Homemade gifts - Aprons

First I'd just like to apologise for the number of fingerprints on my camera lens that have caused some blurry spots in these photos. (I'll try to get that cleaned up.)

The hatchlings and I have decided this year we are going to do a holiday baking/ craft advent to count down the days in December. 

I'll be posting these daily and I hope you'll join us.

In order to get into the right mood, I thought it would be rather nice to have some festive aprons. 

Then I looked online, and saw what festive aprons can cost.

Digging through my fabric box and cutting up an old pair of trousers and a dress, these are what I've made for free.

I thought they'd make easy gifts too.

A snowman for hatchling no2. 

This fabric was a torn dress.

A polar bear for hatchling no4. 

Made from trousers.

A Christmas tree for hatchling no3.

Remember the old tree skirt? 

(Daddydragon thinks, 'Tree skirt?)

Well, it is a little shorter now.

And the kitty with a santa hat on the left is for hatchling no1.

Now we are ready to start on our holiday crafts, and hopefully we'll have a fewer stained tops too.

Improving what we have

My hatchlings are really hard on their clothes. 

So hard in fact that in one week, we had four pairs of trousers ripped to an unwearable condition.

That could add up to over 200 pairs of trousers a year if I kept buying more.

The pair of trousers in the photo was a plain pair of denim trousers that belonged to hatchling no1.

She just keeps tearing holes in them.

And I keep patching them.

Today, we were asked, 'Where did you buy those jeans? They are lovely!'

Another way we have found to improve clothes is iron on transfers. 

We buy them online for about 50 pence, and they come in almost any style and character you could wish for.

I take the pretty pink top someone spilt pasta sauce down the front of,

and iron on a A5 sized transfer.

Now, my hatchling has an elephant top (elephants are her favourite animal), and I don't have to throw out another stained top.

Sometimes such a very little bit of effort goes a long way.

Crochet Christmas gifts

This is my start to our homemade gifts this year. 

I've made each of the hatchlings a pair of slippers.

Just a plain sole, and then a brighter colour up top. 

and a scarf to match.

Some darker and chunkier slippers for the boys.

I have a series of hats I am making and I'll do a post when they are all completed.

Here is the Christmas pudding hat I made.

And one very wonky handbag, using the scraps of wool I had for a little girl who wants a rainbow purse.... well, it isn't pinterest worthy, but it will make her happy.

I would love to say here is the pattern but the truth is I have never used one. If there is sufficent interest I'll post the steps I have used, but for the most part they are just really easy crafts.

Take for instants the scarf and slippers. The matching set took about 6 hours to make. Total cost of the wool used: 65 pence

Hard to beat that really.

Next week I'll post the sewing projects we are making as Christmas gift ideas.