20+ Handmade Baby Gift Ideas
Posted by Ashley 
16 Comments
OH MY!!! Love, love, love! Check out these personalized buttons from Pick Your Plum today. Holy Toledo…….how cool would it be to add your name, your business, or a love note on your projects. You could add the buttons to a bag, use them as decor, attach them to a pouch, maybe the straps of girl’s summer dress………ooooooh, the ideas are endless. Way too unique and fun to not share! BUTTONS HERE.
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I am frequently asked for ideas for certain occasions. Weddings, mother’s day, baby gifts, neighbor gifts, etc. I know it’s easier to see everything categorized into one list……and so I’m trying to create master lists of different project topics that are a little more helpful to glean ideas from. So, feel free to browse and remember old posts, more recent posts, or posts you never knew existed on here.
Because I gathered about 20 of my favorite projects that would be great to give as a Baby Shower Present, a Baby Birthday Gift, or to just make FOR FUN.
Afterall, it IS spring. And little baby chicks are hatching right now. Do you know someone who just had (or is having) a baby this spring??
Hopefully this will be helpful.
I’m sure some of these projects may even seem new……because even I have forgotten about many of them. And I put the tutorials together……ha! So it’s fun for me to think about who has a birthday coming up or who’s having a baby.
Something completely fun, vibrant and chewable for baby, would be one (or more) of these Stuffed Fabric Turtles. I still love seeing these little guys kick around our house.
And a no-fail gift that I love giving, is a little pair of these Baby Boy Booties.
Have you ever carried a car seat in the nook of your arm? Well, the rubber and plastic pinch your poor arm. So, adding a Car Seat Handle Cover fixes that problem. And is cute to boot. :)
Or how about cutting up an old purse/pouch and using the material to make some adorable Baby Girl Flower Sandals. These still make me smile.
If you know a baby who loves his/her binky……..making a Pacifier Pocket would be the perfect gift for the mom who wants a clean place to store the extra binky.
Gosh, I made these little Felt Hair Clips so long ago (that’s my 6 year old Elli in that picture) but I still love the simplicity of them. I would use wool felt if I were to make these again but back when I posted these, I didn’t know about wool felt. (Wool felt just holds up a little better and doesn’t ball up like polyester felt does.)
How about grabbing some of those long sleeved dresses that are clearance right now, cutting off the sleeves, and using the sleeves to make ruffles for the diaper cover. Yes, it’s only half-homemade…….but no one else will have one like it. Long Sleeve Dress to Short Sleeves.
I still remember how much fun I had making this Felt Toy Truck. And it matched one of Connor’s favorite book characters, so it was well loved. Consider personalizing it for your little recipient. :)
We all know how frustrating the “the the sippy cup” game gets. So, create a Sippy Cup Leash and any mom will smother you with Thank You’s!!!
Okay, I need to make more of these Baby Shoes from Thrifted Purses. They cost next to nothing and turn out so darn cute.
These little Stuffed Elephant and Giraffe are a simple construction and so darling to make for any occasion.
Who wouldn’t enjoy a Wearable Blanket for Baby as a gift? Chloe’s 2 years old now and she still wears one at night.
No more mistaking baby girl for a baby boy. Make some super soft Wool Felt Hair Accessories to add to those little bald baby girl heads.
These Fabric Toy Blocks and Fabric Baby Rings are something I made so long ago but nothing says LOVE like making some soft and chewable baby toys. Such a great gift! :)
Diaper Covers are nice but how about making some Ruffled Diaper Covers (from pre-ruffled fabric) instead? So much fun.
Sweet baby boys and girls both can treasure a Fabric Doll from early on. And how cute is it to make it look like the little one you’re giving it to.
I don’t know why this is…….but seeing Connor in this Little Guy Tie pattern always makes me melt. And it’s one of my most favorite items to gift to little boys.
Little baby heads need a bit of covering all year long. So how about making a few Knit Baby Hats for that new baby you know.
And while we’re talking knit fabric……make a snuggly little Knit Receiving Blanket. Chloe still cuddles with this one, 2 years later.
Girls need hairbows. Even those with very little hair. So whip up some Simple Bow Hair Clips with a No-Slip Grip. They’ll surely be a hit! :)
If you know of a mom who nurses her baby, it’s always nice to receive a Nursing Cover to keep things a little more private. It’s also nice to keep distractions away from baby’s eyes.
Little boys and girls both can always use many, many pairs of leggings. So keep those little legs warm and make a few Super Simple Leggings to give as a gift.
There are several more ideas in my Tutorial Project Category List……but this was just a list of most of my favorites.
I hope that’s helpful.
-Enjoy
Ashley
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Featured Sponsor:
Flip-Flop Refashion: from “blah” to “ahhhhh!!”
Posted by Ashley 21 Comments
Have you noticed my newest sponsor, Sew Pretty Sew Free? I know many of you are going to jump all over this site…..because it’s an inspirational round-up blog, with links to some sort of Free Sewing Pattern……..EVERY day. No more hunting here, there, and everywhere, looking for some inspiration. You’ll find so many great links and photos of some really fantastic projects. Perfect. :) Go HERE.
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Hey, how’s everyone’s immune system doing lately? Ours are pukey. I think we’re allergic to our new house. Ha……just kidding. The pukes all started right before we moved in. Like, the night before. And cycled through each of my kiddos all last week. And our brand new clothes washer is a lemon (and we’re still waiting on our replacement to be delivered)…..so we have a lot of trash bags filled with, well, smelly laundry. Darn. But hey……we’re making some really great memories around here. ;)
But, let’s talk about something a lot more fun. Like a simple little project that’s easier than easy. And maybe you’ve already done this same thing 17 different times……but I still get excited when I turn something ungly into something much more pleasant to look at.
Hooray for ugly flip-flops!! Because then I can appreciate the make-over that much more. (And yeah, those bows are some sort of sport-jersey type of fabric. Weird.)
Go on, admit that you have an old pair of un-loved flip-flops in your closet.
Don’t ignore them any longer……add some simple beauty to them.
Oh, I better explain something. I have a problem.
Have I told you that I wear a size 12 shoe? (The only thing worse than that……is wearing a size 13. Ha! Sorry if that’s one of you……but really, it’s not that much worse. We’re in the same big-foot boat. ;) ) Anyway, size 12 shoes are pretty hard to find (especially on sale), so the “problem” surfaces any time I see a pair of size 12′s. I run through a checklist of reasons why I may need this pair of shoes sometime during the next century of my life…..and then I usually buy them. Yeah, it’s bad. (Ask Steve!!) So, when I saw these boring black flip-flops at TJ Maxx, I decided I needed them. They’re not just your regular foam flip-flops (which I can buy in the men’s section any time. ha!)……but they were women’s. So a little less boxy, and a little more curvy. Oh, and they’re about a 1/2 step up from the foam ones, on the fancy scale. So, I decided I needed them. And would fancy them up.
A little better, right?
If you’ve done this before, you can skip this mini tutorial…..but if you want to compare notes, see below:
- First, grab your flip-flops that need some love.
- Tear/clip/pull off the offending embellishment.
- Purchase (or make) some sort of embellishment to add onto your flip-flops. I bought these little beaded swirls at Hobby Lobby for 50% off. So, $6 for both. However, if you want to make your own, try the Shirred Fabric Flower, the Full and Textured Fabric Flower, the Crushed Fabric Flower, the Layered Knit Flower, the Knit Rosette, and more.
- I cut the excess frayed fabric off my little embellishments. But you could leave it on if you prefer.
- Now, grab some epoxy glue. My favorite type for this sort of project is Amazing Goop, the Craft variety. It holds really well on most surfaces.
- Then, add some to your flip flop and then place your embellishments right on top. Press firmly.
Pinch tight with clothes pins until the epoxy glue dries completely.
And that’s it!
And in case you need a little more flip-flop inspiration……here are a few ways that I completely made over some flip-flops two summers ago. All are fun, all are cheap, and all are pretty simple.
Interchangeable Flip-Flops, Braided Strap Flip-Flops, Beaded Flip-Flops, Ruffled T strap Flip-Flops, and Stretchy Knit with Flowers Flip-Flops.
That’s all for today. I’m off to check on the delivery time for that replacement washer. I have some piles of clothes to wash. :)
-Ashley
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Featured Sponsor:
SUPER Simple Circle Dress (from Tshirt & Knit Bed Sheet)
Posted by Ashley 43 Comments
Wow. Sorry for all the craziness.
I thought I’d be up and running yesterday (after our move over the weekend) but our internet was really wonky. We had to get that all figured out……but whew, it’s now fixed. And all of our stuff is moved in. And the old house is cleared out. Thank you, thank you……for all the well wishes and virtual high-fives you sent my way for our move over the weekend. We are so happy to be all moved in. Can’t wait to get crackin’ on some home projects.
Now, back to normal. (Wait, what’s normal again?!!)
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Anyway, I have a little project that I was pretty much finished with before we moved. I just needed a moment to finish the instructions. And a little photo editing here and there.
But the idea for today’s project came from a little Tshirt sizing frustration with my girls. Do any of you have the same problem I do?? You buy a kid sized shirt and the correct size (or even the size above) is waaaaay too short and waaaaaay too wide. Weird. (Maybe my kids are just too tall!!) It’s only certain brands but…..grrrrrrr. (Circo from Target and Garanimals from Walmart are two brands that make me crazy. Anyone else have the same problem?)
Well, I bought this cute little teal polka dot shirt from Target the other day for Chloe and well, it was Circo brand……but I was hoping for the best, because it was just too cute. However, once I washed it, forget it………her sweet little bubble belly poked out the bottom. Grrrrrr.
So, I decided to turn it into a dress. And not just any ol’ dress……..a CIRCLE DRESS. (Oh, and I made one for Elli too. :) )
And believe me, this may be the quickest and simplest dress you’ll ever make. Especially if you’re using a knit Tshirt and find some knit fabric (which doesn’t fray) to cut up.
I actually bought a knit twin bed sheet set from Target for $20 to use for these dresses. I made both girls dresses from the top sheet and still had plenty left over for other projects. I also have the full fitted sheet to use for something else. Perfect. (However, you could also buy knit by the yard for this project. I just happened to like this color knit bed sheet….so it worked.)
But once these little Circle Dresses go on, it’s like an automatic thing……Elli starts spinning. And then Chloe watches, learns, and then enjoys right along with her. :)
If you look closely, you can see that there’s no gathering involved. It’s a circle piece of fabric that creates all of that twirly fun. (And really, this would be adorable in adult sizes too. Just imagine a thin little belt cinched right in at the waist. Cute.)
These girls are killing me lately. Chloe’s starting to love the same sorts of things that Elli does. And Elli eats it right up. I’m sure glad she’s teaching Chloe the ropes of being a girly girl. ;)
And since these dresses are all knit fabric…….they are comfy, cozy, and ready to be played in. I caught Elli eating some cereal the other morning and just noticed how comfy she looked in her dress. I kinda wanted one for myself.
Another fun variation? Turn the Double Layer Square Circle Skirt into a dress. Same circle concept……different look to the dress bottom.
Yay!! New dresses for the girls……..made in minutes. My kind of project. :)
Would you like to whip one up?
My budding seamstress…..well, kind of. ;)
Posted by Ashley 34 Comments
Have you seen these darling Personalized Serving Utensils from Pick Your Plum? Ummmm…..I think I have Mother’s Day gifts checked off the list. Or hmmmm, maybe a wedding gift. Or neighbor gift. Or……I’ll stop. :) I just thought they were too cute to not share.
Also, one more thing. Amy, over at Mod Podge Rocks created a brand new site called Washi Tape Crafts. You all know my love for Washi Tape……but a whole site dedicated to crafting with it???? Adorable!
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We are last minute packing right now. Do you know what that means for the Johnston’s?? Well, grab and dump, grab and dump… At this point, it doesn’t matter what goes into what box. Just deal with it later. :)
And what do my kids do while I’m “last minute packing”? (shared on Instagram this morning @makeitandloveit)
(And yes, that is a HUGE “old school” TV that came with the rental, that they are glued to. Don’t worry, it won’t do permanent damage. ;) )
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Anyway, I actually have a fun little project to share……but, well, the images weren’t done to share it today. I had to pack the linen closet this morning instead. Booooo. Believe me, I’d much rather edit photos. :) So, I’ll get that up on Monday because it’s thiiiiiiiis close to being done.
But, one more funny little thing.
A few days ago while I was packing, Elli came up to me and said, “Look mommy, I’ve been sewing like you!
She excitedly told me all about making herself a new dress. She told me about the Target bags that she used, where she cut it, how she used the handles for straps, etc. (I’m just glad she didn’t take off her other clothes, to rely on her creation for any sort of coverage…..that would have been a problem. ;) )
(Obviously I wasn’t packing the family room [which is behind her] at the time. So glad that room is now finally checked off the list. :) )
I asked her what the jumbled beads on the front were for and she told me that it was an attached necklace. “Ahhhh. I, see it now!”
And then she showed me the “diamond” at the end. (Yes, that’s a gum wrapper…)
It made my heart smile. Reaaaaaaally big. I hope she’ll always enjoy making clothing. Plastic or not! :)
But it also reminded me that I have some KID SEWING PROJECTS up my sleeve to share in the near future. Remember how many of you requested Kid Sewing Projects when we were voting on the next project for me to make??
Well, they’ll start popping up in the near-ish future.
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Anyway, I’ll be back next week with more normal stuff that I have saved up.
Onto more box loading.
-Ashley
We’re done……papers are signed, keys are in hand. Yay!
Posted by Ashley 84 Comments
Good news! We’re done with this whole house buying thing.
And I’ve been a little absent the past few days because of it. So many phone calls, papers to sign, repairs to begin, arrangements to be made. Wow. What a little ol’ adventure we’re having. But really, we couldn’t be more excited. We thought we would surely be renters for life……but are happy to paying our own mortgage now, not someone else’s. ;)
Now it’s time for the real fun to begin.
This home is begging for fresh paint on its walls. ALL of them. Oh, and ceilings too. We like white ceilings but almost every room has colored ceilings. Good thing Steve and I are REALLY tall and can reach those suckers! ;)
Yeah, this bathroom needs a little love. In due time……
The living room needs a little TLC as well. I’m not a fan of the colors, or the blinds, or those frames on the wall.
They were built right onto the wall……so we need to start prying them off. Oh, I hope they don’t tear down the dry wall as we pull them off. I guess we’ll learn as we go…
This house is all oak trim. I am seeing many MANY days of turning oak trim into white trim in our future.
*****More pictures of the inside to come…….especially as we start tearing things apart and transforming each room. Eeeeeeh! :)
But we love her. (Yes, I guess the house is a her.) And until we get all of our stuff in there (this weekend)…….she’s just a house.
But truly, I can’t wait to turn her into our home.
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Thanks for hanging in there while we’re juggling life for a bit. I have several things that I’ve started and can’t wait to share. I just need to edit a few more pictures…..but they’ll be coming soon.
Oh, and in case you were wondering about home renovation projects………YES, they are a-coming. They will be sprinkled in here, there and oh, probably everywhere. Can’t wait! :)
Talk soon….
-Ashley
Busy, busy, busy…….but good busy!
Posted by Ashley 22 Comments
So today, this weekend, and Monday will be a little busy around here. Remember that whole “buying our first house” thing? Well, Monday’s the day!! So there are a few final signatures, some paperwork to gather, and well, maybe we should pack our first box. Don’t laugh…..but we haven’t packed a thing. Not even one box. And to be truthful, until I received the THE OFFICIAL call that all was well in Loan Land, I was trying to keep my emotions safe and was not fully accepting that we were moving.
But we are! And my heart feels happy and grateful……..and, well, a little overwhelmed. (Is that normal?!!)
So, I’m off to a Dr appt for little Chloe girl this morning. No sickness……just her 2 year checkup a month late. The Dr told us not to come in March because she’d probably catch something (March is a bad month is the office??) and he didn’t want to see her on oxygen again. And I said, “sounds great”……I probably would’ve scheduled it a month late anyway. Ha! ;)
After we come home…..the box party begins! :)
But, in case you need a little something to put a smile on your face……watch this video. I tear up EVERY. TIME.
Sweet as sugar. :)
Enjoy your weekend!
And if you have a roll of packing tape, you’re welcome over to my house! :)
-Ashley
The ‘STAY PUT’ Elastic Bookmark….{never lose your place again!}
Posted by Ashley 49 Comments
My parents were visiting several months ago and my dad had a book with him that had a wide elastic band around the outside cover. I asked him what it was and he showed me that it was this great little bookmark that held its pages closed and secure…..no matter what. So no more throwing your book in a bag and the bookmark slipping out, no more folding pages to mark your spot because you know your bookmark will slip out, and no more getting frustrated with little fingers who leaf through your book and lose your place on accident. No more of any of that. Genius idea!
Since then, I have seen many different sizes and styles and variations of this same concept. Most of them have a plastic base with some wide elastic that threaded through it at the top…….but I knew the plastic part would be tricky to duplicate. So I figured I could come up with a replacement for the plastic. Yes……fabric!
It really is as simple as pie to use. (Wait, pie’s not always that simple…..where did that saying come from??)
Anyway, it’s super easy.
Just place the fabric section of the bookmark in the page you want to mark, close the book, turn the elastic inside out, and slide around the outside cover of the book.
The elastic keeps the book closed and protects all the pages from fluttering open in the wind, getting bent in your bag, etc…….and the fabric section marks your place. Cool, right?
I dare ya…….drop it and see if your pages fly open. (don’t worry, there’s not really any sound…)
See? Works like a charm! Haha! :)
(No laughing at my amateur video skills! I’m sure you could have visualized without the video….but the way I always lose my bookmark, is by dropping my book. I’m easily impressed……so, I love that I can drop my book a trillion times, and still not lose my place. Yay!)
What a great gift to give alongside your favorite book. And why not make the recipient two?? I can’t stand doing this, but I know many people rotate between 2 different books at once. So, yeah, better gift 2 bookmarks to that sweet friend of yours!
Also, if you’re a beginner sewist……give this a try. It’s a great project to learn on.
Mission accomplished.
No more missing bookmarks or lost pages. Love it!
Would you like to make a few for yourself??
Did you see yesterday’s APRIL FOOL’S joke?!?! (I don’t really decorate diapers for fun…ha!)
Posted by Ashley 42 Comments
Did you visit my blog yesterday and think I was crazy?!?!
Yes, the Embellished Diapers from yesterday was an April Fool’s Joke!!!!! I don’t really decorate my garbage. Ha! If you scroll all the way down to yesterday’s post, I explain how my daughter Elli saw me making those and was so traumatized by the fact that I was wasting fabric on something that I had to throw away. Hahaha……that conversation with her still cracks me up!!!
Anyway, some of you were totally on to me………but others of you, I TRICKED!!! Yes!
(I know some people even unsubscribed from my blog…….ooops, sorry, I felt bad about that! It makes me laugh that some really thought I was serious though.)
Anyway, I love little tricks on April Fool’s Day…..so thanks for humoring me! And yes, I’ll probably try it again next year. Haha!
Enjoy your day!
-Ashley
Embellished Diapers (UPDATE…..APRIL FOOL’S!!)
Posted by Ashley 78 Comments
I was cleaning up a few things in my craft/sewing room over the weekend and realized just how full my box of fabric scraps had become. I decided I needed to come up with some sort of project to use up some of those fabric pieces…….pronto.
And I know not all of you have little ones in diapers but maybe you could use this idea to give as a baby gift. Or save for some of your own future babies. Or grandbabies.
But how fun is this……….Embellished Diapers!!
And really, I have so many scraps that it was either throw them away or use them on something. So, it’s okay that they’ll be thrown away with each diaper change. It really doesn’t take much time to attach the fabric……and it’s kinda therapeutic!
You could get really creative and make any sort of design or shape to add right on there. But I always like a good ruffle on those bums.
Such a fun way to brighten up those diapers when Chloe just wants to run around in a diaper. :)
Would you like to see how I put mine together?
Oh wait, my images weren’t uploading correctly……hold on.
Oh gee………for some reason, I have lost all of my tutorial photos, to show the step by step.
Grrrrrrr……..
Oh well, it’s pretty self explanatory, right?!?!?!
Here’s one more look…
HA HA!!! Happy April Fool’s Day!!!!!
I just couldn’t resist.
Come on, you already knew this was coming, right??? I do something a little wacko every year. And I just can’t help myself!!!
Here’s a little blast from the past:
Chocolate Veggies, Toilet Decor, and Fabric Easter Pots
When I was sewing these little diapers, Elli came into my sewing room and asked what I was doing. I told her I was sewing something. She peered over my shoulder and suddenly gasped. With eyes wide open, she asked, “What are you doing mommy? You have to throw diapers away! And that’s a waste of fabric!!!!”
Does that about sum up what some of you were thinking when you first read my post for today?? Ha Ha.
I just laughed and had to explain to her what April’s Fool Day was. And as I finished sewing on those awful diaper ruffles, she told me a few knock-knock jokes, as her contribution to April Fool’s Day. haha!
Anyway, hope your day is silly and fun. And that your husband/wife/friend/boss understands that there is such thing as a non-funny April Fool’s joke.
Like the text I got this morning:
(the blacked out text is non-related…)
He didn’t text back right away……so I panicked. And then called him. He didn’t answer (he was on a phone call at work) and I panicked even more. He called me back about 2 minutes later and laughed…..while I cried. Once he realized that I really and truly was worried, he felt terrible. Good. SO. NOT. FUNNY. I told him that he can add that to the list of “Things To Never Do To My Wife…..Or We Will Have Marital Issues”. Another big one on that list is to scare me. No jumping out of closets or peering into windows at night to scare me. ((shiver))
Anyway, keep it fun. Like sewing fabric to diapers. haha! :)
Enjoy your day!
-Ashley
P.S. And if you have no idea what April Fool’s Day is and you think I’m completely crazy…….go here. It’ll help explain today’s post!
Magical Easter Lollipops (an Easter tradition)
Posted by Ashley 23 Comments
Last year for Easter, we adopted a new silly tradition that I saw online. (It was everywhere…….you’ve probably seen it too??) It involves planting jelly beans…….and having Lollipops sprout up the next day.
My kiddos looooooved it. And talked about it A L L. Y E A R. L O N G.
So it’s now a must-do tradition.
Now……just to be clear. We have explained to our children many times, that if they plant jelly beans any other time of the year, they won’t grow. The magic of Easter makes those colorful beans grow. I didn’t want to find piles of buried jelly beans in August/October/February and then have sad little faces, wondering why their jelly beans didn’t grow. Ha! ;)
We celebrate the bunny/egg/overly commercial part of Easter on Saturday. And reserve Sunday for the reflection of Christ’s resurrection.
So, Friday evening, we’ll let the kiddos plant some jelly beans again. They’ve reminded us for days and days and days… (And yeah, I know these are wood chips…..but the planters are all filled with them and we’re renting, so I couldn’t dig up the grass.)
Then we have them bury their beans. And then wait. And dream about lollipops sprouting up over night.
And sprout they do. Just like magic!
And this year?? Bigger spiraled lollipops. They’ll be thrilled! (Last year, they were blow pops.)
Such a fun tradition we’ve adopted.
Have you done the same with your kids?
Tell me about it.
Do they love it as much as mine do?
Happy Easter!
Enjoy your weekend!
-Ashley
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About Me
Hi, I’m Ashley! Welcome to my little space. I am a mom to 3 wiggly kiddos and a wife to a very patient (with my craft clutter) husband. This is my little space to share my latest project; some sewing, a bit of crafting, a lot of trial/error, and sometimes even some recipes. And in case you're wondering......yes, I can ignore a dirty bathroom while I finish my latest project. ;)
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