I started with inspiration from several different tutorials I came across that used elastic thread to create a shirring effect. (I can’t find the original tutorial I looked at, but if you search Google for “ruffle scarf tutorial” or “ruffle scarf elastic thread,” you’ll find more than enough options with similar results.)

Behold, the ruffly scarf:

It worked beautifully, but after making a few I started rethinking the style of the scarves. I’d like a couple for myself, and one person on my gift list will definitely rock the ruffles, but it just doesn’t suit the majority of the others.

So I narrowed the strips and used a close zigzag stitch with regular thread on each of the sides to create a softer wave. Then I did some very basic, very (intentionally) wonky Sashiko stitching with embroidery thread to add a bit of interest.

(Geez, why didn’t the Huz tell me my hair looked so … um … ?)

(Hmmm, that’s a nice, awkward pose.)

I think these will do much better. Despite the long, long rows of stitching that killed my hands, they made up pretty quickly, and I really like the effect.

What I like most about all of these is, being made from thin jersey knit, they’re light enough to wear to dress up a shirt in the summer, but they’ll look just fine with a sweater or a coat in the winter as well.

I made enough for all the gift-giving I plan to do plus a couple for myself, and then I amused the neighbors by posing outside in them for photos.

One Christmas gift that I haven’t shown you yet is this little quilt that I made for a family member.

She likes sheep and, from what I can tell, a sort of Victorian/country style, so I chose the fabrics accordingly. It’s a bit different from my personal style, but I was pretty pleased with the end result anyway.

There’s something very satisfying about going through all the steps of making a quilt: the measuring and cutting and piecing and layering and stitching and binding. I find the rhythm of it very relaxing, but I know I wouldn’t make it through a full-size quilt. That’s why these little bitties are perfect for me.

I’m hoping this year I’ll be able to make some more of these little quilts, and I’d also like to take the embroidery in a more artistic form, whatever that might mean. I don’t know exactly what’s to come, but my fingers are already getting itchy to get started!

Inspired, I drew up my own design, which also included the recipient’s favorite animal, the giraffe.

At the time I posted about a mystery project, this one, but I wasn’t able to show you the finished piece because I lost the photos when my hard drive crashed. I asked the pillow’s owner to bring it home for Christmas so I could take new photos, so here it is now.

The pillow is cut out of an old sheet (I’ve been using that old sheet for so many things!) and embroidered like crazy with outline stitch, satin stitch, and a split stitch that was more or less worked in the round for the larger body parts. I stuffed it with a pillow form I wasn’t using. I think it was a big hit.

Now, I happen to know another vegetarian, who just so happens to live in the same apartment as the first vegetarian, so when Christmas came around I thought it might be nice to make a matching pillow. I stayed true to the original dinosaur idea but drew my own version.

(By the way, I am not at all pleased with the photos, despite quite a few tries on different days. You’ll have this sometimes, I guess.)

I made this one a little differently by doing a reverse applique on an old T-shirt that I cut up to make the outside of the pillow. Then I went back and added a few hand-embroidered details. The beauty of the T-shirt fabric is that it won’t fray but will instead just curl up nicely over time.

This one gave me some trouble when I discovered a stain on the back of the pillow. I hadn’t noticed it when I was cutting up the T-shirt, so I’d already put the project together. I didn’t want to toss the whole back of the pillow, so instead I pieced together some scraps of the applique fabric and did another reverse applique on the back of the pillow. Problem solved!

I am in love with how easy it is to reverse applique with a stretch knit like this and with how effective the finished project is. I have a million ideas for other ways I can use it. Plus, what’s not to love about a project made with repurposed materials that suits the receiver so well?

People, this might be the coolest thing you can make in less than an hour! It’s a simple series of crochet chains with beads slipped in. Make three strands, braid them together, add a closure, and—bam!

This was made with 26 gauge (I think) wire and glass beads that I already had in my supplies. The wire holds the shape as you twist it into loops, so it’s very easy to work with.

I also made a couple of necklaces with a wire that is more thread-like, which made a more delicate chain but also did not hold its shape and so was a little slippery to work. For the set below, I also crocheted around two metal rings to make a matching set of earrings.

I instantly thought of several people who would look great in this style necklace, which led to the idea of making jewelry sets for Christmas gifts. That led me into a brief foray in the world of jewelry making. I ended up also making a couple of this pattern for those with simpler tastes.

I enjoyed choosing the colors and styles that best suited the personalities of the recipients—flashy, trendy pieces for the fashionista and demure, elegant pieces for the sophisticate, a vintage/modern mix for someone with like tastes and something a little ritzy for the glamour gal.

In all, I made seven sets of necklaces and earrings. (You can see all of them individually on my flickr page.) Two of the sets also included bracelets.

I found the “mechanics” of the process—twisting wire, adding crimp beads, snipping wires—soothing in a very methodical kind of way. And to be able to turn out something so satisfying in such a short time was the perfect fit for my “simple but fancy” gift theme for this year.

I’m contemplating making a few pieces for myself. But no, I’m not a jewelry maker. ;)

I’ve seen some really neat variations on the reusable lunch bag and other food storage items, and I knew of two people who would be able to use and appreciate something like this. So I set out to make two lunch sets. (Lots more photos to be found on my flickr page.)

I made:

Four cloth napkins. Two were simple squares cut to the same size as a standard paper napkin and hemmed. Two were “real” cloth napkins I had in a set that I no longer use; I embroidered them with the recipients’ initials.

Four snack baggies. Two are lined with fabric and close with velcro. Two are lined with food-grade plastic sandwich bags. They can be washed and reused like the others and will hold in any food that might be a little messy. I don’t know how long the plastic will hold up with reuse, but it would be easy to replace it over time.

(I did not take into account the fact that a clear lining meant all my raw edges and thread ends would be visible. Next time I will probably neaten that up a bit more!)

Two sandwich wraps. They’re lined with more food-grade plastic, which I procured by cutting open a large freezer-size plastic bag. They’re simple squares with velcro on the four corners to close them. You can find a similar pattern here.

Two lunch bags, made brown paper bag style. I used some black zigzag stitching to mimic the pinked edges of a real paper bag, and I embroidered the recipients’ names with black perle cotton to look like they were written on with marker. There are a lot of similar patterns available, and I sort of combined all of them to make my own. The two I liked most are this and this.

My goal was to make these sets using items I already had on hand, in order to make the gifts even more true to the whole “green” idea. I am happy to say I succeeded, with the exception of a bit of velcro.

All of the fabrics came out of my stash, some of them items that had been cut into and left to languish in the scrap pile. I can’t tell you how excited I was to discover I had two pieces of brown twill that were exactly the right sizes for the lunch bags! I can’t even remember why I had the twill in my stash.

I love the idea of using so many different fabrics for a mismatched look and the fact that all of these items can be washed and used over and over. Who wouldn’t enjoy their lunch just a little bit more using these lunch sets?

An embroidered snowman decoration. It’s laced around foam board so it can be propped up or hung. I stitched this completely freehand, no rough sketch or anything, on charcoal muslin with white perle cotton.

A set of quilt-themed, plush magnets. Two were embroidered on white muslin and backed with coordinating cotton fabrics. The other three were patchworked using the same fabrics, all of which I had in my stash. I so enjoy being able to make gifts out of things I already have available to me.

Another set of plush magnets, these bird/garden themed. The birds and birdhouse were stitched on white muslin and backed with a floral cotton. I used the same floral fabric for the front of the other two magnets and embroidered some of the details on the print.

And three little brooches. These were embroidered (freehand, again) on felt. I started making one and found them so satisfying that I decided to make two more for the same person!

As usual, there are more photos on flickr. You may find a few similar items sneaking into the shop as I have time. And speaking of the shop, it’s back to work for me!

I received so many goodies—fabrics and floss and needles, oh my!—that I’m itching to get back to making things just because I like them and not because I need them for gifts. So that’s what I’ll be doing for a while, and in the meantime I’ve scheduled some posts about the gift items I couldn’t show you before Christmas. Hopefully after that I’ll have some more things to share and maybe even a shop update!

In this post? A variety of small but lovely things.

Decorative pins, made with glass beads, extra long pins, and very messy glue.

(Holding the pin point up, apply glue to the pin, slide the beads on, stick the pin into some cardboard, and prop the cardboard so the pins are hanging upside down for the beads to dry in place. Once dry, pick off any excess glue. And if you’re me, accidentally loosen beads, start all over.)

A hanging jewelry holder.

(Place a doily in a wooden embroidery hoop, use double-sided tape to apply decorative ribbon around the outside, add a loop for hanging. Hang jewelry through the holes in the doily. Ta-da!)

A cuff bracelet for a young friend.

(Using perle cotton, single crochet all around small plastic rings found in the knit/crochet area of a craft store. Stitch together, leaving long ends for a tie.)

They were all simple to make but were great gifts and all were enjoyed by the receivers. Additional detail photos can be found on my flickr page. I’ll be back soon with more completed gifts!

(Nativity by Jennifer Diane Smith, used with permission.
http://www.jenniferdianesmith.com)

[T]he angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-12, NIV)

This leads me to my last Handmade Holiday post, the topic something I’ve enjoyed very much: our Christmas tree.

Every single year I insist on stringing popcorn and cranberries for our Christmas tree. It may be a little “ordinary” or cliche for some, but to me there’s something so simple and classic about a cranberry and popcorn garland.

It’s the perfect compliment to our mismatched collection of ornaments, given to us by our family and friends over the years. Our tree just doesn’t look the same without the red and white garland, and I love the way it adds to our “Handmade Holiday” feel.

So every year, I pop a bunch of kernels and gather a few bags of cranberries and my invisible thread and get to it. I always end up designing a pattern instead of sticking to something simple (per Hubby’s suggestion), which makes it take longer, but that’s part of the fun, too.

By the time I get to the bottom of the tree, where the strands don’t go around as far as they did at the top, I start to get weary of the process. But once the final piece is added and the lights are turned on … warm, homey, Christmas-y magic.

Hopefully in years to come the smalls will give me a hand with the popcorn and cranberries too, and it will become one of those special traditions that they remember a long time from now. Lovely branches, indeed!

Both my kids love to draw, and the artwork idea went over well last year, but I wanted to change it up a little bit to keep it interesting. What could I have them make that would take approximately zero seconds?

Aha! Here’s a quick last-minute gift that kids can make themselves. I present the Kid Art Magnet!

All you need is paper, drawing supplies, scissors, and magnetic frames. I happened to have the kind of frames that are large magnets with a plastic sheath that you can slide photos into. They’re pretty inexpensive at the store, but you could also make (and decorate!) your own frames with repurposed cardboard and stick-on magnets.

Have the little ones decorate the paper, trim it to size, and slip it into the frame. Since this was a joint project with both of my kiddos, I had my daughter draw with marker and gave crayons to my son to distinguish their artwork. I also added the date and their names in a Sharpie pen to finish it off.

Voila! Custom artwork that is small enough to keep on display all the time, and it holds up your grocery list! Tuck one under the bow on a Christmas gift and you’re good to go … just in the nick of time! This is fast and easy but is sure to get lots of ooohs on Christmas day!