22 Quick Crafts for DIY Christmas Gifts (And Instant Adoration)
- Words by Laura Jackson
Look, I donβt want to make anyone panic but ITβS DECEMBER!!! If youβre planning to give homemade gifts, youβre going to have to act fast.Β
Iβm a big believer that a DIY gift is the best gift of all, because it isnβt just about the present; itβs about time, consideration and love. A jar of pickles made from tomatoes you grew, a scrunchie sewn with fabric off-cuts, a painting of a pretty flower that you saw on a walk, or a photo of us together in a frame you decoratedβ¦ STAHP! I love it too much! Bring it to me, friend, because I will treasure it as I should.
So, if your fingers are twitching for some crafting, take a peep at this list of marvellous makes that can be whipped up in a flash. If money and time are slim for you right now β as they are for many of us β these projects will help you avoid the chaos and consumerism of the malls, scratch that creative itch and produce a pressie that wonβt break the bank.Β
NO-SEW BRAIDED VELVET HEADBAND / A BEAUTIFUL MESS
A scrunchie makes a great gift (see below) but if youβre in the market for a fresh take on stand-out hair accessories, get a wiggle on and check out Carmen Christineβs Maxi Wiggle headband tutorial.Β
GATHERED / YOGA MAT BAG
Limber up and stretch your sewing skills with this nifty gift for the flexible friends in your life, because fitness can be βfashunβ too.
THALIAS THREAD STORE / WAVELENGTH TOTE BAG
Wave goodbye to boring bags and whip up this curved creation. With three sizes to choose from this totally terrific tote will bring a smile to every dial.
PAPER & STITCH / AIR DRY CLAY PAINT PALETTE
Got an arty type on your Christmas list? Why not show them your own creative prowess by crafting them a personalised paint palette? How lovely to think that youβll be on their mind whilst they paint the days away. When mate becomes muse!
DELICIOUS / 100 INCREDIBLE EDIBLE GIFTS
Got a friend who doesnβt have a lot of space for trinkets and treasures? Why not give the gift of gastronomy? Edible gifts are a wonderful way to give a festive gesture without taking up space on the mantlepiece. Theyβre also a top tier option for the office Secret Santa gift!
CROCHET IN THE SUN / CROCHET COFFEE CUP COSY
Love your ceramic coffee cup but donβt love burning your digits? Gotcha. Enter: the crocheted coffee cup cozy. This perfect beginner crochet pattern is not only adorable to look at but fabulously functional too! Better yet, itβs a quick project β perfect for those last-minute present panic moments!
MIMO SEWING CLUB / RUFFLED LAPTOP OR E-READER SLEEVE
Just because we live in a digital world does not mean that all our techy tools have to be black and grey. Give your laptop a lap-POP with this darling ruffled sleeve. How lovely to know your friend or fam will be able to take a little creative piece of you with them to work and play!
SEW MUCH ADO / HEART BACKPACK
Be still our beating hearts. This cute-as-a-button heart backpack is the perfect choice for the little (or big) loves in your life. Personalise it with patches, embroidery or bag charms (see below for an adorable charm project!) for the perfect practical gift.
KYLIE AND THE MACHINE / DOWNLOADABLE POSTERS
A creative space should be inspiring, so why not gift the creative in your life some wall art? These downloadable posters can be easily printed off and popped in a fabulous frame, all ready to adorn the walls of a sewing room, creative space or basically any wall, anywhere!
HSATOLYETR / UTILITY POUCH BOOK SLEEVE
Give the gift of organisation this year with this beautiful and handy Utility Pouch Book Sleeve. With sections for all the important bits and bobs and an easy snap closure this project is not only useful but also a wonderful scrap-buster!
GRACE POOL / LITTLE FELT PATCHES
In need of a portable project this gift-giving season? Grab a basket and fill it with coloured felt, embroidery cotton and a pair of pinking shears. Donβt forget to pack your imagination and youβve got everything you need for crafting little felt patches to gift, on the go!
SCULPD / CLAY KEYCHAIN CHARMS
Keychains are all the rage right now and they make for a delightful DIY gift. Use cutters to press out your shapes or make little paper stencils to trace out your trinkets. Dry them, paint them, then link those beauties together, maybe add a tassel or a bead and voila! Buy a kit from Sculpd to create multiple handmade gifts, or gift your pal a kit to DIY themselves!
WIGGLE HEADBAND / CARMEN CHRISTINE
A scrunchie makes a great gift (see below) but if youβre in the market for a fresh take on stand-out hair accessories, get a wiggle on and check out Carmen Christineβs Maxi Wiggle headband tutorial.Β
CROCHET BOWLS / MEZZA CRAFT
You want a quick craft? Have your hook at the ready, my friends! These sweet-as bowls come together super-fast. Bonus: theyβre beginner-friendly!
RAFFIA BAG / HONESTLYWTF
If adorning an existing item is your jam, take a look at this pimped-up raffia bag. Perfect for market days, beach days, brunch days⦠all of the days!
COOKIE MIX IN A JAR/ RECIPETIN EATS
A gift I can eat?! Yes, please! Nothing beats a recipe in a jar and this white-chocolate-and-cranberry mix from Nagi of RecipeTin Eats takes the cake (or cookie). All the recipient has to do is mix in a few fridge staples, toss it all in the oven and, tada, cookies! Hooray!Β
RUFFLE TOTE / ALICE NIGHTINGALE
ICYMI the delightful Alice Nightingale has the cutest tote bag pattern in the latest issue of our Sew&Tell digital magazine. Best of all, you donβt need to brave the crowds to buy fabric because this baby can be made from a pillowcase!
STRAWBERRY POUCHΒ / MA & ME DESIGNS
One for you and one for me! We reckon you ought to make many of these β the berry cutest of drawstring bags!
FRILLY SCRUNCHIE / DIY DAISY
Like we said, scrunchies are a solid handmade gift. But you know whatβs better? A frilly scrunchie! DIY Daisyβs free tutorial will show you how to dress up your scrunchies with those little bits of trim that are too small for other projects.
CUSTOM PERFUMEΒ / BIOME
Lean into your inner witch and mix up a bespoke potion for someone you love. This guide from Biome will help you create a unique blend that can be rolled on and enjoyed throughout the day.
FRIENDSHIP BRACELETSΒ / SARAH MAKER
Itβs always hard to decide who gets the βBE FRIβ and whoβll have the βST ENDSβ, but donβt sweat it, besties! Sarah Makerβs tutorial will show you how to whip up a matching pair, which means no-one has to compromise (#BeFri4Ever!).
STANDING VASES / COLLECTIVE GEN
Give the gift of long-lasting florals with a set of polymer-clay dried-flower vases, the vision of DIY queen Geneva Vanderzeil. Make them cute or make them minimal, then add dried blooms for the perfect Secret Santa present!
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How much do you LOVE the Waratah Wrap Dress? A lot, it seems! πͺ©β
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This fabulous gingham linen version was modelled (and made) by the talented Mel of @Melt.Stitches π«ΆπΌβ
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If you need more of a reason, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint peeps a huge π 30% off ALL A0 printing π when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern until 29 February β jump on it while you can!β
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Head to the link in bio now. πͺ©β
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#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Fun, fabrics, florals and fab fashion fits by local sewists β what a way to spend a day!
The @LibertyFabrics Showcase hosted by @2GreenZebras and @Regent_Street_Fabrics in Brisbane/Meanjin was a spectacular event. We learned the history of the iconic Liberty Fabrics from two legends, Mary-Ann Dunkley (Head of Design) and Anna Buruma (Archive Director), browsed stalls bursting with Liberty delights and cheered on our local sewist pals on the runway with the @StyleArc Fashion Parade. A little biased shoutout to our Sewing Manager Laura who graced the catwalk with her gorgeous make (check the bag and shoes!). Well done to all involved. ππΌ
Melbourne/Naarm β itβs your turn this weekend. We canβt wait to see what our Southern friends create for the event.
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#LibertyFabricsShowcase #RegentStreetFabrics #TwoGreenZebras #LibertyLondon #LibertyFabrics
We know what we saw.
Incredible quilted art from Pam Brisse of @Pamdorra:
βJust sharing this intense quilting job, itβs almost done!
All I can think is people are HUNGRY for protest art. And for ICE to get the hell out of our cities. We wonβt give up.β
#ProtestQuilt #StandWithMinnesota #Craftivism
Totes stylish π₯¦β
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Keep your swag safe and close to hand with this sweet tote bag DIY!β
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This cute craft project is a nicely oversized tote with exposed bound seams to add a bit of spice, and an internal pocket to keep your essential essentials in.β
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With this beauty on your arm, youβll be TOTE-ally ready for your next adventure!β
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The pattern is only $5 over on our website β link in bio!β
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#PeppermintMarketTote #PeppermintPatterns #MeMade #ShoppingTotePattern #BagPattern
Wrap dress wardrobe malfunction? Not with the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress pattern!β
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Our number one complaint is wrap dresses flying open in the wind, leaving you clutching a handful of skirt in your paw to avoid a public indecency offence. So we designed the Waratah to make sure this never happens. πͺοΈβ
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And yes, you could say we had a lot of fun on this shoot! πβ
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MODELS/SEWISTS: @Melt.Stitches, @KatieMakesADress @Tricky.Pocketsβ
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Head to the link in bio for the #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress πͺ‘β
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#PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #MeMade #WrapDress
Secret pjs all day everyday!
How sweet is this version of our Samford Set pattern - created in collab with Lindsey of @SewToGrow π
From @Claire.Creates.Clothes:
π€π£π’ Colour spot blocking pregnancy friendly set π’π£π€
I wanted some #secretpyjamas that I can wear on the couch when Iβm pregnant and after for breastfeeding, with a top that I can wear out of the house. Welcome the #PeppermintSamfordSet
I made the Samford set top in a size F, one size up from my current bust and itβs the perfect amount of room for my expanding tummy, and will hopefully not be crazy oversized after pregnancy. I used a spotted linen that used to be considered good fabric, blocked with a organic linen sheet that was gifted to me for the sole purpose of being fabric by the lovely @heather_steenholdt
The top came together super quickly and has already had lots of wear - couch, dinner and work βοΈ I even attached the buttons within a week of starting the project, who am I?!
I already had the shorts in the rust linen but never wear them because I donβt like the length or shape at all - they were a pants pattern that I just made shorter. So I cut them to have an inseam of 2.5β and added a 1.5 length ruffle cut at 3β in the contrast spot linen and love them so much more already. Although the shorts will now just be reserved for in house.
Iβve already planned 2 more Samford sets, but will size down to get more post pregnancy wear. And will tackle the pants!
Special thanks to Laura at @peppermintmagazine for sending me the Samford set instructions, you motivated me to put the buttons on before the baby actually arrives! π
Pattern: @PeppermintMagazine Samford set top
Size: F
Fabric: Linens
#PeppermintPatterns #PyjamasAllDay
