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!
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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!
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
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:
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!
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:
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!
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.
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!
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!
Which project are you most excited to stitch up?
xo,
Shannon
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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!
Amazing! I love it when I can help spark some fun sewing! The dish drying mats are super satisfying to stitch up too!