Stash

All those goodies came with some magazines over the last year. I picked the ones I liked and collected them. They will make a nice little gift for someone, stashed into a pretty box. Cover a box with nice wrapping paper, tie in cellophane and you're ready to go.

Fotoalbum





Coloured cardstock, enough for 24 photos





Cover and backing. Punch three holes through all the card.



Tie up with some ribbon. Don't tie it too tightly, the pages need some
room to "wriggle".

This is very quickly made and filled with photographs or personal memories and will be well received.

Advent

I decided to give one person an advent calendar for adults this year and to tie one of the gifts under the tree in with it.
The envelopes could be filled with vouchers, little trinkets, tickets, money, jewellery, anything small and thin.

Notebooks

Cover in PVA glue and wrap in material

Fold over at the edges and glue on.
Glue the last sheet over the join to make it neater.

Take a cheap notebook and cover it in leather, fabric, wallpaper, wrapping paper, foil, old maps or whatever takes your fancy and is flexible enough.

Scarf

I don't crochet scarves normally, but this wool is so chunky that the knitting needles didn't cope.

Beads

Keyring - stockingfiller, made from beads, waxed thread and a metal keyring.

Dolly, Part two

The main attraction - this is made in a similar way as the felt fella (Felt!) or the felt fairy earlier.
In this case the "hair" has been sewn onto the head in single strands.



 What more does a little girl need?

Dolly, Part one

Find a basket (I made this one) big enough for your doll.





Matress and pillow sewn to size in linen, decorated with lace
and filled with wool fleece.







Duvet in linen and lace.



I made these for my daughter when she was younger - she still loves them although she's almost a teenager now. That's what I call a good present...

Bathsalts

You need an airtight glass jar, some reused ribbon, some card for a tag....

...decorate and write instructions onto the tag ( 2 handfulls of salt per bath)...



...add seasalt and 2 drops of essential oil, close the jar and shake well.



You can add dried flower petals to the salt. For new mothers with stitches seasalt is a good (and healing) choice, just leave out the essential oil.

Beads

Different beads, silverwire, clasps and pliers.

Attach the clasps and choose your beads .

Candles

Tealights, shells and essential oil.

Pull the wicks out of some tealights, cut to size and place in the middle of the shells.

Light tealights until the wax turns liquid and pour into the shells. Add two drops of oil.

This is a fast way to make some unusual candles. I used some shells this time but I have also used walnut shells in the past. Anything small, heatproof and stable can be filled with wax.

Felt Fairy



This is a little felt fairy to hang up.



Roll a ball out of stuffing material, cover it in fabric and tie off at the bottom. Sew on some hair and a little cap.

The "body" is some felt cut in a strip, one edge straight and the other  with a "petal"edge. Zigzag some thread along the straight edge and pull. Sew around the neck of the head.

The buds are petalshapes cut out of felt and attached to ribbons, sewn onto the underside of the head.

Simple Bookmark

You will need some waxed thread and a few beads in nice colours.

Secure the first bead with a knot at the end, slip on the other beads and secure with another knot.

Measure the thread against the pages of a book and tie a knot at the other end, slip on beads and secure the last bead before cutting the thread.