The last post in this year's series of Christmas makes is a quick and easy one - gift tags. There are, of course, lots of ways of making gift tags. These are quick and easy to make, using scraps of fabric. You need: blank gift tags (I used brown ones. You could cut them out of plain card, even the backs of old Christmas cards)  scraps of fabric.  To make: Cut a triangle for the tree

  How are the Christmas preparations going? If you're like me, you're still rushing round like a headless chicken, trying to get everything done. However, if you're one of the more organised sort, you may well have everything under control now, so how about making a new decoration for your home or as a little gift for someone?  We have quite a few tutorials on the blog, with instructions to make: Christmas Wreath - these are simple

  Today's post is about tea towels - can making a tea towel count as sewing?  After all, there are just two hems to sew.  It's really more of a design project! Tea towels make great little Christmas presents.  You can give a personalised or (almost) unique tea towel for well under a tenner. What's not to like about that?  Photos of the children, or some of their art work, for the grandparents, family

  A great idea for a fairly quick make if you want a small present is to make a hand-bound notebook.  Making it with a fabric cover makes it even more special.   To make your notebook, you will need: card paper fabric thread needle sharp point scissors / rotary cutter /paper slicer spray glue To make: Cut your fabric to slightly larger than your card.  Remember that you will be folding it in half, to make an

  Are you a mug rug person? By which I mean, do you use one, or have you made one? I think they're an American idea, probably 'invented' by quilters.  They make a great little project and are a good way to use up scraps. If you're not aware of mug rugs, they're miniature quilts, just big enough to hold a coffee cup plus a biscuit or cake - or mince pie! There are so many beautiful

  Most of us like to decorate our homes for Christmas, and what could be easier than swapping our usual cushion covers for a nice Christmassy one? You could just buy one, but a basic cushion cover is fairly simple to make. Making an envelope-style cushion cover. The simplest way to make a cushion cover is to make a rectangle and stuff it.  You can read how to do that on the blog post Make a Cushion Using

  More and more, people are wanting something other than mass-produced items.  They have their place, of course, but we want to be individual.  We want our clothes and our homes to reflect us, and not what some anonymous buyer thinks we should want.   Are you part of that trend? If so, you probably want to find Christmas presents which are a bit different, too.  That means buying from small, independent makers and shops

  How's your summer going?  It's been pretty good weather-wise so far, so you may be keeping your kids outside a lot of the time.  Although some days have been too hot to be out long, unless you're sitting quietly in the shade - not something children are well known for! So, have you run our of ideas yet? Have you tried sewing with them? Or designing? There are some ideas about both, below. Sewing

A while ago, I came across this Christmas decoration on Pinterest. (Found in Annie's Catalog) I liked it, and so do quite a few other people!  I decided to make one, but there were no instructions.  So here are my instructions for making a Hexie Christmas Decoration. Hexie Christmas Decoration You will need: Christmas fabric scraps 3/4" paper hexagons needle & thread ribbon to match / contrast backing fabric - optional            Or

If you still have time to make a decoration or two (or give the kids something constructive to do!), we have quite a few ideas in previous blog posts. Fabric pompom.   This is a no-sew decoration, but may be a bit fiddly for younger kids Christmas tree decoration Christmas wreath.  Kids love making these - they're compulsive!  They also use up lots of scraps! Christmas garland Fabric 'paper' chain - a twist on an old favourite. There

  Are you still looking for that perfect gift for someone?  Could you make something instead?  You could make a Yoyo necklace, a pencil case, (we also have a cut and sew pencil case in our Market Place), a mug rug or doll's clothes.  We also have blog posts suggesting things to make for children, for men, for women or for last-minute gifts.  There are lots of ideas on our

Do you make your own clothes?  Or wish you could? Either way, you need to check out Tilly and the Buttons.  Tilly's aim in life is to get us all making our own clothes.  To that end, she designs simple-to-sew patterns which come with beautifully illustrated instructions. She recently released Fifi, described by Tilly as a 'boudoir set.' I didn't want a 'boudoir set', but I have been looking for a nightie pattern

Here are a few ideas for keeping the kids happy during the summer holidays.  You won't be surprised to hear that they all feature fabric! The first one is a good craft for outdoors, or inside if it's raining.  It's on our Crafty Ideas for Kids Pinterest board, along with lots of other ideas. Instructions for making these decorated tins can be fouind on Darling Adventures.  They mostly use scraps and empty tins, but