31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 30 {Necklaces}

Welcome to Day 30! You can find the other 31 Days posts here.

A piece of jewelry is always a great gift for a woman.  On limited budgets accessories can sometimes be the last thing people buy for themselves so they appreciate when they receive them as gifts.  Here are some great necklaces that you can make for gifts.

Pom Pom Necklace by Stay At Home Artist
 

This necklace would not take very long to make at all but it is very stylish and cute!  I found the supplies needed at JoAnn's, but I'm sure Hobby Lobby would have them as well.  The tutorial can be found at Stay At Home Artist.


Mixed Metal Tassel Necklace by Infarrantly Creative
 

I love this necklace as well!  It would go with just about anything and since it has three different metals you can mix it with different colored metal pieces.  Head on over to Infarrantly Creative for the tutorial.


Fabric Bead and Knot Necklace by See Kate Sew

This necklace is great for moms of little ones, its safe for teething babies to chew on!  It is just fabric wrapped and knotted over wooden beads.  Cute!  You can find the tutorial over at See Kate Sew.

See you all tomorrow for the last day of 31 Days of Handmade Gifts!

31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 29 {DIY Photo Canvas}

Welcome to Day 29! You can find the other 31 Days posts here.

I'm sure you all have seen the photo canvases that are becoming very popular.  I have only purchased one (as a gift) since I found a good deal with a coupon code.  I recently saw on Pinterest that you can make your own photo canvas, for just the price of a blank canvas and the print.  Now that's definitely cheaper since a 11 x 14 can run over $50!  Here are some tutorials you can try.  I plan on it!

This canvas was made by adhering the picture with modge podge.  The edges are covered with scrapbook paper and some acrylic paint was added to the corners to give it an antique look. You can hop on over to Girl.Inspired for the easy tutorial.

Blue Cricket Design has a tutorial similar to the one above, but I like that they connected three canvases using ribbon.  What an easy way to display family or wedding photos!

Another option is a distressed photo canvas. Delia Creates has a tutorial for a distressed canvas using a gel medium.  This tutorial is a little more involved and uses a product you will probably have to buy, but I really like the look of the distressed photo!

Only two more days left in October!  Wow!

31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 28 {Baby Blankets}

Welcome to Day 28! You can find the other 31 Days posts here.

A great gift for a new baby is a baby blanket, especially if that baby is born during the colder months.  Gotta keep that little one warm!  Even better, there are a vast amount of ways to make baby blankets at all sewing levels.  Here are some of the more simple ones (that I plan to try for our little one!).

Knit Swaddle Blanket

Everyday Beautiful has a great tutorial to make this swaddle blanket out of knit fabric.  A must for babies that like to be swaddled!  This is a great project if you haven't sewed with knits before. 

Simple Snuggly Blanket

This blanket by Prudent Baby is one that I plan to make (I even have the fabric washed, just need to sit down and do it!) as it is so simple!  It's like the one above, just different materials (cotton print and a cuddly fabric like minky).

Knit Receiving Blanket

This blanket by Make It and Love It is great as a receiving blanket.  Since it is one piece of fabric it is quite easy!  The outer edge is ribbed knit folder over, so somewhat like bias tape, but in my opinion a little easier since it is stretchy and conforms to curves well.  If you haven't sewed with bias tape before (like me) this might be a good start since the ribbed knit doesn't have to be cut on the bias.  But I could be wrong since I have no experience in knit or bias tape! Ha! 


Soft Baby Blanket

This blanket by Momtastic is another simple blanket!  It looks like it has mitered corners (which I have no idea how to do!) but they are faked.  My kind of blanket!  You just need a cotton print and soft fabric like minky. 

Taggie Blankie

If you don't want to make a full size blanket this taggie blankie is a great option.  And it is so easy!  I will have a tutorial posted next week after the 31 Days of Handmade Gifts is over! 

What's your favorite baby blanket?

31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 27 {Organizing Clutches}

Welcome to Day 27! You can find the other 31 Days posts here.

So I am finding that my "nesting" tendencies are starting to set in.  Last week I spent hours organizing both of our clothing closets and our bathroom.  It wasn't entirely necessary since strangers movers will be coming in a couple months to pack it all up, but it made me feel so much better!  I have also gotten on an organizing kick in other places, even sewing and crafting.

Today's handmade gift idea falls in the organizing category.  One place that get can quite disorganized quickly is a purse or diaper bag.  Here are some solutions that would make great gifts.  What person doesn't like adding a little organization to their life?!


Potholder Emergency Clutch

This clutch, made out of a potholder, is a quick way to organize all the loose items in your purse, diaper bag, car, etc.  I use a zippered pouch, but it overflows quickly!  I picked up several potholders from Target for $.98 so I will be making a couple of these soon!  You can find the super easy tutorial over at Tidy Mom.

Place Mat Purse Organizer

In a few simple steps you can covert a place mat into an organizer for your purse. I have seen these in Bed Bath and Beyond, but using a cute place mat is way more stylish (and affordable)!  This organizer would make switching purses a breeze!  Especially if you switch often and/or like using big purses where things can get lost.  Footprints has a great tutorial for this easy project. 


Place Mat Diaper Clutch

In looking at all of the baby gear available I have been quite annoyed surprised at the price of the diaper/wipe organizers.  Making your own is definitely a great way to save money for yourself or as a gift to a new mom.  You can make a diaper and wipe organizer from one place mat and use another as a changing pad.  You can find the tutorial at Junk Mail Gems.

Well I didn't intend to, but today's post was all about re-purposing kitchen items! Funny how things work out that way.  Have you seen any other tutorials for things to keep you organized?