• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • FAQ
  • TUTORIALS
  • RESOURCES
  • QUILT ALONGS
    • Little Forest BOM
    • Mouse Trap BOM 2025
    • Shattered Star QAL
    • Winter Star QAL
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • Shannon Fraser Designs

Shannon Fraser Designs

Spreading quilty joy one stitch at a time!

9 sew easy last-minute DIY Christmas gift ideas

December 17, 2021 by Shannon 2 Comments

9 Sew Easy Last-Minute DIY Christmas Gift Ideas you can stitch up in less than a day by Shannon Fraser Designs - the holidays are just around the corner and handmade gifts are the best. Whip up one of these easy sewing projects for your loved one today! #diy #sewing #quilting #easysewing

The countdown is on, Christmas is 8 days away and you’re in need of a gift idea that will show just how much you care.

You’re not alone!

As much as I love being prepared ahead of time around this time of year, I always seem to be in need of a few last-minute gifts.

Since time is of the essence and you probably want to skip running around in crazy busy malls and worrying about finding a parking spot, bleurgh, isn’t that the worst – waiting in traffic to find a parking spot?!

I encourage you to check out what you already have at home to see if you can whip up one of these 9 super easy and super fun DIY gift ideas.

What’s great about these options is they don’t require a ton of material or time to create, but they don’t sacrifice cuteness or that lovely handmade touch.

Let’s dive in!

9 Sew Easy Last-Minute DIY Christmas Gift Ideas you can stitch up in less than a day by Shannon Fraser Designs - the holidays are just around the corner and handmade gifts are the best. Whip up one of these easy sewing projects for your loved one today! #diy #sewing #quilting #holidaysewing

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.


PINCUSHIONS

If you sew or quilt, then you know a pincushion is an essential notion to have on hand.

What’s even better is having a handmade pincushion from your quilty BFF to ogle on the daily!

For me, it becomes a daily reminder of the love we have for one another 😊

What’s fun is you have a ton of options to choose from. You could DIY your own or, if you prefer following a pattern, make the Sit ‘n Sew Pincushion (pattern available in the shop) which is my go-to.

Whatever approach you choose, your recipient is sure to be tickled pink!

Sit 'n Sew Pincushions by Shannon Fraser Designs - perfect scrap buster and handmade gift to stitch up for your sewing BFF. #quiltinggift #sewinggift #pincushion #sewingessentials #notions

QUILTED PILLOWS & CUSHIONS

I often joke that you can’t have too many cushions!

They’re just so perfect at sprucing up a room without investing too much money.

Plus, who doesn’t love sitting back into a nice plush cushion?

Up your friend’s pillow game by stitching one up featuring colours your friend loves.

Who could resist getting a custom-made quilted cushion of their own?

Here are some to get you inspired:

  • Shattered Star Lumbar Pillow
  • Etched Diamond Square Pillow
  • Etched Diamond Lumbar Pillow
  • Double Chevron Pillow
  • Butterfly Pillow
  • Spotlight Cushion
Shattered Star Lumbar Pillow by Shannon Fraser Designs - add some big stitch hand quilting to your handmade gifts this holiday season and take a simple cushion to new textural heights with 12wt Aurifil Thread. #quiltedcushion #pillow #sewingisfun #handquilted
Pictured above is the Shattered Star Lumbar Pillow – pattern available in the shop.

QUILTED TABLE RUNNERS

I know, I know, you’re probably tired of hearing me go on about my love of table runners, but what can I say, they really are a great gift to give!

They’re quick to stitch up, don’t require a ton of material, and you get to have a fun quilty journey without committing to a full-on quilt.

It’s a quilty win-win in my books!

Here are some to get you inspired:

  • Modern Aztec Little Town
  • Modern Aztec Sonata
  • Modern Aztec Fantasy
  • Jolly Jelly
  • Shattered Star
Shattered Star Quilted Table Runner by Shannon Fraser Designs - a fun round-up of 9 sew easy projects to stitch up for last-minute holiday gift ideas this Christmas season. #giftideas #handmadegifts #quiltedtablerunners
Pictured above is the Shattered Star Table Runner – pattern available in the shop.

ZIP POUCHES

I love zip pouches for helping me keep things organized.

They’re the best at keeping things corralled in a big bag full of odds and ends.

They make perfect travel sewing bags to keep all your sewing essentials on hand while travelling.

I have one for my makeup, which got extensively used during all my corporate travel years.

Plus I have another for keeping my IT cables, travel mouse and camera accessories.

I’ve even made one for the hubz as his travel medicine bag.

Most recently, I stitched this lil’ cutie up which is headed to a recipient this holiday season 😉

Check out the What’s in Your Sewing Bag Series for a ton of inspiration on zip pouch styles!

Raw Edge Appliqué zip pouch by Shannon Fraser Designs - here's a round-up of 9 sew easy last-minute holiday gift ideas to stitch up for your loved ones this Christmas! #giftideas #handmadeholidays #zippouch #rawedgeapplique

QUILTED WALL HANGING

Similar to the quilted table runner theory, quilted wall hangings are amazing for not requiring a ton of materials or time to stitch up.

Plus, they’re perfect projects to try new ideas out on or just sneak in a quick stitching project.

I love gifting these as I feel they make unique gifts and add the most glorious texture to your walls.

You can go traditional, modern, or themed! Really the options are endless.

Here are a few I’ve made over the years:

  • Harvest Falls
  • Lunar Eclipse
  • Double Windmill
  • Cloud Surfing
  • Improv Landmark
Harvest Falls Mini by Shannon Fraser Designs - this modern mini quilted wall hanging is a perfect gift to stitch up this holiday season for your loved one! Just one of the 9 sew easy last-minute gift ideas you can make this Christmas! #diyholidays #quiltedwallhanging #fatquarterfriendly
Pictured above is the Harvest Falls x Wild Forgotten quilted wall hanging – pattern available in the shop.

ADVENTE CALENDAR – the gift that keeps on giving

In the last session of the Canadian Virtual Trunk Show I shared that one of my favourite holiday traditions is preparing the Advent Calendar. I made this one all the way back in 2014 from a bunch of felt I picked up at the local fabric store.

This was entirely designed by me with fun designs hidden behind each door.

On top of that, I left a pocket where I could slip in some yummy chocolates.

A few years back, I decided to take the Advent Calendar one step further by including a handwritten note. The contents of the note have changed every year, with this year the focus being on ‘highlights from 2021’.

As much as I love chocolate – ha! The notes have become my favourite part of the Advent Calendar – both thinking/preparing the notes and seeing my hubz read the personalized notes.

Such a fun one to customize for your family!

Advent Calendar by Shannon Fraser Designs - 9 sew easy last-minute DIY holiday gift ideas to make your loved ones this holiday season. #adventcalendar #diy #holidays

QUILTED MUG RUG

Bring an extra level of coziness to your loved one’s tea or coffee breaks with a handmade quilted mug rug.

These are so fun to stitch up and try new quilty techniques that you’ve wanted to explore.

You can even add some big stitch hand quilting to up the texture and see if hand stitching is your thing!

So many ways to customize these cuties, here are just a few examples I’ve made and gifted over the years.

Quilted mug rugs by Shannon Fraser Designs - here are 9 sew easy last-minute DIY holiday gift ideas to make for your loved ones this holiday season. #christmas #mugrug #quilting #diy

PET FOOD PLACEMAT

Is your furry friend as messy an eater as Pips?

Gosh, I sometimes feel half of his food ends up on the floor. What’s up with that?

In case you have crumbs alllll over the place, a handmade quilted pet food placemat is just the ticket!

Not only do they make tipping those crumbs into the garbage easy peasy, but they also clean up nicely by popping them in the washing machine!

Plus, they can add a cute little pop of colour to your kitchen too!

Modern Improv Pet Food Placemat by Shannon Fraser Designs - have you got a messy eater too? Pips seems to get food crumbs everywhere so I whipped up this super easy improv quilted placemat for him. Toss it in the washing machine for easy cleaning! #diy #quiltedplacemat #petfoodplacemat #quilting

DISH DRYING MATS

A few years back I decided to ditch my dish drying rack.

It just took up too much space on my counter and I disliked having to dry and store it on the daily to keep the eyesore out of sight.

So, I switched to using DIY quilted drying mats.

The first versions I made I used old towels and added a pop of colour with some fabric on top.

I placed the fabrics RST and stitched them around the perimeter leaving a small opening to turn the project right side out. I finished it off by stitching around the perimeter, closing off that opening as I went.

While this worked, I noticed that with repetitive washing over the years the fabric started to tear near the top seam, which was super annoying!

A couple of weeks back I finally decided to make myself a new batch.

But this time I decided to add some quilting to help secure the two layers together better.

It worked like a charm!

And makes a great housewarming or handmade hostess gift this holiday season!

DIY Quilted Dish Drying Mats by Shannon Fraser Designs - super simple sewing project featuring your favorite fat quarter bundle and some terry cloth or old towels. Makes a great gift too! #shannonfraserdesigns #diy #dryingmats
9 sew easy last-minute DIY gift ideas to make this holiday season by Shannon Fraser Designs - give the gift of handmade this Christmas by stitching up one of these simple, quick and easy sewing projects. #diy #holidays #christmasgiftideas #sewing #quilting
Pictured above is the Sit ‘n Sew Pincushion, the Shattered Star Lumbar Pillow, and the Lunar Eclipse quilted wall hanging.

Which of these last-minute DIY Christmas sewing projects are you most excited to stitch up?

xo,

Shannon


Never miss a post – sign up for the weekly newsletter.

This post uses affiliate links. For more info, visit the FAQ page.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Related

Filed Under: Gift Guides, Holidays, Quilting Tagged With: Gift Guide, Holidays

Join the newsletter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cindy Beal says

    December 17, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    You got me at the dish drying mats! Why didn’t I ever think of that as I use towels to dry on too. And I am a sucker for pincushions! Thanks for the great ideas!

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      December 17, 2021 at 2:11 pm

      Amazing! I love it when I can help spark some fun sewing! The dish drying mats are super satisfying to stitch up too!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Shannon. A modern quilt pattern designer based in Montreal. My quilting journey started by stumbling upon a half square triangle tutorial and I've been hooked since. I'm now spreading that quilty joy to you! Read More…

Stay up to date

Categories

POPULAR POSTS

Quilts I completed in 2020 | Shannon Fraser Designs #modernfiberart

Before sharing new quilty projects with you for 2021, I thought it would be fun to hold a virtual show and tell of all the quilt projects I completed in 2020. Come take a look!

See how to style a quilted coat for autumn in this modern capsule wardrobe overview by a modern quilter! Quilted coats are the perfect layering piece for autumn, click to see just how versatile they can be! #quiltedcoat #capsulewardrobe #fallwardrobe #womensfashion

Fall is here and that means the 2024 autumn capsule wardrobe overview is ready for you!

Holiday Shattered Star quilt getting pin basted | Shattered Star Quilt Along Week 7: How to baste your quilt | Shannon Fraser Designs #quilttutorial

It’s Week 7 of the Shattered Star Quilt Along and you’ve made amazing progress! We’ve got one big quilty hurdle to get over and then it’s all smooth quilting from there. Whether you love it or hate it, basting is a necessary step in the quilt making journey.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Join the Newsletter

Be the first to know all the latest

Footer

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Shannon Fraser Designs

Copyright © 2025 SHANNON FRASER DESIGNS