handmade gifts
Gift crafting is in full force here now. First, for my nearly two-year-old niece, Emerson, a package of homemade playdough.
This will be accompanied by lots of cookie cutters and a rolling pin and hair maker. Here is the playdough recipe, in case you'd like to make some. It lasts for a long long time and is really fun to play with and totally non-toxic.
Playdough
Ingredients:
3 cups flour, sifted
1 1/2 cup salt
6 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons oil
food coloring (I use the gel kind)
Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large pot until no lumps remain. Whisk in the wet ingredients (except for the food coloring) and stir until no lumps remain. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes until a dough forms. Separate into several portions and add food coloring, kneading until uniform in color. Store in airtight containers.
For my sister-in-law Jen, a sewing kit. She mentioned to me recently that she has no sewing materials except for a tiny hotel sewing kit. This cannot be allowed! I made her a custard cup pincushion and a set of shrinky dink pins
I also made her a wool felt needle book. I am putting in a few other goodies - some vintage buttons and fabric scraps and trims. I hope this will inspire some creative projects for her.
And finally for today, two princess crowns for my three-year-old twin nieces, Jordan and Ellis. These are made of wool felt and plastic gems. They fasten with Velcro. I made little name tags from white shrinky dinks that I affixed to each one.
Lots more to come. Happy crafting!
Wonderful handmade gifts! You've inspired me!!!
Posted by: sally | November 29, 2007 at 01:36 PM
The crowns for Jordan and Ellis are TOO cute.
Posted by: carla | November 29, 2007 at 02:34 PM
awesome gifts! and totally different from all the other ones i'm seeing out in blogland these- i love it!
Posted by: julia | November 29, 2007 at 02:42 PM
For the shrinkydink pins, what size hole do you punch before shrinking?
Posted by: Mama Urchin | November 29, 2007 at 02:44 PM
Great projects. I am going to have to make that play dough for my daughter. What did you use for the filling in the pincushion?
Thanks!
Posted by: Carrie | November 29, 2007 at 05:35 PM
Those crowns are so great! i saw princess crowns at a nearby store the other day, and they were the totally mass produced kind and $20 each! Its like, this is definitely something to make homemade, and yours are so much cooler. And I can also affirm that that playdo is really cool to play with, it has a consistency that surpasses normal playdo.
Posted by: rachel | November 30, 2007 at 08:50 AM
I love your handmade gifts so far! I have been longing to make crowns for so long, I just need to find a good supplier of wool felt, its all so synthetic and thin round here
Posted by: hannah | November 30, 2007 at 07:06 PM
Wow they are lucky!
looks like wonderful gifts.
Posted by: Neta | December 01, 2007 at 02:57 PM
Gorgeous gorgeous gifts
Posted by: Jodie | December 02, 2007 at 03:15 AM
Loving your suggestions - thanks for sharing your good ideas!
Posted by: sulu-design | December 05, 2007 at 05:08 PM
ohhhh I luv these crowns.... they are perfect for the boys to wear to carols this weekend.... thanx for the inspiration
luv Abby
Posted by: Abby | December 14, 2007 at 02:29 AM
Just came across your blog! Wonderful work, esp the crown. You've inspired me! Thanks.
Posted by: teacup | September 08, 2008 at 07:50 PM