In-flight snoozing on those red-eye flights just got easier and much more fashionable. When sleeping upright is your only option, this soft and comfortable DIY neck pillow will help you get the Zzz’s you need. Make one to match your luggage or make one to match your traveling clothes. Whatever colors you choose to make this pillow, it most certainly will ensure sweet dreams during your next trip.
Little did my mom know that when she declared the Christmas of 1971 as a “Handmade Holiday,” she changed my life forever. I can still remember feeling so honored and loved when even my dad, who was Mr. Busy and Mr. Uncrafty, spent time putting together presents he thought we would enjoy. The huge mosaic he made from our shag carpet remnants hung on the wall above the piano for years. The fabric-covered hanging lamp he made for me hung above my bed until I went to college. It was this Christmas that began my own “Handmade Journey.”
Today, I’m still on that journey. It has become such a part of who I am today. All seems right with the world when I’m able to design, create and share my sewing adventures with you.
If you’ve declared your own Handmade Holiday this season, a flannel fringe scarf is an easy, stylish gift to make for anyone on your list.
You can see the Facebook video here:
Or, if you don’t have Facebook, you can watch the Youtube version here:
If your Saturday includes holiday decorating and you want to make a new, modern tree skirt, here’s one that you can literally make in minutes from a round tablecloth.
You need to be careful what you wear around me. Be very, very careful. Each sweater I lay my eyes on these days becomes a potential mitten fantasy to me. While you think I’m listening to you talk about your elf on the shelf adventures, I’m most likely envisioning myself cutting up your sweater to make more SMITTENS!!!! You can’t say you haven’t been warned…
If you’re looking for the perfect DIY gift, you can make a pair of cozy, warm, fleece lined mittens from a couple of outdated sweaters in under an hour. I like to call these “Smittens.” Your friends and family will love receiving a unique pair of earth friendly, handmade Smittens this holiday season.
Here’s the Facebook video: (be sure to turn on the sound, it’s more fun with the music.:))
For those of you not on Facebook, you can watch here:
The bigger, the better. The more the merrier. So many reasons for a party, so little time. I truly am a walking party cliche. 🙂
To me, one of the best things about the holiday parties (besides the cranberry salsa) is the opportunity to dress up. A faux fur collar is such a festive holiday accessory and they are super easy to make.
So, grab some faux fur, lining, newsprint, scissors, a measuring tape, a marker, come with me to eHow and I’ll show you how easy it is to make.
There’s a crackling fire in our wood stove and the fresh snow in the mountains is inspiring me to refashion an ill-fitting sweater into a festive pair of mittens and a warm hat.
Brrrrrrrr… I woke up the other day to the first frost, reminding me that winter really is on its way. Definitely time to bring out those warm sweaters and bundle up. How about making a sweater for your favorite winter drink cup, too? Make your own felted wool cup cozy for the cutest cup of coffee this winter.
Start with a felted thrift store vest or sweater.Lucky for us, some people forget they can’t wash and dry their wool sweaters, donating them when they shrink.
I see this as a big score for me!
You can even make your own wooden buttons by thinly slicing a branch and drilling a couple of holes.
Even after all these years of shopping second hand, I’m still thrilled when I find quality clothing for very little moolah. And even better, they don’t even have to fit when you know how to alter and refashion.
All it takes is an eye for possibilities.
Take this thrift store sweater and shirt for example:
The shirt was stained and the sweater was too big. Each cost fifty cents on half price day at my local thrift store. YAY!
The sweater was a quality brand and I loved the colors together. Perfect for a cardigan with plaid elbow patches.
I wanted to keep the existing raglan sleeves so I took it in using the existing seams. Just pin, sew and trim to fit. I also took in the side seams the same way.
Pullover sweaters don’t do too much to flatter me, so I decided to make this into a cardigan using the red plaid shirt for trim and elbow patches.
Then, since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, I thought a plaid heart elbow patch would be fun.
And there you are, a new sweater just in time for Christmas!
Click here for more sewing and refashioning inspiration.
#1 This Adorable Cookie Bag is Perfect For Your Cookie Exchange
Give your delicious cookies the presentation they deserve with a festive handmade carrier. Using a holiday-ready fabric, you can tote your cookies to the party with care and present them in style. By the end of the night, everyone will want your recipe — and the tricks to making your cookie bag.
Click here for the complete directions to making this cute holiday cookie bag.
Move over paper gift bag, there’s a new bag in town!
When it comes to holiday get togethers, there’s nothing quite like showing up at your gathering with a nice bottle of wine. Bring your gift-giving game up a notch when you present your vino in this felt gift bag featuring a cozy blanket stitch.
You can upcycle an old thrift store blanket into a beautiful clutch in under an hour. This project is a perfect DIY holiday gift that is both affordable and practical. Your friends and family will appreciate the fact that you spent the time to make them a unique, earth-friendly gift this season. Even beginning sewists will be able to create this fun clutch.
If you’ve noticed that some of your cold-weather layers aren’t fitting as well as they used to, then turn the most festive ones into “sweater trees” to place on your mantel this season.
The next time you’d like to catch some serious z’s, snuggle up with a weighted blanket and wake up on the right side of the bed every morning. If you have insomnia or sensory integration issues, a weighted blanket just might be the drug-free sleep aid you’ve been waiting for.
Applied pressure from a heavy blanket throughout the night has a relaxing effect which is soothing and calming. A weighted blanket will relax the nervous system and encourage dopamine and serotonin production, which later converts to melatonin to make you sleepy.
Although these hefty blankets are quite effective in resolving many sleep issues, they can be very expensive to purchase and ship. Making your own will not only save you money but you can also get creative and design a unique blanket with any color or pattern to match your own decor.
The Renegade Seamstress 