Easy homemade gifts for women and men.
By Anne18
@Anne18 (11029)
December 15, 2011 10:58am CST
I'm going to do some different crafts in the new year as the old ones I always get out in January only last a few weeks until I then get bored with them again! And in the drawer they go again until the next year!
I have lots of fabric upstairs which I'm hoping to use up to make gifts cheaper.
My first project is to "TRY" and cover some wooden coat hangers. I have a wooden coat hanger upstairs to practrice on until I can get to the pound shop on monday to buy some more. I went to the craft shop today and brought the padding for them. I'm going to cover the hanger, make a little tag to hang over the hook, possibly with a person's name on.
Now I know roughly how I am going to make this, but can't find a pattern etc to see how somone else would do it. I did pop into the library today to see if they had any books on making simple gifts and there was nothing on the shelves!!!
My questions are.....
1) Anyone know any good websites when I can find a pattern to make these and I will be wanting to make other sorts of gifts like this so will want to look at other ideas and patterns for other simple gifts to make for men,women ,boys and girls.
2) Have you made any simple gifts either now or in the past that you can pass the ideas onto me please.
My children are now doing there own things and I want to do more for me but have to still be here for the children.
I do like crafts but aren't very good thus they have to simple or for children to make as I'm just not that good at sewing!
I got the idea for the hangers as I pulled one from my wardrobe that had been made by a store and thought that I could do just as good job as them as it weren't that good!
Will check in later for your answers as busy evening ahead, have scout show ot og and watch, dishes to wash etc the list goes on!!!!! The joys of motherhood!!
2 people like this
10 responses
@MaryLynn321 (2680)
• United States
15 Dec 11
You can take fabric or wide ribbon and wrap it around the hangers over the padding.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5733249_make-fabric-covered-hangers.html
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/05/how_to_sew_fabric_covered_coat.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
I love to stencil, so I just need to use typing paper and envelopes. I just cut the paper in 1/2 and stencil something in the corner of the paper and on the back of the envelope where you seal it shut.
You can stencil towels, wood, etc. You can make little wall hangings, etc. Children can do it as well.
If interested I have a site where I write for about these things, I can message to you if you want or message me your email addy and I can send it to you.
Have a nice day.
@MaryLynn321 (2680)
• United States
24 Dec 11
Same here, I am enjoying your discussions and friendship as well. I will message you the links.
@zukichucha (991)
• United States
16 Dec 11
I think this is a great idea and think it will look nice if you ate successful. Good luck!
My best friend is also doing homemade presents this year. She will be baking cookies and brownies and making little baskets. I wish I was a baking woman because I would try this. Unfortunately I bake once a year if that so I don't think anyone would like my gifts lol.
@zukichucha (991)
• United States
26 Dec 11
I know what you mean! Whenever I try my hand at baking it is always edible but not the best looking.
I have a friend that makes beautiful cakes. I don't know how she does it!!
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
15 Dec 11
I love certain homemade gifts. I love my grandmother's homemade knitted blankets. Her homemade knitted blankets are so warm and so nice.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
15 Dec 11
Yes it is, and if you ever had one of my grandmother's knitted blankets, you would love them.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
15 Dec 11
Sounds like a good idea! My suggestions..
1. go to Squidoo.com and do a search for covered hangers, how to cover hangers and related keywords...they have lots of how tos there. You could also try ehow.com.
2. at same sites...do search for handmade gifts, hand sewing, any keyword for the item you want to do. Plus, since keywords are so interchangable..once you scroll through the ones that match exactly, there is always additional suggestions at athe bottom that might give you some ideas or clues to other things you might be interested in doing.
I am a crafty person all my life...heck, practically everything I ever had was hand made "back in the day". Even my christmas stree had hand made ornaments on it! But things have changed so much now...one thing that comes to mind that doesn't involve sewing...buy bar soaps and with clear wax, adhere a picture to the front of the bar and then you pour the melted wax over it. Once dried..the picture stays there until the soap is about 1/3 the size before it starts to be "wiped" off. We did these when I was young and they weren't that much work and they stayed really good and the optionso f what picture is unlimited. We did ones of our selves, cut images from christmas cards...favorite thing or animal.
Share back what you decide to do and how the hangers come out. I might be interested in doing those again after the holidays are over. Years ago when I did them I used ribbon (neat, clear, no-fray edges) to wind over the batting, but that was back when ribbon was cheap! Costs an arm and a leg now...will be interested in knowing what you end up using and how to accomodate the edges.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
24 Dec 11
That is what I plan to do too...clean up the craft room! I just moved into this house and the room is a big a mess, but i have just been trying to make it throught he holidays and once over..then devote my attention to organization of it all! I am really getting back into quilting so I need space and now that I actually have a room for just crafts (and my PC!) instead of keeping it all in boxes and hauling the boxes out to the dining room table, and then boxing it all back up and back and forth.. I feel so much more happy about crafting!
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
15 Dec 11
I did a quick search for "How to make s padded coat hanger" and came up with a couple of articles:
ehow had this one: http://www.ehow.com/how_5023824_make-padded-coat-hangers.html
howtodothings had this: http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/how-to-make-padded-coat-hangers
There are plenty of sites around with craft ideas, free patterns and so on. A couple of years ago (when we barely had enough money to buy food), I made my lady a stuffed cat out of an old t-shirt, working from a pattern online and adjusting it slightly. (This one, actually: http://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/christmas/xmascat.html !!) She says it's the best present she's ever had. Awwwwwwww. 
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
15 Dec 11
Oops, that should say "How to make a padded coat hanger", of course.
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
15 Dec 11
I make a different kind of "stuffed" cat every night when I feed ours. 
To be honest, it wasn't very well made. I've since re-made the body and re-sewn it all so it's a lot more durable. Otherwise the poor thing would've fallen apart in a few months. He's a bit rectangular but hey, I'm no... er... famous sewing person. (Are there any of those?)
To be honest, it wasn't very well made. I've since re-made the body and re-sewn it all so it's a lot more durable. Otherwise the poor thing would've fallen apart in a few months. He's a bit rectangular but hey, I'm no... er... famous sewing person. (Are there any of those?)
@writersolutions10 (497)
• India
16 Dec 11
I love the concept of homemade gifts. It is really interesting and like to try it out in near furture.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
17 Mar 12
Well, I am just getting to this discussion so after four months I wonder if you have finished some of your projects. I used to do more of this sort of thing than I have time to do lately, which is the opposite of what I expected. I kind of thought after retiring I would be able to sit around and do crafts. Hah! Instead I am socializing a lot, learning to play different sports and other games, and traveling all over the place. Today is wonderful as it is pouring rain outside and we get to stay home and putter!
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
15 Dec 11
I have a friend that crochet's. She recommended this site for free patterns. http://crochet.about.com/od/freecrochetpatterns/tp/Coat-Hanger-Covers.htm I haven't looked at the site, so I don't know. We don't do a lot of crafting here. But we do a holiday cookie bake every year around my hubby's December birthday. And then we give them out along with gifts.
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
15 Dec 11
I made all kind of. stuff animals made out of old sheets (including Zero the ghost dog out of the movie: A nightmare before Christmas), soap, candles, home made cookies, marmelade, etc.
It's not hard and ideas you can get from everywhere. My 8 years old son wants his own art club and site. We started with making things at home once a week. Classmates are joining us once in a while. We make most things out of "garbish".
