If you're anything like me, you'll be shopping or making gifts until Chritmas Eve. It never fails every year, I'm always making last minute gifts. Here are a few ideas for easy HANDMADE stocking stuffers for your dear creative ones using cardboard, brown grocery bags and painted recycled papers... use up all those painted papers and fabrics and create COLLAGE KITS! create a stitched label using free motion sewing on printed cardboard. Include laser prints of your artwork, black & white collage sheets and handpainted pieces. For more variations...add a page of art journaling jumpstarts, calendar pages, washi tape and Collage Pauge.
cut apart a brown grocery bag into a large rectangle, fold in half and stitch up the sides to create an envelope. embellish the top by stitching collage pieces and doodling with thread. The "COLLAGE KIT" cardboard is stitched to handpainted fabrics and felt then stitched to another piece of paper bag to create a wrap around the envelope. Use colored quilting pins or saftey pins to close the wrap.
CREATE NOTEBOOKS..cut your favorite found papers {I use construction paper, paper bags, white drawing paper, maps}, use a print of your artwork or create an original for the cover and a piece of textured cardstock for the back, fold cardstock 1/2 inch over the left edge and secure with a zigzag stitch. Make an envelope holder for the notebook out of a painted paper stitched to a paper bag and wrap with ribbon and a handmade tag.
MINI journals for the art journal lover...stitch painted fabric and paper onto a piece of grocery bag. cut a heart out of painted cardboard and attach to front of journal. cut long rectangle shapes out of recycyled paper and stack them on top of each other, fold in half and stitch a zigzag stitch down the center to create the journal. JOURNAL envelope: stitch the word "dream" onto paper bag, create a pocket by stitching more paper onto textured cardstock. Add your favorite pens, drawing tools or create stickers with my FREE HOLIDAY download.
FABRIC bags: I create mine from hand dyed fabrics. you can also used hand printed or store bought fabric. cut fabric to size to fit your gift. stitch a word, name or phrase on piece of fabric and stitch that to front of fabric bag. fold fabric for bag in half and free motion stitch the sides.
FOR the ART QUILTER or fabric LOVER...create handpainted/stamped fabric and doodle on dyed fabrics. create a customized fabric collage kit.
add in sewing needles, embroidery floss, silk fabrics, vintage buttons and a gift of an one of my online workshops!
who wouldn't LOVE custom note cards and stationery? create a package of NOTE CARDS. cut out two squares of brown paper bags, stitch a painting onto a one piece of paper bag. stitch the word "notes" or any saying onto another piece of bag and stitch on top of painting. close the sides of the bags with flower free motion stitches.
choose your FAVE colored textured cardstock. I HEART the paper embossed with circles and lines. cut cardstock into different sizes..cards, tags and postcards.
stitch words, doodle shapes and flowers with thread, stitch on blank pieces of brown bags {these blank spaces can be customized later}, cut out collage shapes and stitch or glue them onto the cardstock.
create GOODIE bags! these are great for candy, gift cards, holiday cards, photos or whatever you'd like to put inside.
create GIFT TAGS from printed recycled cardboard. stitch words and designs onto the front, punch a hole and lace with twine or hemp string. create a macrame hanging string. write message on back of the tags and attach to gifts!
all of these stocking stuffers are simple and take less than 15 minutes to stitch up. happy HANDMADE holiday..xoxo~treiC
