Homemade birthday gifts

I’ve put together a couple of birthday gifts this week, for the children to take to birthday parties. I have thoroughly enjoyed putting them together. Taking time to think about the recipients, coupled with the creative input from my own children, have made these gifts so much fun to make. I want to make them again.

I forgot to take a photo of the first. It was an “Emergency Den Making Kit” inspired from here.

The second gift is ready to go this evening. It is a peg doll kit. As a child (ok, even to this day. Shh!) I remember how much I loved going through my mother’s button tin and shoe boxes for ribbons, lace and little bits. It was a real treat to be allowed to look through to find something for a sewing project.

Having an eight year old of my own, I know that this jam jar of all sorts will appeal. I didn’t want to spell out how to make a peg doll. Instead I hope the suggestions might conjure up pictures in her mind and inspire creative magic. Much stronger than I could inspire with a step by step.

If nothing else, it should make a good rainy day activity.

6 comments

    1. I know what you mean. It’s fun looking through it and it’s fun dreaming about what you can make. Like a Ready, Steady, Stitch. 😀

  1. I remember once using all my mother’s bobbins for my own “embroidery” activity – just to divide the colours of yarn. I drew a picture on some calico and tried to fill in the parts with different colours, but somewhere along the line not only my project, but also the bobbins, got lost. (I was, of course, reluctant to tell my mom what had become of her sewing stuff as I too was only around 11 or 12.) I recently bought a nice embroidery kit with a pretty design and I cannot begin to describe the absolute peace I get every time I pick it up for a stitch or two. It’s like returning to that missing calico of my childhood – just a whole lot better because my mom now knows about my “secret” crafting… 😛

    1. Hand stitching, of any kind, is really peaceful. You can’t hurry and that is so good to experience after all the hurly burly of the day. I love handstitching patchwork. I would feel cheated if I used the sewing machine. The quilt might be quicker, but a lot would be lost in the process. (I’m sure your mother forgave you, especially if it inspired you to do more. 😉 )

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