Looking for some easy and quick gift giving presents? Here’s a simple guide to get you going on your handmade holiday. Bonus: this is also a great way to keep your costs down and still give a thoughtful gift to your loved ones.
If you are looking for quick projects, think about squares and rectangles. They are quick to cut out and sew and don’t require any tricky stitching. You can also look for simple patterns that don’t require a lot of small seams or tight curves. They make great stocking stuffers as well.
Here are 5 quick project suggestions:
- Cut and sew projects like my new gnome ornaments or a simple stuffy are easy and make great gifts. These usually are simple to make and don’t require a lot of extra fabric and are not meant to take a long time.
- Sachets: Filled with lavender or pine needles they are great for clothes storage or even in stinky sports equipment. All you have to do is cut out some squares. Sew them up leaving a little gap and stuff them. Then sew up the gap.
- Tea towels: Pick a fabric that coordinates with the recipient's kitchen and it’ll look great and be useful. Just cut out a rectangle, double fold the edges in and stitch them down. These also make a great hostess gift for holiday parties wrapped around a bottle of wine or bag of coffee.
- Pillow covers: Use a favorite hobby or color as inspiration for a quick pillow cover. They are rectangles or squares and can come together very quickly. Cut out the front and overlap two pieces for the back. Double fold the back edges and sew them down. Then pin the whole thing right sides together and sew it up.
- Warm winter hats for the whole family can be made in an afternoon. Check out my pattern here for the shapes and sizes. Or use a hat you have around the house as a template. A soft stretchy knit fabric will work great. Also works great for a winter baby shower
Choose fabrics that are easy to work with and iron. A few of the small projects above are great ways to use up your stash but a trip to your local fabric store is always good too.
Bonus tip: These handmade gifts also make great gift wraps. You can tuck a favorite chocolate bar, gift card to their favorite coffee shop or a pair of movie tickets with your handmade item to make it even more special.
Good luck with your making!