DIY Pocket Calendar Cover

All you need is a pocket calendar with a plastic protector, markers, high quality copy paper and scissors. I found the calendars at the dollar store.

Make sure the calendar has a removable plastic cover.

Open up the calendar and draw around it to mark how big to make the copy paper, cut out.

Have your little artist color a fun picture. If you have loads of friends and family that would appreciate this gift, you can have your child draw one drawing and then make color photo copies. You might also consider cutting up artwork that comes home from school to fit inside the protector.

Slip paper around the calendar and place it back into the plastic protector. Now you have a thoughtful and useful gift that anyone would love to receive and a child would be proud to give!

If you are looking for more gifts kids can make, you won’t want to miss my e-book Gifts Kids Can Make! Kids will have fun making a wooden paper towel holder, and artistic key or jewelry organizer, keepsake magnets, whimsical note cards and a yummy jar mix! The e-book comes with printables and even editable gift tags, perfect for handmade gift giving. The ebook is ready for immediate Download.

You might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

WOW!  Aren’t these luminaries beautiful?  They are made with water balloons as the form!  Follow the tutorial on Candletech.com and make a few for yourself or for an extra special gift.

Evie S. has a super simple tutorial on how to make these fab paper-clip earrings!  Any girl would love to find these in her Christmas stocking!

33 Shades of Green has designed a wine bottle sleeve that you have to see!  Wouldn’t you love to give this to your favorite holiday party hostess?

f you need more inspiration take a look at my handmade gift guide below….

Supplies to make a hair bow

24 inches of 1.5 inch wide grosgrain ribbon to make a 4 1/2 inch wide bow or 18 inches of 1.5 inch grosgrain ribbon to make a 3 1/5 inch bow

6 inches of fine gauge floral wire,

a hair clip

glue gun

scissors

How to make a hair bow

Fold the 24 inch (or 18 inch) piece of ribbon in half and crease with your thumb.

Lay ribbon out flat. Bring one edge of the ribbon to the center of the ribbon and lay on top of the crease to form a loop.

Repeat for the other side, creating a figure eight. Make sure ends of ribbon overlap about an inch.

Bring the outside edge of the loop to the center. From this point on it works best to hold the ribbon in your hands.

Bring the loop on the other side to the center. Be sure to adjust the loops so they are even.

Pinch the center together by bending the outside edge down first and accordion fold the center together, ending by folding the opposite edge down. Keeping the fold tight will create a nicely shaped bow.

Tightly wrap a piece of floral wire around the center.

Twist securely in the back and trim edges.

Slip the hair clip through the wire on the back of the bow. Make sure the wire is folded under so it doesn’t poke into the head.

Hot glue or sew a button on the center of the bow. Seasonal buttons, plastic gem and charms can be used. (Remember for young children to be cautious of items that could be a choking hazard)

With all of the beautiful ribbon and buttons that can be found, think of the possibilities for making stylish bows.

If you are looking for more handmade gift ideas for the holidays you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide.

Fabric Flower Supplies

Scraps of fabric (I used a heavier weight cotton), scrap of felt,  3/4 inch covered button kit, hair clip

How to make a fabric flower

Download template and cut out fabric pieces. Cover one button for center of flower.

Fabric Flower Template

Gather straight edge of petal piece and hot glue to felt piece.

Continue gluing petals to felt circle until all five petals are attached.

Clip slits all the way around the edge of the center circle piece. Hot glue center circle on top of petals. Next, hot glue covered button to center of flower.

Glue the fabric flower to a hair clip, head band or pin back.

Finished!

You might also enjoy these beautiful fabric flower tutorials.

I have linked this post to TidyMom

Just a few minutes and a few supplies is all you need!

DIY Magnetic Pin Dish Supplies

ceramic dish or plate with an indented area on the bottom where a magnet can fit

1 or 2 heavy duty magnets (no taller than the ridge on the bottom of the dish)

magnetic pins

hot glue

How to make a magnetic pin holder

Hot glue the magnets to the bottom of the dish with a tiny amount of glue. I used hot glue so if I changed my mind I could easily peel off the magnets later.

Add the pins and you have a magnetic pin holder. What a great way to make those handpainted family treasures useful. I think these would also make wonderful gifts!

Find 6 or so handkerchief scarfs that are the same with. This did takes some effort and I had to supplement with some handkerchiefs I found at an antique store. They usually cost less than $2.00.

Sew the handkerchiefs right sides together. Sew as close to the rolled hem of the handkerchiefs as you can.

Now you have a fun new accessory or a beautiful handmade gift!

Oven Mitt Tutorial

Supplies for making your own oven mitt

cotton batting

1/4 yard cotton fabric

1/4 yard coordinating cotton fabric

Insul-Bright Insulated batting

Directions for making a quilted oven mitt

Cut 2 each 9″ X 15″ rectangles of the cotton fabrics, cotton batting, and Insul-brite

Sandwich cotton fabric (lining) right side facing down, Insul-Brite, cotton batting, cotton fabric (0utside) right side facing up.

Sew together in stitching pattern of your choice. I made diagonal lines about an inch apart.

Repeat for other set of rectangles.

Oven Mitt Pattern Download – top

Oven Mitt Pattern Download – bottom

Download oven mitt pattern top and bottom.   Print patterns and tape pieces together.

Stack the two quilted pieces on top of each other, right sides together.

Place pattern on top and draw around the pattern.  This is the stitching line.

Stitch. I reinforce the thumb area so I can trim and make a slit right up to the stitching line.

Cut. Clip curves where necessary.

Turn right side out.

Cut a contrasting piece of fabric 7″ X 15″ for the band. Iron piece in half lengthwise, then open and bring edges to the center and press again.

Line edge of binding up with bottom edge of the oven mitt, right sides together. Turn edge up and being sewing in the first ironed crease.

Stitch all the way around, folding end over when finished.

Fold binding down.

Fold in the other half of the binding. Stitch all the way around in the ditch between the two fabrics, making sure to catch the binding on the inside.

Stitch along the place where the binding overlaps with one straight stitch, or whip stitch it closed by hand.

Finished!

If you love to sew you might also like these free sewing tutorials right here on Skip to my Lou! Every tote needs a matching pouch.

Pleated Zippered Pouch

Lined Zippered Pouch

Tote Patterns and Tutorials

1. Dish Towel Tote Tutorial

2. Tank Top Totes Tutorials (two styles)

3. Ruffled Tote Pattern

4. The Twenty Minute Tote Tutorial

5. Beach Bag Tote Pattern

6. Simple Lined Tote Bag Tutorial

7. Hobo Tote Bag Pattern

8. Pleated Tote Pattern

9. Pillowcase Tote Pattern

10. Oil Cloth Tote Tutorial

Welcome to Tuesday 10! This week I am sharing ten apron patterns! (In no particular order.)

10  Apron Tutorials

1. T-Shirt Apron Tutorial

2. The Ruffled Apron

3. Cottage Chic Cooking Apron

4. The Full Length Lined Apron Pattern

5. Reversible Scalloped Half Apron

6. Reversible Half Apron

7. Tea Towel Half Apron

8. Tea Towel Apron

9. Two Tea Towel Apron

10. Garden Apron Tutorial

An apron packaged with something yummy from your kitchen or a set of recipe cards makes a great gift. Print your own recipe card with my

Free Recipe Card Maker

If you are looking for more homemade gift ideas you might like searching the

Skip to my Lou Handmade Gift Guide!

Enjoy!

Download pattern pieces and print with no scaling selected on your printer.  Cut out two of each piece from your favorite fabric. You will also need 1 – 7 inch zipper.

Pleated Pouch Pattern Download

How to make a pleated zippered pouch

Mark fabric from pattern where it should be pleated. Bring one mark over to the next. Pin.

Place outer top piece face down on pleated piece, line up edges and stitch across 1/4 inch from the edge. Open up and press. Repeat with other two pieces to make the other side.

Make a zipper sandwich. Place 1 piece of outer fabric face up, then the zipper and then the lining right side facing down. Line up the three edges.

With a zipper foot sew across the top between the edge of your zipper sandwich and the zipper teeth (closer to the zipper feet).

Bring lining and outer fabric to the same side.

Make another zipper sandwich on the other side of the zipper.

Open up and it will look like this. You can top stitch at the edge of the fabric along the zipper now, if you like (I didn’t).

Bring both pieces of lining to one side and both pieces of the outer fabric to the other side. Un-zip zipper at least halfway so you can turn it once it is stitched. If you forget to un-zip the zipper you won’t be able to turn your pouch right side out.

Pinch zipper towards outer fabric, making sure it is laying nicely as you pin.

Using 1/4 inch seam stitch all the way around the pouch leaving a two inch opening in the bottom of the lining for turning.

Turn right side out. Hand stitch (or machine stitch) opening in lining closed.

Push lining inside the pouch and it is finished!

You might also be interested in this Zippered Pouch tutorial.

It is easy to make a matching tote for your pouch with this super simple tote tutorial!

You might also like these 10 Tote Tutorials.