If you love to sew, then there are many fun things you can make everyone on your Christmas list. Getting a handmade present is always a blessing because you took the time to make it very special for the recipient, and they will appreciate that. Here are some sewn Christmas presents that may be perfect for the special people on your list this year.
Blue Jean Bag
It is easy to upcycle an old pair of jeans into a fashionable crossover bag. Depending on how big you want the bag to be and how intricate, you can easily find tutorials for a no-sew cross body jean bag, sew a multilayered handbag, or even make a dual-strap backpack. Most if not all of these patterns require only the use of one pair of jeans, so getting a pair that the gift recipient never wears makes for a cost-effective and personalized DIY gift.
Stuffed Animals
The little ones on your list will love their very own stuffed animal. Cut the basic shape out twice from felted wool or any soft material that you think would make a nice stuffed animal, lay them on top of each other, lining up edge for edge. Sew along the edge, leaving a hole the size of two fingers, then pull it inside out. Get polyester pillow or animal stuffing to fill up the inside, sew up the hole, and you have an easy DIY stuffed animal. If you’re more ambitious, you can create more complicated patterns and even use an embroidery machine to add intricate details, like an image on the belly, flank, or palm of the animal. Sewing on buttons for eyes makes for a nice touch and mismatched buttons can create a very unique set of eyes. Even if it isn’t the same as the fancy store-bought stuffed animals, your child will treasure it more because it was made by someone they love.
Children’s Bed
It is easy to make a children’s mattress from pillowcases, and this can provide fun padding for them to watch television from the floor, lay on their belly for board games, or even work as extra bedding for camping or emergencies. Take four or five pillowcases and sew them together, bottom edges lining up with top seams in a line. You can remove the bottom seams of the pillows for a unified body cushion or leave them in place to make it easier to fold later on. Then, stuff the pillowcases with polyester fiberfill and sew up the open sides. Alternatively, you can leave the pillowcases open and stuff pillows when needed to save on space. This is another place where using an embroidery machine to make fun designs on one side of the pillowcases can add a fun, personalized flair to the gift.
Mittens
Another wonderful way to upcycle is to turn old sweaters into mittens. Cut an arm off the sweater, retaining the cuff of the sleeve to be used as the opening of the mitten. From there, cut the sweater sleeve into a mitten shape facing away from the cuff. Turn under a small edge along the cut to avoid creating a fringe in the finished product, and sew the two pieces together. You can even add a cute embellishment to the front to match the interests of the recipient, such as a little cloth bow or an iron-on decal. This lets your loved one keep the soft fabric of their favorite, unwearable sweater while also keeping their hands warm.
Vintage Jewelry Christmas Trees
If you have a costume-jewelry lover on your list, then they may love a vintage jewelry Christmas tree. Start this project by embroidering the outline of a fir tree on a black velvet piece of fabric. Now, hang costume earrings on the shape like Christmas ornaments by piercing the fabric with the hook of the earrings. Put a special one on top for the tree topper. Finally, frame your creation in a shadowbox and give it to your recipient. Even if they’d never wear the earrings themselves, they’ll love the combined decorative piece and surely treasure it every Christmas season.
There are many fun Christmas presents you can make with your sewing skills, whether you’re an expert or a novice, and all done on an easy budget with recycled items. Use these ideas and your own ingenuity to get started before the Holidays hit so that you have time to finish them before Christmas Day. Your recipients are sure to love the time you took to make something just for them.
