Scrabble Pendant Necklaces, Hand Knit Hats and Teddy Bears

by Barbara
(Bells Corners, ON)

This Christmas, thrifty is the key for my family.

Every year, I have more nieces and nephews to shop for, and less money to spend. That's why for my extended family this year I have decided to make their Christmas presents.

For all the women in my family, I am making scrabble tile pendants. They are fun and easy to make, and only require a few items to complete. In order to make 5 pendants, I spent around $20--that's just $4 per person for their Christmas gifts! And they will have a beautiful, fun pendant to show for it.

The men in my family will all be receiving a hand-knit hat. I found an easy pattern online, so each hat takes me about four hours to knit. I only need three skeins of yarn at about $3 per skein.

For 4 hats, I am spending around $9, so each hat is costing less than $3 per person to make.

As for my nieces and nephews, their ages range from newborn to 7 years old. Their homemade gifts will depend on their ages. For the babies and the bigger kids, believe it or not, I am knitting teddy bears. The babies will have something soft to cuddle with, and the bigger kids will enjoy hours of playtime with their new knit friend. For the toddlers and preschoolers, I am making hobby horses.

Both projects, altogether, cost around $25 to complete. Now the hard part is just finding the time to finish all of my projects!