Easiest Pin Cushion Ever

I just got my first personal sewing machine the other day (YAY) and of course that means I NEEDED to get all new stuff for it, right? Well I was super tired of my tomato pin cushion from the 6th grade--you know the one. Instead of blowing all my cash on new sewing supplies, I decided to make a pin cushion for myself.

This one requires no sewing (confusing, I know), and cost me $0! My mom accidentally bought me 10 mason jar lids instead of the actual jar, so now I need to use them. Perfect solution to many issues!

Difficulty: Ridiculously easy
Cost: Free! Or less than $5 if you need a few things.

You'll Need:
A mason jar lid
A scrap of woven fabric (knits will get giant holes)
A little bit of polyfill stuffing

Step 1: (easier explained through photos)

Step 2:
Fold the corners in toward the center of the circle. Glue in place...it's easier that way.

Step 3:
Put the "ring part" of the jar lid around your little circle of batting and fabric. It should almost click into place.

 Finished Product:

You can put it on the actual jar, or set it next to your machine, and I've even seen some hanging on the wall. Way cute and super easy. It took me 5 minutes.

Then I got REALLY fancy... I made a stencil using freezer paper (tutorial coming soon), painted the Pinterest Logo, and made myself a "Pin It!" Pin cushion. It's a little sloppy, but it was my first try! Love it.

More Last-Minute, Handmade Gift Ideas

Today... things in jars! This is super easy, and good for neighbors, co-workers,teachers... anyone, really!

The "Gunny Sack" blog has some great ideas, plus printable labels for each jar. Check it out here: http://www.thegunnysack.com/2011/10/everything-in-jar-handmade-gifts.html

You can get many of these things at the Dollar Store, and in the sample section at Target! I've seen Mason jars for really cheap at WalMart (just be careful with all the crazy shoppers!)

Get creative and customize these for each person's needs and tastes.

Also, Ryan Gosling has some more words of encouragement as you complete your handmade holiday gifts:

Word.

Book Page Ornaments!

I started making these simple little ornaments for my Etsy shop, and people seem to love them! They make great gifts for people who love books. But really, you could use any type of paper. Go crazy!

Cost: Less than $3 (if you already have Mod Podge!)
Difficulty level: Easy, but messy

You Need:
Plastic, clear ornaments ($1 each at Michael's right now)
Book pages or other paper
Mod Podge & applicator
Scissors
Glitter is optional, but always encouraged ;)

Prep: cut up a few pages into thin strips so they are ready to go.
Step One: apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the ornament. Then lay on 1 or 2 strips of paper.

Step Two:
Apply another thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the strips.

>>>>Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you've covered the whole ornament<<<<

Step Three:
Let the ornaments dry completely. If you want, you can spray them down with spray glitter. Just go outside first!

You'll probably also want to add a hanger, I just used some random black ribbon.

I made mine out of a recycled Harry Potter book. If you like that idea, but don't want to cut up your books, you can buy one from me here: Kayleigh's Etsy Shop
*Mention the blog at checkout, and I'll refund your shipping price!

Thanksgiving Placemats for Kids

Have your kids (or class!) complete the sentence "I am thankful for..." Then have them illustrate their sentence.

Laminate the papers and use them as placemats for Thanksgiving!

Make sure to include the date!