Christmas gift ideas for latecomers!
Christmas is coming and you still haven’t got anything to give your favourite aunt or your office colleague?
Don’t panic!There’s still time to get to your sewing machine and make a little handmade gift.
A book stand
If you have loved ones who love to read, you can make them this book stand designed by Miss Cactus. It allows you to read comfortably in bed, on the sofa, at the dining room table… Elastic bands hold the book open, and small cushions raise it slightly.
It’s an original gift that’s quick and easy to sew, and can be made at the last minute with fabric scraps lying around in your cupboards.
This book stand can be made from simple cotton. But you’ll also need iron-on interfacing to stiffen it, elastic bands to hold the book and padding for the small cushions.
An insulated work bag
The Miss Cactus lunch box is an ideal gift for someone who usually brings a lunch or sandwich to the office.
It’s quite simple to sew, since it doesn’t close with a zip but with snap fasteners. You can use waxed canvas (from an old, clean tablecloth, for example) or coated cotton.
The only thing you’ll need to think about is the purchase of isothermal fabric, which is sewn in with the main fabric. It’s essential for keeping meals at the right temperature!
Personalized bookmarks
Sewing a bookmark is a great way to use up fabric scraps and make an easy, personalized gift. It’s a great accessory to slip under the tree for an avid reader. Or for someone who is used to leafing through cookery or sewing books and wants to keep certain pages in mind.
To sew this project, you can follow our home-made tutorial by adding a piece of thin cardboard between the two layers of fabric to obtain a stiffer bookmark. If you have more time, you can have fun personalizing it by embroidering the first name of the person you’re going to give it to. You can also add sequins, assemble several fabrics like a patchwork quilt, sew an appliqué shape… You can also make several bookmarks and tie them together with a pretty ribbon.
Attractive storage pockets
For all those storage enthusiasts who love to multiply the number of boxes on their shelves, you can start by making a batch of different-sized pouches. Wrap them together with a pretty ribbon or in a furoshiki (the name of a fabric wrapping from Japan).
Follow this pattern and, depending on the time you have available, sew one to four pouches of different sizes. Make sure that the colors and fabrics appeal to the person who’s going to receive the gift. To be sure, you can look at her home decor or the colors she’s used to wearing, and draw inspiration from them.
These pouches are quick and easy to sew, with no major technical difficulties. As with the bookmarks, you can personalize them by combining several colors or patterns, or by embroidering beads, sequins…
Zipped pockets for your bag
If you don’t know what to sew for someone you don’t know very well? You can make little zipped pouches!
These can be used to organize your handbag or backpack. You can slip in coins, cards, a phone charger, make-up, pens… And it’s a pretty easy project to assemble. The only difficulty lies in fitting the zipper.
To sew small pouches you can follow Jaspe Couture’s free pattern. She explains each step with photos detailing the more technical stitches. As the pouch is quite small, it can be made using fabric scraps. And it can also be personalized with embroidery.
What about you? Will you be giving homemade gifts to your loved ones? What are your ideas for quick sewing objects or accessories for the occasion?
