Dare to DIY: Give Handmade Gifts; Men's Edition {Beer Bar Towels}

In continuing with the handmade gift theme, here is a great gift for the gentlemen on your list. I saw these beer bar towels online last year and decided to make up a set for my brother-in-law. Of course I can't find a picture this year of the towels that I made. Grr. Anyway, I bought a set of simple linen dish towels and using large letter stamps and acrylic paint made a set of beer bar towels similar to these from the website Keg Works.

A simple and fun gift for the beer lover on your list!

Shopping Handmade on Etsy

Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? If not, I would like to highly encourage you to try to support handmade and local small businesses for your shopping needs. As a handmade Etsy seller, I know how important each sale can be. While the $50 you spend on a gift may not mean much to you, it can be the highlight of a sellers day. I have been trying to purchase less from big box stores this year and more from local and handmade sellers. While I won't be revealing what I have purchased this year, here are some fun ideas that I found.

1) Personalized Jump Ropes from TealsPrairie, 2) Captain America Tic Tac Toe from twinsandcrafts, 3) Wooden Toy Camera from elephant and bird, 4) Wooden and Crocheted Teething Toy from nihamaj

1) Alphabet Crayons from ColourMeFun 2) Wooden Doll House from Rewoodtoys, 3) Pendant Locket from PendantsandLockets, 4) Poppy Teething Toy from thebirdandelephant

1) Lotion Bars from Rosscraft, 2) Initial Necklace from LaSenada, 3) Fingerless Gloves from MarryGKnitCrochet, 4) Candy Cane Hot Chocolate from BellaRoseChocolates

1) Minimal Leather Wallet from GuardedGoods, 2) Latitude Longitude Tie Clip from abellagift, 3) Beard Lotions from WildRoseHerbs, 4) Fire Starters from doublebrush

Wine Gift Bags

I love to give homemade, but sometimes the Christmas season gets a bit overwhelming and completely homemade just isn't always possible. At times like this, I still like to add a small homemade twist to my gifts. Whether it be in the form of a homemade card, a small homemade addition, or something fun and homemade with the wrapping.

I went with homemade wrapping with these bottles of wine I am giving this season. A simple muslin bag with a stamped message and some Christmas chotchkies add a homemade touch to this store bought gift.
(Just make sure to check a few things out when you are working on this project. #1. Make sure you allow extra fabric. Maybe even make a sample first. (These babies fit like a glove, I tell you. In other words, another 1/4 inch would have been much better.) #2. Always check that you are spelling the words correctly. (With two little ones running around while I worked on this project, it took Mr. Cherry's watchful eye to catch that I had forgotten the "g" in jingle. Don't worry, all fixed now.)
If you are looking for some other homemade Christmas gift ideas, you can check out my Homemade Holiday series from last year.

Homemade Holidays Week One (This is a huge list of presents I have made over the years.)
Homemade Holidays Week Two (Ruffled Tote)
Homemade Holidays Week Three (Fabric Luggage Tags)
Homemade Holidays Week Four (Coordinates Frame)
Homemade Holidays Week Five (Tea Wreath)
Homemade Holidays Week Six (ABC Cards)
I am linking up to the Dare to DIY series from the fabulous ladies atDecor and the Dog, Maybe Matilda, Newly Woodwards, and Two Twenty One.

Homemade Holidays: Week 1

I have written many posts on gifts that I have made and given. I love making the gifts that I give for many reasons. For starters, they are unique and not something that you can run to your local box store to pick up. I also find that I can give more bang for my buck. Since I am putting in the labor all I need to pay for are my supplies. Finally, I love to create and gift giving is a way for me to flex my creative muscles. Over the next several weeks I will be sharing with you gifts that I made and have not yet featured on my blog. This week, I will post a collection of gifts that I have already shared but thought with the Holidays approaching you may want to be reminded of them again. Please come back Wednesdays in November to see what I have to share with you!

For Children:
1. Coloring Portfolios

2. Embellished Tee Shirt with Matching Toy

3. Mitten Embellished Tee

4. Rudolph Embellished Shirt

5. Farm, Dino, and Car Caddies

6. Eye Spy Bags

7. Crayon Rolls

8. Adventure Bag

9. Child's Chair

10. Ribbon Blankies

11. Monogrammed Art Bag

For Women:
1. Ruffle Pillowcase

2. Felt Flowers

3. Pedicure Kit

4. Pieced Scarf

For Men:
1. Mustache Mug

For Everyone:
1. Monogram Magnet

2. Simple Square Potholders

3. Fleece Fringe Scarves

4. Pillowcases

I am linking to these wonderful parties this week.
Today's Creative Blog
Making the World Cuter

Homemade Christmas Gifts

This week's challenge from Kim? Dare to Give Homemade Christmas Gifts. Boy, oh boy, do I have the bases covered on this one! Unfortunately, I cannot share what I am giving because they haven't yet been given. However, I do have a few ideas up my sleeve. And for those of you who don't think that you can make these on your own, be sure to check out my Etsy shop where you can order any and all of the items I am featuring today.

This first gift is perfect for the girly-girl on your list. You know, the one who loves princesses and all things pink.

The Twinkle Toes Pedicure Kit. Everything your little lady needs for pedicure from decorated flip flops to toe separator and small bottle of polish. And when the pedicure is complete, she can finish off her look with an adorable flower clip.
To make your own pedicure kit, start by decorating purchased flip flops. Create a mesh bag by cutting and sewing together two netting rectangles. Add the sandals, polish, and separator to the bag. Tie the bag shut with coordinating ribbon. To make the flower clip, cut the stem off of an artificial daisy. (Mine came with the rhinestone added in the center, but you could easily do this on your own.) Stitch or glue an alligator clip to the back of the flower. Attach the flower clip to the top of the bag. Now you are set to give the perfect gift for the glamor girl.

Looking for something for the boys on your list? Why not make a car caddy? These fabric pouches are perfect for keeping busy bodies out of trouble when out and about. I love that they not only carry the cars, but they also provide an area to play with the cars. Here is one of my newly designed caddies.

You can find the tutorial for the original caddy here. For this version, I decided to make two pockets and attach them to the outside of the caddy. This left room inside to create two roads for play on the inside of the caddy. Be sure to check back later this week for other similar caddies that I have been busy designing.

I love creating and giving homemade especially during the Christmas season. Nothing beats being able to give a truly unique item given from the heart. I can't wait to see what everyone else is giving this year!
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