Hello my dears, and happy Friday!! I’m in and out today, as I have family in town and a full day of plans with them ahead. I hope you’ve been enjoying all my crafty little DIY gift ideas over the past couple weeks. I’ve sure had fun working on them, and my pile of homemade presents to give is growing daily. I have a few more last minute homemade gift idea up my sleeve, which I will share next week. Today I am here with a shameless plug, as I point you in the direction of my shop, Emmy Lu Design Studio.

I know many of us are feeling the cost-crunch this time of year, and are looking for budget-friendly, yet hip-and-trendy gift ideas. My shop is stocked full of lovely, simple and cheerful printables that can be purchased for a low price, then printed over and over, as many times as you’d like.

This year, I printed off several calendars, slipped them into CD calendar cases, and wrapped them up as a little something for many of my friends. The jewel cases are less than a dollar a piece, and they also double as a stand for the calendars! I bought a five-pack of cases for $3 from Papertrey Ink, and I was so pleased with how quickly I received them, and the nice quality of the end product.

So, all that being said, if you need a last minute gift, or are on a budget, head over to Emmy Lu, and check out my calendars, notecards, recipe cards and gift tags!

Hello friends! I’m here to talk about sewing scarves. I love scarves, and usually have one around my neck all winter long. I’m attributing this to the fact that I hate being cold and that I will take full advantage of any bit of extra warmth I can hold closer to my body. All that being said, when I noticed the growing “infinity scarf” trend, I figured I better try one out.

Feeling extra crafty this holiday season, I decided I would take a shot at making my own. First, I purchased two yards of this lovely plaid flannel that goes with just about everything in my wardrobe (black? check! brown? check! gray? check! white? check!). I cut a piece 12″ wide, by 2 yards long. Then I stitched the two long edges together to make a skinny “tube”. Next, I turned the scarf right side out, so the seams where on the inside of the tube. And here is where it got tricky. (Or maybe not, depending on how skilled you are as a seamstress.) Seeing as I didn’t have a pattern (or a clue about how to do this), I wasn’t sure how to finish the ends so the seams would be hidden. I ended up tucking one end into the other and then folding the exposed end in on itself before hand-stitching around the circle. I know there are better ways of doing this, but for the novice sewer, this method did the trick!

Now, enough about the process… the scarf itself is warm, cozy and easy to wear. I like being able to just loop it around my neck a couple times and forget about fussing with a knot. It’s perfect for wearing with a  winter jacket or vest because the longer loop can tuck in, while the shorter loop can sit higher around your neck.

I ended up sewing another plain scarf (not the infinity version) with the same fabric, and it was a snap to make. I simply sewed a long tube, turned it right side out, then stitched straight across each end, about 4 inches in. Then I took my fabric scissors and cut wide fringes below the seam. If you have a sewing machine and want a really easy Christmas present to make, buy some flannel and go to town on scarves! If you are a novice, just make plain scarves, or if you want a challenge, try your hand at the infinity scarf. Happy sewing, my dears.

p.s. don’t forget to add a “handmade with love” tag!

Over the weekend, one of the projects I tackled was the creation of these felt cup sleeves. I had some scraps of felt left over from another project, and their long, narrow shape looked just right for wrapping around a cup of something hot. I traced a Starbucks cup sleeve onto one such scrap, cut, and then contemplated ideas for ways to embellish it. A strip of twill tape seemed like it would provide a nice, clean accent. However, I was fresh out of twill tape, and there was a blizzard raging outside.

Not one to be easily deterred, I bundled up and walked to our local variety store. It is quite a place. I think at one point it was a Ben Franklin. Now it’s a locally-owned “everything” store, packed to the brim with toys, craft supplies, holiday decor, pets, and who knows what else. I managed to find a spool of red twill tape, which, judging by the picture on the label, must have been from the early nineties.

Back home, I added the twill to the felt before sewing the ends together. The result was pretty cute, but something was still missing. So I came up with a little personalized tag (printed using this method) and then hand stitched one to each sleeve. Now all my friends will have cozy little cup sleeves for their coffee–personalized ones to boot! To make you own, just follow the directions below.

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:: SUPPLIES ::
felt
cardboard cup sleeve to use as a template
twill tape
sewing machine and contrasting thread
fabric and supplies to make tags (directions here)
pinking shears
embroidery floss
needle

:: DIRECTIONS ::

1) Trace cardboard cup sleeve onto felt, then cut along line.

2) Use sewing machine to sew twill tape along the center of the felt.

3) Sew ends of felt together by overlapping slighting, then stitching up and down along the edge.

4) Print fabric tags using this method, then cut with pinking shears, and hand stitch onto center of cup sleeve.

5) Slip the sleeve onto a coffee cup, and share the joy!