With around 70 blogs and tutorials on my website now, I thought it would be a nice idea to compile a list of sewing gift ideas ready for Christmas. 2020 is going to be a strange Christmas and nothing says, I am thinking of you, more than a homemade gift. This is a list of my favourite 10 makes for kids, I hope you find some inspiration.
This apron is my go to project for gift ideas. Whether it is used in a play kitchen or a real one, every kid needs an apron. The beauty of this one, is that it works for such a wide range of ages. This fat quarter design was made when my little boy was two, but he still wears it now he is 4 and it has years left in it. It is quick and simple to make and needs one or two fat quarters, so it is a great budget sew too. Just add a wooden spoon, some baking ingredients and a recipe book and you can make a great little gift hamper.
Another make that is in my top 5 list of things to make for kids, a pencil case wrap. Years on and George still keeps all his favourite pens in his wrap, and we use it all the time. This project is particularly special to me because it was my first blog for the Craft Cotton Company. I now write regularly for them and love being part of their little fabric family.
I made this quilt two years ago and it still comes out regularly. When we have had friends around (pre Covid times), this mat always comes out and is enjoyed by all ages. Beanbags are always great to have around anyway. We use them for balancing, making obstacle courses and counting. This is a perfect project for stash busting and using lots of different fun kids prints.
This is my most viewed blog on my website. It is not hard to see why. It is exactly the kind of things I would have loved to play with as a kid, it has a Polly Pocket feel to it. This one I made for my Niece and I bought the rabbit from a lovely small business called Cloud Tree Crafts. I made her rabbit some extra outfits and a changing room for her birthday too.
A few Christmases ago, all George wanted was a pink scooter. It made his year when Santa delivered exactly what he wanted. He rode around on it everywhere! I made the pouch a couple of months later for his birthday and he carried everything in it. His water bottle travelled in it, he would set the table with the knives and forks in it. When we went outside, we would transfer it over to his bike. He is too big for his scooter inside now, so it goes on his bike. This is a great gift for any kids with bikes and scooters.
What little girl doesn't love dressing up? Or boy! George loves putting on his little friend's tiara and clicky shoes when we are able to go round to play. The crowns are a perfect addition to any dressing up boxes. I have used ribbon on the back, so you don't need to worry about getting the size right. I also think these could be adapted as reusable cracker hats at Christmas.
I made this at the start of the year, it was the last birthday party we went to before the world went mad. All you need is a plain t-shirt, some fabric and Bonderweb. I used block printing and fabric paint to make the name, but you could easily just do the applique bit.
8. Project Bag
This was a Christmas gift from me to George and Daddy. They are both into their Science and George loves doing experiments. I thought for ages about what I could make with this Future Scientist fabric from Craft Cotton Company and then I saw the Dad Lab book and had a brain wave. We still get this out all the time. The idea of a project bag works for lots of different themes. You could do a craft one with a craft book and bits inside. Baking with a recipe book and ingredients inside. Gardening and tools inside. The possibilities are endless! I think with the limited things we can do at the moment, gifting activities like this are really valuable.
Another project I made for a birthday party, a superhero cape. Using any fabrics, in any colours, not just superhero themed fabric, this is a dressing up box essential. It comes out all the time including Joe Wicks fancy dress PE lessons over lockdown.
10. Eye Spy Quilt
This was our leaving present to nursery, and I heard the kids loved it. It is the most time consuming project but really rewarding. You could play it in lots of ways but I found the easiest way to play with a bunch of 4 year olds was for one person to think of something they could see on the quilt and the others to ask questions e.g. "can you eat it?", "does it have 4 legs?", "does it have any green in it?" until they are able to work out what it is.
I hope you are feeling inspired. I would love it if you left a heart and a comment if you have given any of them a go. For more free tutorials, new fabric arrivals and special offers, make sure you subscribe to my mailing list.