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Recycle and Re purpose

Hiyall!

Its that time of year, time to be thinking about what you can give to love ones for Christmas. If you are like me, your budget is stretched to the limit and you have no or very little cash for presents. Well, don't you worry Virginia! There is a Santa Claus and its YOU!

You have skills! You are good with needle and thread! You can make all your gifts this year! Check around the house, do you have a set of vintage sheets you can part with? Go look for that stash of tea towels you bought along time ago and hid from hubby, get that embroidery machine out and find that perfect logo or design for gifts! I know you have a big bucket of scraps that need to be cut and organized and made into something useful and practical!

Have some old dresses that you made eons ago and they are either to small or outdated? Cut them up to make shopping totes or table runners or coasters. Do the same with old cotton blend shirts that are hanging in the closet! Now is the time to hit the thrift stores. They will be trying to clean out their inventory to make room for the December donations people make for that last minute tax credit. For very little money you can get a lot of material for making those gifts! You have done duo duty! Your helping your local charity with your purchases, you are recycling and re purposing the things you have bought! I have bought name brands items for a fraction of the cost in the department stores.

I have included in this article some of my favorite links to gifties I have made in the past. Have fun surfing and let us know which ones are your favorite! All the links are active as of 11-07-09.


wristlet ~ great for using old sweaters that you have shrink in the wash!
http://www.artful-offerings.com/images/FREE%20Mini%20Wristlet%20Pattern%20&%20Directions.pdf


Pincushion~ experiment with different size circle
http://www.cddesigns.com/AfternoonProj/YoYo/PDFs/yy004b.PDF


fabric covered thumbtacks~ cute for a kids room or sewing room
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/03/thumb-tack-tutorial.html


thread catcher~ arm chair sewers love these!
http://www.kquilts-studio.com/pincushionthread_catcher_tutori.htm


heat therapy rice bag ~ great for the weekend warrior!
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=280


flat round pin cushion ~ nice gift for the beginner quitter
http://whipup.net/2006/03/01/stickin-it-to-the-pincushion/


my favorite hobo bag pattern! love this pattern! made it several times
you can get your hardware at home depot or lowes. magnet snaps at Joann fabrics
http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=JC&Screen=HOBO_BAG


baby booties! cute cute cute! I make a pair for my friend's baby's first Christmas in colorful Christmas fabrics. they end up in baby books after they are out grown!
http://www.poopockets.com/free/footies/footies.htm


key fobs~great for those key ring size loyalty cards that most retail stores have now
http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/keyfobinstructions.html


pincushion and thread holder
http://monkeyroom.blogspot.com/2007/01/tutorial.html


site with hundreds of links for sewing accessory ideas
http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.net/VictorianSewingAccessories.htm


another key fob
http://blissfulbyquenna.blogspot.com/2008/10/scrapbusters-long-strips-wristlet.html


a zippered lunch bag! a few alterations and it can be a tween purse!
http://blissfulbyquenna.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-zippered-top-lunch-bags.html


snap wallet~ great for business cards or larger loyalty cards
http://blissfulbyquenna.blogspot.com/2006/10/whiplash-accessories-entry-mini-wallet.html


pincushion cuff~ love this pin cushion you can use all sorts of fabrics with this included felted wool
http://keyka.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/10/pincushion-cuff-tutorial.html


Keep On Stitch'n On!
(mauh) Liz
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ninepatchnews/?yguid=7402355 to subscribe go to this link, but you need a yahoo addy, quick, easy FREE to sign up for one