Bearing Three Handmade Gifts

I had grand plans for giving a lot of handmade gifts this year, but I’m finding it tricky to come up with handmade ideas for my older nieces (7,10,11, that sort of age). The littlies seem a bit easier, lots of fun toddler things to make. Plus, I was fast running out of time! But here are some of handmade offerings this year coming from Aunty Em’s sewing room…

Felt Name Book

This was actually intended for Maddie’s birthday…in October. Oops. Clearly I didn’t get it finished then, and only just in time for Christmas. I made six pages each with a different letter of her name hand stitched on with a corresponding item beginning with that letter (mouse, apple, dog, dinosaur, ice-cream and elephant). I did a simple blanket stitch around the pages to bind them together and then a white ribbon up the spine (which Matt actually had to do with the help of his fencing pliers it was so hard to get a sharp needle through six + layers of felt!) Simple but effective – love felt!

Crochet Rug

I’d had this navy and taupe striped Zpagetti in my ‘yarn’ collection forever – and had also been wanting to make a crochet rug for a long time too. Our friends Tyler and Kate are the lucky recipients of a new round rug for their home, I did want it to be a bit larger and have a scalloped edge but ran out of Zpagetti! These rugs really use it up. I used a big chunky 12mm hook and had to lie the rug flat and stomp on it for a few days to smooth it out flat.

School Library Bag

This year both our niece Ava and nephew Ethan are starting school, easily sorted with presents: drink bottle, lunchbox, pencil case, that sort of thing. For Ethan I also made him this library bag from denim, lime spotty fabric and grey felt. Very simple bag design with a ribbon handle (roughly about 15 x 17 inches), denim outer and lime spots on the inner. I then found a picture of an elephant on the internet, traced it onto some felt, cut it in half and stitched onto each side. I did think about doing a sausage dog but had the grey felt so went with the elephant. I do love elephants for little boys things. A co-ordinating lime spotty ‘E’ because the elephant looked lonely, and I realised E for Ethan, E for elephants! Genius, and totally planned… I was originally going to make the bag just an A4 size but then thought that a lot of children’s picture books from the library can be quite big. Happy school days, Ethan!

Have you been making any gifts this year for the littlies?

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I’m signing off for 2013 – last night we traveled the 8 hours home to Gippsland to spend Christmas with our families, and New Years with friends at a house on Lake Nagambie. I don’t think I’ll be back here until around the 5th when we return home to ‘Carlton’ – but who knows! We’re both very, very much looking forward to a break away from the farm after a busy few months. I’ll see you in the new year, have a restful and joyful Christmas.