Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,

[bladespark]

Please put a penny in the old man's hat.

Well, okay, Christmas is still a long ways off. But last year I started working on gifts about this time, and I still didn't get them all out until around Febuary. Hazards of doing handmade stuff.

This year I am stumped though. I love giving things, but I don't have the budget to buy much. No Windstones this year, save maybe one or two PYOs I have left over from my mad collecting days, and I'm not sure I want to give those away, really. Last year most of my friends got Loonakits. Which, of course, is the problem this year. Some people may enjoy having two, and some people got Windstones and might not mind a Loonakit as well, but most of my friends don't need more than one, and have one already, so that's out. And I don't have any other good, readily constructed gift ideas.

And there's always the problem of the list of who to give to. I'd love to give something to everybody I know, but realistically I can't. I pared it down as much as I felt I could last year, and still sent out something like 20 little fuzzballs. This year's list will probably be of similar length. Dunno, I'm sure eventually I'll come up with something.

P.S. While I do appreciate the suggestions I've gotten so far, I must note that most of those on my list are NOT furries, so fur/animal/plush themed stuff is just not going to work for the majority of my list. Also, many are overseas, so perishables or fragile items are iffy.

Comments

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

you could send everyone an empty box and tell them that youre giving them the gift of imagination! :D who knows that they would come up with!

[kiwihunter8.livejournal.com]

Maybe change up this year and make some kind of food item? Like a canning jar with ingredients layered in it, accompanied by a recipe card to make the completed dish? (Like, cookies or minestrone soup or something). You could use raffia or something to dress up the jars.

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

that is an AWESOME idea!!

[tarathene.livejournal.com]

So very hard to figure out what to get for people. Especially in my (birth) family, since I'm still considered one of the "kids" and no one ever will tell me what they already have or don't have or even want. :x

?

[aazhie.livejournal.com]

you could make little pairs of ears or tails for those who might like them, I know lots of friends who go to renfairs and animae cons would like mini cat ears or short 10" fox tail type things, you could make several presents from a yard of fur that way.
i just bought an adorable snake plush, it is a keychain about five inches long in a zig-zag, what about slightly different simple plushes? you could make little geckos, snakes, spiders, frogs, and simple cats and dogs with a simple pattern, i guess it depends on what animals your friends like.

i'm mostly thinking of this kind of cud:
http://craftycollege.com/webofangels/kitty.htm


ridiculously cute, but super simple to make many of.

or for the gothy/bat/dragon lovers:

http://www.wyrm.org.uk/cuddly/

these are free patterns, I use these kinds o' things to cheat and make easy but awesome presents!

Re: ?

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

I kind of make things like that for a living, so if I wanted to, I don't think I'd need patterns.

I also kind of have mostly non furry friends.

And I also kind of gave everybody loonakits already. Unless they collect plushes or are into plush (my friends by and large are not) most people do not care for getting lots of plushes.

[beetlecat.livejournal.com]

Always the issue when you make your own presents (I do as well) is giving something the person is going to like but not repeating yourself.

Actually, I have no idea what I'm doing for Christmas this year... though I only give gifts to my immediate family so at least that's a lot less presents to figure out.

[ekmahal.livejournal.com]

I still reckon my scarf of patchwork fur scraps is a good idea ;)

Having said that, I have absolutely no idea what I'm giving just about anyone. Except Nightrain. This is a cause of woe and spiders.

[viherminttu.livejournal.com]

i have a suggestion.. perhaps ask each of your friends what their favourite animal is (they dont have to be furry) and then make books for them. hell i dont know. for my best friends birthday i bought her a journal and covered it in pink stripey fur.

[aurora77]

That sounds like a fun idea. :)

Baked goods for the folks in North America might also work. Nearly everybody appreciates baked goods. I wouldn't try shipping them outside of the country, though.

[silveradept]

That is a dilemna. I can't offer too many suggestions, but sometimes a card and a heartfelt thank you is the best gift we can give. And if you make your own cards, that can take plenty of time by itself.

Oy. Now you've got me thinking about that kind of thing.

[ekmahal.livejournal.com]

Actually, I know something that might work outside the country. Local sweets, if you have them. We sent out a bunch of kiwifruit stuff last year, which was fairly generally liked...

[aurora77]

Very true. Someone we know loves Tootsie Pops and Tootsie Rolls. To us it's a very common, cheap candy. To him, it's a rare treat. :)