Miss Dixie's picks for a hand-made Christmas - Gifts

I thought I would try to get a little more organised this year and put together a list of tutorial patterns and ideas for easy home-made Christmas Presents, recipes and decorations to share with you all (there's still time!!) This post is Part 1 and covers Gifts. Over the next few weeks I will post the other 2 parts to this series, one on yummy festive Recipes and the other covering cheery home Decor

For starters, here's one I already mentioned last Christmas, but I think I will be making more of them this year. Lingerie wash bags. I have used the one I made myself constantly this year, and to be honest, I would mind one or 2 more. I will probably be making more of these as presents as well. The original tutorial I based mine on can be found here.

Super Easy Tutorial HERE

Tutorial HERE

Bags. Any sort really. I have found myself turning into my grandmother recently, and sewing fabric bags to store pretty much anything in. Mostly drawstring bags, which would probably make a really cute alternative to wrapping paper, but are also a convenient way to store things like foam hair curlers or small toys. I have written up a quick tutorial about how I made mine, which you can find HERE. Also, with the addition of my fabulous Embroidery machine to my arsenal, I am seeing some awesome personalised tote bags being made for gifts this year. Another easy to sew gift would be any sized zippered pouch, small ones for money or make up, or larger ones for a pencil case or laptop/tablet case.

These aren't mine but you can buy them here

Speaking of my new embroidery machine, if you have one, a super simple gift for a couple would be to buy 2 nice towels (or a whole set with face washers and hand towels) and embroider the name or initials of each person on them, with a little motif that represents them. Even with just the basic designs included on my machine, I would put strawberries on mine and a fish on my husband's.

Gifts for men are always more difficult for me to think of. This year I found this great tutorial for sewing a flat cap, so I think I will be making some for a few of the older men in my family (and maybe one of the little ones as well, if I can make the pattern smaller)

I know socks can be a bit of a boring gift, but if you sew them yourself you can make them out of all sorts of awesome fabric prints. Which is why I have the Going Rogue Adult Socks PDF pattern from the Wolf and the Tree. It contains heaps of different sizes and styles, for men and women. So far all I have made are some sheer polka dot knee highs for myself, but I think my Husband (who can never find his socks) will be getting a couple of pairs of crew socks in some crazy colours.