A couple years ago, Christmas came to fast for me! I sewed simple Xmas stocking, went at the dollar store to fill them. The kids really enjoyed them

I have given up trying to sew for Christmas. I have learned when it stresses you it then has become work not what we all "enjoy" doing. I now sew for birthdays.

I think your grandkids would love having grandma with them to do small special things with them. Cookies, a story read,watch their favorite movie with them etc.
In a time that has become more materialistic I think we all need to step back and find the simple again.

You poor dear!!! I'd buy the presents this year and alleviate your stress. You can always work on your intended presents for next year. There's no need to add more stress to your life right now especially with only a few more weeks before Christmas. Treat yourself to a break and buy your gifts. If you cannot afford to buy, then maybe pillowcases would work instead.

Great ides for small girls, now what about the boys? :D

Those pillow cases are SEW easy and FAST. Takes about 20 minutes to whip one up (AFTER you figure out the turn thing lol!) I made 10 last year out of flannel. There are so many cute food fabrics out there now. My friends DGS LOVES burgers and fries. Yep! We actually found the fabric. His is burgers with fries as the end strip.... (with 1 inch black seperating the 2 other fabrics) Doesn't take a lot of fabric either. Take a deep breath and relax. Too much stress will make you sick. Sometimes we just have to sit back and let somebody else DO IT! Prayers comin your way!!!

I always go to www.doverpublications.com for all kind of books and software. They have things for folks of all ages. From stickers and paper dolls to art instruction, paper airplanes, classic literature. What kid can resist reading Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure stories..not this kid. The Black Arrow is still a favorite re-read. Even Math and puzzle books..Too much to mention here but go to the website and check it out. Prices are reasonable and shipping is low. If you have kiddo's out of town you can have it sent direct. This year I am giving to some preteens and teenie girls, paper dolls for the younger ones and fashion drawing instruction books for the older ones all packaged up in a cute simple tote bags. For the boys, science books, puzzle books and paper airplane books in a cowboy book-bag. Yes they are old fashioned gifts, not an electronic game machine or elaborately quilted heirloom but in the end I will bet they get used just as much maybe even more. There are new gifts that get all the hype each year but in the end kids don't change much. They want to be engaged in some thing that challenges as well as entertains and for me that means a good book. Oh yeah...they have music scores, great posters, clip art up the wazzoo....any thing you can think of

Cute slippers!!

I am married to a 31 year Army career officer---the first Xmas when we were stationed in France just about all the 4 kids gifts were coming over from Sears, Penney's and Montgomery Ward'.
Xmas eve arrived but No Packages from anywhere, except family.
I got out the catalogs and we started cutting out pictures of all the items ordered. Then started looking for boxes---JellO, cereal etc. We wrapped all of them and they were the greatest hit ever with all the kids. Every time a package arrived they found the right box and threw that IOU out.
This was a very long time ago and they still talk about it.
Good luck with whatever you do, Kutnso

hi I have the same problem I have 13 grand kids I am making them there own rice packs they love them .I buy fun fabric and make the sack put white rice in. sew it up and there you have it the kids or parent put them in the microwave for 2 minutes and now they can be nice and warm.mygrand kids love taking them to bed I love them for neck ach or leg cramps give it a try if you need measurements let me know have a good day

Don't Ya know Grandma....they don't care what "we" give them. The gift cards sound great along with a "great big hug" from Grandma and their happy little campers...no matter what age. :D

One year I gave my mom sweatshirts with IOU a design of your choice on them because I didn't have time to embroider them. She loved it! We had a grand time choosing exactly what she wanted!

I think you've gotten some good advice from this board. Just remember what the REAL gift of Christmas is. Sometimes I have to remind myself we're celebrating the Birth!

I'm the choir director at church and very busy at Christmastime. Then, last December I had hand surgery so I started a new 'tradition'. My choir members get gifts on Epiphany which symbolizes when the wisemen visited the baby Jesus.

Take care of yourself, so you'll have many more holidays with those grandchildren. YOU are their best gift ... they'll remember that some day with great fondness.

Peggy

Amen! good advice. they remember a big hug more than the present anyway---and if they don't understand (no matter what their age), someone needs to "educate" them.
Take the stress off yourself ! Bid quilter Hugs from Montana !

I thought I was reading my story... I am in the same predicament except I only have one grandchild.. I am feeling so overwhelmed latel that I don't know what to do... hubby had a total hip replacement 2 Nov and has been home since and will remain home until after New Years. I have to do a lot of the driving he use to do, plus watch our grandson almost every day for at least 6 hours. I a medical problems to deal with myself and doing all the little extra's is really putting a damper in my schedule. What I decide is ... do what I can ... if it doesn't get done, take a picture and wrap it up and tell them their gift will be a little late this year. Get this... I started working on my projects after last Christmas knowing I would have a grandchild to take care of and I still managed to get behind. Take care and don't stress... your love is enough to give them for now... things will work out. Warm hugs from FL.. Janet

when my grands were thst age,they loved gift cards or checks made out to them. They also loved pillow cases made by Nana.

I'm behind myself and they are getting gift cards . The quilts will get to them as I finish during the new year ! I'm sure they will still like them as much !

How about whole cloth Quillows? Quick and easy if you have the stash to pull from.

I too vote for the gift cards. Have been doing this for years, even for the little ones. Trust me--the parents appreciate gift cards too.

Brilliant! I am using your idea!

Make these out of "fleese" and they're really warm and snuggelly. The kids liked to put there feet in the pillow part to keep their toes warm while they watched TV. etc. I made 14 one Xmas years ago. They're great to use in the car during the winter in case you end of stranded for some where. Plus, they are great behind the back while driving because they form to your body.

Any of your grandkids creative? Make up a bundle of the fabrics etc. for each one, with a note in the card that you will show them/help them to make their own project later in the year. All of you will appreciate the time you have together when you are not feeling strapped for time and effort.
You could give the younger ones some fabric colouring paint or pencils and have them make their own designs on the material before they make it up.

Have you seen Santa dollars? Our grocery has them. Haven't asked my bank.

I agree. You aren't much fun and certainly won't feel better if you work yourself to death. Honestly the kids would be very happy with money to spend as they want. Give them presents thru the year when it's better for you! Take care!

I have 6 children, a son-in-law and a daughter's boyfriend to make quilts for this month (and two of them have birthdays in December, two more in January, two in March!) I'm in different stages of 3 projects and I have made a decision: Wall hangings. Like the IOU idea, wall hangings will represent the bigger quilt to come and is a gift in itself. Let go of that stress, Girl! Enjoy this blessed season and you will bless those around you.

Or, you could give them gift cards for the gift you were planning to make. My SIL said he felt he was really accepted as one of the family when he got an unfinshed item for Christmas - can you tell it is a long standing tradition in our house?
Mary

I made a lot of bean bags for a game at church. Afterwards, I brought them home. I have grandson age 9 and grandaughters 11 and 14. They haave the best time throwing these into a cardboard box situated about 8 feet away. I made the beanbags in 4 different colors (about 5 of each color). That way each one choses a color and each kid competes to get the most bags into the box. Then they count to see how many each kid got into the box to see who the one with the most bean bags has in. They don't take turns throwing the bags in the box. My husband and I even have a good time competing with them. Mine are made with bulk rice stuffing. But they sure are easy to make and a lot of fun.

The best gift is your time - maybe to finish their gift with them . . . Maybe set a date or a series of together times. - this is THE best gift. Materialism dies when you spend YOUR time!!

Since I have 15 grand children & 6 greats, I no longer send "presents" too expensive. Instead I send checks to their mom & mom has the choice to give cash to the kids (that's the easiest for teenagers) or pick out a gift, wrap it & put it under the tree from "Grammy". I am making quilts for all the grands and greats, but I do them one at a time and send when finished (I've only finished 2) so I am not pressured to get done by birthdays or Christmas. I call them my "just because I love you quilts" and yes, children in one familie do not get all of them at the same time. Their special time will come. Take care of yourself. Blessings on you and your dh, hope surgery goes well.

Maybe a great game for those in the same family, card games, go fishing, old maid, bingo or something like that and IOU's for what you intended to make to be cashed in after you and DH are mended again. Kids now days don't play enough of the games that kept us busy such as monoply, chinese checkers, etc. I think games like this helps restore togetherness in families. There are too many electronic games for children now. These games make them have to think. There are so many games that families can play together, and this might be something "really new" for the children.

I don't think you gave an age for the children.. over 5 under 12 perhapes make a kit up for a project you could help them work on together .. a personal place mat with a design the child might like flowers, kitty, puppy, snowman.. Any buttons on hand they make up into cute necklesses... any of these as long as children are of the right age..

Do any of the GK's live close (or visit dependably) enough for you write them gift certificates for a sewing lesson or "make a pillowcase with Grandma"?

Check out Fay's tutorial on ear warmers, may just be a life saver for you it seem quick and easy. Just a thought!!

If all your recipients live up there in the cold near you, you might want to make fleece hats and matching neckwarmers. 5/8 yard will make a matched set since the fleece is usually well over 45 inches wide.
I cut rectangles of fleece about 20 inches by 20 inches. Fold in half right sides together and stitch along the stretchier edge (fleece stretches more in one directions than the other) about a half inch seam allowance, stretching slightly as you sew. This is the edge that will have to stretch to slip over the head. The seam will probably come out crooked and ugly, but fleece is very forgiving, and it won't show once you turn it.
Turn the tube right side out. Match up the seams right sides together and pin the single edges together as far around as you can manage. It gets a little awkward here as you end up working inside the tube . Try to stitch as much of the edges together as you can. You won't be able to sew the complete edge. The remaining opening will have to be hand stitched from the outside.
You can manipulate this ring of fabric placing the stretchy seam anywhere inside the ring so that the design shows the way you want it on the hat or leave the stretchy seam on what will be the top edge. To complete the hat you will need to hand stitch the top edge shut. You can simply stitch straight across resulting in two points, or fold and pin it to make 4 or 6 points, or even gather the top and sew on a pom pom or fringe if you desire.
Kids have remarkably big heads for their body size compared to adults, so the 20 inch size will work for most of them. Some adults might need you to cut the fleece an inch or two longer than 20 inches so the hat is not tight and popping off the head. These hats are just long enough to pull well down over the ears or to fold a brim. The neck warmers can be anywhere from 8-10 inches wide and still pull up nicely to cover the chin and nose.
If anyone can't make heads or tails of these instructions I can try to put up some pictures of the process.

gift cards are a great idea. If they are very young, perhaps an inexpensive toy to go along with it.

Huummm, made in the shape of a teddy or doll and you have a warm somebody to sleep with!

Backpack with little gifts for boys?

I was in the same situation.. I decided to stop stressing and found that link someone mentioned on page 1 "tube pillowcase"... I made them all pillow cases that matched thier future quilts (that I'll finish after christmas) I got them all done in one day and they turned out really sweet looking..
My god daughter(16 yrs) who lives next door seen them and came home today clutching a yard of fabric(sexy shirtless guys wearing santa hats rofl)begging me to make her a pillowcase..How can I resist, too funny

bless your heart i hope things soon improve,. gift cards are great , the children have the joy of opening a pressie then the excitment of choosing what they really want , double joy .

Have you and your hubby in my prayers. The dollar store for the little ones is adeal. Abd the IOU, is great also.

All of my grandparents are deceased now but I remember when I was younger spending time sewing or "helping" my grandmothers sew. I would give anything to be able to do that today. Give them a card with a coupon for one on one time with you sewing something they then can take home. It will be a present they will remember their whole life. I still have a teddy bear I helped make. I really spent time with my grandma while she made it but I love that bear with all my heart 35 years later.

Thank you so much! I have some fleece blankets that I can use for these and the littler kids will love them! I appreciate all the kind words and ideas! I feel so much better and the quilts can come when I am better. I am going to put little bookmarks cut of the fabric for the quilt each child is going to receive so they will know they are going to be made. Again thank you all! Jan