It’s my niece’s 4th Birthday today, I don’t always announce this, but I thought it was a brilliant opportunity to tell you about the joy of giving handmade!

Where I can I’ve always tried to make handmade gifts, especially for the kids I’m giving to. I like the challenge of creating something unique. Now my kids are 7&4 I’ve had a fair few years to perfect my ideas.

It’s always nice to receive a comment from the parent asking if I made it and letting me know their kid loves it. I think the appreciation level is higher after making something a little bit more thoughtful.

The Ava Handmade Tote Bag

Having my daughter who is 11 months older than my niece I have a good idea what she will like. Most girls love pink and shiny things at the end of the day there is no getting away from it! A big favourite with mine at the moment is colouring in, she will sit for hours with a colouring book quite happily and we take a bag a pencils wherever we go.

The idea to make a Handmade Tote Bag came to life. I love getting my kids involved in choosing fabrics so we went through my tiny stash to find enough fabric to make the bag. Most of my fabric has holes in from all the fussy cutting I have done in the past when making this quilt, so I always have to patchwork panels to make anything bigger than my hand!

Here’s the bag finished big enough for a colouring book and some pencils to go in:

Bright orange Home made Tote bag with a fish tank on the side
the reverse of the the handmade tote bag has purple birds and butterflies on.
4 ribbons attached to the side of the handmade tote bag for decoration

I couldn’t just make a bag though could I, I’m Auntie Karen, I need to make it fun… As part of the Tiny House Book last month, I included a Fish Tank and the Tiddly Fish inside. I though, wouldn’t it be fun to add a fish tank on the side of the bag and include 4 Tiddly fish for her birthday.

I’m so happy with the final finish, I’m yet to find out if Ava loves it too, but I’m sure she does! Plus the fish tank is sparkly… My daughter has requested one for her birthday too, but she always does request me to make things for her!!

close up of the fish tank on the side of the homemade tote bag
The Tiddly Fish - four handmade fabric fish.
Close up of the handmade tote bag - it says AVA and has a fish tank on the front with Tiddly Fish poking out the pocket

Do you like it!?

The Joy of Giving Handmade

I can tell you it’s not easy being organised enough to make something and there are times where I fail and have to buy something. Books, colouring or sticker books are my go-to when it goes wrong.

Here are my reasons for giving handmade:

  • A Handmade Present is Unique
  • Handmade withstands the Test of Time
  • Sewing and Making Handmade makes me Happy
  • Handmade is Good for the Environment
  • A Handmade Gift has a Story
  • Making Handmade keeps Traditional Crafts Alive
  • Giving Handmade shows you Care

Do you have any more reasons to the Joy of Giving Handmade? Do let me know in the comments below.

 

Obviously, my niece is 4 today so I thought I’d share a couple of other Birthday presents I’ve made for her over the years…

The Tiny House Book

During Covid lockdown, after I made the Staying Home Polaroid Quilt, I came up with the idea of The Tiny House Book. When writing the pattern, I made a book for my niece. It was my first “proper” trial of the book after my first pattern draft:

The Tiny House Book - Ava House with 3 little Bears
3 Little Bears inside the Ava Tiny House Book bed pocket
An open page of the Tiny House Book with a little Bear inside the pocket.

I made it all using Liberty Tana Lawn and it is so soft and tactile. Each page has a different shape as a photo frame and I used the 3 Bears as I was very aware of the nickname of my niece! It was and always a pleasure to make a Tiny House Book as a gift as you can have a lot of fun with it.

I got a video phone call from my niece the other week, which was the sweetest thing ever and shows that she still plays with her Tiny House Book 2 years later. She has a baby sister now and she asked me if I would make her another little bear because it would make the family complete.

A tiny Bitsy Bear for the Tiny House Bok

Of course, I obliged and made a Tiny Bear to go with her Birthday present. A total joy! This bear is a little different to the original 3 bears and even more different to the Bitsy Bear I have made as a pattern, but she’s cute just like my baby niece!

The Bugs Bag

Another fun gift to make was a set of bugs in a bag. I can’t remember now as it was well over a year a go, but I found a pattern to sew these tiny felt bugs. They were so cute to make and you could use any colours and combinations to make them really fun.

I used a simple Foundation Paper Piecing pattern by Kirsty at Quiet Play to make a bag with bugs on to store them in.

6 handmade felt bugs in different colours
A handmade Bug bag pouch with colourful bags on the side
6 handmade felt bugs all looking at each other
Lots of Tiny Bug fun!

Do you give handmade too?

These gifts are just scratching the surface of what I have made for people over the years. Every year is a new challenge to make something new. Maybe this should be the start of a new series of blogs for handmade gift ideas!

Do let me know, do you have the joy of giving handmade too?

Take care,

Karen x