Welcome to our Eighth day of
FABULOUS
Holiday Giveaways!
Today we are featuring:
Amy Anderson~Mod Podge Rocks
Amy Barickman
Amy Locurto
&
Amy Ruble~Pink Bow Bath Boutique
*today is the day of Amy’s :)
~
Amy Anderson~Mod Podge Rocks
1. Who are you?
I am a 34-year-old transplant from Seattle living in Atlanta, Georgia. I was born from creative genes, so I’m carrying on the tradition. I have been knitting for 18 years, sewing for longer and decoupaging for just a few. I do all of these things on a daily basis, or at least as much as I can. In addition to Mod Podge, I love the color blue, dogs, reading, cold weather, funny movies, road rallies, yogurt, garden gnomes, sock monkeys, running, tattoos, being outdoors, buttons, snuggling and apparently blogging. Who knew I would love it this much?
2. Is there anything else I should know about you?
I try to wear stripes and/or bright colors on a daily basis. It’s my schtick and it makes me happy. It’s the little things, people.
3. What makes you the authority on Mod Podge?
My favorite thing about this blog is that I get to bring lots of ideas and inspiration together in one place – making everyone who is featured here an authority! I started this blog because when I was trying to find decoupage inspiration, I had to go to a lot of different places to get it. I thought, “what if it could all just be in one place?” I don’t just complain people – I make it happen!
4. What is your day job?
Marketing. Editing. Not quite a crafting superhero like I want to be but it pays the bills and the people are great.
5. Will you offer me advice on my project/creative idea/love life?
Yes, I’ll do my best. That I can promise you.
6. Do you accept submissions?
Heck yes! Don’t be scared. Send ‘em my way.
*Amy runs the popular blog, http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/.
Follow her on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/modpodgerocks
and
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ModPodgeRocks
~
Amy is giving away a Mod Podge starter kit
Plus!
some product from the new Martha Stewart paint line by
Plaid: http://plaidonline.com/martha-stewart/brand/home.htm
Amy Barickman
Amy Barickman is the founder and owner of Indygo Junction, The Vintage Workshop and AmyBarickman.com. She is a leader in the sewing, needle arts and crafting industry having released nearly 1000 sewing pattern titles, sold more than two-million sewing patterns and published 80 books sold throughout the U.S. and internationally. Her recent endeavor is the award winning book Amy Barickman’s Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun, already on its third printing since its release in September of 2010. Amy designs a vintage-inspired fabric line with Red Rooster Fabrics. Named one of Country Living magazine’s prestigious Creative Women Entrepreneurs, Amy has made numerous television appearances on shows like Public Television’s “America Quilts,” and “Sewing with Nancy.”
websites:
www.indygojunction.com
www.amybarickman.com
www.thevintageworkshop.com
blogs:
www.indygojunction.com/blog
www.blog.thevintageworkshop.com
www.amybarickman.com/blog
facebook:
www.facebook.com/indygojunction
www.facebook.com/thevintageworkshop
www.facebook.com/amybarickmanstudio
twitter:
www.twitter.com/indygojunction
www.twitter.com/vintageworkshop
www.twitter.com/amybarickman
Videos:
www.youtube.com/indygojunction
www.amybarickman.com/vintage-notions
~
Amy is giving away ALL OF THESE great prizes!
www.amybarickman.com – Vintage Notions book and matching tote bag!
Amy Barickman, author, entrepreneur, and designer with a passion for all things vintage shares her awarding-winning book, Vintage Notions. The book is arranged by month, and functions as a creative resource for the Home Arts, with articles, essays, recipes, sewing patterns. Amy recently created a partner book club guide to Vintage Notions — a great way to gather friends and celebrate creativity.
www.indygojunction.com – Selection of four fabulous patterns!
Amy Barickman’s Indygo Junction offers fashion sewing, needlework and craft patterns and books. Designs range from bags and clothing to holiday and home accessories, while the Indygo Junction website offers creative support in the form of supplies, how-tos, videos, and a blog —Handmade Style for the Creative Spirit.
www.thevintageworkshop.com – Fabric Arts Kit, plus a freebie for everybody!
Amy Barickman’s The Vintage Workshop is a seemingly endless resource for downloadable vintage images, photos, and ephemera of all kinds! Single images, image collections, projects and supplies are available for purchase, while “The Workshop Window” blog gives away a free downloadable image, daily! Enter to win this limited edition Fabric Arts Kit- with several unique printable fabrics and image CD, AND go to: http://www.thevintageworkshop.com/store/information.php?info_id=100 to download an image collection of holiday ephemera totally free, exclusively for WWC readers!
Amy Locurto
Living Locurto is published by Amy Locurto, a designer, stylist and mom of two from Dallas, Texas.
What started in July 2008 as a blog about creative things I did at home with my children, Living Locurto has since turned into a top craft and party blog with great resource for moms. Today you will find my original ideas and designs, hundreds of free printables, weekly menu plans, recipes, party ideas and DIY crafts.
With a Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, I am also busy with my design firm Atomic Egg, specializing in corporate branding.
You can find fun party supplies in my shop, Printables by Amy.
In addition, I love photography and am co-founder of a popular photography website I Heart Faces and helped build a large photography community of women and a forum with over 13,500 members. We’re excited to be hosting our very own photography show on My Craft Channel this fall!
Follow me on Twitter, Google+ & Facebook.
~
Amy is giving away a $50 gift certificate to her shop, Printables by Amy.
Amy Ruble~Pink Bow Bath Boutique
Hi! My name is Amy and I am the proud owner of Pink Bow Bath Boutique luxury handmade bath and body products.
Pink Bow Bath Boutique specializes in handmade luxury bath and body products all wrapped up with a pink bow and a fun girly-girl twist! We offer delicious, top-quality, made to order, custom fragranced everyday pampering products. I am self-proclaimed, lifelong, bath and body products junkie! Starting my own line of bath and body products is a dream come true to me. A little about me: I live in beautiful sunny Arizona with my wonderful husband. We were college sweethearts and have been together ever since. We have an amazing 1 year old son that makes us both so happy :) I thank you so much for visiting my little shop…I realize that my business would be nowhere without my lovely and amazing customers and for you I am truly grateful.
xo, Amy :)
~
Amy is giving away a Girly Girl Gift Set. You will receive a 2 ounce jars of our Shimmering Whipped Body Frosting and a 7 ml perfume roll-on, both in your choice of any of our fabulous fragrances!
WOW!
All you need to do to enter to win all FOUR of these prizes is comment below with your answer to this question …
What is your favorite handmade gift that you’ve given?
Thanks so much to our FOUR FABULOUS artists!
~We’ll see you tomorrow~
I love making Body Sugar Scrubs!! My friends love them!!!!
Last year I crocheted an afghan for my mother-in-law and she loved it!
Happy to find a new post, and more talented women to meet.
One Christmas I managed to sew pajama pants for each of my four children… they were happy and snug, and the sight of them happy and snug made me feel giddy and Christmas-y!
When I was in College my youngest sister was big into Winnie the Poo and she was 11 years younger than me, so I spent all of December making her a Winnie the Poo cross-stich and framed it. She still loves it!
This year I’m making all of my gifts…crocheted and reverse appliqued scarves, fabric baskets, etc. It’s so much more personal when it’ handmade.
My mom is a member of a Red Hat group and they play dominoes once a month together. Everything about Red Hat is color and bling, so I bought a plain dominoes set and ordered a slew of rhinestones to “bling them out”. I transformed a blah, ordinary dominoes set into a real piece of beauty and my mom about died when she opened the box and saw all the beautiful, shiny dominoes. It was a huge hit with the gals at her dominoes night. She still talks about them (and uses them!) and I gave them to her about 3 years ago!
Cookie trays! :-) Thanks for a chance to win some great prizes! kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
well as a matter of fact… yesterday I brought my friend, ” Merry Merry Megan”, two fun fabulous fiberous woven christmas stockings made of a smattering of crisp colorful batiks fabric strips, some martha stewart sparkle eyelash yarn, a blend of flouncy boucles’ and fuzzy yarnage for a fringy cuff, all topped off with 3 jingly bells! My new creation, the first 2 ever, and she LOVED them! : ) made me smile!
I took my brother-in-laws crusty old journals that no one could read about his experiences in the islands off of Alaska and typed them into a book.
I love to give handmade gifts and have been crafting things for gifts for loved ones since I was very young! :-) I think my favorite, or at least *one* of my favorites, was a crocheted afghan that I made for my Grandmother when I was maybe 12 or 13… It was one of my first crocheted projects, and certainly not perfect, but you would never have known that by the way she received and used it! She loved it so much and for as long as I can remember, she proudly displayed it on the back of her sofa… She made me feel so proud… and SOOO loved, as only a Grandma can… :-)
My favorite handmade gift I’ve given is the quilt my sister in law received last year. It is one of the best I have ever made, and she really loves it. She sleep under it! That is the best thing, when a handmade gift is really used and loved!
Every year I give a handmade Christmas ornament to my sisters and mom. One year I skipped it thinking that no one would notice and I was WAY wrong! It was good to know they appreciated the small token attached to their gifts and I love creating them!
When I was about 12 I crocheted scarves for my whole family. Just found the one I made for my Grandfather while cleaning out his house!
That’s a really great question – my favorite thing I have made as a gift was my very first quilting experience. A friend of my mom’s had an old quilt top she had gotten at an auction and kept in storage for a decade or so, and she gave it to me to see if I wanted to do anything with it. It was queen sized, but I didn’t know enough to be intimidated, so I went to the library and looked up how to make a quilt sandwich and quilt, I basted the quilt together and then I did straightline stitching through the whole thing. I was very confused by the binding, but I managed to get something on there, and I gave it to my sister for Christmas. I’m sure that if I looked at it now I would be a bit horrified, but my sister loves it and it is still the quilt she keeps on her bed, five years later.
Thanks for the chance to win!
A few years ago I made a large photo album for my MIL. I added photos of her grand children, and left plenty of room for more pics. I loved it and so did she.
When I was a retail manager, I always liked to give my staff gifts for their hard work during the holidays. One year, stenciled and antiqued terracotta flowerpots and then filled them with homemade cookies. They were a big hit.
I pick a family member or friend every year to receive a quilt. It is quite a hit and thank goodness it last a long time because it takes almost a year to complete from start to end.
thanks so much for a chance to win these incredible prizes and introducing these
very talented ladies.
Happy Sewing and Merry Christmas
A 12 day countdown to Christmas made of little boxes. :)
I made a personalized apron for my mom last year and loved her reaction! :)
Thanks for the fun!
I made some doll clothes for my nieces that they were so excited about.
I give lots of handmade gifts so it is hard to chose, but I think it would be the painters palette I made for my mom using silver, gold, and colored semi- precious cabochons (as the paint).
Last year was my first crafting Christmas presents…okay, well it wasn’t really a “craft” per se but I did make this awesome quart jars with cookie mix inside. The ingredients were layered and filled to the top. Included on the canning jar was a homemade recipe tag that I tied on with a ribbon. The feedback I got was great and everyone had warm oatmeal/chocolate/coconut cookies for the holidays!
I love homemade gifts that include pictures of family and friends. The one I loved the most was a shadow box filled with pictures and items of meaning of my father and grandmother. It was a gift for my father.
My favorite gift / gifts I have ever given was last year to my 3 grandchildren. My son was soon to be deployed overseas and my husband was out of work searching for a new job. We had no extra money to spend for Christmas presents. I was trying to think of what gift I could make. I had some old jeans that belonged to my son, so I carefully cut up all his old jeans. I made each of my grand-kids a special one of a kind quilts using Daddy’s jeans and other fun fabric I had in my stash. I also used his jean pockets and embroidered on each pocket Daddy’s Pocket, then my grand-child’s name, from Grandma, Christmas 2010. The pocket I sewed on each quilt was for my grandchildren to put their wishes and prayers while Daddy was deployed and to give them a little bit of comfort.
I love handmade gifts, making then and receiving them. Especially love thinking of the person while I am making them their handmade gift.
My daughter was sad about losing her favorite huggy pillow, a big green frog. One Christmas, I was able to make a replacement without her knowing it and she was so surprised and thrilled. She’s a young adult now and still sleeps with her frog!
I’m not super crafty and don’t have a lot of time as a single divorced working Mom. So, my favorite “hand made” gift that I’ve given was when I printed off a bunch of pictures of my little girl w/ my Dad (she calls him Papa), put them in a cute photo album and gave those to him.
A special card to my mom and dad!
I surprised friends with handpainted signs one year and my favorite part was the look of surprise on their faces, especially those women who I didn’t know well but who had inspired me. I’ve learned to give gifts of gratitude even to those I’m not close to but who motivate me to be a better person. Giving unexpected gifts is such a joy.
it’s hard to pick a favorite handmade gift. most of mine are handmade. this year i made purses for my neices and stuffed slugs for my nephews, a quilt for my bro and in the middle of some mini wreaths with rolled flowers.
when my husband and I were still dating, I made him for Valentine’s Day, a book with 50 things that I loved about him. it was original, took time to make, and he loved it!
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ’0 which is not a hashcash value.
This year I am making gifts for my nieces and nephew. I am making dolly diapers and diaper bag for one niece and portable drawing pads for the others. They get so excited when I made something for them, so I can hardly wait for them to open their gifts this year.
My sister (whose last name is Martin) asked me to make her a craft with a quote she liked- “Once the Martin Bird has made its nest, winters chill shall not return”. She loved that quote, and I made her an altered birdhouse, more than she excepted. She was truly touched!
An anniversary book for my hubby…it was a “princess” story using our little family and my hubby as the prince. He was really touched .
My favorite handmade gift I have give was a baby quilt.
My favorite gift I’ve given is a ripple afghan I made for my nephew. It’s full of colors because we didn’t know if he was going to be a boy or a girl. And it ended up being huge for the tiny little guy he was. He loved that blanket and when he was younger (he’s 5 now) it played a part in a lot of fun activities.
My favorite would have to be a valentine’s pillow that I made for my “American mom” (I’m from the UK). It was the first time that I realized I was proficient enough at sewing to have an idea, whip it up from items I had on hand and love the finished product. And Jeanie loved it too of course.
My favorite handmade gifts are baby quilts. The last one I gave as a gift was for my adorable baby grandniece who will soon turn one – she was born shortly before Christmas.
This year I’ve made 3 of noodlehead’s 241 tote – one for me , two to give away! What a great pattern!
I gave a quilt to my sister last year, that would’ve looked great on my couch too :) Good thing I already have lots!
ourbusylittlebunch(at)hotmail(dot)com
A quilt i made for a good friend of mine going thru breast cancer treatments. I felt like i was giving her a BIG hug to wrap up in. She loved it. She is now cancer free.
I’ve tried to sew purses for my girls each year and they really look forward to the new fabric and designs.
I’ve got the book, “Vintage Notions” on my Christmas wish list!
Merry Christmas to all!
~Heidi (everyday-cookies blog)
I am making a kaleidoscope quilt for my first grandchild. I am hoping it is something she will keep for many years to come.
I’m going to have to recycle yesterday’s answer and say the hand print tiles I made with the girls. They’re adorable and mom and dad are going to be tickled pink!
Each Christmas I sew a fancy dress for my little niece so she can twirl along with the dancers on the “Dancing With The Stars” TV show. This Christmas she’s asked for a red dress.
A handstitched Bucilla Christmas Stocking. I made the Fireman Stocking for my precious husband the fire fighter! It had many many many hours of time and lots of love put into it! And if I say so myself, it looks AMAZING hanging from the mantel!
My favorite handmade gift that I have given is a scrapbook to my MIL with 2page spreads for each family. I did it for 10 years and it is a great overview of our families.
I once made my mom a topiary tree. It turned out awesome. :)
My favorite handmade give that I’ve EVER given was a white and pink smocked baby bishop. It was only my second attempt at smocking, but I was so proud of it! j-j-s AT juno DOT com
My favorite handmade gifts I’ve given are quilted candle/mug mats, table runners and pot holders inside specific book baskets or homespun type gift baskets full of goodies I put together. What fun! Have a Crafty Merry Christmas!!
Ooh, neat prizes!
Hm… I think my favorite of the handmade gifts I’ve given would be the crocheted afghan I made for my niece (born earlier this year). I had so much fun making it, and it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself! ;)
I made pajama pants for all my neices and nephews last year, and it’s so fun to see them still wearing them sometimes at cousin sleepovers! They were a big hit, and I’m so glad that the work was appreciated. I even had a few of the parents request pajama pants for birthday presents this year, so I count them a success!
I started knitting a little over a year ago. Last Christmas I made dish cloth / wash cloth sets for my mom and sisters.
I make jewelry and other gifts every year but my favorite was a necklace I made two years ago for my then 6 year old granddaughter. It had faux gemstones and was fit for a little princess! She loved it and still wears it often today.
I love receiving and giving handmade gifts. My favorite would have to be (all because of the memories it made) My girls (ages 6 and 8) and I made refrigerator magnets last year using blank artist trading cards and various odds and ends (buttons, ribbons, etc). They enjoyed creating these tiny treasures to share with family and friends. And the memories this created will last us all a lifetime.
I believe that handmade gifts, treats and goodies add something extra special to the gift.
Definitely the family recipe books for my extended family
looking back, the favorite thing I made that I gave at Christmas was a cross stitched framed stitchery I made for my brothers new baby daughter….it featured tiny little bunnies spelling out her name…
My Friend and neighbor Kathy broke her neck while mowing her lawn on a riding lawn mower. She is now paralyzed bound to a bed and or wheelchair. her hands get cold but needs to have her fingers free, so my favorite gift I have ever made and given was a pair of handknitted (my first ever) fingerless gloves, in a beautiful cable pattern made from yummy lime green cashmere yarn. they came out so pretty and were very useful and gave Kathy something beautiful to wear, which kept her hands warm too!!!!
Hard to pick just one …. I usually make all my gifts from quilts, dolls to jewelry! Next to the quilt I posted yesterday, I would have to say the scrapbook I made for my sister celebrating her childhood! I rescued pictures from my mom’s old photo albums – scanned and cleaned up the images – reprinted and created the album. Now it’s time to duplicate it for my mom ;-)
I think that my favorite most recent handmade gift was one that I made for my Mother last Christmas. She is a bit physically challenged and spends much of her day in a recliner in her TV room. Here, she sits and knits and crotchets. Using some vintage kimono fabric, I made her a fabric roll-up for her crochet hooks and knitting needles. It was beautiful. Too beautiful to use, I guess, since she opened it out and hung it on her wall so she could see it all the time. This year maybe I should make a usable roll-up out of simple cotton.
I took up watercolor painting a couple of years ago, and gave my daughter one of the paintings – she shows it to everyone. This year my youngest daughter will be receiving one as well.
Love these holiday give aways! Everything looks so wonderful and the creative ideas are flowing!
When I was about 11 years old, I crocheted a diaper cover, hat, and booties for a neighbors baby as a gift. I still cannot believe that I did that and they fit the infant perfectly!
My favorite gift that I have given was to my mother. Her birthstone was a blue sapphire, I had bought her a ring when I first started working. Somehow, it was misplaced,so as a surprise,one year, I bought her a replacement ring. She cried. I wear that ring in her memory! Christmas blessings to all….
The favorite handmade gift I ever gave isn’t so much about the gift as it is the response! I made a baby quilt for my newest niece, and my sister was so happy she even cried a little. She knows how much I love to quilt and knew I had made it with love. My niece is 12 years old, but the quilt still hangs on her wall!
One year I tried my hand at creating personal essential oils scent combinations for my friends – they were a big hit!
I don’t have a paticular gift, but I have given several handmade decor things to my daughter, granddaughter, and grandsons.These things are made with love and given with love.It is usually holiday things.Another gift that I give is to my Grandsons school.Today I am making snowmen to put in the hall by their room.I make a lot of posters for them throughout the year.I enjoy making the childrens day a little brighter.Wishes for everyone a Merry Christmas.
My favorite handmade gift is a set of paper ornaments. Turned out cute!
Happy Merry Amy Day! Talk about goodies, oh my! Thanks once again for your generosity!
Last year I made an Advent Calendar for my daughter and her family. It consisted of 25 little envelopes made from the cutest Chrsitmas fabric. In each envelope I stashed candy, chocolates or little toys for my grandbaby Lukas, and even my daughter and her husband, who enjoys hunting. I found tiny deer and woodsy things for him.
All the envelopes were in a basket with a clothes line and tiny clothespins. As the envelopes were emptied each day–the envelope was hung on the line. ByChristmas Day, all of them were hanging and looking festive!
I know that they will enjoy this gift for years as Lukas grows.
BTW–thanks so much for the give-away. It is very generous! Merry Christmas to all of you!
I think it would have to a a tiny memory book that one of my best friends gave me. It was like a miniature scrapbook with a few pictures and memories from the time we’ve known each other. :)
The most favorite handmade gift I’ve given is the pajamas I made for Christmas Eve for the whole family. The Christmas Eve pajamas have been a tradition since my girls were little, now I get to add my daughter’s Fiance to the list. Everyone sits around in their pajamas and watches a Christmas movie then goes to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.
I have a large stained glass piece that has been hanging in my bedroom window since 1976. A neighbor lady made it for me & it is just beautiful…love love love it.
The first thing I made as a gift for someone was a scarf that I crochet for my Mom right after my grand mother showed me how. Thank you for this giveaway and Happy Holiday to You and Yours.
My favorite handmade gift that I’ve given was a really cute corduroy backpack that I made for a friend’s daughter.
I made my mother-in-law a fleecy robe with satin trim. She loved it!
Since I teach quilting it doesn’t sound that spectacular, but I gifted several of my old class samples to the local homeless shelter last Christmas. It warmed my heart to know they would be needed and used.
The 2 gifts that were special were hand knitted shawl and a knitted purse. They were special gifts I made for a special person. Charlene
My favorite handmade gift that I have made was the scarves that I knitted for my nieces..
My favorite handmade gift that I gave was a simple colored Santa with a beard of cotton balls. I was about 4 years old when I gave it to my aunt. I forgot about it. When my aunt passed away I found it in her top dresser drawer with other cards that I made her. She kept it right there ON TOP all these years next to her valuable diamond rings. I never knew how much it really meant to me. I have brothers and sisters she didn’t seem to keep anything from them. But she and I always had a very special bond. I miss her so during the holidays the most. But I know she is always with me.
I made a ‘baby’s 1st year calendar’ for my cousin one year.
I made my inlaws a stained glass snowflake… I will have to make myself one too.
Two years ago I knit bath mitts and made bath salts and sugar scrubs for all the women on my list. I love it when I go over to there houses and see the mitt hanging in their showers.
My fave hand made gifts given were crocheted sliippers which were an obsession one year and sewn candle mats with candle.Candle mats are so quick and fun to make and I love making things people will actually use and they loved them! (I am a huge fan of Indygo Junction and Amy Barickman – thanks for introducing the others I’m sure I’ll love their places also)
Well, yesterday I mentioned that I made scrapbook calendars each year for my Grandmother, which was definitely a favorite. But another handmade gift comes to mind today…a needlepoint that I made for my Mother-in-Law. I had never done any needlepoint before,but I found a kit with a design that I knew she would love, figured out the stitches, & got to work. I finished the canvas just in time for Christmas &. she cried when she opened it! It is such a good feeling when you can make the perfect gift for someone to enjoy!
My youngest daughter (she was 4) and I made a huge rag quilt for my husband last year at Christmas…it was meant to go on our bed but all of our kids love snuggling with it on the couch!
Maybe I should make another one!
Thanks so much!
Julie
Every year I would make a Christmas ornament or decoration – its hard to pick just one, but I really liked the Reindeer I did.
I made door chimes one year from wooden hearts one year… they were very well received. I usually make at least one type of gift every year for several different people… that is what Christmas is to me… hand made gifts with love. ☆¨(✿◠‿◠)❀♫❤ ☼ ☯~Hobby
I make handmade Christmas cards every year. This year, I had to make 50 of them. I spend a lot of time on each one and view it as a little Christmas present to each person.
Friends of ours got married and I used photos of them from their wedding and made a “church” with windows and placed them inside. You could either open the front to see them or peak through the windows. They loved it!
Was the first quilt I had ever made. For my son, he is now 20 and he still loves it! It has teddy bears on it and he still calls it his “bear blankie” and wont part with it ever!
One year I dug into the scrap bag for reds and made my Dad a lap quilt. It had red and white fabrics that my mom had used to make us clothes as kids, and some very favorite prints from a Gunne Sax knock off I had made in high school. His birthday is close to Christmas, so it’s a challenge to think of not one, but two Dad gifts.
I knitted a scarf for my great-niece last year for Christmas. Her mom told me that she wore it all day Christmas Day, which pleased me so much. Thanks for the chance to win these wonderful prizes.
I crocheted an afghan for hubby for his birthday while we were engaged. He still uses it every night!
There are so many! I don’t know if it is what I made that was so special, or the way it was recieved. My daughter loved a batik beach bag I made her. She always talks about it. Something so simple!
I love Amy’s! Today is my daughter Amy’s birthday! :) My favorite gift a ever made for Christmas were scrapbook mini albums for all of the family when beautiful smiles on everyone. They still cherish them to this day. Merry Christmas!
My favorite gift was a paper wreath that I made for both my aunt and my mom last Christmas, I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to chipboard, both turn out great! I loved them.
One of my dearest friends is a rug hooker….. I can make nearly everything so I never get handmade gifts from other people…. but rug hooking stumped me. Even with the very best teacher at my side, I just couldn’t make a flower look like a flower. It was so frustrating. So, for Christmas, several years ago, she finished that darn rug for me and it is SPLENDID. I love it and I LOVE her. How lucky I am to have such a dear friend.
My favorite handmade gift I’ve ever given was a family scrapbook. Each month I mailed family members questions about thoughts/ beliefs/ wishes. They returned tham and at the end of the year I put a scrapbook together with each person’s answeres as well as family photos from throughout the years. My own copy is priceless to me- esp the answers from my very quiet grandpa who has since passed away.
The Harley tshirt quilt I made for my husband, I used a bunch of his old harley t shirts and made a king size quilt – very cool!
For daughter-in-law’s first Christmas as part of our family, I made her an apron out of the tablecloth I had made to cover their Rehearsal Dinner Table. She recognized the fabric immediately! :) And she still uses it …. the best thanks ever!
photo books for the grandparents every time i make them i want to keep them cause it’s pictures of my boys and i just love how they came out. I never make one for us but I should.
I made a quilt for my Mom out of her favorite 8th grade wool coat. I embroidered important dates and phrases along the seams. The coat was from 1943 and beautiful. I hated to cut it up, but now she snuggles down in it as she watches tv.
My favorite gift I have given is a beautiful green jasper stone necklace that I made for my Mother-In-law. She loved it.
Every year I give teachers and friends a big batch of our family’s homemade granola. My kids can help make it and we try and different theme every year….package in mason jars with festive jar toppers and it is a super yummy and consumeable gift! Thanks for the giveaway!
I hand crocheted a granny square afghan, which took forever with the most wonderful colors! I was soooo proud of that afghan!!
My favorite handmade gift I have given would have to be quilts. Have made some of my kids quilts for Christmas and I have given a few away to nieces and nephews and one of my sisters. Also have given one to a good friend. Everyone loves their quilts. I love making them and giving them to others because I know how much they appreciate them.
tall skinny “snowmen” made by wrapping string around a dowel
It was a scrapbook made with family photos and souvenirs that my family did not even realize i had been collecting of all the years and family history of our family cottage… The place we all come back to every summer we possibly can, no matter where we all are now.
I made mini heritage scrapbooks for all the women in my family last year! They were beyond pleased and I was so proud!
I made my own scented candles a few years ago… I selected scents based on everyone’s personal favorites! They were the hit of our Christmas party!
When I was twelve I painted a ceramic pig to look like a Hampshire pig ( the type that look like Oreos). I gave it to my best friend at the time. While we may have grown apart and I doubt she has the ceramic pig anymore, I’m still so proud of that little pig.
My favorite handmade gifts I have given over the years has been ornaments. I participated in “ornie swaps” for years and loved making different ornaments year after year. They mostly were some form of hand sewed and recycled symbol of Christmas….snowmen faces made out of a white (tea stained) thrifted Martha Washington bedspread with stacked orange buttons for nose, cookie cutter shaped ornaments-tea stained and baked in oven to give it that grungy look made from scrap quilt pieces….
I once gave my daughter a baby doll complete with a handmade layette.
She had bunny slippers, lace-edged bibs, and appliqued gowns and footed pajamas. I had so much fun making those tiny clothes and our little girl played with them for several years.
We still have all of it packed away, awaiting the day when our family is blessed with another tiny person (who, of course, will receive many handmade pieces of clothing from yours truly).
Baby afghans. I try and make them for all my friends’ kids. Which is a lot of kids, so often they are late…. Also the first year scrapbook I made for my daughter. I love it when she wants to pull it out and look at it, or show it to others. Well worth all the effort!
The favorite handmade gift that I have ever given, was a shawl that I knit for my Aunt. I was about 11 or 12 an I knit her a warm lacy red shawl and and slippers. The shawl won a high enough prize at our local fair to got to the state fair!
I was very proud of it, but I think her son sold the shawl in a yard-sale when they were cleaning up my aunts house once.
so many handmade gifts – i don’t know which one is my favorite but i think the handmade garland I made for a friend tops it. it turned out absolutely gorgeous and i actually wanted to keep it for myself!
I love making mermaid dolls (from my own pattern) kids just love them! I actually have to make them after daughter has gone to bed because she wants them all if she sees me making one
I’ve given lots of fun handmade gifts that I really like, my most recent faves being the Ctrl/Alt/Del pillows I made for my SIL and the monogrammed roasting sticks with carrying bag that I often give as a wedding gift.
super fun! i think my favorite was a pair of tiny quilts for some NICU babies…
One year for Christmas, I took antique buttons and notions from my deceased grandmother’s stash and made heart pins for gifts. It was super special in so many ways.
Anything made by my boys when they were little is a treasure forever.
I found an old raggedy quilt at a yard sale for $2.00. Ithought I would use it to cut up for other crafts. On the drive home I got a better look and realized it was an unfinished quilt, hand quilted, just not hemmed. I hemmed it and gave it to my mother. She loved it, and left it to me when she passed away.
I made a set of fleu-de-lis stamped tile coasters last year for my friends for Christmas.
They loved them. Doesn’t it just make you fell gooood when they like the gifts??!
I love giving sets of quilted notecards. Everyone thinks they’re so unique and fun to send to others. Plus, I get to use up my fabric scraps and create something really interesting. Thanks for the chance!
quilted stockings to my brother and his new bride. Stockings still are our favorite part of Christmas, so it was really special to make something that I know will be a special part of holidays to come for their family. I can’t wait to make coordinating ones for their future babies! :)
The best gift I’ve given was a quilt I made for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday with a block for every family member. Kathie L in Allentown
Last Christmas a co-worker brought me an antique purse frame that he slipped off to buy in a Paris flea market– his girlfriend had admired it and he is just that kind of guy who “gets it”! I am pretty selfish about my sewing time but he is too nice to say no to!
He sent it to me and I took black silk and fashioned a new bag and lining for the frame– it was so fun that even my college girls got into it– we all wondered where all that purse had been! Inside, I had a little pocket embroidered “To Colleen, Love, Steve” and next year they are getting married- the cutest couple ever!
Favorite handmade gift I have given – baby blanket for my great nephew that my mom started before she died. I got to finish it – a real joy and honor
Favorite hand-made gift: a door wreath made of dough cut-outs whose color patterns were created from the use of cinammon swirled in the dough. The heart-shaped cut-outs were attached with ribbon, wire and glue to a grapevine wreath which was then also adorned with ribbons and bells and cinnamon sticks! That wreath held up for 5-6years tool Cute.
Since I found how to make mini album books, I made them as Christmas presents. My MIL got one with my kids pictures with Santa throughout the years. My sister got one for her family pictures and I just made my mother a Chrsitmas tree shape mini book that she will use as part of her Christmas decorations.
best regards,
Wanda
My favorite homemade gifts are the “memory” quilts that I made for my teenagers. I used scraps from their baby and childhood clothes, as well as novelty fabrics reflecting their hobbies, interests, family jokes, trips, etc. It was a lot of fun to put them together, and they enjoy looking at all the fun squares! This is an amazing giveaway — I’d love to win!
One year I took a Christmas card I had, and used that picture as my idea.. then took a wooden cutting board and painted the picture from the card on the cutting board for my mother.. you know how mom’s are.. she thinks it is the most fab thing ever!! I am thinking it is the only evidence of my painting anywhere.
snowflake-earrings this year or every year some selfmade baileys :)
For my dad’s birthday…75th I think, I made him a fun altered scrapbook using a vintage 45 record storage book… each page held a 45 record. I decorated each envelope and a 45 with a “Top 10″ record of a favorite memory. I used the names of real songs but then adapted the idea to fit a favorite special memory I shared with him. It was a lot of fun to make and I think he cherished it. To heavy to mail so if i ever did another one I would maybe use pretend 45s.
Oh one other favorite.. I know I only get one entry… is the cake topper I made for my son and his wife’s wedding cake. They chose to hyphenate their last names and it was to become Lute-Wise. I used polymer clay and made two white owls each with a lute stringed instrument. Over them I put a pennant style banner on a wire with hearts and musical notes.
My favorite handmade gift I’ve given – besides my artwork (which is what I answered yesterday) – is handmade ornaments made from vintage sheet music. People just LOVE them and they are so beautiful!
The matching Christmas dark green velvet dresses I made for my daughters when they were 4 and 6 years old. They had handmade ecru lace collars, and plaid sashes and hair bows.
I am a professional children’s wear designer, and a Grandmother now. Those dresses are still my favorite things that I have ever made.
My mother always had us kids help make Christmas cards. Way back when I was in the seventh grade she bought a roll of cork and had us cut out cookie cutter shapes. I created a gingerbread man that was decorated with felt and gave it to my favorite English teacher Mr. Hazel. Later when I was in high school he told me that was his favorite ornament.
When I first started stamping, I made event calendars for all of the women in my family, as well as all of my kids’ teachers. It was truly a labor of love (took forever!), but I was very proud of the finished project, and everyone is still using them.
My favorite gift was a set of candles I made.
Home made purses with matching wallets!
I would say the denim pillow I made with a ranch brand on it.
A friend from work crocheted me a white/purple/red king sized afghan. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever received and I have had it for 18 years now. I adore it – it’s my go to blanket always!! (and ps: Mod Podge Totally Rocks and so does Mod Podge Rocks!!)
Whoops – guess I can’t read instructions! My favorite handmade gift that I’ve GIVEN is when I made mini scrapbooks for my three aunts commemorating our trip to the Minnesota State Fair. One of my aunts even flew in from Denver, Co. It was an amazingly fun day and the scrapbooks were hilarious to make and so joyful to give!
My favorite gift to make is a personalized quilted journal cover. I sew/quilt the journal cover – then embroider the recipients name on a piece of wool fabric, which is then applique it to the front cover. I have made them in multiple sizes to cover either a composition notebook or a sketchbook, depending on the recipient. I always write a note inside the front cover stating the occasion and the date.
By far, the best thing has been homemade jams, jellies and butters. I keep getting requests for them every year.
I made my niece for christmas a couple years ago, a bedspread matching curtains,pillows,blanket & even painted her dresser to match!!! She liked pink flamingos at the time.When she open it her eyes were so big!!! She Loved it!!!!
May last favorite thing I handmade and gifted was a perfectly kookie haunted silhouette house halloween potholder. The other side was quilted along these great spooky tree lines. First time I’ve free motion quilted anything and I loved it. So did my friend :)
One Christmas I made Superman Sweatshirts for my son and nephews. They immediately put them on and we took pictures of them in matching shirts. Fun!
Once I gave a handmade quilt… I worked on it for months. I was so excited to give it, it was the best feeling of all!
Being an artist, I love to give paintings to people on my list. I would think they would get tired of them, but they still want them. Everyone is getting a large monogram this year. Ooops let the art out of the bag. grin.
I made my sister an ABCs of her scrapbook last year! It was so much fun to put together with her in mind!
Great question! When I thought back on 40+ years of making gifts it was a a treat just remembering! I think my favorite was made at a period in my life when I had “more time than money”, and I wanted to give my best girlfriend-who had been so supportive of me- a unique Christmas gift. I made a tea cozy- to go over a tea pot- shaped like a little cottage. It had different fabrics appliqued on for roof tiles, and doors and windows were twined with embroidered vines. A garden of holly hocks made from tiny yo-yo-s graced the front of my cottage, as well as a butterfly or two cut from a small printed fabric. A tiny little gold bell was on the front door. We love chintz china so I used lots of chintz style fabrics. I made a removable lining so the inner part of cozy could be washed. Needless to say Carolyn loved it. Though we live far apart we often talk on the phone- each with a cup of tea and she’ll tell me “I’m using your cozy!” It was truly a gift of love.
I’m making flannel nightgowns and matching rag quilts for my girls this year… one of the bigger gift projects I’ve done, and I can’t wait to see them cuddle in these gifts!
My brother & I do a Hybrid photo & poem for my mom & grandma every year & they love it. I do the photography & design & my brother writes the poem.
I was on a soapmaking kick for a while last year and made tons of cupcake soaps and bath bombs which made great gifts.
My favorite that I’ve GIVEN?!? Crap >.< Well I've really loved a couple of the paintings I've done for gifts…. but I suppose the most recent was a little felt bag in the shape of a wolf that I filled with 'trading cards' that I drew and colored, all of the receivers own characters…I believe there were 30 + cards by the time I was done lol
My favorite handmade gift is a knitted hat and scarf. They are ultitarian, but are always appreciated by the recipient.
I made christmas quilts for my daughter and my niece that they have used every christmas season
I haver made many gifts over the years, but one of my favorites was a retirement scrapbook I made for my father-in-law who was a captain for Delta Air Lines for 32 years. My mother-in-law helped me gather photos and work related ephemera. I worked on it for six months and had a wonderful 30 page book to chronicle his illustrious career as an airline pilot! He was completely blown away at his retirement party when he opened it, as it was a surprise we was not expecting. That was 11 years ago and to this day he proudly shows it to anyone who will look at it. I love it that he loved it so much! :)
I made an etched glass frame for my in-laws. On the top it had their name and their anniversary dates were on the bottom. I included a picture of them then and now. I was pretty happy with it. I think they liked it, too.
For mother’s day one year I made my mother a set of pillowcases with the softest broadcloth. I learned to do a french seem on the pillowcases and embroidered a bow on the edge. They were so pretty and I was so proud of my sewing.
Please forgive my typo above, I meant to type seam not seem. Ooooops!
I made a rosary for my mother out of an antique crystal necklace that I bought at an estate sale, she loved it and left it to my oldest daughter when she passed away.
Funny , but I have never received anything handmade!
My mother always loved spring flowers so I made her 3 pendants, a lily of the valley, a violet & a rosebud using ribbon embroidery. She absolutely loved them.
I made my daughters Christmas dresses with a matching dress for their American girl doll!
I made a scrapbook with for my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary. Thanks for the great give away opportunities!
I love designing and making purses for friends and family for their special occasions, like weddings, birthdays, Christmas etc.
My favorite homemade gift I have given are my minky strip quilts. I love how they look and have received many compliments at how comfy warm they are. That is what it is all about, comfy and warm two of my favorite words.
My Hubby traced and cut out of wood my son’s hands, when he was 4! What a treasure! :)
I love to quilt, I’ve made so many baby quilts I can’t remember them all. Every time I plan a baby quilt so much thought and planing goes into it, that I completely love that quilt, at that time. As soon as I give it away I’m free to fall in love with the next quilt. ;->
I love the knitting bag I gave me sister two years ago but I think this year’s gifts will be my favourite. I have made a car mat for a nephew, a skirt for my little girl and a set of owls for my son. I love sewing and crafting so I love to give handmade gifts. I think they are better than anything you can find in the shops.
My fab fav Christmas gift that I have given is the gifts that I made for my cousins this year. I made a dimensional bird in flight from a Sizzix die. I covered it with vintage sheet music, outlined it in silver glitter, punched a hole on the top and strung a vintage ribbon through it and punched a hole in the bottom of the bird and put a beautiful crystal dangle through it. It makes a great tree ornament or hanging it anywhere throughout the year.
I think my favorite would have to be several of the same thing to different people. A few years ago, back before I published the pattern, I made an apron for every woman in my husband’s family, using Don’s Yaya’s apron as a pattern. My MIL and her sisters, and their daughters all remembered Yaya wearing this apron and they loved receiving their own just like hers. It makes me so happy to think about it.
I love making handmade Christmas ornaments!
I made an album for a friend filled with letters from all of her closest friends and family. I had each of them write her a letter about how special she is. She tells me that this is one of her most cherished possessions.
My grandmother gave me a quilt she had finished. The blocks were made by 1 of my grandmothers before she died and my other grandmother set them together and quilted it. It is a wonderful keepsake.
A quilt. Merry Christmas!
I made the guest book and faux cake and signage for my then to be daughter in law-I sent it all to her for Christmas-It will be one year that she has been my special daughter-in-law and so blessed my son has her and shared her with us.
What fabulous ladies!! Thanks for the crafting inspiration.
What amazing and very talented ladies! Their giveaways are more than
generous…
I made a collage on wooden blocks for my 93 year old dad with pictures
of his 4 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Many thanks, Cindi
a tshirt quilt!!
I’ve made lots of handmade gifts since I was a teenager. A more recent gift was I made a wallhanging of my Mom’s dog about 4 years ago. I had my sister send me a cute picture of the dog without my Mom knowing. I took a two class from Sue Olsen of Dog Gone Quilts. Sue did up the pattern and away I went doing raw edge applique. My project turned out so great and my Mom was so surprised when she got it.
Thank you for such a great day of giveaways and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite handmade gifts were the crocheted scarfs I made one year when we really didn’t have much money for buying presents. I enjoyed being able to give gifts that I had made with my own hands.
I’ve got a couple of favorite handmade gifts that I’ve given. A friend of mine was moving away and I knitted her a beaded purse necklace. She was so excited when she opened it and saw what it was that she was actually trembling with excitement! That was pretty neat.
The other favorite thing I’ve given was when I made my girls some simple flannel comforters. They were tied, flannel front and back with a puffy batting. They were for Christmas, and Christmas Eve I went into their bedrooms while they were sleeping and tucked their new blankets around them. The next morning they decided that Mrs. Claus must have made them. It was cute!
Thank you for the giveaway!
My favorite handmade gift is definitely baby sweaters! I love making those.
My favorite handmade gift is the playhouse I made my children! They have sooooo much fun playing in it every day!
That I’ve given ? I hand made apron. Best that I’ve received ~ a hand knit sweater from my Oma. She made my sister and I both matching ones in our teen years.
Most of all, I love making cookies for my family and friends! They look forward to my cookies each year!
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com
My favorite handmade gifts that I’ve given are quilts. There is a lot of love and passion poured into each and everyone that I have made. That said, the one that stands out is the one for my step-son. His wife, daughter, and son had all received quilts at one point or another and he had not. One Christmas, I made a ‘quick quilt’ top (no time to quilt it before giving it), when he opened it he exclaimed “Now I have My Own! Sweet!” Yup, that would be my favorite handmade gift :)
Last year, I made my dear friend Robin a quilt, and stitched all nine of her kids names into the blocks.
My mom makes blankets for everyone for Christmas
My favorite handmade gift that I have given were hair bows to my twin daughters. When they were three that is all they asked for at Christmas. Bows can get rather expensive and I am a stay at home Mom. I had my neighbor teach me how to make them. I bought a ton of ribbons and went to work every night when they went to Ned. They woke up Christmas morning to find handmade hair bows on every package and even on the Christmas tree. They were so excited!
I did a counted cross stitch of 2 wooden grain elevators on the prairies for my father-in-law. Since they have torn down most of the wooden grain elevators and replaced them with cement/steel elevators, this picture was very appreciated and hangs on the wall where everyone can see it. :)
Would love to win any of these!! Very, very nice!
Favorite handmade gift I’ve given would have to be the quilt I made for my sister for her college graduation!
I love making skirts for my daughters. So last Christmas time, I made matching skirts for their best friends and little cousin. It was so precious seeing all of them in matching skirts with their own unique styles!
I have made some wonderful Christmas decorations of all kinds that I have given to friends and family through the years. It is fun to see them out in their homes at Christmas!
Thanks,
Lori
My favorite hand-made gift I have given is a quilt I made for a dear friend. The pictures can be seen here.
Merry Christmas everyone!
http://homesweetquiltinghome.blogspot.com/2011/10/true-friend-and-finish.html
I hope I win! A friend made a Christmas tree ornament out of a cedar cone. Kind of a spur of the moment idea, but it is a treasure. I love handmade gifts.
Definitely my homemade wreaths! I had so much fun making and giving them!
I made my Daddy an Arkansas Razorbacks wreath, probably wasn’t my best work but he was so proud of it & that’s what makes it my favorite!
My favorite handmade gift i made to give away is a mason jar winter scene. I bought the little ceramic people and trees and snowmen and glue dotted them to the side of a mason jar..added some “glitter snow” screwed the lid on added a bow and wahlah!! Its adorable!!
The best gifts are my hand decorated sugar cookies with royal icing and the mod podge clip boards I give to all my kids’ teachers! Thanks for offering this giveaway!!
Kristi
I have used modgepodge to decoupage an entire wall in dining room
Oh dear, it was a dumb thing to do in a brand new house, but my friend and I made candles one year for Christmas gifts. Soo messy, but worth it!! We had so much fun making whipped “cake” candles, candles with coffee beans in them, and gingerbread boy candles made from little gingerbread cake pans!!
I love to create gifts, but my favorite handmade gift that I have given is not one that I made, it is one that I purchased from another handcrafter.
My father is an avid fly fisherman and member of Nebraska’s Trout Unlimited which supports preservation of freshwater streams, etc.
I found a brand new Etsy shop that sells “Trout soap on a rope” ( I was their first sale on Etsy). My dad loved the soap which smelled incredible. He keeps it the shower in the camper that he takes with him on fishing trips. He also gave business cards from the shop to all of his Trout Unlimited buddies. It was a truly successful handmade gifting occasion.
I love seeing all the new gifts each day. It truly is like Christmas. I think the favorite gifts I’ve made may have been Christmas stockings which were cross stitched, looked like and old sampler, and collectively told the Christmas story in scripture. Thanks for the chance to win such lovely gifts.
My favorite handmade gift(s) that I have given (well, actually have yet to give this Christmas) are the cute aprons I made for my mom and mother-in-law.
The favorite hand made gift that I’ve given is a beautiful purple and grey scarf that I knitted for my mother-in-law. It was lovely and she was amazed that I could crochet and thought it was gorgeous.
I have made all my christmas gifts this year. Crafting is so much fun.
What a wonderful blog! I would be so grateful to be able to win!
I painted a 12×12 canvas with my idea of the creation of the earth from the Bible. I really had no specific person in mind when I painted it. Shortly after it was finished, our church had a silent auction fund raiser for our young women’s group and I donated this picture for it. All the adults ignored it, but several children bid on it and a 9 year boy of a friend of mine got it for a whole dollar. He was so happy to have a “space” picture and he still brags about that picture to his friends. Made me feel good.
I love to create gifts for people over the holidays, esp. cookies. But my favorite gift I made was a huge cross stitch project of a little girl that I stitched for my grandmother.
I like the blocks that spell Merry Christmas that my husband, kids and myself made several years ago. We even made them for gift giving.
So great to see so many talented and successful woman. They are so inspiring!
My most favorite thing I have made as a gift for someone was the scrapbook I made for my Grandmother. The first several pages were of her and her family when she was young, then onto her and my Grandfather when they were starting their family. I had pages of each of their sons growing up, then their families and then all of us grandchildren had our own couple of pages each. I finished it off with memories of my grandparents and letters from my grandaddy to her from Pearl Harbor, and last but not least a picture of them on their first date and a one of them just before he passed! It was awesome to go through and see her life like that! :)
When I was 5, my older brother was going to teach me to work a sled down a very steep hill. At the bottom of the hill was a large deadfall of birch trees so you had to make a very sharp right turn at the bottom. He was 8 and my hero, I could do anything as long as he was by my side. At the top of the hill (very steep) he showed me how to steer the sled and had me lay down on it & then he laid down on top of me. He kicked us off and partway down the hill he said “now when you get to the bottom, you have to pull hard to the right, do you understand?” I of course said yes and then he rolled off. I froze when he left me and couldn’t remember how to turn. I ran right into that dead fall, knocking myself out & bleeding from my head wound. My brother saved me & got me help. What does this have to do with my favorite handmade gift that I’ve given? Well, I found a lampwork bead that has birch trees on it and made a necklace out of it for my daughter to preserve some of my childhood memories. I named the necklace “Sometimes, life’s a birch.”
I made my mother-in-law a felted had that turned out really well and she really liked it :)
I love to crochet baby gifts. I just gave one of the teacher’s at my son’s school a big basket full of baby goodies that I had made for her. She LOVED them. They were so soft and snuggly.
Last year I looked high and low for a pair of gray mittens with leather padded palms, either they weren’t mittens (gloves) or they weren’t gray. So I designed and knitted a pair for my daughter. She loved them because A) the yarn was soft and warm B) they fit! Apparently that was why she hadn’t bought a pair for herself, every pair she tried on were too big and bulky. “I couldn’t see spending $20 on a pair of mittens that didn’t fit.”
My favorite handmade gift I have given is peepee teepees to a friend with a newborn baby boy!
Fabulous giveaways!
My favourite handmade gifts to give away , are photo books and recipe books.
Great for far away parents or college kids.
The things I love to give away are homemade goodies, but I think the best things are homemade bread and cinnamon rolls. I love the way people’s faces light up when I give those away.
My favorite handmade gift that I’ve ever received, is a bonnet. When I was just a few months, living In Fayettville, NC (My dad was in the army), this sweet lady hand stitched a Laura Ingalls type of bonnet for me. It’s pretty big, it didn’t fit. Somehow throught all of the moves over my 30 years, I still have it!!! Another favorite handmade gift, is more of a hand-me-down. It’s a wooden rolling pin that my great-father wittled. I still have that too :)
I love to give modern, handmade quilts :) I think they make great gifts, especially when it’s getting cold outside!
I *love* giving handmade gifts and do it often, so it’s hard to give a favorite…but the first thing that came to mind was the haunted house that I made for my Halloween obsessed son.
http://averyandwinslow.blogspot.com/2010/12/haunted-house-project-95.html
My favorite handmade gift was a sewing box I painted and decorated using scrapbook supplies, paper of all sorts, and oh sooooo much Mod Podge. As a child, my sister tried to teach me to sew, we got together every weekend to make a robe for me. I was so proud of that robe we made together. For Christmas last year, I gave the sewing box to my sister. Even better, it was selected for publication in an online scrapbook magazine with a video to boot. Not only did my sister recognize the heartfelt sentimenthat went into that gift , she had the whole story as to why I made that box for her online to share with friends and family. It was a such a great connection for both of us since I’ve moved away to another city, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top that, but I’m really hard at work trying. Thanks so much for the opportunity.
I handmade goodie bags for my girlfriends for a girls weekend. I filled the hand painted bags with snacks for the road, lots of makeup and perfume samples, etc.. was great fun!
I like to give ornaments as gifts, one year I made Baby Jesus, wrapped in muslin, glued on a star made of twigs that my children and I gathered together. I still have the original one. I would love to win one of these giveaways!! so much fun. Merry Christmas everyone!!
I think that would have to be the quilt I made for my Aunt. while I was making her’s in secret, I was also working on one for my daughter. My Aunt watched me piece that quilt and would comment about how she would love a handmade quilt. She was very surprised when she received her’s for her birthday!
I gave new baby and one year quilts to all the employees in my office where I used to work. But my favorite was for a young man that I greatly admire. Nathan is 7′ tall and constantly teased me about when was I making him a quilt. I always said I couldn’t afford the amount of fabric it would take. One day I called and asked him to come to my house because I needed his help. He dropped everything as I knew he would and came over thinking he would be moving furniture or something. I gifted him with a quilt to fit his king size bed. He had tears in his eyes. He could not believe I had made it just for him.
My favorite handmade gift that I have made is probably some paintings I created for my mom and mother in law. I love making handmade gifts so my favorite may change after this Christmas. I am making a lot. :)
my aunt made me a fabulous rag doll for me for christmas when I was about 8. I still have it and it looks almost new (only one missing eye!)
Calendars for the grandparents!
My favorite gift that I have given is to my sister. I made a small quilt with little interchangeable quilts that go on it. I am still make little quilts to add to it. She is so excited each month to get the newest quilt.
I think I already answered this for day 7! I made my mother a quilt last year for Christmas which she just loves and cherishes! She shows everyone who visits her home the quilt I made for her and has it proudly on display on her sofa!
For my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary I made them a wall quilt with iron on pictures of their life together. I still love to look at it every time I visit. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
I’ve made several gifts for senior citizens and children this year-tote bags, walker bags, bookmarks that will be donated during the upcoming holidays by my group, World of Charity Stitching.
Thanks, Peggy
Another great day of prizes would love to be able to win. I love giving scarves
I am a cardmaker and I love giving my card sets to my family. When they ask me for more I’m thrilled because it means they are using them and enjoying them!
I made a precious metal clay pin for my mother in law’s coat. It is a star with a small shooting star dangle. So cute and I know she loves it
My favorite handmade gift I’ve given is a amigurumi Squirtle for a friend’s birthday (he loves Pokemon).
A date book for my hubby!
I received jewelry made by my best friend = a treasure
Cookies for the children of co-workers while I was stationed in Germany and didn’t have children of my own. I really loved making santa whiskers for some reason.
I gave 3-D holiday wall decor a few years ago. A shadow box filled with snow/pinecones and vinyl lettering on the glass.
a beautiful colorful granny square blanket from my Nana. possibly the only handmade gift I’ve ever received and the only gift that’s ever really mattered.
oops, sorry….didn’t read this properly.
calendars for my parents and inlaws. (of the kids)
I think it would be the little owl hat I made for a new baby girl in the family. I just loved it and wanted to make loads of them because they looked so cute on little munchkins :D
One year I made quilts for my mother and mother-in-law. They are still on the beds that I made them for.
A quilt with a fish design that I made for my brother.
I love giving away my handmade beeswax candles. I make them for friends, family, even the mailman! I love introducing people to the pleasures of beeswax- it smells so lovely and burns so cleanly. I love Mod Podge Rocks, by the way, and would be tickled pink to win her giveaway!
My favorite handmade gifts I have given was homemade cross-stitch ornaments to my 4th grade teachers.
My talents pale in comparison, to those of my family as they work with their hands. But in digital media – I found my groove. My father has alzheimers, and I wanted him to remember who he is where he came from, and who we are for as long as he possibly could. I set to work scanning old photos and ephemera. His mothers necklace, his fathers passport, favorite jewelry, report cards anything and everything I could.
I put my father, so young – in uniform by an army tent during the Korean War – his hand was on his hip and his head angled back – looking behind him. I named the book for him with his name and the title ‘looking back’. II began with his parents, their names, where and when they were born, his brothers, their wives and children. Tucked in between the digital photos and words were bits of ephemera – a high school letter, a signature, an envelope of military cards that kids traded back then, tin soldiers.
I finished with our family, his marriage – my mother his wife of over 50 years, his three daughters, and their daughters.
It’s been three years now, and my mother tells me, he read that book every day. I love who my father is, and always has been. I just want him to remember for as long as he can.
My favorite gift that I’ve given was a quilt for my husband in our college colors. It’s the only time that he’s expressed an interest in a quilt specifically for him so I was thrilled to be able to do it.
Matching Sponge Bob flannel pjs for my kids and their cousin. They all looked so cute and they lved them!
The favorite gift I ever made was a T shirt quilt for my son with all his favorite metal band T shirts. He just loves it.
I am a quilter & I’ve surprised both my sisters with quilted wallhangings that are very unique & special to them. Great giveaway – thanks for the chance to win.
What a fun day of prizes! The favorite handmade gift that I’ve given was a “Night Before Christmas” book that I made for my parents when I was about eleven years old. I got up in the very early mornings on weekends to work on it starting in October so it would be a surprise for them on Christmas. I paperpieced every illustration on each page. I know that my Mom still has it somewhere.
This year, I am giving my daughter a blanket that I crocheted for her. That is my favorite so far!!
i made a cross stitch picture for my sister’s wedding — and the framer did a fantastic job — and it’s nice to visit and see it displayed proudly in their room.
My favorite gift is one that I love because of the reaction from my parents. It was a scrapbook page that celebrated their birthdays (my dad’s, in June and my mom’s, in July). It listed the reasons that we love my mom and dad (for example, for my dad- “Because you’re the first man I ever loved…And for my mom, “Because you peel grapes so that my kids will eat them”). I titled it “Why do we love you? For these reasons…AND MANY MORE”. I gave it to them in a frame, and they actually have it displayed in their front room. I love that page, and I love them, so it HAS to be my favorite handcrafted item.
I made an embroidery quilted piece for my mom one year and framed it. She loved it and it still hangs in her bedroom years later.
I love making quilts for family and friends.
There are a couple of handmade gifts I have really enjoyed giving – a hat/scarf/mitten set for my younger sister, a blanket for my younger sister, and a baby blanket/booties/hat for a coworkers newborn.
My first as a young girl! I chose to make all of my presents one year and although ‘handmade’ wasn’t as cherished then as it is now, they loved everything I made: scarves, journals, and some earrings!
I embroidered with white feather stitch a chambray work shirt for my dad. I loved seeing him wear it. thanks, kathy
The baby blanket I sewed for my grand daughter, Keira. She’s almost 3 and had to sew on new binding and backing about a year ago and just recently had to make her a new one as the first is totally worn out. I love that she has loved her blankie so much!
The year my mom and I took a cross-country trip, I made a scrapbook with pictures taken on our adventure. Since we attended a family reunion, there were lots of photos of her siblings and cousins and extended family, as well as plenty of pictures of us with my dog, who made the journey with us. I think it captured the spirit of fun and camraderie (sp?) we shared.
A sweet friend of mine knitted me a beautiful scarf last Christmas. I’ve always loved knit pieces, but have never really taken to knitting myself. It’s very special.
OOPS. Got this prompt a little mixed up! Every year I bake my friends a whole box of seasonal goodies. It’s so much fun!
I made my daughter a doll for her birthday last year…..her 30th birthday. It turned out fabulous and I loved making it.
11 Quillows for my nieces and nephews….Yikes what was I thinking 11!! It’s a quilt that folds into a pillow. :)
I made my parents a cordory quilt many years ago for Christmas and they have always treasured it.
A thing my dad helped me make for my mum when I was about seven. It was a hinged tool which I designed to help my mum clean under beds. I’m not sure what she thought of it!
My favorite gift I’ve given was a quilt to my first grand baby. It was with fabric from the Caterpillar book and with vivid bright colors.
I love to give hand made quilts!! Quilting is a favorite hobby of mine so the first one I made to give as a gift was for my Daddy!
Quilts and quilty items.
A doll for my daughter!
I finally learned to knit last summer, and had loads of fun making hats, scarves and mittens for everyone in our family.
I gave my mom a gratitude book. I wrote in it several things I was thankful for her for and also put in some pictures. I was in college at the time, it was what I could afford. She loved it, she took it into work and at home gave it a place of impotance.
it is really hard to name a favorite – I make SO many handmade gifts (for ALL family members pretty much) I guess the most heart (and labor) goes into making a crochet afghan. thanks for the chance to win
My favorite handmade gift was a hand stamped necklace from my kids with each of their names on it
Oops i read that wrong! Sorry! My favorite gift I’ve given is a double bed quilt! I gave it to a young girl last night as an early gift and she was thrilled!
Do forced bulbs count?
Last year, I gave my mother for Christmas a framed cross-stitch I had made – dragonflies in an Asian themed setting (looks better than I make it sound with that description!). It was quite large and done on fine aida cloth so took a long time to finish but she loves it :) So worth it!
Favorite handmade gift that I have given – I made these paper mache snowman ornaments and then I handpainted them in creme and gold with the words joy and love engraved in them before they could dry. Really pretty!
I think the best handmade present I’ve ever given is a hand knit shawl. It was amazing.
The best I’ve made was a tutu for my daughter! Not only did she love wearing it, but I had a blast making it and seeing my finished product:)
I gave some lovely handknit fingerless mitts to my stepdaughters for christmas last year. Most successful present ever for the SDS! love handknits.
One year we gave shakers filled with homemade cajun seasoning to our friends at church. They liked it so well, we have had many requests for ‘refills’!!
When I was a teenager I made my sweetie some plaid pajamas for Christmas. They looked ridiculous but he wore them all the time! I figured anyone who would sport my creations was a keeper, so I married him!
To the girl who have sent me the angels I have sent one of my handmade favorite handbags.
Stockings. I love to make stockings and fill them to the top.
I hand knit a dress that was sleeveless but it was mid calf length for my sister to wear to a wedding. She has since worn it to other functions such as her daughter’s baptism.
My favorite handmade gift that I’ve given was a scrapbooked album to my father in law after my mother in law passed away.
My favorite handmade gift that I have given is a baby sweater and booties knitted for a neighbors new baby. Nothing is more fun than giving a really special baby gift!
I really love to give a plate of homemade cookies/treats to everyone at Christmas. I also make a lot of handmade ornaments – this year it’s hexagon-pieced Christmas trees! Jamie V in MT
http://rem-nants.blogspot.com
Everyone loves my candy and cookies, but I also love to make other things. Jewelry pieces that I have made I love. Thanks for the opportunity to win. I love this. It is so wonderful to see so many talented artists. Terri
Another great giveaway! Thanks you all are awesome to do this! How fun!
Ok, my fav homemade gift would probably be my pearl and turquoise necklaces. They are so fun to create and Im a bit picky as they have to be true authentic beads.
I made a queen size log cabin quilt for my mother in law. She cherishes it!
My favorite handmade gift is the collection of princess dresses I’m making for my daughter this year!
My sister has a tour at her house called “Things My Sister Made For Me Tour.” Almost every room has at least one item I’ve made and sent her. The one I’m proudest of is a huge cross-stitch I made for her and was able to give her on her 10th Anniversary. About 5 years prior to that anniversary I asked her to pick out a cross-stitch pattern she’d like me to make for her since I usually made the choices, and she picked this absolutely hideous picture, to me anyway, and it was huge!!! I worked on it off and on for a year or 2 and then just gave up on it, to the point where she stopped asking me about it. About 3 months before her 10th Anniversary I decided I wanted to do something special and that “special” thing was to pick up that cross-stitch and finish it. I literally worked on it night and day for 6 weeks, even at work during breaks! Once I finished I took it to a framer I had not used before and she had an awesome “eye” for color and she triple matted it and made the colors explode! I LOVED it once it was framed. And when I gave it to my sister she was absolutely stunned. Gotta’ love it when a plan comes together, no matter how long it takes!
My favorite hand made thing I’ve given was an ornament I made for an artist ornament exchange. I molded a paper clay bunny character then hand painted each one, adorning them all with tinsel decorated fleece stalking caps!
This year I’m making blocks that have a relative’s name and/or title (e.g. ‘grandma) with pictures of things that relate to that relative! It’s coming out quite nice.
Wow–I have not made many handmade gifts! Luckily I have started pinterest and have a ton of ideas in the waiting :) The best thing I have “made” was a video and photo montage for my grandparents a few years ago. It was quite a production and a load of work, but everyone loved it!
A surprise scrapbook that I made for my mother-in-law that put together all of her loose pictures.
made my niece a doll with a tutu and a handstamped tag that read “i love you forever”
My favorite gift was a quillow I made for my husband it was a fall mountain sceen. My sons said only in your 50′s when they saw it. butr my husband loves it.
The best Christmas gifts I’ve ever made were came on the Christmas I had absolutely no extra money to spend. I painted a training wheel boys bike in bright and beautiful colors for my daughter… and I made a satin ‘ni-night’ (blanket) with leapord trim… she STILL talks about that bike and STILL uses her ni-night!… 8 years later!
This is the same answer as yesterday! Hope that’s not cheating!
My friend had made a table runner to give away but once she had made it she really liked it. It was a kit so she had no fabric left to make herself one but she was a good girl and still gave it away. I called the store and had them mail me the main fabric and made almost the same runner for her. The look on her face was priceless when she opened it!
Thanks for the chance to win!
I’ve given away so much of what I’ve made from quilts to purses, and much more. My fave would be the quilt I sent to a SIL that had just had a double mastectomy….it hurts to see loved ones suffer, but she is still with us and we are so blessed!
When my daughter was 3, she wanted ruby red slippers. I made them from spray painted ballet slippers and sewn on sequins!
Thanks for the chance!
My favorite gift that I’ve given was a beautiful Lola apron (from a Sew Liberated Pattern) for a friend. It was a complete surprise and she loved it so much that she redecorated her entire kitchen to match the apron.
Fabulous gifts. I was a Mod Podge Queen back when my kids were younger. I still keep my hand in though not as much. Love everything. Thanks.
I make pjs for the grandkids and parents for Christmas Eve. Each year I think I’m not going to this year but once I start I love the doing. This year I made a bunch of them bathrobes instead. I allow requests. Thanks for the giveaways.
A holiday dress i made for my daughter when she was 2 and a half. It had a full long skirt and she thought it was a princess dress. She was so excited to wear it.
I love making handmade felt Christmas stockings. I’ve made them for all my kids. My grandmother made mine when I was little. I still cherish it!
This year, I am making my husband a little collage with our daughter’s well-worn first shoes, so I am guessing that will be the favorite. If he cries, I will know I did well!
That’s a hard question. But I really like the handstitched blank journals I made a couple of years ago. This year it’s placemats and table runners. I’m still stitching away.
Great giveaways. Thanks to all the artists.
I love making homemade goodies to share with family and friends. Making the labels and gift tags is just as fun as making the gifts!
I have given scrapbooks that follow the life of the person in ABC format. Lots of tears…
I made my daughters Waldorf dolls last year, and I love them.
My favorite handmade gift that I have given is a lap quilt I made for my mother. It was actually a mother’s day gift. It was the first quilt I made. I gave it to her in May of last year and she passed away in October.
This year I made my 1-year old nephew a “Old man” sweater complete with felt patches on the elbows! It’s my first ever knitted sweater and it turned out really awesome, if I can toot my own horn.
I made hand made quilts for my nieces one year.
My favorite handmade gifts I have made include diaper cakes for baby showers and wedding scrapbooks. Each one is unique and a gift from the heart.
Loveing this giveaway series – so much inspiration from these wonderful women.
My favourite handmade gift that I gave was an Ipad puch for my hubby. He is a very difficult person to give to, but when I gave it to him one day just as a “because” gift he was delighted. I am happy to report that this is the one gift that he is using every day :)
Thank you for a great giveaway.
Marilize
([email protected])
hands down…scrapbooks :)
I made the button calendar from Rashida Coleman-Hale’s “I Love Patchwork” book for a friend last year, and it was super fun to make — plus it came out great!
My favorite hand made gift that I made was a quilt. My one and only quilt. I found out that quilting wasn’t really for me. It took alot of time and with three young kids it was just to time consuming.
My mother made me a beautiful crocheted tabletop center piece and gave it to me the last Christmas she was with us. I treasure it with all my being and display it on special occasions with love and pride. Thank you Mom, I sure miss you..
Cookies! It always makes everyone so happy!
Fav handmade present I have given – I did handprint snowmen with the 3 youngest last year – right now that is my favorite present given (and I received one set too!).
I have given homemade necklaces made from eye glass lens, dominoes and embellished journals.
The Christmas card I made this year! It was my first!
Probably photo collages. Love giving special photos as gifts.
Personalized cowboy themed stockings were the most fun for me to make and everyone seemed to love them.
i have always given handmade gifts. recently though it would be a 20 in. stuffed cat doll. i made her out of homespun for my granddaughter who is crazy about cats. she was dressed in a dress and pinafore and there was an exact match for my granddaughter right down to an embroidered hankie in each of their pinafore pockets.
I have given many handmade gifts over the years but I would have to say that felted purses for my daughter and daughter in law would be my favorites.
I think it would have to be the Father’s Day minibook I made my husband and sent to him when he was in Iraq. It was something he appreciated and we all still enjoy looking at.
I love to make & gift ornaments for Christmas. They bring joy every year!
I guess my answer will be the same as day 7 – either the hand-painted sweatshirts we made our family members one year or a Swedish weaving blanket I made my mom.
My favorite gift I’ve given…probably my husband’s hats. The first one turned out a bit itchy, but he wore it anyway. I made him a new, soft one and he loves it!
Christmas cookies! I love to bake! Thanks and Merry Christmas!
My mother and I love to play scrabble togeteher so I habndcrafteda score book for our matches. It will always be a wonderful keepsake of the good times we had playing together!
I have given a couple of quilts and I love making them so much! I think the recipients like them too! Thanks for the giveaway!
My friend was a mom of a 4 month old last Mother’s Day, so I made her a baby-themed scrapbook, incorporating stuff that I knew she loved – owls, dinos, her favorite colors, pages for the baby’s grandparents, etc. She’s still working on filling it up, and the baby turns one next month. :)
I only give handmade… Favorite? A wool doll with matching clothes foe my grandaughter.
Santas ! My grandmother (who is no longer with us) and I together made santas for all the women in the family. I made the bodies from tea dyed muslin and she made the clothes out of old quilts. They had wool beards and were adorable. We made ourselves one too and I still have mine and he always has a special place in my home.
mmm…I would say one of my scrapbook layout that I love most, I have given it to my mother in law. The picture I used on the layout was my son, Jonathan and his grandma spending good time together and Jon kissing nonna on the cheek. Wonderful moment! And also the layout featuring a hidden photo effect, you have to pull on a designed ribbon to view that hidden photo. I love it and I won prizes with that layout! Awesome!
The first scarf I ever knitted!
A knit Dr. Who classic scarf for my son.
My favorite gift i’ve given away would be two 50th b’day quilts I made as surprises for friends. They were thrilled, and it was definitely a labor of love.
My Dad passed away last year and for Christmas, I made my Mom a quilt to brighten and cheer up her bedroom.
My favorite handmade gift I’ve given was a quilt I made for my mom.
I gave my mother stuffed dolls that looked like my sister and I. We each have our doll now since mom passed 10 years ago.
My favorite handmade gift that I have given is a log cabin quilt in browns, greens and just a touch of orange. It was for my boyfriend and took FOREVER to hand quilt!
My favorite handmade gift that i’ve given is a pair of crocheted baby mary janes. I learned how to crochet to make this project, and I don’t know how to crochet anything else!! yet.
I smocked a dress for my niece that turned out quite pretty.
Put me down for a vote to win these lovely prizes. Who wouldn’t be just thrilled to win.