Give a thoughtful gift from the heart this Christmas!
Record Your Own CD:
If you have mad musical skills, record your own cd. My brother is a talented guitarist and put together a cd of songs from the different bands he’s been in throughout the years and gave it to me as a Christmas present last year. It’s a gift I absolutely cherish. My favorite song on it is track #5, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The song is dedicated to me and is a solo vocal by my brother who is accompanying himself on guitar.
Recipe Book or Box:
Share your favorite recipes with your friends and family by creating your own recipe book or recipe box. Simply pick up a blank recipe book and fill it with your famous recipes or fill out recipe cards and place them into a special recipe box. Your friends will love it.
Fleece Pillow Cases:
With so many fleece designs on the market, you can make a very personal and useful gift. These fleece pillow covers were simple to make and can be easily washed.
My nephew likes Texas A&M.
My older brother likes to ride bikes. Sid loves his very own ultra soft pillow case.
Fleece Hats:
These are just too much fun and serve a practical purpose.
The Crafty Gemini has a great pattern and tutorial online for these ear flap hats. She has an adult pattern as well as one for kids. While the adult pattern fit me just fine, it was a little snug on my dad. You might want to enlarge the pattern a bit for someone with a larger head. I think it’d be great fun to make these hats in team colors for the entire family. Add a flower embellishment for the girls. Leave the braided tails off of Dad’s. Your creativity is the limit!
There are lots of other hat patterns out there as well. Have fun!
Christmas Stockings:
Homemade Christmas stockings make great gifts and are easy to customize to someone’s interests. Last year, I filled two fleece bicycle stockings with holiday cookies for my neighbors who like to cycle. Sid and Dexi got their own special stockings as well. There are all kinds of FREE Christmas stocking patterns online you can print and use.
Table Runners:
My mom taught me how to make this style of table runner for my beginner sewing lesson. The final product is impressive considering its simplicity to make. If you’re a more advance sewer, you can really make some beautiful table runners which would make extraordinary gifts.
I made runners and matching pillow covers for my own home. Yes, the couch covers are for my furry little boy who, as usual, is begging to go outside and explore.
For Mom, I used whimsical fabric that will make her think of me whenever she uses it.
Reusable Shopping Bags:
Stylish totes are fun to use. Austin has banned stores from using plastic bags, so reusable bags are a practical gift too. I used a heavier duck cloth to make mine.
Homemade Salsa:
Nothing tastes as good as fresh homegrown produce. If you still have tomatoes in the freezer from this summer’s harvest, make a big batch of Coco Farm’s Garden Fresh Salsa.
Note: I did not can mine, so it would need to be consumed in a timely manner.
Treat Basket:
As a thank you gift for Sid’s cat sitter, I sewed a reversible cat-themed basket liner. Using a cool old kettle I found at Hobby Lobby, I put together a treat basket full of homemade baked goods, sample-sized Christmas coffees, and holiday napkins. Get creative with different containers. Try using useful items instead of just ordinary baskets.
Catnip Toys:
You can find detailed instructions on how to make catnip fish and mice on the Homemade Cat Toys page of the main Sid’s Space section.
Lookout Tower/Cat Throne:
Sid got his present a little early this year. While visiting Grandpaw’s workshop over Thanksgiving, Dad and I used scrap wood to construct a lookout tower/cat throne for Sid. Sid loves being able to see up high and enjoys napping in it. You could take the time to finish it nicer, but Sid is fine with it in its rustic state.
Balance Beam/Cat Walk:
Another hit from Grandpaw’s workshop up north was Sid’s balance beam. We were limited as to how long we could make it based on the size of my vehicle which would be transporting it home to Sid. Sid is a big boy and the typical cat towers and toys are not sturdy enough for him. Making it solid and stable for my boy was a must. We stapled an old rug over the top, and I put some catnip underneath it. The cat walk now sits in front of a window so Sid can look outside at the birds from his very own special perch.
