Crafting Gifts

Hi Dear Frugalites,

I have been very busy creating gifts every week as my social daughter has headed to one or two parties a week. My staples have been library bags, bird ornaments and owls. I have used mainly recycled materials and some new fabric in my endeavour to upcycle. The new fabrics have mainly been for boys gifts to give their bags that special touch on one side.

I was a little nervous about giving so many home made library bags when everyone else arrives with the huge glossy gifts. Especially to some of her wealthy friends who don't live the green philosophy. But Dolly was super excited to come home last week and tell me how some of her six year school friends had their library bags when another student loudly said "Your bags are COOL! Where did you get them from?" and they proudly said "Dolly made them for us!". This has led to other children asking her if she can make one for them too :)  it seems the library bags are becoming the fashion item TO HAVE... So Yay us!

Sewing does not come easy to me. I used to sew for some extra cash when I was 18. That was short lived as it was just to tie me over in desperate times and my Grandma was nearby to help me step by step. After a few months of making a little cash for food and youthful fun I stopped as I moved towns and found stable employment. Now fast forward 25 years and I am sewing again - without Grandma's help. I'm learning from my mistakes as I unpick incorrect stitches and use books for guidance. As my confidence grows so does my satisfaction. My items are becoming better and better with each new stitch and I'm getting faster too.

Here are pictures of Dolly being industrious creating Bird Ornaments with reclaimed and vintage fabrics, beads from broken and unloved op shop jewellery. She has gifted these to girl school friends and also Costa Georgiadis as she knows he "loves the invorinment" (she adores him from his regular visits and enjoys how he always talks to her with enthusiasm).

Beading Bird Ornaments.

Stuffing Birds with old Pillow Stuffing.

Pretty Birds made with reclaimed fabric and vintage fabrics.

Ready to Tweet in a Home or Verandah.

Dolly gifts her friend Costa one of her Bird Ornaments.

And then there are the Library Bags... We have made 6 of these so far this past month. Girly ones and Boyish ones. These are a couple of the boy ones. The Doctor Seuss fabric is new. The blue fabric is an old mens shirt from this stash that some of you may remember, and the red fabric I think may be from the late 70s early 80s. All of these bags are French seamed for extra strength and aesthetics.

Busy Preparing letters and wearing a sleeve as a hat.

Completed and ready for gifting.

For a twin.
His sisters bag was red strawberries on one side & vintage fabric with little girls on the other.

And to top it all off, Dolly has been creating beautiful cards with unwanted seed beads, old patty cake papers, sticks and scrap felt.

Hand me down beads from a older tomboy girl, perfect for decorating cards.

Sticks from the yard and bits of felt scrap that Mama hoarded make perfect candles.

Eco-Frugal Homemade Gift Giving.

If you've never sewed give it a go! Go slowly, learn from your mistakes as I have been in the past year and get on the net for basic tips to get started. If I can do it anyone can :)

Stephanie @ Frugal Down Under.