Quick Sustainable Gifts from your stash!

If you're thinking about making a few little gifts this year, and need something quick because once again you've left everything to the last minute (just me?) there are quite a few fun, free patterns out there that are quick, multipurpose, and don't require any fitting at all.

Perfect for that last minute addition to a gift!

First, you might want to make a beanie from this free pattern made by Workhorse Patterns for the Sewcialists. It's a great use for knit scraps & can be just as cute as you want it to be. It can also be plain and solid coloured for more sedate headgear.

Of course you can easily put together a scarf to match, using my very own tutorial for an infinity scarf, or this one for a longer scarf. You can make it all out of one fabric, or jazz things up by first stitching together your scraps into a patchwork and then making your scarf from the resulting scrappy piece. Fabricland Ontario has a great tutorial for making a patchwork & fringe scarf from luxurious velvet!

Perhaps you want to make some sustainable packaging to gift it all in -- a quick fabric drawstring bag is a perfect option and the size can be cut to accommodate any package you have. You might want to fancy it up a little by adding a contrasting lining and eyelets or even just buttonholes for your drawstring. I usually make mine as simply as BrownThumbMama does in her clear tutorial above.

Costa Tote from Helen's Closet

Or you could add an extra gift by sewing up a simple tote bag to wrap your gift in that can then be reused all year long. Choose a fabric that matches the recipient's favourite colours or a novelty print that reflects their interests. Make it elegant with fancy fabric or cheap and cheerful with offcuts from your sewing. Just make it strong enough to hold things and make sure you secure the handles firmly. There are many options for tote bag patterns -- you can google a bunch! You might want to look at the Costa Tote from Helen's Closet (a free pattern with newsletter signup), or if you really get into bags and love sustainable, community sewing ideas, you can join Boomerang Bags, an international group based in Australia that focuses on making bags from post-consumer fabrics to help reduce single use plastics in your local community.

If you haven't already made these for everyone you know, a cozy gift is a microwaveable neck warmer. I have two at home, and one in my office drawer. They are wonderful when you've got a chill or a stiff neck from too much computer work! Here's one way to make them from SewCanShe that's not only simple, but uses smaller scraps to make a cheerful, colourful scrap-busting gift.

Hope that this will help with any of those last minute ideas you might be looking for!