I Made It Monday: Crafty Christmas Gifts

I got an early start and got crafty for Christmas Gifts this year. Many hours were spent on some of these seemingly simple gifts, but I loved doing it! I hope everyone who received them enjoyed them as much as I did making them. I was so proud of each creation as I made them.

Purse/Tote with Matching cosmetic pouch
For Tori this year I made a purse/tote with a matching cosmetic pouch. This was by far the hardest thing I attempted. I got my original idea from THIS blog tutorial, but it turned out very different - the only thing they really have in common are the size and shape and the fact that it has lining and a magnetic snap.

I picked out some black and white polka-dot material for the lining and red and pink polka-dot home decor fabric (a little thicker) for the outside. I thought they were fun colors together.

I didn't plan to make the straps from the same strip as the gusset (sides of the bag) but I measured way too much and had a perfect amount to just have the strip circle all the way around. It was fun to discover how to make this bag as I went. I even sewed a little pocket inside (even though it is quite crooked).

The little cosmetic pouch was hard (sewing in a circular way is harder the smaller you go!). I had no plan to what I was doing just a picture in my head. I never did figure out how to make it without having one side of the lining showing the stitching (does that even make sense? I don't know how else to describe it.) Nevertheless, it turned out MUCH better and cuter than I had planned.

Water-bottle CarrierThis was a fun one to make. It fits both the small and large water bottle sizes. You can't see really well in the pictures but I used a clip (like a mini car seat buckle) with an adjustable snap. I followed THIS tutorial. One difference is that instead of using a thicker material I doubled a thinner material in half and cut it to the sizes of the 2 main pieces so the right side of the material was in the inside as well.

Aromatherapy Hot/Cold Rice PacksIn the past I have made a much simpler version of these rice packs (one pocket instead of four). Dan and I have loved the one I made. We love the scents and the comfort of it. We loved it so much we thought it would be fun to make as gifts. THIS tutorial version was harder, but bigger and better. It was fun to pick different fabrics for different people AND the great thing I did this time around was instead of gathering different potpourri items and cinnamon sticks and spices that sometimes poke through the fabric I bought real aromatherapy essential oils of lavender and cinnamon from a hippie health and wellness store. Just a few drops leaves a scent for a VERY, VERY long time and has real aromatherapeutic properties - it doesn't just smell good.



"I Spy" BagsThis was a fun craft that I got to get a little creative filling. I'd seen these before and thought it was such a great activity, so I thought I'd give it a try. This is the tutorial I used. I wasn't daring enough at this time to try any unique shapes like the tutorial since I was nervous sewing with the clear vinyl, but I did have fun getting creative with different colors of threads and designs to sew the ends shut. The clear vinyl wasn't too bad to work with. I just sewed in on with the tissue between the vinyl and my sewing machine then it easily ripped out when I was done. I used felt instead of fleece and I also added a list of the items inside the bag with pictures that I attached by laminating it, attaching ribbon, and sewing the ribbon into the side of the bag as I closed it. I hope it stays!