Last Minute Gifts to Sew

Last minute holiday gifts to sew...

Before writing up this post, I did a quick search online for whether people truly appreciate handmade gifts.

The general consensus seems to be that a handmade gift is a gift beyond the mere item. The handcrafted part involves a gift of time and thought that no mass produced item can match. (Our respective mileages may vary for individual recipients, of course.)

With that in mind, I've picked out five projects that have been featured previously, as suggestions for last minute gift-y things that you can sew up relatively quickly for people on your list.

While they can all be appreciated by anyone (a couple are unisex and appropriate for all ages), the last two are designed as specific ideas for fellow sewing enthusiasts.

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First up is the ever popular sunny glasses case from a free pattern by Sherri Sylvester. First featured here in 2017, I made three more a year later as gifts. (They have, in fact, all been given away as gifts; I no longer have any of these.)

Thread Riding Hood's Sunny Glasses Cases...

For a case that can be sewn, it's uniquely designed in that it resembles a hard shell protective case. As a project, the fact that I've made five of them is a testament to the quality and usefulness of the item; I am usually loathe to make anything more than once.

It's so appealing that even though I like to have my sunglasses hanging from a loop in my purse, I've often thought over the past year about making one for myself... just to have.

For gift giving, you might pair it with some trendy sunglasses, if you are familiar with the recipient's tastes. (Or, if the person is question is approaching "that age", perhaps a pair of fashionable reading glasses!)

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My other suggestions are all origami-themed, with the first two actually being made from folding one piece of sewn fabric.

This triangular coin purse pattern can now be found everywhere, but the version courtesy of Sew4Home is still my favourite, hands down.

What's different about it is that the exterior is made out of ribbon. Every other variation that I've encountered show them being made (all) out of fabric.

Sew4Home version of origami triangular coin purse...

As with the Sunny Glasses Case, I have made five of these in total (one isn't shown above) and still use the one I kept for myself (the one with the button instead of the snap). While I wasn't sure at first, they ended up being fun to make. If you have a varied selection of ribbon, it's easy to get a unique result each time.

For the gift, consider pairing this up with a collectible coin of some sort. For instance, the Royal Canadian Mint puts out all sorts of coins every year to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, and even sports and pop culture.

My third last minute gift suggestion is the almost origami coupon or gift card holder, for which I provided a quasi tutorial earlier this year.

Actually quite a versatile item...

The idea is that if you're going to give away something as ubiquitous as a gift card, you may as well put it in something that's a little less commonplace. Made with appropriate fabric choices, it's a unisex item that has lasting value as a mini travel wallet or a loyalty card sorter.

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My final two suggestions — as presented — are meant for fellow sewers. However, with a little imagination, they can be repurposed for something else entirely.

First is this origami pouch sewing kit:

A 6 pocket origami pouch outfitted as a sewing kit...

Fill it up with sewing notions as I've done here and it can be an emergency sewing kit for anyone.

Back in September, someone left a comment on SewVeryEasy's YouTube channel wanting help in locating a tutorial for an exploding sewing box. I left a response with a link to mine and soon found the project trending on my blog stats.

A fun project to make as well as to receive!

After submitting it to CraftGossip as well, it went sky high.

Never had one of my projects trend over two thousand per cent!

While this will take a tad longer to make than the other projects, it might be worth the effort for the surprise factor when received as a gift. Mine is used as a needle keeper, but it can be filled with other sewing notions as well.

I know this has been a sneaky "clip show" post, but seeing as I have gained a couple of new readers (I may have eight now; ha, ha) over the past few months, perhaps — for their benefit — this has been a worthwhile repeat. ¬‿¬

In any case, with December now upon us, happy holiday sewing!

'Til next...