Handmade presents revealed

There were a few items that I made for Christmas presents that I couldn't share with you before Christmas (click here to see the gifts I made for the kids), because I didn't know if the recipients would be reading and I didn't want to spoil the surprise.  Well, now all the gifts have been given, and I can show you what I made.

Insulated Casserole Carrier

Made this for my sister-in-law, from the tutorials here and here.  It was the largest of all my projects,  but I think it turned out really well.  The first project on my list for my new sewing machine is making one of these for myself!


Reusable Coffee Cup Sleeve

Made from the tutorials here and here.  I put it around a Starbucks cup and put a Starbucks gift card inside the cup and gave it away at a family gift exchange.  This is another thing that I'd like to make for myself!  And the great thing about it is that it's a great scrap buster, because it doesn't require much fabric.  The fabric on the inside was leftover corduroy from the jumper I made for Annika.

"Emmett's First Year" photo book

This wasn't something I sewed, but I still count it as a handmade present, since it took quite a bit of my time and effort to put it together.  This is a proof of the front and back cover of the book.  Each set of grandparents received a copy of the book, which is made up of pictures from Emmett's first year (and I also did a copy for us).  This project was actually a year in the making, as I had been working on it throughout the year (I tried to do it as each month passed).  To get it done and printed by Christmas, I made sure that all the book was complete, except for the last page where I put a picture of Emmett with his birthday cake.  Then, after his party, I quickly finished off the book, and it arrived in time! 


All natural lip balm

Using this recipe, a good friend and I got together one afternoon in December and made homemade lip balm (which was sort of a gift in itself, just spending the time together). :)  I gave these cute little tins out to some friends and family.

So there you have it!  That's what kept me busy in December.  I had a lot of fun making everything, and hopefully the effort was well-received.  Now to start planning for next year.....  ;)