Hand made gifts

Jace

Well-known Member
Do you make anything special to give at Christmas or any other occasion.

I'm not real handy..but I do make little green yarn w/red yarn bow wreath
pins to give to others..
when we " cross paths".
Do you have a talent?
 

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Do you make anything special to give at Christmas or any other occasion.

I'm not real handy..but I do make little green yarn w/red yarn bow pins to give to others..
when we " cross paths".
Do you have a talent?
I am the least 'crafty' person you could possibly meet... I'm just terrible. I can knit and crochet after learning as a child, but it bores me rigid.

..any other kind of craft,? well.. lets say I was born with that part of my brain missing...

I'm an avid photographer, and years ago I would make books and calendars with all my own photos for every month of the year but I got bored with that, probably not as soon as those who got them as gifts.. :ROFLMAO:
 
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My nephew requested some pickled vegetables that we make around the holidays. I'll pickle carrots, cabbage, celery
and cauliflower. This year I'm going to add some green beans to the mix.
Last year I put a little red thai chili in a few of the jars for some heat.

I'm also trying to decide if I want to make some grapeleaves, either stuffed w/meat or a rice mixture that we use.
It's a lot of food, so I have to make sure someone else will be around to share it with.

Those will be my handmade gifts.
 
How, of what materials?
It's super easy. Two (or three) sheets makes 1 blanket. I buy most of these sheets at a thrift store, so I can find really nice quality ones for just a few bucks. I buy patterned ones, but they don't match, like, one might be floral, the other geometric or striped, one with a kiddy print, the other a solid bright color....and I sew them together back-to-back. I like to put the top of one together with the bottom of the other, so it's reversible and upsidedownable, and I like to put extra longs one with standard ones, or a queen with a full, so I can fold the extra fabric around the smaller sheet and sew it down as edging that matches the other side.

I don't know if I explained it very well, but they make really neat blankets because sheets hold in body warmth, so they're warm enough for most the year and lightweight enough for summer, but they're totally washable. If you need it extra warm (i.e., you don't live in Calif), you can sandwich a plain white sheet between the other 2, so you have middle layer. You can also use them as a coverlet, I guess.

I found this one sheet at a thrift store with my granddaughter's favorite cartoon character all over it (Dora the Explorer), and another one at the same shop that had wide stripes of pink and purple. They were perfect together (back to back). The striped one was longer, so I sewed the extra fabric from that one across the top of the character side, and I sewed a row of little purple bows along there too. Another granddaughter is named Isis, and I happened to find an "Egyptian" print sheet for one side (Cleopatra liked to say she was Isis reincarnated) and one with a palm-frond print for the other. I also made 2 figures of Isis from random scraps of fabric and appliqued them onto the center of each side...each sheet. It's still her favorite blanket.
 
Do you make anything special to give at Christmas or any other occasion.
script 001.JPG
In my wife's working life as a paramedic, one of the patients that stuck in her mind was a Church of England priest, or vicar as they were known back then. The Reverend Mann wrote Christmas cards to all his parishioners, he and his wife would write a couple each almost every day.

That gave me an idea, we have about fifty or so couples in the dance community. In their Christmas cards I insert an A4 page, on which I have written on both sides, filled with trivia and updates. My handwriting gets many compliments, and those Christmas cards always get a reaction. I follow the Reverend Mann's example, usually writing one letter and card per week, and I always reserve one for our post lady who loves my handwriting and she kindly takes all the letters at the beginning of December to save me trying to stuff them all in a mail box.

I wouldn't say that handwriting is a talent but it is well received.
 
It's super easy. Two (or three) sheets makes 1 blanket. I buy most of these sheets at a thrift store, so I can find really nice quality ones for just a few bucks. I buy patterned ones, but they don't match, like, one might be floral, the other geometric or striped, one with a kiddy print, the other a solid bright color....and I sew them together back-to-back. I like to put the top of one together with the bottom of the other, so it's reversible and upsidedownable, and I like to put extra longs one with standard ones, or a queen with a full, so I can fold the extra fabric around the smaller sheet and sew it down as edging that matches the other side.

I don't know if I explained it very well, but they make really neat blankets because sheets hold in body warmth, so they're warm enough for most the year and lightweight enough for summer, but they're totally washable. If you need it extra warm (i.e., you don't live in Calif), you can sandwich a plain white sheet between the other 2, so you have middle layer. You can also use them as a coverlet, I guess.

I found this one sheet at a thrift store with my granddaughter's favorite cartoon character all over it (Dora the Explorer), and another one at the same shop that had wide stripes of pink and purple. They were perfect together (back to back). The striped one was longer, so I sewed the extra fabric from that one across the top of the character side, and I sewed a row of little purple bows along there too. Another granddaughter is named Isis, and I happened to find an "Egyptian" print sheet for one side (Cleopatra liked to say she was Isis reincarnated) and one with a palm-frond print for the other. I also made 2 figures of Isis from random scraps of fabric and appliqued them onto the center of each side...each sheet. It's still her favorite blanket.
How interesting and they sound so comfortable!
I could never tackle that myself but I think I would like to have one. Any pictures?
 
@RadishRose I love your idea especially putting the queen with the full etc. so you have extra to sew around the edges. Do you stitch down the middle or maybe crisscross to keep them together better or do they stay nicely by just stitching the edges?

I am going to try this. A friend of mine went into a nursing home and she had several sets of brand new unopened king sheets. I couldn't use them and tried to sell them online but I guess some people are afraid to buy bedding even though they were unopened.
I could make her a couple of nice ones for her bed and wheel chair.
Thanks so much for the idea.
 
It's super easy. Two (or three) sheets makes 1 blanket. I buy most of these sheets at a thrift store, so I can find really nice quality ones for just a few bucks. I buy patterned ones, but they don't match, like, one might be floral, the other geometric or striped, one with a kiddy print, the other a solid bright color....and I sew them together back-to-back. I like to put the top of one together with the bottom of the other, so it's reversible and upsidedownable, and I like to put extra longs one with standard ones, or a queen with a full, so I can fold the extra fabric around the smaller sheet and sew it down as edging that matches the other side.

I don't know if I explained it very well, but they make really neat blankets because sheets hold in body warmth, so they're warm enough for most the year and lightweight enough for summer, but they're totally washable. If you need it extra warm (i.e., you don't live in Calif), you can sandwich a plain white sheet between the other 2, so you have middle layer. You can also use them as a coverlet, I guess.

I found this one sheet at a thrift store with my granddaughter's favorite cartoon character all over it (Dora the Explorer), and another one at the same shop that had wide stripes of pink and purple. They were perfect together (back to back). The striped one was longer, so I sewed the extra fabric from that one across the top of the character side, and I sewed a row of little purple bows along there too. Another granddaughter is named Isis, and I happened to find an "Egyptian" print sheet for one side (Cleopatra liked to say she was Isis reincarnated) and one with a palm-frond print for the other. I also made 2 figures of Isis from random scraps of fabric and appliqued them onto the center of each side...each sheet. It's still her favorite blanket.
Wow! You're "quite a guy"! Love it!
 
@hollydolly
Now, Now, Hols .. you've gotta share (with me!)
shan't....
images
đź‘…
 
@RadishRose I love your idea especially putting the queen with the full etc. so you have extra to sew around the edges. Do you stitch down the middle or maybe crisscross to keep them together better or do they stay nicely by just stitching the edges?

I am going to try this. A friend of mine went into a nursing home and she had several sets of brand new unopened king sheets. I couldn't use them and tried to sell them online but I guess some people are afraid to buy bedding even though they were unopened.
I could make her a couple of nice ones for her bed and wheel chair.
Thanks so much for the idea.
They stay nicely by just sewing all around the edges. And that way air that gets warmed by your body stays trapped inside, so they're a lot warmer than they look and yet they're lightweight.

You're welcome, Ruth. They're fun to make and it doesn't take very long. (takes a lot of thread, tho)
 
@RadishRose I love your idea especially putting the queen with the full etc. so you have extra to sew around the edges. Do you stitch down the middle or maybe crisscross to keep them together better or do they stay nicely by just stitching the edges?

I am going to try this. A friend of mine went into a nursing home and she had several sets of brand new unopened king sheets. I couldn't use them and tried to sell them online but I guess some people are afraid to buy bedding even though they were unopened.
I could make her a couple of nice ones for her bed and wheel chair.
Thanks so much for the idea.
Ruth this was Murrmurrs creation not mine. i was just responding
 

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