Posts tagged Gift
DIY Lipstick Pouch
DIY Lipstick Pouch

How to Make this Super Cute Lipstick Pouch

It's that time of year again in my life where I need to start cranking out birthday gifts for all of my sisters and sister in laws. I don't know why there are so many birthdays at the end of August and September? Are there a lot of people who like to give little holiday gift to their spouse (if you know what I mean, bow chika bow bow...)? Or maybe it's just that time of year when it's cold outside and people get extra snuggly and then, well, you know the rest.

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Katie MilesBirthday, Gift, Embroider, SewComment
Make an Embroidered Wall Hanging Wedding Present
Make an Embroidered Wall Hanging Wedding Present

How to Make an Embroidered Wall Hanging Wedding Present

Wedding season is upon us and I've been kicking it into gift making high gear lately.  I've been whipping up embroidered wedding gifts like the Embroidered Pillow I made for my friend's wedding this past spring and the Embroidered Tea Towel I made last summer.  This wedding gift is for two of my closest friends who sadly live too far away from me.  I couldn't make it to their beautiful wedding in Colorado, but I still wanted them to know how much I love them so I created this one of a kind wall hanging to commemorate their special day.  Check out my instructions below and make your own wall hanging as a gift for someone else or to decorate your own home.   

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Katie MilesWedding Gift, Embroider, GiftComment
DIY Upcycled Pillowcase Grocery Bags // With Video
DIY Upcycled Pillowcase Grocery Bags // With Video

I came up with the idea to make these pillow case grocery bags while I was perusing Pinterest, so I have to give credit to the blog that I got the inspiration from, GrowMama.  I love a good upcycle project, and these bags are not only upcylced, but they are also great for the environment because they save on disposable bags!  My daughter's favorite book right now is The Lorax by Dr. Suess, so we have been talking a lot about helping to save the environment and I think the best way we can teach our kids about being good to our planet is leading by example.  Every time we go to the grocery store we talk about why we use reusable bags.  It's such a good way to begin to teach her about being conscientious about the environment.  

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Katie MilesSew, Upcycle, Gift Comments
Honey Valentine's Day Gift with Free Printables
Honey Valentine's Day Gift with Free Printables

I freaking love Valentine's Day.  When I was in elementary school I would always ask my mother to take her turn as room mother on Valentine's Day.  I'm not exactly sure what about the holiday makes me so happy but I think it is a mixture of sentiment and creativity.  I LOVED making my valentines when I was a kid.  I would sit with a pair of scissors and red and pink paper for hours constructing the perfect frilly little heart valentines for all my friends.  I still love making valentines. It's just such a sweet and unique day of the year when you can get all mushy with the people in your life and nobody thinks your on your period or some such nonsense.  Anyway, I made these honey bears to give to some of my friends this year because I'm still on my new years resolution of not eating refined sugar so I feel like I have to get all preachy and make sure no one is having any fun.  Raw honey: sweet, sensible, comes in a an adorable container.  Good, right?  Well, they are perfect for adults anyway, so if you're looking for something to make your kid's teachers, I think this would make perfect Valentine's Day gift.  

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Katie MilesValentine's Day, GiftComment
How to Make an Apron from a Vintage Table Cloth
How to Make an Apron from a Vintage Table Cloth

I love a vintage linen table cloth.  Every time I see one at a flea market I feel like I have to adopt it, bring it home with me no matter how stained and full of holes it is and breath new life into it.  You just can't replicate the delicate colors, gorgeous prints and interesting patterning in modern cloth.  If the cloth does have stains or holes, you can usually work around it to make something new.  You can check out the vintage table cloth pillows I made here.  My sister-in-law saw the vintage table cloth apron that I made for the Woodstock Library Benefit Auction (you can check it out here) and requested one for herself for Christmas.  So I made one for her.  Shhhh....don't tell her!  Follow my instructions below and make an apron for yourself or for a Christmas gift!

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Katie MilesUpcycle, Sew, Gift Comment
DIY Iron Transfer Canvas Tote Bags
DIY Iron Transfer Canvas Tote Bags

Hey guys, it's TOTE-ally time to get your gift giving butt in gear and start whipping up the homemade gifts for the holidays!  I put about 10 of these iron transfer canvas bags together in under 4 hours.  I guarantee that you cannot drive to the mall and buy enough gifts to cross 10 people off your list in less than 4 hours and under $12 per gift.  I double dog dare you to try.  Get your gift giving butt onto Amazon right now and order some Avery Iron-Transfer Paper and some Canvas Bags.  They are going to show up at your door by Saturday or Monday.  Next, get on that computer of yours and make or find a cool design and print it out on your nifty iron-transfer paper.  Now iron that sh** on.   By the middle of next week (7 DAYS OUT FROM XMAS!!) you got yourself one-of-a-kind homemade gifts for every tote-lovin' person on your list.  You're welcome. 

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Katie MilesGift, Printing on FabricComment
Drool Bib Tutorial
Drool Bib Tutorial

Two of my best friends got together and baked a little baby and that now baby is set to join us in November.  I'm going to their baby shower this weekend and I want to bring them a gift that is truly from the heart, so I made them these cute little drool bibs.  The new parents may not appreciate the awesomeness of a drool bib right now or even after the baby is born, but somewhere around the three or four month mark that little baby is going to start producing gallons of spit and it's clothes are going to start looking like it's parents used a garden hose to clean it's face.  Drool bibs can be a super stylish way of sopping up all that liquid and making sure your baby still looks like a french hipster.  I chose bandana-type fabrics and lined the backside with french terrycloth to really absorb the drool.  The pattern I used allows the bib to gather around the neck so it catches more spit and gives the illusion of a cute little baby scarf. Follow my tutorial below if you want to make your own!

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Katie MilesSew, Baby, GiftComment
Ombre Scarf Tutorial
Ombre Scarf Tutorial

Three of my sisters have birthdays this month and next.  Three in a row is a lot of female gift giving, but it's my favorite kind of gift giving because women are so much easier than dudes to buy/ make gifts for.  We all love getting pretty accessories and can never have too much jewelry, bags, scarves, etc.  This ombre dyed scarf makes a great gift and is a an easy way to get started in the art of tie-dying.  I made one for each sister and figured that, while I was at it, I deserved a cute gift as well.  This project doesn't require much knowledge about tie-dying and it is fairly easy to construct.  Follow my simple tutorial below to make one for yourself or to give as a gift.

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Katie MilesFabric Dying, Sew, Birthday, GiftComment
Personalized Tea Towel
Personalized Tea Towel

Alright friends, we are officially waist deep into wedding season.  Have you already spent all your extra cash on gelato makers and Keurigs?  Does it sadden you that the happy couple will be able to make 20 different kinds of hot beverages but will inevitably forget who gave them that ability?  Why not skip the impersonal gifts this wedding season and show your friends just how much you really care for them.  I made this personalized tea towel for my friends Christine and Sam who are tying the knot in a couple of weeks.  Sam is at least 2 feet taller than Christine and they have have an adorable golden retriever named Hank.  While the embroidery of the couple is stylized, I tried to make it as personal as possible by reflecting their family and including the first initial of their last name.  Check out my tutorial if you want to create something similar for your family or friends. 

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Katie MilesEmbroider, Home, Wedding Gift, GiftComment
Monogrammed Dinner Napkins
Monogrammed Dinner Napkins

Ok people.  It's officially wedding season and that means you have a lot of gifts to start buying.  You have a couple of options.  Look at the couple's registry and buy them some lame pasta strainer that they will never remember that you bought them and will probably end up in a garage sale in five years.  Or, you could go online and try to find a personalized, one of a kind present that will end up costing you so much that you won't be able to afford to attend the wedding.  Or, you can do it the Life is Made way and make them a personalized, one of a kind present that they will cherish forever.   

I'm going to begin the wedding season with a great tutorial on making monogrammed dinner napkins, but over the next month I will be putting up a couple more tutorials for making unique wedding presents, so please stay tuned!

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Katie MilesEmbroider, Home, Wedding Gift, GiftComment
Easter Bunny Tutorial
Easter Bunny Tutorial

How to Make This Adorable Stuffed Bunny

The minute I found out that I was getting a new nephew I, of course, started stock piling goodies and making everything I can think of to shower my sweet nephew Bean with as much Auntie love as possible.  Every new baby needs a squeezable, huggable bunny, right? Here is a quick tutorial on how to make a Ralphio Pistachio the Rabbit .

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Katie MilesSew, Baby, Easter, GiftComment
Tie-Dyed and Appliquéd Onesies
Tie-Dyed and Appliquéd Onesies

I made this set of Onesies for a very special friend of mine who is about to have a baby boy.  I started with some washed Onesies (it’s important to wash them in order to get the sizing out so the dye will adhere).  To make the geometric dye pattern, wrap the Onesies around a paint stir stick (free at most hardware stores) and clip binder clips on the edges. After the Onesies are bound, soak them with water and set them aside.

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Katie MilesFabric Dying, Applique, Baby, Upcycle, GiftComment