Simple Handmade Gifts

After having our Denver house sit vacant for the last few months, while we have been paying two mortgages and utilities, our bank account has been feeling the pain. Pile on a trip to Denver and a trip to Minnesota and we knew we were going to have to have a frugal Christmas. Thankfully between Pinterest, my fabric stash, and some creativity I was able to put together some pretty great gifts!

My parents have a house on Palm Island in Florida so using Google Maps, Paintbrush, and Picasa I made these Florida and Palm Island Prints. If you look closely you can see the little heart on their location in Florida as well as their spot on the island! I’m sure my mom will find the perfect home for them down there!

For the Olson family gift exchange I got my mom, who was easy to come up with some creative gifts for! Back when I had my grandma’s recipe box I had scanned a few of her favorites that were handwritten by her. Then this Christmas I just printed them on transfer paper and ironed them on to some dish towels. I also added strip of fabric on each towel to match my mom’s decor. It actually brought her to tears when she opened the gift and saw her mom’s handwriting on the towels.

My cousin’s baby Magnus came early at 30 weeks last March and I had plans to make him this baby quilt, but those extra 10 weeks meant I just couldn’t get it done in time. I actually didn’t get it started in time. That meant I still had a stack of this flannel that I used to make this snuggly rag quilt.

For my mom, grandma, Mother-in-law, and niece Ana I made these Aprons out of thrifted men’s shirts. Since none of them were here to model them from me my friend Jenn and her adorable daughter did me the favor! Since making these aprons I have made a few more and I am loving making these fun aprons!

For some of the grandpas, great grandpas, and a certain step-dad we knew that they would thoroughly appreciate these peanut butter cookies. We may have kept a few for us too!

For the boys I had started these quilts for their bedroom back in MARCH! Then after we moved to Dickinson the quilts just sat. In August my mom started quilting the top of one of them, then she returned them to me, and again they sat. On the 23rd I finally decided to get on it and spent the next day and a half at the sewing machine trying to get them done. Jack had been asking me about them since March so he was SO excited to open the box and see his completed quilt!

Finally there are the “tool aprons”… Not “Aprons”. After Matt explained to them that they can use the aprons for all of their tools and screws Jack asked, “But can we PLEASE use them to help mom in the kitchen too???”. I’ll take the help!

Even though the handmade gifts started out of frugal necessity, I absolutely LOVED making all these gifts. I love thinking about the person that it’s going to the whole time that I make things for them. Next year I’m hoping that we’re sitting in a better financial position but I do have to say that I would love to make most of our gifts again.