Choose a plain, printed, or textured (eg. waffle-weave) cotton or linen fabric. This could also be a great project for creating something new with an old tablecloth or perhaps dish or hand towels. Here, I’ve used a remnant piece of sturdy cotton cloth in a bright red and white check pattern, which I had leftover from sewing a cloth shopping bag.

From a one yard (1 yard = 36″) length of 36″ wide fabric, you can make nine 12″ squares or four 18″ squares (before hemming). Twelve-inch squares are sufficient for everyday use, but eighteen-inch is more the size you will find in fancy restaurants.

Making your own cloth napkins really is easy to do. Cut or tear the fabric into even squares. Tearing is surprisingly quick and accurate, as it follows the grainline automatically. Start with cutting about one inch into the fabric in the direction you want to tear. Grip the sides of the cut firmly and pull. Tear across to the last inch or so, which is best to cut with a scissors in order to prevent raveling of the edge. If the fabric does not tear easily, it is too strong of a weave, and you will need to cut it.

For everyday napkins, you can either finish the edges with a simple zigzag stitch, or an overlock or other finishing stitch, depending on your sewing machine’s capabilities. A serging machine will make it quick and easy. I used a simple zigzag on the red and white napkins and they have held up just fine to repeated use and washings.

Here is the red and white check with a simple zigzag stitch along the edge to help prevent raveling.

For a finer finish, fold a narrow hem – fold edges in about 1/4 inch and then fold again. Press with a hot iron as you fold, or pin in place. Stitch by machine or hand.

Here’s an example of a hemmed napkin. This is one of a set of holiday napkins made by my mom some years ago and given as a Christmas gift. We like them so much, we use them more often than once a year!

Slowly pour over paste, stirring constantly:
3/4 cup boiling water

Resulting mixture should be translucent.

Papier Mache Technique:

Tear newspaper into strips about 1″ wide along the grain, or into pieces.

There are a few different ways to shape papier mache:

1. Use an object, such as a plate or bowl, as a form or mold. Cover with plastic wrap, and then apply papier mache. When papier mache is dry, remove from form.

2. Apply papier mache directly to a surface, such as a balloon, or a cardboard form (such as a box). A strong corrugated cardboard works well. Measure and cut carefully. Tape the corners and hinges with masking tape so that it will hold its shape.

3. Crumple up paper into wads to make a freeform shape, mask base, or other 3-D sculpture. Layer papier mache over top.

Apply a layer of paste to the form. Dip newspaper strips or pieces one at a time into flour paste and apply evenly to the form, overlapping edges and smoothing. Apply at least 3 or 4 layers and allow to dry. Try applying layers at different angles to produce an even coverage. For a stronger design, use more layers, but allow to dry inbetween every 3 or 4 layers.

When papier mache is completely dry, you may paint, decoupage, or apply decorative paper.

Recently, I’ve found clothes (especially girls’ clothes), are made of thinner fabric than they used to be, which means even more holes and tears. I don’t want to throw out a pair of pants after it’s only been worn half a dozen times just because it has a hole in the knee. So I patch.

I’m an old-fashioned, frugal kind of gal when it comes to patches, which generally means needle and thread instead of some kind of fabric glue or iron on patch. Plus, I usually cut the patches from the bottom legs of pants that have been completely worn out and outgrown, or turned into cut-offs. (Which, I might add, is a perfect alternative solution to a big tear in the knee when summer is coming on and shorts are in order.)

Lately, it seems my daughter has put holes in just about every pair of pants she owns – sweatpants, yoga pants, khakis, jeans, you-name-it. And, since she’s a girl, I decided to do slightly more decorative, while still functional patches, AND ask what she’d like for a patch (just to see if I could do it).

First, she asked for pink flower patches on a couple pairs and here’s what I came up with:

Pink flower patch on grey yoga pants.
Patches were made from the bottom legs of some old pink sweatpants that had been turned into shorts.

How-to: Cut patch from strong, hard-wearing (not already worn out) fabric in matching, similar or complementary color and fabric. Use woven fabric patches on woven clothing, knit fabric patches on knit clothing. Cut patch at least an inch past the hole(s) on all sides. It is important to place the patch carefully so that it covers all holes with room to spare. The edge of the patch must be big enough that the edges can be sewn onto strong, unworn fabric, or it will tear away with only a few wears and washings.
With sewing machine, using a matching thread color, zigzag stitch around outside of patch (this is a medium width zigzag with a slightly shorter stitch length). Change to straight stitch and regular length, and machine stitch center of flower with about 3 circles, intentionally a little uneven and “wobbly”.

Pink flower patch on brown sweatpants.
Larger pink flower patch (made from same pink sweatpants) on a pair of brown sweatpants.

How-to: These brown sweatpants had BIG holes in the knees and were looking pretty ragged. I used a bigger size patch and did more stitching in the center to secure the raggedy fabric of the pants to the patch. Otherwise, they are made in the same way as the previous patch.

Then my daughter requested heart patches for her jeans:

Heart patches on denim jeans.
I made the patches from the bottom legs of an old pair of jeans of mine that had been turned into cut-offs. You can see there’s already new grass stains on the patched knees. My daughter later proceeded to add her own extra embellishment to these patches with gold puffy fabric paint.

How-to: When cutting denim or twill patches, cut on the same grain line and weave pattern as the pants you want to patch so they blend in better.
Pin patch in place. Machine zigzag in matching color around the outside of the patch. Handstitch a running stitch with embroidery floss (3 strands) in a contrasting and complementary color.

Traditional patch on inside of jeans
Here’s an old pair of my son’s jeans from when he was younger, which shows a patching method I used quite often with his pants.

How-to:
Turn pants inside out. Pin patch in place on the inside of the pants (use safety pins so you don’t accidentally poke yourself while handstitching). Make sure the patch is placed so that the right side of the fabric will show through the hole when done. Whip stitch with double thread around the outside of the patch. Alternately, you can use a plain running stitch, or a nearly invisible hemming or fell stitch. It’s important that you secure your thread securely and make your stitches close enough together and tight enough so that the patch does not work loose with the friction of wear.

Turn pants right side out. Using a blanket stitch, stitch around hole, stitching through to the patch underneath. This will firmly secure the patch as well as strengthen the edges of the hole to prevent fraying or further tearing.

Small patch decoratively stitched and embroidered, applied to khaki pants.
My daughter put a small hole in a quite new pair of stretch khaki pants. I decided to put a small decorative style patch on the outside and add a little extra detailing with embroidery floss. She had wanted a star patch, but thinking of all those extra edges to sew, I decided to embroider a couple little ’stars’ onto a square patch instead. Patch was from an old, outgrown pair of khakis of similar color, and I used a contrasting color of embroidery floss.

How-to:
Cut out a small patch, big enough to easily cover the hole or damaged area. You could cut the patch to be circle, square, diamond, heart, flower, butterfly, star or any other creative shape. For simplicity, I used a square shape but then put it on at an angle to give it a little more quirkiness. Using 2 or 3 strands of embroidery floss, stitch the patch onto the pants, using a buttonhole or blanket stitch around the outside of the patch. Finish off with a couple little stars, flowers or other little embroidery embellishment in the center.

This is a picture of the finished bear my daughter made from a Build A Bear kit at her birthday party. We purchased the kits from Joann’s. The kits come complete, including the stuffing, needle and thread, so there is no need to purchase anything extra.

Here’s a closer view of the stitching:

As you can see, the holes are not spaced real closely which has the advantage of not as much stitching for the children, but the disadvantage of visually obvious stitches. Make sure to snug the stitches up so there is as little slack as possible, without puckering the fabric. If the gaps really bother you, you can stitch with smaller stitches using a regular needle and thread, or even a sewing machine. But, I would remind you that if this project is for the kids, a little ‘imperfection’ is okay. The important thing is that they are making a bear themselves and can be proud of their accomplishment!

These Build A Bear kits do take some time and patience, as well as a little skill. Have enough clear space to work in, a big table or something similar. Be sure to explain the basic instructions (I would recommend going over the instructions ahead of time, rather than at the party for the first time!) The kits will get spread out, so watch out to help prevent all those little pieces from getting lost or mixed up with others.

Get each child off to a good start, with an explanation, a small demonstration and correct length of knotted thread. Expect to have to help along the way as well, and to be handy for questions, tying knots, tightening stitches, undoing mistakes, etc.

I would not recommend this kit for children under 5 or 6 unless they have an adult all to themselves to help quite a bit, as they probably will not have the patience or coordination to finish on their own. By age 8 or 9, most children will need fairly minimal help, depending on whether they have had any sewing experience before. One adult per 2 children (or 3 if they are older) is a good ratio. Much more and you may become a little frazzled.

If you choose this as a party craft, you will not need to plan much else for additional activities. You may not have the time (or inclination) to iron on the clothing designs, and that’s okay. That’s something that can get sent home in the kit afterwards. However, do try to finish the bear itself so that the children can hug them and take them home ready to play with.

And, as with any craft with children, don’t forget to take a deep breath every so often when those messes and mistakes happen, or someone is on the verge of tears because “it isn’t turning out right”. If you can stay calm and cheerful, it will turn out all right in the end.

Supplies
- giftwrap paper – leftover scraps are fine, you just need 2 useable pieces about 9 x 11 1/2″ or a little bigger
- 8.5 x 11 blank office or printer type paper – 2 to 5 sheets (or substitute any other size, or scrap paper)
- yarn or string

Equipment
- scissors
- ruler
- pencil
- glue stick
- large eye hand needle
- awl (optional)

1. Cut 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper in half to make 8.5 x 5.5 sheets. Fold these in half (called “folio”) and then nested together into a “signature”.

2. Cut out two pieces of giftwrap paper, about 1/2 inch bigger all the way around than the signature paper. This will be about 9 or 9.5″ x 6″.

3. Glue wrong sides of giftwrap paper together, using glue stick. Glue all the way to the edges. It’s helpful to have scrap paper underneath so you don’t get glue on anything you don’t want to. Fold cover in half.

4. Nest the folded paper signature into the giftwrap cover.

5. Place face down on a folded up towel. Using an awl or thick needle, make 3 holes, one in the middle, and two about a three-quarters to an inch or so in from edges (make sure you catch the inner papers, as well).

6. Thread a 22 – 24″ length of yarn onto the needle. You will sew the book using a 3-hole pamphlet binding.

7. Beginning from the outside, thread the yarn into the middle hole and draw through until about a 6 inch tail remains.

8. Next, go through the top hole to the outside.

9. Then down into the bottom hole to the inside.

10. Finally, back through the middle hole again to the outside.

11. Tighten up the stitches until they are nice and snug.

12. Tie a knot or bow with the tails, over top of the long outside stitch of yarn.

And there you have it.

Inside of the book

While making the Build-A-Bear kits with the kids last weekend, we decided it would have made a more tight, secure seam to have the pre-punched holes a little closer together (although that would have meant more stitching for the kids, and honestly, they were reaching their limits by the time they were done). But that is what brought about my friend mentioning a Zutter. Which, she said, is what a friend of hers had, and she thought it could punch through almost anything, so why not furry teddy-bear fabric, too??!

Being the information hound that I am, I began the internet search for a Zutter.

It turns out that Zutter Innovative Products is the company name, and Bind-It-All is the name of the gadget that can punch and bind. Apparently it is used to make Owire bound journals and other projects. The product information says it’s a dual action machine that can punch and bind chipboard, acrylic, clipboard wood, canvas artboard and more.

Now, I don’t know if a Zutter Bind-It-All would be any good at pre-punching teddy-bear fabric, but at least now I know what it is!

CHALLENGE #1:
1. To attempt to make my first ever ICE CREAM CAKE for my daughter’s birthday party this upcoming weekend. (She has requested a rainbow-type sherbet and cookies-and-cream ice cream to be in the cake. We’ll see…)
2. AND, to conduct a CRAFT PARTY! So far on the schedule: BUILD-A-BEAR KITS! (also a first for us).

A week from now, I should have the results up. Wish me luck!

We’ll see whether I meet this challenge or whether I go to Plan B (make an easier cake) or Plan C (go buy one at the store!) And whether we manage to build a bear…or not…

Let me know if you have met a similar challenge and how it went!

Supplies:
- paper bags – lunch size or a bit bigger – I used 4 inexpensive lunch bags
- ribbon or yarn – I used 3 colors of 1/4″ Offray polyester ribbon
- paper or cardstock – I used a selection of single-colored and decorative cardstock

Tools:
- hole punch
- scissors
- glue

Step 1: Assemble supplies and find a spot to work.

Step 2: Fold 4 paper bags in half, after figuring out which sides you want on the inside and which on the outside.

Step 3: Punch holes through each bag about 1/4″ from the edge, and spaced evenly (measure it or ‘eyeball’ it, if you like). I’ve done 4, but I think 5 might look nicer. Make sure to line up each subsequent bag with the first bag’s holes. When done, assemble the bags, being sure to match holes, in the order you’ve decided. I suggest alternating open and closed ends, and making sure you have a nice ‘cover’.

Step 4: Cut lengths of ribbon about 5-7″ long, at least 3 lengths of ribbon per hole. One by one, thread them through the holes and tie them in square knots. Alternately, instead of ribbon, you can use lengths of yarn tied into bows.

Ribbon tying completed.

Step 5: Fill the book. Cut paper or cardstock to fit pages and glue in. Decorate pages, add embellishments, stickers, photos, pictures, writings, memorabilia, whatever you like. Use the 4 pockets for extra memories, pictures, poetry, funny stories, etc.

Ready to add photos and pictures.

The kids and I made a little gingerbread house again this year. We used the following Gingerbread Recipe with a few alterations: I increased the margarine to about 1/3 cup, reduced the molasses to about 1/4 cup, and the flour to about 2 3/4 – 3 cups – just until it felt nice to roll out. I made pattern forms out of cereal box cardboard, and my 7 year old did most of the rolling and cutting out of the dough. We also made some gingerbread men and other shapes.

When making the patterns, don’t forget to make the roof pieces at least 1/2″ or more longer, and a bit wider than the adjoining pieces, to account for the thickness of the dough. (In other words, dough is thicker than cereal box cardboard! So take that into account when measuring and cutting pattern pieces.) Here’s a picture of our pattern pieces. We made two of each, cutting a door into one end piece (saving that piece for the door), and a window into one side piece. I also cut a couple small pieces to use as shutters (although they did slide a bit when we put them on, as you can see from the picture.)

After baking and cooling the pieces to room temperature, you can either start assembly right away, or set them aside for later. We didn’t get around to putting ours together right away, so the pieces just sat in a pile on the counter for a few days until we got around to it, none the worse for waiting (this gingerbread can be left uncovered, and has a very long shelf life.)

To stick the pieces together, I made a basic frosting. Beat together a couple tablespoons of margarine with a cup or so of icing sugar, add a couple tablespoons of milk, and then gradually add enough icing sugar and continue to beat to make a thick frosting that will make a fairly stiff peak and will not run. I put the frosting in a decorating bag with a basic tip and we went to work. I squeezed frosting along both surfaces we wanted to stick together, and along the bottom of the piece, as well, to attach to the base (an aluminum foil covered baking sheet). We had to hold the pieces steady for a couple minutes after sticking together until the frosting set up a little. Just build slow and careful – don’t rush.

(Last year was our first attempt at a gingerbread house, and I ended up using toothpicks like nails to hold some of the pieces together because the frosting just wasn’t doing the trick by itself. The gingerbread pieces were pretty fresh and soft, so I was able to insert the toothpicks without too much trouble. You wouldn’t be able to do this after the gingerbread has hardened.)

After assembling the house, reinforce any areas if needed, fill any chinks, and add doors, shutters or chimneys. Finally, add the finishing decorative touches with icing and candy. We decorated ours with swirls and drips (”icicles”) of icing, and Skittles candies, but you can be as elaborate or as simple as you like.
A couple of days later, we broke it apart and ate it, piece by piece, over the next few days. Yum!

picture frame
picture
photograph
painting
poster
card
bookmark
story/poem
book/journal
song (with or without cd/tape)
drama
chore, errand, massage or something else you can do for the other person
calendar
stationary & envelopes
wall hanging
lap or baby blanket
quilt
pillow
pillowcase
handkerchief
embroidery
scarf
hat or touque
mittens
socks
shawl/poncho
skirt
t-shirt
pajamas
slippers
bib
belt
baby towel
teddy bear or other stuffed animal
doll
blocks
dress-up clothes
silk scarf
scarf holder
hatband
guitar strap
knife sheath
cell phone holder
apron
placemat
cloth napkins
tablecloth
dishcloth
handtowel
dishtowel
hot pad
bag/tote
purse/satchel
hot/cold comfort pack (filled with rice, beans, flaxseed, or feed corn…)
felt stocking (to hang by the fire)
glasses case
water bottle holder
remote holder
CD/DVD case
scented sachet
pin cushion
draft stopper
book cover
barrette
bow clip
scrunchie
hair holder/tie
pin
necklace
bracelet
earrings
keychain
basket
bowl
box
mug
plate
book ends
pencil holder
coin jar or can
handprints
Christmas decorations
ornaments
piggy bank
candle
candle dish
soap
soap dish
bath bag or bath salts
lotion
bath oil
bath bomb
loose change tray
magnets
game
wind chime
lawn ornament
stepping stones/tiles
food or drink mix
cookies
candies
gingerbread house
plant
plant pot or dish
terrarium
bouquet
vase
wreath
dog collar
horse halter
dog or cat bed
catnip mouse
chew toy
bird feeder
bird house
craft kit (put it together yourself: eg. yarn, needles and pattern)

and I’m sure there are plenty more, but that’s just what I’ve brainstormed up so far…

As far as being able to make all of these for $5 or less, I haven’t done exhaustive research on every suggestion or every variable. In some cases, keeping it under $5 will depend on watching for sales, choosing less expensive materials or less elaborate designs, finding things second-hand, or having at least some of the tools or supplies on-hand or around the house already (eg. paints, knitting needles, garden…). The time required varies greatly, from only a few minutes, to several days, as do the skill levels necessary. Sometimes, due to time or skill level constraints, it makes much more sense to buy ready-made items, and at times this is also the less expensive route, as well.

To get more ideas and a better estimate of costs, you can browse a local craft store, or online at sites such as Joann.com (crafts and fabrics), HancockFabrics.com (mostly fabrics, some crafts) or DickBlick.com (art materials), to name just a few. Or do a search on what you’re looking for – there is a TON of craft, DIY and blog sites out there with everything from ideas to supplies, many with free instructions and patterns. Some sites are more general, and some are specific, specializing in knitting and crochet, or paper-crafting, and so on.

I have dabbled in many handicrafts and hobbies myself, including sewing, embroidery, braiding, leatherwork, card-making, bookmaking, stamping, knitting, crochet, macrame, rug-hooking, weaving, spinning, quilting, applique, beading, cooking, baking and food preservation, papier mache, pottery, drawing, painting, fabric dyeing, gardening, photography, flower arranging and preservation, even a little carpentry (and probably some others I can’t think of at the moment). I don’t consider myself particularly skilled or ‘expert’ in anything, but it’s surprising what you find you can do when you set your hand to it, especially if you start out with a relatively easy project.

Crafts can be very inexpensive as far as materials, especially if you start from scratch and stick with the more classic types of crafts (vs. designer or in vogue). For example, a ball of yarn starts at $1.59 at joann.com, and there over a hundred kinds listed for under $5. If you sign up for their monthly flyer, which comes with coupons, you can regularly get things for up to 40% off or more. The Hancock Fabrics store that used to be near me had a treasure trove of a remnant pile (pieces of fabric <1yd) which they sold for about $1/yd. Even regularly priced, there are many fabrics for around $5/yd or less, and a fat quarter (18″ x 24″) is usually $1.50 or less. Embroidery floss is $0.33/skein. Papier mache is virtually free, if you use old cardboard and newspapers otherwise bound for recycling, and a bit of homemade flour paste. If you are able to gather flowers, foliage, twigs or tree trimmings from your yard or around your home, wreaths and arrangements become far more affordable, as well. Paper crafts are generally fairly inexpensive, and often you have something laying around the house that you can use to make them with. Food based gifts are also often easily put together with what you already have in your kitchen, whether fresh-baked cookies, or one of those mixes-in-a-jar. A little creativity, ingenuity, materials, and of course, time, and you can put together a number of different gifts which can be both useful and delightful to the recipient, as well as rewarding and inexpensive for you to make.