Quick and easy gift bag tutorial

I made a few baked goods to give my friends for Christmas. I put them in clear cellophane bags but then I needed a bag to put all the goodies in. I goggled "Christmas treat bag containers" and several sites and ideas came up but there was nothing I really liked after viewing tons of links. Then an idea came to me. I can  make my own. But what could I use that was quick and easy? I wasn't really in the mood to sew and it would take more time than I had. So  I went on the hunt for supplies and I came across these brown lunch bags.Who doesn't have those bags lying around the kitchen? I knew I could figure out something to do with these bags and so here is what i cam up with.

                Quick and easy gift bag                                                
Items you will need: 

• brown lunch bags
• wrapping paper
• adhesive
• scissors
• decorated label
• ribbon (not shown) 
• hole punch (not shown) 

 To get started apply adhesive to front of bag

Place bag face down onto your wrapping paper.

Trim around bag but be careful not to cut your bag, you don't want your goodies falling out.(don't ask me how I know this)

once your bag is all trimmed, apply your pretty label

and fold the top of your bag to the back.

Next punch two holes in the top of the bag

Put your goodies in the bag,

 poke the ribbon through the holes and tie it shut.

 An inexpensive and easy to make gift bag. These bags make up in no time and you can make with your kids. You can use any kind of wrapping paper.

S' More Please

After seeing these handmade s' mores I just had to make one.

 I used some air dry clay for the marshmallow/snowman and polymer clay for the chocolate squares and graham cracker. He made up quickly but it does take sometime for the white to dry. I would have used polymer but I didn't have any white. I want to make s'more. Pun intended.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

A few of the ladies on my gift list will be getting these items for Christmas. I love that they are quick and easy to make up and you can be really creative with the packaging.

Here are the links if you want to make some for your family and friends.

Lotion Bars
Sugar Scrub Cubes
Lip Balm

Homemade Shower Gel
1 cup shampoo*
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 t. salt
12-15 drops essential or fragrance oil

In a bowl mix together shampoo and water, add salt and mix well. The salt helps the shampoo to gel. Add scent oil a few drops at a time. Pour into your container and enjoy.
*The recipe calls for unscented but I like to use a scented so I don't worry about adding the fragrance and it is hard to find unscented shampoo where I live.

I love making and giving home made gifts and to hear what homemade gifts your giving this year.

Sweet Treat Container

I turned this can(you can use any type of round or square container)

into this treat container

using some cotton twine and some decorative twill tape. You can use brown twine and ribbon if you prefer, but I like the look of the cotton twine so that is what I used.


Here's how I did it.
Cover your can with twine, using thin streams of hot glue to hold it in place. I only used hot glue at the beginning and end to hold my string in place because after removing the label the glue from the can held it in place but you may have to use a dap of glue once in awhile depending on your can , making sure to secure the beginning and end really well. Be careful not to  glob it down with too much glue. Pull the twine tightly, and wrap it well, and it will stay in place.
Using the glue gun, adhere twill tape or ribbon to the top and bottom rims of the can. Create your label, and mat on card stock and scrapbook paper. I have letter stencils I use but you could print it off on the computer, use vinyl lettering, foam stamps, or other method of lettering. Distress all edges, I have a distressing tool that I use then I ink around all four edges of the paper.
Punch holes in the sides of your label, and tie ribbon in a knot through the hole. Attach the label to the twine, using the small safety pins or hot glue. I used safety pins so the label could removed and the container can then be used for something else.

Now it's ready to be filled with goodies for your friends.

Lotion Bars

I am giving these little lotion bars to my family and friends for Christmas this year so I thought I'd share them with you also.

1 3/4 oz shea butter
2 oz. beeswax
2 oz coconut oil
1 1/2 t essential oil
soap mold(I used an ice cube tray)


Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double broiler. Add beeswax and melt.Stir and allow to slightly cool; add essential oil and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into molds and allow to cool completely. Remove from mold and package as desired. Add a label and a tag and then embellish


.

Rice Pillow Neck Warmer

 These little bags make up in less than an hour and make a great gift or a kid's craft project,uses scrap fabric and other minimal supplies. I make mine with a removable cover so I can wash it when it gets dirty.

Supplies:
1/4 yd muslin or other solid color fabric
1/4 yd printed flannel(pre-washed)
2-3 cups of long grain rice
funnel
matching thread.

Step 1: Cut 2 pieces solid color fabric 6 1/2 x 91/2

Sew pieces together, right sides facing- with 1/4-1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave an opening for turning right side out

 Using your funnel fill pillow with rice

Sew opening closed.

Step 2: Cut flannel - 1 piece-6 1/2 x 9 1/2 and 2 pieces 6 1/2 x 6

Step 3: Hem the two smaller pieces at one end.

I fold mine down 1/4inch, iron and then fold 1/4 inch again for a total of a 1/2 inch.

Step 4: Sew one of the smaller pieces to the larger piece(right sides together) with hemmed end in the middle

 

Repeat with other side.

Step 5: Turn right side out

and insert rice pillow into outer cover.

And now you have a nice gift for yourself or a loved one.

Free pattern

 With Christmas coming and everyone putting up their tree, I figured it would be a good time to post my snowman ornament.

*This pattern has not been tested. I sent it to a couple of people to test if for me but never heard back from them. Anyway if you find any mistakes please don't hesitate to let me know. And I'd love to see a picture of your finished ornament.

Snow Woman Ornament

The head and hat can be worked in sports weight yarn, using an F hook or worsted weight, using a G hook.

This pattern is worked in the round do not turn work at the end of each round

With white yarn, ch 2, 6sc in 2^nd ch from hook, sl st to form a ring.

RND 1: 2 sc in each sc around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.(12 sc)

RND 2: (sc, 2 sc next sc) around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.(18 sc)

RND 3-4: sc around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.

RND 5: (2 sc next st, sc next st) around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1. (24 sc)

RND 6-7: sc around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.

RND 8: (2 sc next st, sc next st) around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1. (32 sc)

RND 9-10: sc around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.

RND 11: (sc dec next 2 sts, sc next 2 sc) around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1. ( 24 sc)

RND 12-13: sc around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.

RND 14:  ( sc dec next st, sc next st) around,  sl st top beg sc, ch-1. ( 18 sts)

RND 15-16: sc around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.

Stuff head at this point.

RND 17: (sc dec around until 3 sc remain, sl st top beg sc, fasten off. Weave closed.

Hat

Using color of your choice-ch 2.

RND 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sl st top beg sc, ch-1( 6 sts.)

RND 2: 2 sc in each st around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1 (12 sts.)

RND 3: * Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; repeat from *

around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1(18 sts.)

RND 4: Working in back loops only, sc in each st around.

RNDs 5-8: Sc in each st around, sl st top beg sc, ch-1.

RND 9: Working in front loops only, 2 hdc in each st

around sl st top beg sc, ch-1.(36 sts.)

RND 10: hdc in each st around, sl st top beg hdc, ch-1 . Fasten off.

Embellish hat as desired attach to head, I used hot glue.

Glue eyes (two buttons) and nose to head.

For the nose I just used a piece of felt rolled to look like a carrot or you could use an orange button. For the mouth I used black puffy paint or you could stitch a mouth using black embroidery thread. And for the scarf I glued a piece of fabric to the bottom - that was ½ wide x 8 inches long.

A Purty Girl Pattern @ 2010-Jennifer Wentland

This pattern is for personal use only and not for sale. However the ornament can be made for personal use or to sell but please give credit to me as the designer.

P.S I am also working on a tutorial for another snowman ornament that is made with a styrofoam ball.

Pinwheel Tutorial

This is my first tutorial so please bear with me
Suplies needed:
Wonder Under
Two co-ordinating fabrics
thread
sewing needle and button
thin wire and chopstick

Step 1.
Cut 3 squares:
One from fusible web(I use wonder under)
and two from 2 different farics. I made mine 5 inches but you can cut them any size you want.



Step 2.
Fuse your two fabric squares together.




Step 3. Fold your square in half twice to find center point.







Step 4.
Measure an cut 2 inches down from each corner using your center point as a guide. Do this on all four corners.







Step 5.
Next fold your points down to look like those in the picture and sew in place. Then attach your button.







Step 6 Now that your pinwheel is finished you can attach it to a stick if you want or leave it as is. I chose to wire mine to a chop stick.
Run a piece of thin wire through the holes of your button.


And wrap tightly around your stick a few times.


Now your all done.