packages to open! LOL! We enjoy the giving part of Christmas but we will always cherish the reason for the season by celebrating Christ’s birth!

I buy for many teachers because my daughter is special needs so she has a para, OT, Speech, PT, etc. (about 12). In my extended family we draw name for the adults and buy all the kids. In my husbands extended family we do the same. We also buy for friends, churchworkers, etc. It is a bit overwhelming.

What a gorgeous ornament and looks so easy!

We exchange gifts with the immediate family and deliver meals for the Waterfront Mission as our gift of service to others esp. the elderly.

Hi Andrea,
Right now we buy mostly for kids on my side and a little something for the parents. I usually make my Sis & sis in law note cards and/or greeting cards. Various ones to use throughout the year. On my hubby’s side, he’s an only child so there are no holds barred for his mum. Though mostly for the kiddos now a days! hehe

Thanks for asking AND sharing!

Bobbie *Ü*

Since my husband’s side is rather large we only buy for the kids. For us adults we a grab bag. My sisters (that it for me when it comes to family) and i we stop buying each other gifts. What do now is we take a day and go to a spa or go on small getaway. This we added a $10.00 limit gift just to see what we can come up with. That should be fun.

Judy

We give to the immediate family. Mom and brothers and sisters. We all make a lot of handmade items for the others. Scarfs, embroidery, purses, cookies, candy, cards, tree ornaments. I work with the youth at church to make cards and bookmarks for the shut ins and nursing homes. I love Christmas!

Hi

Quite a few years ago (about 10) my mother and I started baking instead of gift giving.

We bake about 15 – 20 different batches (most double and some triple!)of everything from chocolate covered popcorn to cookies and bars, plus all sorts of holiday candy balls, and party mixes. Each year we try to find a few new and exciting recipes to add to old favorites like oreo balls, cherry surprise balls, and sweet chex mix. When all is said and done we usually give about 30 different gift baskets and boxes to friends and family. I really look forward to this “event”, which we do in 1 weekend, every year.

What a cute decoration! We used to pull names for the adults and buy for all the kids. This year, because everyone is feeling the crunch of the economy, and the list of kids is growing, we are not buying for adults, and each child drew the name of another child.

What a neat idea for a “free hanging” snowflake. I’m gonna try it tomorrow. Thanks very much. Thinking about purchasing the organizer tin tutorial so I can do some of those for gifts!

Regarding gift giving. Most everyone any more gets handmade (read papercrafted) gifts, especially this year. However, I do get special gift(s) for my significant other. For years, our small family drew names for the adults and everyone bought presents for the children.

Love all you holiday ideas. The snowflake ornament is so cute!

In my family we have a grab bag gift exchange. Everyone buys one gift between a certain dollar amount and wraps it up. We are scattered all over he USA and come together once a year in early November for a Thanksgiving and Christmas reunion. We all just returned from Florida where my parents and sister’s family live. It’s so nice seeing everyone and enjoying each other before the big rush of the holidays. Of course, being a mom I still bake up stuff and send it off to my children. This year is will be home baked cookies with a special plate to serve them on. I just love giving!

I usually try to buy for the kids, then I try to make something for the adults, name frames, desk sets, just something personal to them from me.

thanks for sharing, this snowflake ornament is awesome.

carolyn s

ceashark at aol dot com

I love Christmas, the hustle and bustle of shopping and trying to find just the right gifte for everyone on my list. Last year my family decided to draw names and we all hated it so this year we’re going back to shopping for everyone but keeping the gifts within reason and more personal. Guess who’ll be making theirs?!

Love this snowflake ornament!
We buy for both of the immediate families..which includes parents, siblings and our nephews and neice! It’s just the two of us so we don’t find it too bad..the kids are still young so it’s easy enough to find them something these days. I’ve been making gifts lately and hope to do the same this year as well…we’ll see.
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers.

My husband is one of five and in his family they all buy for everyone. When we first got married it was a lot of fun trying to find that special gift for each person on the list. As we added children (8 grandkids in all) it became a little more challenging trying to get all of the shopping done. The past few years we have still given each child something as well as his parents but the rest of us have started making donations to a local charity in each person’s name. Last year my husband and I decided to donate to SOME (So Others May Eat) and take the family out to dinner so that we could enjoy a meal together. We are all so busy that sometimes we only see one another on special occasions and we live close to one another. So this Saturday we are FINALLY taking everyone out while my niece watches our kids. Just in time for this year’s Christmas!

At Christmas we put a lot emphasis on family being together but we do buy a gift for everyone. A lot of thought goes into the gift giving as we want it to be personal and special. Our family get together is small so we can afford to do this. I can see how it would get costly if there were a lot to buy for. Every year we participate in the Operation Christmas Child program which gives a box to a less fortunate child in third world countries.

Such a pretty snowflake!! We buy for immediate family and for parents, and kids of siblings. Thanks for the chance to win!

Boy….this could be a real long comment! I am 1 of 7. There are 18 grandkids and spouses. We stopped the gift swapping a few years ago. Financial woes in familes, too many kids in one family, verses 1 like mine. I never minded picking names since I only had to buy one. But it is harder on those with larger families. We only buy for the baby’s 1st Christmas and our God-Children. Have always bought for my parents, but this year we are all cutting back. It is just too much. We all get together for Christmas Eve, laugh, eat, and the kids get gifts from my parents. I ususally come up with a Christmas game or two and have prizes. We just love getting together and have fun! With 2 sisters, and 4 brothers as my closest friends, we don’t need gifts…….we are gifts to each other.

Now I want to cry!

And as a note to you girl…..how in the heck are you doing all of this! I want to be you when I grow up! (or should I say grow young!)

These tutorials are awesome! I am really enjoying looking at them!

My family is small so it’s easy for us to give gifts to all. We keep it simple. Some things are handmade (this year lots will be handmade).

May have to buy the snowflake die after all. Thanks for sharing your talent.
We use to buy gifts for everyone. However, this year, the adults are drawing names with a set gift value and everyone will buy for the kids.

My family is 1st generation in Canada so we don’t have any extended family here. We will usually buy gifts for everyone (my parents and my brother, his wife, and kids). On my boyfriend’s side, we buy for all the kids and draw names for the adults of his immediate family (parents and siblings), although I always get something for his mom.

Just on my husband’s side of the family he has 9 sisters and 3 brothers all with children. For a while before all the babies came we tried to buy something for all of them but found that our finances couldn’t handle it. We only bought for our parents after that. Now since they are gone, we buy for each other which includes me, my husband, my daughter, my one grandchild and my son in law. We open gifts on Christmas Eve for us and on Christmas day for the baby. I also exchange gifts with three special friends.
Your star is very pretty. Thanks for sharing.

We buy for everyone in our family since we have such a small family. THanks for the great ornament. Mary

we do presents for immediate family only.

typically we go all out but with these times we are scaling back a tad. we know some of our family members cant go all out like they used too and even though we love sharing the wealth, it’s been brought up how bad they feel if we go all out. so instead of an extra lavish gift, something smaller and picking up the tab at the restaurant.

We exchange gifts with immediate family. We each have two kids (from previous marriages) and now have two grandchildren, so they are included, of course. I have a teenage niece and nephew that I have fun gifting.

I love those snowflakes!

I don’t celebrate holidays due to my religion. As a result, we celebrate our anniversary and get gifts for the kids as well.

We always exchange gifts in the immediate family. For others it depends. Last year, we had a woman in our office with a sick child and the four people in my group who usually give gifts to each other gave that money to the family instead. I did the same thing for my church staff who I usually do gifts for as well. This year, I’m thinking about doing that again if I can find the right charity.

Love this snowflake! We draw names for the adults in our immediate family. We buy small gifts for each child since we don’t have a very big family with a lot of children. Each family does something for our Grandparents. We do something for my Mother-n-law & brother-n-law. I love to make my gifts for the people that I give to.
Kristi Kelly

I get all my neices and nephews gifts and then my siblings and in-laws now that we are all married which makes 10 of us pick names. I buy for my parents (& in laws) some of my aunts and uncles (and inlaws) (which I now make instead of buy)and Grandparents that we are fortunate to still have with us. This year I plan on making as many gift as possible.

Now I’m wishing I hadn’t deleted the snowflake from my “huge” list. We mostly just buy gifts for the kids and then send cards. Our family is all spread out. My kids still get PJ’s on Christmas Eve ~ a tradition they love.

We do all kids in our immediate family and draw for names in the extended family for kids. For my side extended, we do what my Aunt calls “Dirty Santa” where the adults take a gift for your gender in a price range ($20 or $25, decided ahead of time). We all draw numbers then start opening at number 1. Person #2 can take what has been opened or pick a new present to open. Person #3 can take anything that’s been opened or open a new one. Any gift can only be stolen twice before it stays with that person. It’s fun! Sometimes we also bring a $5 gag gift to go with.

Thank you for all of the inspiration. Your site is so fun to look at and get ideas from.

In my family, we don’t buy for siblings. Instead, we buy for the nieces and nephews. I small token to our parents and grandparents. We always say nothing for each other (our spouse), but we always fudge on that one and do it anyway. The kids get spoiled the most!!

Andrea, you are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for all of your hard work.

Because our family has grown in numbers over the years, we draw names for the gifts. However, I always buy something for my only niece and nephew. And despite my mom saying EVERY year that she doesn’t want anything, I always get something for her. Last year I gave her a 12X12 SU Calendar. She loved it and now that the year is almost over, the pages are going into an album. Not sure how I can top that this year…

Oh, my these are beautiful makes me want to go back down to my craftroom and make one now but with a class tomorrow night and a card assembly party tonight I think I am off to bed. First thing in the morning though I am making my own. For gifts we do various things. On my DH’s side we draw names amongst his sibs, and niece and nephews. On my side my nieces and my kids draw names. Then at my grandma’s we each bring a $20 gift for a man or women then trade using a system of drawing cards with highest card going first. The kids of course get gifts but this is nice for the adults.

We’ve always bought gifts for our immediate family. My folks, my brother & his kids, my DH’s dad & brother (& his kids) all live nearby, so we exchange gifts each year. This year we’ll be sending our Christmas gift to his mom and his sister, as they moved to the Big Island last spring. On his side, they once drew names and the adults exchanged the one gift, but when one of the group received a plain white shirt as their gift, they stopped doing it that way! My bro in law has wanted to do it that way again, but the memories of that disaster are still too fresh for my DH!

Another cute project. My gift giving has changed over the years depending on the financial situation and the ages of my children. I can honestly say I have done all of the scenarios mentioned in your question.

Robbie

We make the layered cookie jars for most of our friends and buy for our family. We only have a couple neices and nephews and only three sets of parents alive so it isn’t too costly. We do have four kids though so we spend plenty. Most of my friends always consider my handmade card the best “gift” from me as well as a picture of my family and a yearly Christmas letter. I skipped one year and people mentioned it for years to come. I love making gifts if I can because they are always more special!

We give to those we love and share as finances allow. We’ve done it all, just the kids, drawing names, etc., but I just can’t bear to leave anyone out. Sometimes it’s a handmade item, sometimes store-bought, sometimes from my kitchen, but I just love giving gifts! After all, the greatest Gift was given so freely, how can we do otherwise? Thank you for the way you generously share through your blog!
debra~

We give gift cards or certificates. But they are usually “wrapped” in a homemade card or project.

My hubby & I don’t buy for each other. This is a very busy time of year & we MAY go shopping together once. I honestly have everything I want. We buy small gifts or gift cards for those we love. I’d rather give something they’d truly love than just because it’s Christmas.

The gift is the relationship, not the present.

What a quick and easy Christmas ornament! Thanks for the great tutorial.

My husband’s family buys for everyone (adults included -thank goodness he only has one brother!) and my family buy for the kids only (everyone buys for everyone else’s kids) until they are 16. Christmas is not cheap at our house!

Love the snowflakes. The embossing makes them sparkle and pop! We give gifts to some and others we don’t. We have an agreement with my sister and my husband’s brother since they don’t have lots of money to not exchange gifts. I try to make a small gift for my sister anyway so she will have something to open. Traveling takes most of her money and that is the best gift of all, to be together for the holidays! I would like to enter the contest please.

Fantastic Snowflake Tutorial !!!
We use to buy gifts for everyone but as everyone’s family grew it became way too expensive for everyone. A few years ago we started playing inexpensive gift giving games and then last year we decided to pool the money that we each spent on gifts for each other and buy lifestock for farmers in Africa !!! It is an amazing project and this year we’re hoping to buy water purification systems PLUS lifestock !!!

Have a wonderful day…

Over the past years, I used to buy everything… very last minute too! You know the big mass of people that are still in the stores on December 23 at 11 p.m.? Yup! I’m usually one of them!

This year however, I’ve been making a lot more things handmade. Christmas cards, coasters, ornaments. I’ll probably buy bigger presents for important family members, but they’ll most likely get a little handmade something too

wow love the snow flake my daughter makes these cool snowflakes everyyear with just plain white paper and gives them away for people to enjoy in there home this year will be using skislope paper to make some for our ceilings in the hall love snowflakes

wow love the snowflake! since there are so many people in our family we always draw names. The adults take an adult and the children draw another childs name it so fun 2 see the children get so excited not only to give but to the the fun of going into the store and picking it out by themselves. We also always set a price limit so noone ever feels pressured and they also have to get creative because the price is always under $10.

We don’t have a very big family so we usually buy gifts for everyone…we don’t go too crazy though. We also do some sort of charity, either Toys for Tots or Angel tree.

We buy for everyone! It gets to be so much. We have gradually been eliminating who we buy for to put more of a focus on the children. We always make sure to do something for a charity as well whether it be the angel tree or the SPCA.

What a wonderful project for Christmas! It’s beautiful. We usually buy for all our brothers and sisters and the kids. The nephews and neices who are out of high school we normally don’t buy for. I try to make as many gifts as possible and some Christmases my husband has made some woodworking gifts too. I wish I was further along for this year so I’m going to have to pick up the pace!

For us since we have such a big family over the years we really only get gifts for the kids and that is a gift in itself there is nothing like seeing them giggle and so excited to open their gifts.Then on Christmas day we go to mass and the kids are always so well behaved that day! lol

Handmade decorations are special. This one is neat. Thanks.
We give gifts to all in the family, but it is a small group.

Usually we draw names but last year and this year we’re buying only for the kids. We give our parents gifts as well, they’re usually handmade. I would much rather see use give donation in place of store bought gifts but I know that won’t fly with my family

I have 11 Brothers and sisters and between them they have 46 kids, we decided long ago if any gift were exchanged it would be a small family gift.

We only buy for the Kids in the extended family.. there are only 3 now.. so that is good.. The adults don’t want or need anything anymore.. so why just hand over gift certs???
In our little family there is a limit on what you can spend.. nothing big at all.. so it is about spending time with family, not the stuff..
love you stuff.. thanks for sharing

Gift Giving each year has always been the kids get gifts, and we buy for the family too. If I can get gifts for each member, I do, and if I can’t I try to get gifts that they can use at least. I have a small family, so it isn’t too expensive, although my nephews are getting bigger and have more expensive taste!

I have three sisters and we are all married. So between the 8 of us we exchange names and never have the same person as we did the previous year. We set a $30 limit on it. I still buy gifts for my college age nieces and nephews.

My husband and I got together with our brothers and sisters and set up a gift rotation with each of our families. We both have fairly large families (6 brothers and sisters on his side, 5 on mine) and none of us can afford to buy for all. Each Christmas we have the name of a brother or sister and their spouse. (One for his side of the family and one for mine). A rotation schedule was set up so you always know which couple you have and can shop, or make something throughout the year. We always try to encourage a homemade gift, they usually cost less and you can make something very specific for that couple. For our parents, each couple puts in about $25-$30 and we go in on a group gift. For my husband’s nieces and nephews, we put all the kids names in a hat, and let the cousins draw a name. They then get to shop for their cousin, $5 maximum.

Your tutorials are wonderful! Thanks!

My family drifted away from gift-giving, except for my parents, but I never have. Giving a gift is part of Christmas for me. I have 5 brothers 7 sisters, and 19 nieces and nephews. In years past, I would buy or make a gift for each child, and do a couple gift for my siblings and their spouses. As we were blessed with our own children, I changed to family gifts. I strive for something consumable (so it’s not around forever) but fun to receive – stamped ornaments, box of fruit, a stack of all occasion cards, etc. For dh’s family – we still give gifts to everyone – and dh used to have a different standard for his family than mine because there were less people to buy for. That has since changed, and both family’s are treated equally as far as gift giving. I have always tried to make it clear that I was giving because it wouldn’t be Christmas without it for me, but that NO ONE should feel they must give because they receive – that is so not the point for me. I encourage those with children to have the kids make things, even just draw pictures as gifts. A very small thing done with a very big amount of love is priceless, AND the true spirit of Christ and Christmas! Thanks for asking!

A couple of years ago mine and my husband’s sibling agreed to just get christmas presents for the kids. We also buy for my parents, unfortunately my husbands parents are no longer with us.

I just love your tutorials!

We still buy gifts for our three children and 5 grandchildrenas we don’t have a large family. I make them something each year and then buy a gift. But….this year I am doing all handmade gifts, as I feel the mean more.

Lucinda

I start early and make a lot of my presents…..It’s much more affordable that way! This year I’m making packs of greeting cards, mini chipboard scrapbooks, bookmarks, framed stamped art……anything I can think of…..

Wow! Cute ornament! In our family we only buy presents for the children. As for the adults each family will receive a family photo. We love this and always love to see how everyone has changed year to year! Happy Holidays!

We are just buying for the kids this year. Of course that means we are buying for our own 4 and then 5 others. So it will still be expensive just not too bad. We have decided that we will give the adults baked goods though. I am thinking of giving the SIL’s and mom’s cards though. We’ll see. Love the tutorial. Now if I just had a big shot.

This ornament is so adorable. Now I wish I had the Big Shot to create this. I can’t wait to see what other ideas you have.

In my family we all exchange gifts. Usually my sister and I buy a gift for eachother and their spouse (a couple gift). We always buy for my parents and of course the kids in our family. Each year I make my Mom a scrapbook calendar. I think this is something she appreciates the most.

For my husband’s side of the family, we usually just buy for the kids, but sometimes draw names.

We draw names in both our families during Thanksgiving just for the children. For the adults, we play white elephant where everyone brings a gift of a certain dollar amount. This works wonderfully – the kids get a present, and the adults have a ton of fun. Helps out with all the expense associated with Christmas too. We also give a money gift to our church for their Christmas Sheaves for Christ offering as well.

Thanks again for another chance to win this tutorial – you are so awesome!!

For us this is how it goes:
Married: couple gift
Children: 2 gifts (or 1 BIG gift)
Teens: Gas card or food gift card(they LOVE it)
Grandparents: A book in their name at the library-they love to read-so this fits them OR
a gift card to the local nursery.

For our family this has always worked out nice. You aren’t stuff buying a ton of presents.

We used to draw names we my side of the family and that just fizzled away. Now I amke something for everyone. We buy gifts for each other in my family. My extended family, I make gifts for everyone. Some of them, I cannot make for, so we buy something.

The last few years the only extended family I give gifts to is my niece and nephew. I usually make most of the gifts we give to all my family due to finances. We only send cards to my dh’s family. Years ago when I was a child we drew names between all my cousins on my mom’s side and sent an appropriate gift. At church we do the “Stealing” game which is great fun at the annual adult Christmas party. Your ornament is very pretty and I appreciate the tutorials! Thanks so much.

I can’t wait to try this snowflake when my company leaves on Sunday! I love it. I decoration that the kids can’t break. Got to love that too!
Catherine

We are gift givers. We buy until we can buy no more. My kids are that way also. Happy Holidays.

I love the Christmas season! I give gifts to each of my immediate family members and a few special friends.

We give to immediate family only. Our kids and their spouses and our grandkids. We have given savings bonds to our grandkids for many years on both Christmas & birthdays, then when they are 18 they can use them to help with college. The over 18 grandkids get a gift card or check equaling the amount that it cost for the bond.

What a great ornament, I haven’t ordered the big shot yet as I am only a hobby demo, but this makes me want to jump online and order it. Keep up the great work.
This year we are doing a little of everything, donations in lieu of for the adults and small thoughtful gifts for the kids. Teachers and neighbours will get homemade gifts. We are trying to refocus on the true meaning of Christmas this year and spending more time than money.

I love giving gifts. I try to give as many to family and friends as I can, but only if it is something that I really feel is “perfect” for them.

We have a big family, so we draw names every year. I really like it because you get at least one nice/thoughtful gift every year.

We exchange gifts with my family and our closest friends. My husband’s family doesn’t exchange gifts – seems odd to me but hey their choice. Thanks for the snowflake tutorial – gotta get that snowflake die! Clara Sanchez

These totally rock, and if I had a die cutting system I would so be making these right now!!

As for buying gifts, my hubby and I come from large families, so on hubbies side we buy for grandma and grandpa, and the cousin that is the same age as my son. All the grandkids on that side came in pairs. We also make a little some thing for teachers. For my side we have always done a draw names thing with a $50 limitjust for the adults, and bought for the two kids. This year we are pooling our adult draw money and donating it to a charity the we all agreed onm and still buying for the kids. For my extended family we exchange Christmas ornaments, the only stipulation is that it has to have the other persons name and the year. one year my grandpa got that singing fish.

Love the snowflake!!!

In the past we have all exchanged gifts, we have no little ones in our immediate family – I am the youngest at 38. We are also a small holiday gathering there are only 7 of us.

This year I proposed that we all do homemade gifts – give from the heart and all that. NOPE. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. It really wasn’t reasonable. K and I could have done it easily enough but my in-laws really aren’t capable of doing that. So instead my mother-in-law gave my sister-in-law and I a list of things she wants for us to choose from; my father-in-law and my sister-in-law’s mom gave us their usual “I don’t want nuthin’” speeches. So with all that being said, I don’t know what we are going to do this year!!!

We do buy (or make) gifts for all our family, but I make it a point to shop all the after Christmas sales and clearance. I get great things at a fraction of the cost. The only drawback is storing it for a year!
Elizabeth

I send gifts to all my immediate family – my brothers, sisters, and father & nieces & nephews that are ages 18 & under. Since I’m in Texas and everyone else isn’t, I frequently send giftcards. I have fun making handstamped giftcard holders.

Once again, you amaze me. I love the big shot snow flake and can hardly wait to get home to make this ornament.

Christmas, I love giving gifts to lots of people but almost get embarassed when someone gives me one when I wasn’t expecting it, but do like homemade cards or gifts the best. Hardest problem, especailly for the grandkids is knowing what to get them that they already don’t have. I would love if everyone who usually gives me a gift just donate the money to the Food bank or the angel tree instead to help out a kid who has so little.
Kathy

This snowflake is so pretyy and will look great hanging in our walkway. As for giving gifts, we get gifts for all the adults that we see and I always send gifts to my neices and nephews that we don’t get to see. I love shopping for gifts for the kids, and seeing how all the things that I used to play with in the 80′s are now making a comeback.

Cute snowflake tutorial!

In years past, our family has drawn names and done a gift exchange that way. This year, because money is so tight for everyone, our family has agreed to only get gifts for the kids… for us adults it’s “the gift of family”.

Char in So Cal

We let the kids draw names when they were little. Last year we had a gift swap, each person gave away the worst gift they ever got! It was quite funny!

For Christmas we usually buy everyone a gift. This year I am trying to make my husband’s family gifts. For my family we are going to be getting them gift cards and I will be making them a gift as well. In some ways I wish we did draw names there are 9 on my husbands side and 4 on mine. My husband and I usually don’t buy each other a gift.

Karen

We do a pollyanna for both the adults on both sides of our family and buy for each kid. Thank goodness there aren’t that many kids! We also buy for my grandmother and an aunt/uncle on my husband’s side.

thanks for this opportunity. Love the tin!!
Our family on my side draws names for whoever is going to be there xmas day and everyone over 16 is included. we all buy for anyone under 16, on the other side there is only my husbands mom and man is she tough to buy for!!. Since there is so few i splurge abit on my girlfriends and we all get together (this sat nite) with our hubbys and have a xmas party. lots of fun if you can imagine!

Seems our family is getting smaller instead of bigger! We buy/make gifts for our parents and our sisters and brothers and their spouses, and for our own children and grandchildren. My husband and I are fortunately well settled and don’t need much so each year we give ‘our gifts’ to a charity.
Love your projects!
Carol

For my husband’s side of the family we mainly buy for the kids. There are three cousins. There are no children on my side of the family yet so we do buy for each other but it is just my mom and brother and sister. Everyone buys within their budget and we are all happy to be together. The last few years I’ve really enjoyed making gifts such as card sets, coaster tiles, ornaments, scrapbooks, etc.

Cute project!! We do a little of everything! One side of the family it’s kids only with a budgeted amount. The other side it’s all the kids, but the adults draw names with a small budget! Fun to see who gets who on Christmas Day and see how everyone stretches their dollars!

Can’t wait to read all these replies for some more good ideas!

Cindy Manzanares

Since our family is small…2 married children and 3 grandchildren…we all buy gifts for everyone. It gets CRAZY on Christmas morning when we are all together, but we love it! I love checking out your project each day. Thanks, Joyce

Wow, what a fabulous idea – the snowflakes are gorgeous.

I am one of 13 and so we do not exchange with everybody – if we did my husband & I would be broke:) We usually just buy for the ones we are closest to and then when we have our family Christmas we are doing a voluntary gift exchange by age groups. It is usually a blast with so many of us together. This year will be extra special since my oldest brother & his family are home on furlough. They will be able to join us.

Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.

Patti Beachy

Your snowflake is beautiful! And the colors work perfectly.

I make a lot of my gifts, which makes it possible to give even a small something to everyone I wish.

Swedie

Thanks for all the great ideas you share!
For about 12 years, we have hosted the Christmas Soup Night the last Saturday usually before Christmas, for extended family and friends. Now there are 11 kids, the moms all exchange with each others kids, I buy them a pair of new pjs, and all the adults bring a $20 gift for the chinese gift exchange later. We end up with 7-8 different soups, neat that the young Moms have become quite the cooks, WANT to bring a homemade soup…Sometimes Santa comes and brings a treat. Otherwise , we still buy for our kids and gks, often only stockings for each other, and my sisters and I draw to exchange. Every year we try to cut it back for us, and give more to charity.