IN the run up to Christmas the days just seem to melt away and before you know it there are no more shopping days, no time for online deliveries and the kids are no longer at school and hyped up on sugar and festive buzz.
This year, although I am pretty flipping organised and most of my presents were wrapped before December, I know I will still find a few that catch me out.
1
I know it’s not all about the gifting and it’s about your “presence” not “presents” but still nobody likes that awkward feeling of being handed a sparkly gift bag and giving only an uncomfortable and slightly unwanted hug in return.
So what do you do when you have forgotten you’ve invited your great-aunt round or a friend pops in for a playdate with a gift for you and you hadn’t planned on gifting them?
I have a few last minute ideas that have got me out of trouble at short notice and even made it look like you are super thoughtful and crazy.
Depending on your level of craftiness – and I don’t mean how well you can order a festive glass of bubbles with lunch without arousing any judgment – you can create some cracking DIY gifting goodies.
Break out some showstoppers
A personal favourite is to get an old jam jar, cleaned and dried, look up a simple gingerbread or biscuit recipe and measure out all the ingredients and pop them in the jam jar, print off the recipe and attach it to a ribbon and tie it around the lid.
Job done – a thoughtful gift without even having to get your purse out or your oven gloves on.
Another one is the good old footprint reindeer print.
Crack out some brown paint and do your child’s footprints using the brown paint with the heels touching and toes turned out to create a V shape then add a red spot for the noses and draw on some eyes.
Either do this on a card or a canvas and Bob’s your uncle, festive feet.
One of my little one’s favourites is reindeer food, either in mini jam jars, or even a clear sandwich bag with the seal cut off and using a ribbon to seal instead.
Mix some ordinary porridge oats with some glitter and you have magical sparkly reindeer grub to sprinkle out in the garden on Christmas Eve.
Or break out some showstoppers and rustle up some melted snowmen treats.
It’s very simple, just melt some white chocolate and dollop it over a Rich Tea biscuit. Then take a large white marshmallow and use black icing for detailing and you have created a fat, melted edible snowman.
All of these ideas are basic, but effective and easy to just pop in a little bag or box and pretend they have been prepared all along.
Fake it ’til you make it festive style.
