There’s a school of thought that says you get what you pay for,
but that’s not always the case.
Homemade Christmas gifts may require a little bit of time, but
they’ll net you a substantial savings. And (shhh!) you don’t even
need to be
”
artistic
”
to do most of these things.
There’s a school of thought that says you get what you pay for, but that’s not always the case.
Homemade Christmas gifts may require a little bit of time, but they’ll net you a substantial savings. And (shhh!) you don’t even need to be “artistic” to do most of these things.
Fleece is one of the most popular items this year, according to Shelly Hutfles, manager of Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts in Morgan Hill.
“It doesn’t fray, so you can just cut it and go with it,” said Hutfles. “And you can buy the fleece individually – we have all sorts of colors and patterns, sports teams, cartoon characters and things – or we carry what’s called a fleece bundle, where both of the pieces are in there already.”
The bundle retails for around $17 normally, but sales abound. And the fleece can be shaped any way you like.
To make a scarf or blanket, simply cut two pieces of fleece to the size you desire, line them up and cut fringe.
Tie the ends together to make a double-sided piece that requires no sewing, gluing or excessive equipment investment. All you’ll need are a pair of scissors and a ruler, making the project perfect to do with the kids.
For a blanket-sized piece, remember to make the ties large (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick). You can always cut them into smaller fringes later, but it will save a tremendous amount of time beforehand.
Here are a few other crafty items you may want to try:
Scarves
Crochet may sound like your grandma’s hobby, but not any more. Hot celebrity moms like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Courtney Cox have all jumped on the DIY bandwagon.
Not only are scarves relatively simple to create, but the last few years have brought a profusion of specialty yarns to the market.
There are traditional wool and acrylic blends, but scarfmakers who want to go luxe can try their hand with chenille or raw silk.
Fun textures like new fuzzy yarns can also be incorporated into the mix, giving a lightweight scarf the air of a much heavier neckwarmer. Kits with all materials and instructions are available for as little as $7.
Foam
These handy little kits are the perfect plaything you never knew you wanted.
Foam pieces with self-adhesive backing sold in kits can be combined to create textured snowmen, Christmas trees and Santas. Some are tree ornaments while others can be used to make inexpensive holiday photo frames. And if you really need something to keep the kids busy while “Santa” gets to work, there’s even a foam garland kit that the kids can put together themselves. Sets run between $7 and $8.
Foam fabric stamps are also available. These nifty little buggers are great for detail work because, unlike regular stamps, they’re made with see through backs.
The designs are also broken up into two parts, allowing you to apply multiple colors to the stamp and get the image down before one of the colors dries.
Scrapbooks
Okay, we have to warn you up front that the bang for your buck statement does not apply here. Scrapbooking can be a surprisingly expensive hobby, but beautifully preserved family photos will be a joy that’s worth the investment.
They’re also insurance. By giving away copies of your photos, you’re also ensuring that, should the original be destroyed somehow, those smiling faces will still be there.
Family scrapbooks could be the perfect gift to create if you’re recently retired. Create copies of your most prized family photos and mount them using an assortment of the beautiful scrapbooking papers available at stores like Got Memories in Gilroy.
They come in every pattern imaginable (and, yes, we mean every). You could design four to six pages, then include some extra scrapbooking paper for recipients to continue the album on their own.
Kits
It may be tempting to pick up a few other kits this holiday season, but unless you have oodles of time to spend in front of an embroidery hoop, some are best left at the store.
Cross stitch patterns are generally more complex than most novices realize, and the pace it’s possible to achieve is still quite slow. If you’re planning on creating more than two or three small projects between now and Christmas, find something else.
Intricate sewing projects and complex beaded ornaments also fall into this category. One or two may be fine, but don’t attempt more unless you too have an assembly line of highly trained midgets with pointy ears and green tunics.
