Idea Queen Tips & News

Nope, no new pages on Idea Queen this time. I thought about it, but figured I had better just link to where this particular idea came from.

I was browsing around this site yesterday trying to come up with extra ideas for homemade gifts. This one in particular stood out to me, and I knew it would be something super easy for me to get done.

Clothes dryer pads are an EXCELLENT idea for a Christmas gift, since they are both personal and useful. Since we make candles, there is no shortage of fragrance oil here! Plus I had extra batting from my son’s quilt, so thought this was a perfect project and Christmas gift for several on my list.

Now just because I have access to 70+ scents doesn’t mean you can’t easily get fragrance oil or essential oil. Check your local craft shore or even health food store. Actually, you can even find quite a few options on Amazon.com if you don’t want to hunt all over town (and with gas prices the way they are, this is probably a MUCH cheaper option).

So if you are looking for a gift for the person that has everything (and believe me, my grandparents have EVERYTHING), this is a PERFECT gift for them!

I realize not everyone can sew, but it happens to be something I enjoy doing. I love to be able to make something by hand, and take pride in it. Not everything I’ve attempted has come out as planned, but that’s alright. It’s how we learn.

Because I like to try out all kinds of different projects, I have a lot of scraps. I use them for several different smaller projects, which I’ll list here.

Doll Clothes
Since some doll clothes have small pieces, a scrap will sometimes work. Scraps are easier to use when working with smaller doll clothes such as those for Barbie dolls. If nothing else, you could always make a scrap fabric dress out of all those little scraps you’ve got.

Scrap Pillows
This project I absolutely love, because there are really no rules. Just as long as you end up with a square or rectangle, it doesn’t matter what you add to it. I’m actually planning to make a scrap pillow to go along with my son’s quilt. It will be from all the scraps in the quilt, so it will match.

Doll Quilts
What better way to use up those scraps then to make a doll quilt? If you’ve made a full size quilt, you can make a doll quilt with what you’ve got left. This works especially well since you’ll probably have extra batting.

These are just a few different projects with scrap fabric to get you started. Have fun!

I know I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m making quite a few of my kids Christmas gifts. I do every year. It’s less expensive and means a whole lot more than some expensive toy that will break in a few months. Believe me, my kids have enough toys!

So here’s the homemade side of my kids Christmas list. I hope you’ll find some ideas here of things you can make for your kids!

Doll Clothes
My little girl loves her baby dolls. She also loves clothes. So I have to make her at least one or two outfits for her babies. There’s two patterns I’ve made myself, and a few others I’ve bought. With all the different types of fabric we’ve got, it’s not hard to come up with all kinds of different clothes. If you need some help planning this out or need some patterns, be sure to check out our doll clothes project at Idea Queen.

Quilts
So this one might not be a quick and easy project, but it might be if you’ve got a sewing machine. I decided to hand sew most of this quilt, or at least the blocks. When I put it all together I was going to use the sewing machine, but it’s now missing a piece. So I guess the entire thing will be hand sewn. Not to worry, all the blocks are done so it’s now just a matter of putting it all together. Which is already about half done. I think I’ll finish it in less than a month!

I also made a mini-quilt for my daughter’s baby dolls with extra batting. It was actually my very first quilt, and the extra batting was from a friend whom I helped pin up a quilt last year. It was just the perfect size for her dolls and it gave me practice before attempting the big one!

Clothes
I found the most perfect fabric for my daughter, and decided we needed to make a dress out of it. It’s just about finished! There’s only one more side to sew. Again I was going to use the sewing machine, but I guess it’s going to be hand-sewn. Not a big deal, it’s not that much.

Tote Bags
So I need to confess - I probably could have easily made a tote bag for my kids, but I bought one instead. It was sitting at a craft show for only $5, and it featured my daughter’s favorite character (Dora). With all the things I needed to finish right now, I knew I probably wouldn’t have enough time to make one. So I grabbed it. But if YOU have time, then by all means look into making one!

Now I know all these ideas require sewing, but it just happens to be the skill I have. Really it’s not that hard to do, and can be quite fun if you enjoy doing it. These are also some time consuming projects, so make sure you don’t get overwhelmed. Most of the projects I have sitting here are almost done, and stuff I started probably over a year ago. I just haven’t had time (or the energy) to pick up sewing for some time. Except the doll clothes - those are pretty quick to do. I guess seeing prices of Christmas gifts gets me in the mood!