Here are a few badges I made recently, out of felt...

They are simple, but take patience with the piecing of parts.

You can use any character you like, Pokemon are easy because they have quite simple lines to work with. So try not to use a character pic that has too many colours or pieces to put together!

Turtwig.

( Two More Characters )

I made them by tracing the appropriate pictures and then I cut out the pieces of paper, traced them onto the appropriate coloured felt and sewed them onto a disc of felt like a jigsaw puzzle (eyes on top). Then I sewed another disc on using blanket stitch so the back was neat. Then I sewed on a safe badge pin. Very easy to do!

P.S. Sorry if you see these elsewhere, I crosspost a bit, and people need lots of ideas during Christmas-time!

Well it seems like a lot of people are still looking for ideas, so I thought I'd list some of the things I made for people last Christmas. These can all be finished relatively quickly (excluding the last one) so if you find yourself running out of time, these might be an option. There is no sewing/knitting/crocheting involved in any of these, so that should save some time. Obviously there are many other easy ideas that have been posted here already, but I don't think I've ever seen these on here before.

7 Ideas under the cut.

( This post is very image-heavy )

We were invited to a Christmas party, so I put together a little present for the daughter of the mum who invited us.

I came up with this fleecy Rudolph toy, and coupled him with a bag of Christmas chocolates and other sweets.

Enjoy:

I love the button. Especially suits a girl's toy.

( Okay, no more teasing, here he is! )

i work with a bunch of females, and every year i like to make a little something for each of them for Christmas. Last year, i made earrings for all of them, and they were a huge hit, so im making them again this year.




( more behind here )

I started with this size 2x one piece

and with some snipping, hemming and seaming I arrived at...( THIS! )

Okay, so I have a TON of these cards with Pokemon on them, and pictures from the movies and such. They're not actually Pokemon Cards, with stats and whatnot, but they are they same size of any other card. They've just been sitting in a drawer forever. Does anyone have any ideas on what I could do with these cards?

Any ideas appreciated! Thanks. =)

Who is the gift for?
my mom's boyfriend he's 40ish

What is the occasion?
chrismas

List at least three of their interests:
he's getting an ipod
he likes full throtle salon
my mom? i don' know him very well

Any stipulations or things to avoid (i.e., has to be something small, or they already have enough scarves, etc.):
He has cancer so nothing that might remind him of that
What kind of crafting do you do?
- Photography
-cooking
-anything beginner
Name some other crafts that you would be willing to try:
I don't really know alot about crafting but I sink wih crocheting, knitting ect
Do you have a price range for materials?
- $20-$30. No higher, as I'm unemployed.
Do you have a time limit to make this present?
- Christmas (25 December)

Any other information you'd like to include:
I can't think of anything else. nothing really hard though, I'm just getting into crafts

It'll be great if you guys could help me out!

Who is the gift for? Close friend of mine, turning 17
What is the occasion? Her birthday, it's past already, so a late birthday?
List at least three of their interests: Music (!!) including musical instruments, art, animals
Any stipulations or things to avoid (i.e., has to be something small, or they already have enough scarves, etc.): No clothes, food. She's a very sweet and supportive person, so maybe something memorable
What kind of crafting do you do? I mainly cook, but I also do a bit of scrapbooking too
Name some other crafts that you would be willing to try: I'm hopeless at sewing, so anything besides that
Do you have a price range for materials? Around $15 to $20
Do you have a time limit to make this present? I have about a week .. (I'm terrible!)
Any other information you'd like to include: If anyone has any ideas outside of the interests I've put, I'd still like to hear it!

Hi Everyone,

I've been doing pretty much an all-handmade Christmas this year. The blog I've used the most has been Sew Mama Sew (http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/)--for the past three Novembers, they've done a post a day with handmade gift ideas, and all those projects (plus lots more) are archived on their site. Really cute stuff.

My parents are giving my sister a new digital camera for Christmas, so I looked up its dimensions and made this camera case http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=740 to fit it--really cute.

I'm also just starting to learn how to quilt, so I've been making lots of practice quilt squares and making potholders out of them. Quilted coasters too. My sister also requested a metal water bottle, so I also made a quilted water bottle cozy for it, and a doll quilt for my little niece.

This knitted hat (http://racheliufer.blogspot.com/2007/10/robins-egg-blue-hat.html) is cute, quick, and really easy--my girlfriend and I have each made three of them. They take maybe two or three hours each--so get a whole season of a TV show out on DVD, and start knitting.

I also just ran across this food blog with a couple of nice food-related gift ideas: http://www.lucidfood.com/blog/handmade-holiday-food-gift-ideas-red-lentil-dal-soup-mix/

And for my dad I made a knitted washcloth with his initial knitted into it (just using the texture of knit and purl to make his initial). He has a favorite soap, so that plus the washcloth is going to be his gift. Here's a basic knitted washcloth pattern: http://www.purlbee.com/wedding-washcloths/

I think the Purl Soho blog is another one of the best craft blogs, with nothing but beautiful ideas: http://www.purlbee.com/

I'm also printing thank-you cards on my letterpress and/or print gocco. Everyone can use thank you cards, so they're a good holiday gift. You don't need fancy equipment either--get your kid to make them, or print them out on your printer. Draw a picture or use a photograph you took. As long as you use original art, your friends will probably love them. If you need inspiration, find this AWESOME book that I just got out of the library: http://www.amazon.com/Printing-Hand-Handmade-Stencils-Screens/dp/1584796723

Who is the gift for? Sister, 17 years old

What is the occasion? Christmas

List at least three of their interests: She use to take some modeling classes. She's pretty crafty, and she likes cute bags. She's going into the Navy, so that would be a nice thing to think of.

Any stipulations or things to avoid: I don't really know her that well so I'm a little iffy on silly things.

What kind of crafting do you do? I paint, draw, and have recently learned to crochet.

Name some other crafts that you would be willing to try: Sewing, though I'm not too good at it. . . no knitting is all I ask. . .

Do you have a price range for materials? Dirt cheap!

Do you have a time limit to make this present? Christmas Eve

Any other information you'd like to include: I would like to follow the somewhat tradition of getting her something with fairies on it, but I'm sorta desperate. . .

Looks like we got a busy little bot in here! I think it hit pretty much every entry for awhile back... I started to delete them all, but frankly I don't have that much free time on my hands (or well, free hands at all since I have an infant!). The bot has been banned from commenting further, but if you got a comment on your entry feel free to delete it. Thanks!

Also, another reminder to tag your posts, guys. Thanks! And if you want to help me out, I'm pretty sure members can tag other people's posts so if you see a post that isn't tagged, go ahead and tag it. I would be much appreciative! Thanks everyone, and keep up the awesomeness!

So, a long time ago my mother taught me how to make these GIGANTIC teddy bears, and I do mean GIGANTIC. I used to make them for friends and family and I had a huge collection of my own. However, all of mine and the patterns to make them where lost in a house fire. And no matter where I look, I can't seem to find a pattern even similar to it.

They where about 4 1/2 feet tall while sitting on the ground, with huge larger-than-human heads and big fat arms and legs that where great for snuggling and enjoying. I don't mind having to buy a pattern, because I know that I wont be able to print one off, seeing as paper doesnt come that big, but I just don't know where to buy one. I have looked in local craft and fabric stores as well as online EVERYWHERE! If anyone has a pattern or knows where to get one, could you help me out????

THANKS! Marty~

Who is the gift for?
My husband, 23

What is the occasion?
Christmas

List at least three of their interests:
[1] Metal music
[2] Tattoos
[3] Dancing
[4] Peanut Butter & Dr. Pepper

Any stipulations or things to avoid (i.e., has to be something small, or they already have enough scarves, etc.):
Nothing too large. And nothing really mushy [ie. hearts]. He's shipping off for basic training in January for the National Guard, so possibly something that I could mail to him in basic. Or just possibly anything. He doesn't want any clothes until after he comes back from training.

What kind of crafting do you do?
-Hand sewing
-Making picture collages & frames
-I have lots of construction paper, scrapbooking paper, markers, pens, ribbons, thread, hot glue gun
-I'm super crafty, I just don't know the limits of my talents. ha.

Name some other crafts that you would be willing to try:
Anything, really.

Do you have a price range for materials?
No more than $25

Do you have a time limit to make this present?
I'd love to have it done by December 25. But anytime between now and March would be okay too.

Any other information you'd like to include:
He's not one to need anything. And I already promised him that I wasn't going to get him anything for Christmas, since we're both unemployed. We also have a 3-month old daughter.

Who is the gift for? Two of my cousins, both boys, 17 and 19

What is the occasion? Christmas


List at least three of their interests: They both are interested in listening to/making music, but I'm not sure how that could translate into a homemade gift. The 17 year old likes drawing, video games, and comic books like Watchmen and Batman. He also plays guitar and bass and fiddles with a drum machine, and has recorded a few things on his computer. The 19 year old likes wrestling, action/sci-fi/comedy movies, Star Wars, Batman, etc. They both appreciate things that are generally weird/funny. He plays guitar as well.

Any stipulations or things to avoid: Sort of small, but somewhat useful, or at least memorable and fun. They like odds and ends, but I don't want it to be something they forget about by next year.


What kind of crafting do you do? I paint, draw, glue things together... A little embroidery, but I'm still learning. I sew a little.


Name some other crafts that you would be willing to try: Anything except crochet or knitting. I'm hopeless at that.


Do you have a price range for materials? $10-15


Do you have a time limit to make this present? From now until Christmas Eve!


Any other information you'd like to include: If anyone has any ideas that don't necessarily fall within the interests I listed, I'd be happy to hear them. They're pretty eclectic boys and they appreciate odd things.

This holiday season will go down in history as "Le Cheap"! Since I have a tote or two (literally) of fleece fabric in my collection, I've decided it may also come to be known as "The Fleece That Never Ended".
To that end, I'm sharing a few of the easy fleece projects that I've found. All but one is in DF format for easy printing.

A faux "Snuggie"
http://www.sissonfamily.com/Sewingroom/images/2006projects/thesnuglet.pdf

Kid's Chinese Slippers
http://www.sewing.org/html/fleece_chinese_slippers.html

Cute Slip-On Slippers
http://www.makeminepink.com/pink-slipper-project/rag-slipper-instructions.pdf

Insulated bag for dishes
http://joann.com/static/project/0903/P070155_eco_smart_insulated_bag.pdf

Miscellaneous projects found by searching "Fleece" under projects at Joann.com
Please note: The site tends to crash easily on Fridays and Saturdays, with holiday shoppers panicking for shopping ideas...
http://joann.com/static/project/0707/P228040.pdf

http://joann.com/static/project/0308/PD00261.pdf

http://joann.com/static/project/0801/P488360.pdf

hey guys, hope you're all well, i was just hoping for some advice for handmade gifts that i'm making for christmas.

1) for all of my friends i am making cds for with a selections of songs that i've chosen for them that either relate to things we've been through, were playing at parties ect. and that remind me of them/ i think they'd like. i've also made album art for these cds and i'm really proud of them, however i was planning to give them to them in little bags with other small fun stuff they'd like. i'm going to bake some gingerbread men and might through in some small christmas-y chocolates but i was wondering if you can think of any small trinket-like things i could make for my friends (all girls). i don't really want to spend alot of money on it but i'm an art student so i have discount cards and alot of material anyway, so any suggestion would be great :)

2) my boyfriend - i'm also making him a cd but im stuck on what else to get/make him. he loves bmxing so i was thinking of baking him cookies in the shape of bikes and decorating them but i have no idea how i could do that! it might be a bit adventurous - i'm not sure. and i'm also going to make him a small plush toy of a panda (dont ask!) so i was wondering if any of you have any good patterns or tutorials to make something like that. i do have access a sowing machine :)

thanks in advance! ♥

One year for Christmas I had quite a few friends that we were exchanging gifts. I didn't have alot money but wanterd something nice. What I ended up doing is made them pillows. For each pillow, I took two different colored bandanas, maybe their 2 fave colors or did a sports team theme, and sewn them together. Before I stuffed it, I added a decal to each one. My one friend loves her cats and wants to be a zoologist so I used a cat for hers, another friend of mine is a dancer, so I put ballet slippers on hers, one is a true blue country girl, so she got cowboy boots on hers. Then I stuffed them and sewn the last end up. These are easy too for those that are just beginning to sew because they are straight simple lines.

Go with a BBC correspondent for a look at a weapon storage bunker built by the East German military. It's for sale. Maybe we could all pitch in and ...nevermind.
LINK ~VIDEO

A cookie I made as a Christmas present for a friend of mine. I'm going to embroider "Cookies make my world go around" half above and half below it, then frame it. It only took me like 2 days to complete, I had to stop to go to work. I like the way it came out though.

Experienced Last Straw Syndrome today at work; when emotionally stretched, drained, and near the end of my rope, something happened to tip the balance just that little bit more. I think what I did was overestimate my energy level and put in more than I could have afforded to in an interaction. Not that I had a choice. At least I have tested my limits and now I know.

I think I'm getting used to this new life, though, on the home front. The change in my circumstances signifies independence, in a way, and that's not bad since I'm not a rebellious teenager anymore.

Well, most of the time.

I wonder what comes next. There are great changes in the wind if I lift my nose and sniff, self-wrought or otherwise; perhaps it's best to rest up and harbour my strength for the tide, effect change as slowly as possible? On the other hand, resilience is a product of adversity, peacetime did not produce the greatest heroes, and we cannot plan change. It will come, bulwark or none. So I had better live as I am - and remember to breath.

I haven't done the update post I wanted. It's been a hard few weeks. I'm very grateful to all the people who've talked to me and helped me to pick myself up (even if I had to hunt them down), for all the genuine connections and very wise people around me (!!) and to my parents too... I guess they've always tried to be there for me.