November 8 ~ Gifts for Outdoor Adventurers
| Help folks on your list get out to enjoy nature! Enjoy today’s great gift ideas for outdoor adventurers… |  |
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Make It
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Felted Recycled Wool Mittens These Felted Recycled Wool Mittens from Erin at Lucky Star Lane will keep adventuring hands toasty warm. |
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Picnic Blanket Tote Perfect for hikes near or far, this Picnic Blanket Tote from Jessica at Zakka Life is sure to be a welcome gift. |
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Pea Pod Hip Carrier Help parents of young children get out and move more freely with our Pea Pod Hip Carrier from Sascha. |
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Upcycled Water Bottle Sling The Upcycled Water Bottle Sling from Betz, guest posted at Petite Purls, helps kids tote their own water bottles and gives them a special place for treasures found along the way. |
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Snowman Kit Winter will be more fun with this cute Snowman Kit from Calli at Make It Do. |
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Geocaching Swag Bags Has your family caught the geocaching craze? These Geocaching Swag Bags from Emily at Saltwater Kids will make the whole process even more fun! |
You might also enjoy these related tutorials from the SMS archives: Season Pass Holder, Exercise!, Gifts for Fit Friends, and Picnic Blanket.
Here are just a handful of fabrics we love for some of these projects. Click on the fabric images to visit the Sew,Mama,Sew! shop:
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Buy It
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Geo Holiday Cards from GISetc GISetc has a cool selection of Holiday Postcards for those who love geography, geology and geocaching. GISetc will be giving away two sets of 10 postcards to one lucky winner with your Handmade Holidays comment on this post today. Please specifically mention geocaching, GISetc or your love of exploring in your comment if you’d like to win this specific prize. |
Mix It
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Snowball Cookies from Food Lover’s Odyssey Kathy at Food Lover’s Odyssey takes a trip down memory lane every time she bakes these Snowball Cookies. Bake a batch for family and friends using her delicious recipe and begin your own holiday baking memories. |
Print It
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Wintry Holiday Tags These charming Wintry Holiday Gift Tags from Kristen at Domestifluff will top off any gift nicely. |
Win It
Tweet #handmadeholidays anytime this week for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Sew,Mama,Sew!
Comment in today’s post for a chance to win one of these books! Visit our prize lists to see some of the other great giveaways this month.
(Storey Publishing, $16.95, ISBN: 978-1-60342-092-1)
Your bag, your way! Designer Lexie Barnes shows you how to create customized bags using fabrics that you love, pockets where you need them, straps that feel good on your shoulder, and dimensions that work for whatever you want to carry. Barnes’s simple instructions make it easy and fun to sew totes, messenger bags, drawstring sacks, handbags, and much more–exactly what you want, exactly the way you want it.
ByAmie Petronis Plumley, Andria Lisle
(Storey Publishing, $16.95, ISBN: 9978-1-60342-578-0)
From the Publisher:
Authors Amie Plumley and Andria Lisle teach a children’s sewing camp that delights kids and parents every year. Now, they have put their experience to work in creating this lively, how-to-sew book for ages five and up. Featuring 21 inspired projects, Sewing School shows kids how to create fabric masterpieces with minimal supervision. All projects have been kid-tested, and most can be made using simple hand stitches—no sewing machine required. Projects include pillows, dolls, blankets, wallets, totes, coasters, pot holders, sleep masks, mats, and more; each project features step-by-step instructions written at a second-grade comprehension level, a close-up photo of every step, and a photo of the finished project. The book also includes full-sized cut-out patterns in a front pocket. Sewing School will have your kids in stitches!
Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts
By Martha Stewart Living Magazine
(Potter Craft, $35.00, ISBN: 978-0-307-45058-6)
From the Publisher:
Whether you just bought your first sewing machine or have been sewing for years, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will open your eyes to an irresistible range of ideas. A comprehensive visual reference, the book covers everything a home sewer craves: the basics of sewing by hand or machine, along with five other time-honored crafts techniques, and step-by-step instructions for more than 150 projects that reflect not only Martha Stewart’s depth of experience and crafting expertise, but also her singular sense of style.
Encyclopedic in scope, the book features two main parts to help you brush up on the basics and take your skills to a new level. First, the Techniques section guides readers through Sewing, Appliqué, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing. Following that, the Projects A to Z section features more than 150 clever ideas (including many no-sew projects), all illustrated and explained with the clear, detailed instructions that have become a signature of Martha Stewart’s magazines, books, and television shows.
An enclosed CD includes full-size clothing patterns as well as templates that can be easily produced on a home printer. Fabric, thread, and tool glossaries identify the properties, workability, and best uses of common sewing materials. And, perhaps best of all, when you need it most, Martha and her talented team of crafts editors offer you the reassurance that you really can make it yourself.
The projects are as delightful as they are imaginative, and include classic Roman shades, hand-drawn stuffed animals, an easy upholstered blanket chest, a quilted crib bumper, French knot-embellished pillowcases and sheets, and Japanese-embroidered table linens, among many others.With gorgeous color photographs as well as expert instruction, this handy guide will surely encourage beginners and keep sewers and crafters of all experience levels wonderfully busy for many years to come.
By Ray Hemachandra
(Lark Books, $17.95, ISBN: 1-60059-493-X)From the Publisher:
Right from the start, crafters embraced Lark’s Pretty Little series—and they’ll love this exciting new entry, too. Acknowledging the widespread popularity of quilting today, Pretty Little Mini Quilts focuses specifically on this hot trend in stitchery. Mini quilts are no larger than three feet in length or height, making them perfect for quilters in the mood for a smaller, quicker project. These wonderful, modern designs—suitable for beginners and intermediates—are the creations of 25 leading artists, many of whom have a prominent online presence.The featured techniques, all explained in the Basics section, include machine and hand quilting, piecing, embroidery, fusing, embellishing with beads and other materials, and trapunto.
The Green Grocery Bag Challenge is a project to encourage sewists to wrap their holiday gifts in reusable cloth grocery bags, thus reducing the amount of wrapping paper entering the waste stream while simultaneously getting multi-use bags into the hands of consumers. Please include Mother Earth in your holiday plans. Read more here and join us on The Green Grocery Bag Challenge Facebook page where we’ll be posting wrapping ideas, sewing patterns and tips for reducing waste this holiday season.
More Handmade Holiday Ideas (& don’t miss our Handmade Holidays photo pool!)… Gift ideas for:
7 ~ Tweens
6 ~ Crafters
5 ~ Deck the Halls
4 ~ Moms & Grandmas
3 ~ Babies & Toddlers
2 ~ Girlfriends
1 ~ Imaginative FriendsWe respect the copyright of all crafters. All links and photos from blogs on our Handmade Holidays posts are used with permission.
580 Responses to “November 8 ~ Gifts for Outdoor Adventurers”
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Loving the picnic tote; excellent idea
I got to flip through the Martha Stewart book recently and it is gorgeous! I love these countdown to the Handmade Holidays posts so much. Thank you always for the inspiration.
Great idea: Picnic Blanket Tote!
Deborah
homemakerhoney @gmail .com
I am just loving all these wonderful ideas. I love November for all this wonderful inspiration! Thanks
I think I need to make a trip to the thrift store for a wool sweater…My sewing machine is packed away for a move, so anything hand sewn is catching my eye right now.
I love these holidays tags!! They are so beautiful!! Thanks!
The snowman kit is such a FANTASTIC idea! So fun!
Fab ideas, love those mittens!
I could use that pea pod hip carrier 2 years ago, now my youngest wants to walk.
Such a great collection of patterns. And I love the Green Grocery Bag challenge.
I love all of these ideas – especially the snowman kit, too cute! And those printable tags are gorgeous. Thanks again for the pre-Christmas inspiration.
My family loves to geocache so that is really going to the top of the list. Also love the picnic blanket.
Thankyou for collecting these great crafts for us.
Felted recycled mittens….. Thanks. My life this year has not allowed me to knit up my usual mitten storm. Christmas brunch at our house, brings with it, an expectation that MEMA will have mittens for everyone. With the instructions for these mittens I might be able to make this happen…..Adding to my Amazon wish list is Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia and Pretty Little Mini Quilts. I will be joining you in the Green Grocery Bag challenge with handmade gift bags for all at Thanksgiving Dinner…My hopes are to encourage the 42 family members who sit at my table to take on this challenge as well…THANKS>>>>>>
I love the snowman kit – what a fun idea! You could pack it up with a pair of mittens and a hat for the snowman maker too!
Oh!How cute are these gift tags! Thank you!
Fantastic tutorials!
Oh!! I just love the snowman kit!!!
Love the Geocaching bag and postcards!
Well, among lots of other very interesting things, the wintry holiday tags caught my attention. Thanks for todays’ giveaway! You have been doing a great work! I’m gratefull for that!
I only learnt about geocaching this year from a friend at work – I would love to give him one of those postcards!! Too funny!
I love all those tutorials!!
I am loving the books! Geocaching – fun fun! thanks!
I don’t know why I’ve thought about using old jeans in projects, but never old cargo pants.
I can’t find the Green Grocery Bag challenge page on facebook. Can you link to it?
The books (especially the first 2) look great!)
Love the mittens!!!
What fun stuff to make!
The snowman kit is such a cute idea!
I love a lot of the stuff today. Geocaching kit is the coolest thing ever! I love November every year and look forward to it because of “Handmade Holidays”!
I love the hip carrier, I have a few friends that I’m hoping to make this for this year.
I love the picnic table tote. So cute! The water bottle sling is such a great idea! I wish there were more hours in the day so I could make all of the great ideas you’ve shared this month.
Lots of great giveaways as usual!
Ooh, today’s prizes are my favorite so far!
Oh, cool! I just learned how to use GIS this past year, so the prize from GISetc seems pretty great. And I love the recycled wool mittens!
I love all the books here! Looking forward to more Handmade ideas!
Wow, what a great selection of books, I’d love any one of them!
Gorgeous! That Pretty Little Mini Quilt book just went on my own gift list!
beautiful as always!
cute!
Cute little gifts! Oh to have Martha’s book on my shelf! But that Pretty Little Mini Quilts looks so cute as well!
I like the snowman kit.
Getting started (finally) today on my handmade holiday gifts! Thanks for the inspiration.
Some great ideas up there.
I love the picnic tote. How much more fun would a picnic be with a sweet little tote made just for that special occasion?
I love the snowman kit what a great and fun idea! The picnic blanket tote will be perfect for my niece who I made felt food for her birthday and plan on adding to for christmas!!
i would love to win the martha stewarts book!
and i love this month on sew mama.
I love the geocache bag and the snowman kit! Actually, what don’t I love about everything. Now if I only had more time to sew it all…….
I like these green projects. The felt mittens will be a definite in our house. You know how little girls are always loosing their mittens.
The snowball cookies look yummy!
Thoroughly impressed with the items to make! Yes!
that snowman kit is too cute…my niece and nephew would love that!
My idea of outdoor adventure has more to do with urban parks than, say, the Serengeti, so a picnic blanket is just about my speed. Thanks for more great tutorials and giveaways.
Love browsing threw yor post everyday! you have such great ideas. the grocerybag challange is the best! and I’m up for that!
Great tutorials! I loved them all. And the books…yummy!
Love the water bottle sling! The great ideas keep coming!! Thanks so much~!
Love the geocaching bag. Our family has just started geocaching and have so much fun.
Wonderful, wonderful gifts! Thank you for keeping me inspired.
Such great tutorials. Loving them all, plus finding some many great blogs!!
I made myself one of those pea pod carriers a while back and it was indispensable! Especially good for putting baby on my back to have two hands free.
i love picnic blanket tote, great idea..!
the Snowball Cookies look so goooooooooooooood.
Great ideas! I love seeing geocaching mentioned. DH and I have been doing it for years and now the kids love to do it with us!
The snowman kit is so cute!
This series has been sooo helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And the giveaways are fantastic!
Great geo caching ideas. I love the cards. The green grocery bag challenge is a wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing.
I love Lexie Barnes book!
I saved the link for the water bottle carrier… it’s hard to find sewing projects for boys!
I’ve started using cloth grocery bags and love it. It’s a good way to use up the heavier designer fabrics (curtain scraps) that are in my collection. This post has given me more ideas. Thanks!
There are always so many good ideas to choose from.
loving the grocery bag idea! I made a bunch of reusable holiday bags last year and wrapped gifts in them. I’m hoping some of them make their way back to me this year.
the holiday tags are adorable! love that little snowman!
I had bookmarked this mittens from a sweater tutorial to try: http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/sweater-mitten-tutorial/
The geocaching postcards are cute!
Wonderful project ideas and great books to win, as usual!
Ooh! These books look great!
Wow! Now I’ve got some great ideas (and the time) to finish some unique projects. I love making things that are used!
Those holiday tags are adorable! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!
Oh! Love the picnic blanket tote… and the mini quilts book!!
As always, fun ideas! Love the upcycled water bottle sling!
great book giveaways!
I love the picnic blanket tote!!!
Gosh those giveaways are awesome! I’d like to add any of those books to my craft library:)
Love the mittens!
Those snowball cookies are my absolute favorites and I think they’re my husband’s favorite and my oldest daughter’s favorites. They’re so good. I can’t wait to whip up a batch.
The cookies look amazing!
I love sewing bags, that book would be amazing!
I have been saving some old wool sweaters – so I guess it’s time to felt them and make some mittens! I will also be sure to visit the Green Grocery Bag site for more recycling/reusing tips.
Sew What Bags has been on my wish list forever! Loving all the ideas here!
I love these ideas, especially the mittens. As a non-knitter, it’s always cool to find something to sew that is traditionally a knit. Thanks!
There are some great books listed in this post. Wow!
What fun!
Love it! Thank you for sharing!
I love the Green Grocery Bag Challenge. I am sewing up a bunch for gifts this year!
Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance!
The wool mittens are so cute! And just in time
It is getting cold here and I need something to cover my finger when biking to work. Thank you!
That has to be the best collection of books yet! (Does it come with the cookies?)
The green grocery bag challenge is great! I LOVE finding new ways to upcycle materials for gift wrap and for the recipient to use many days after too! I just had a challenge/giveaway on my blog for ideas like this. There were some good ones involving TJ’s coffee cans! Once again, thanks for the great ideas and thanks for all the upcycling!
The Water Bottle Sling is such a great idea. I plan on making a couple to bring on vacation with us this summer.
Sheila
Love the Snowball Cookies. They are very similar to what we in the southern US call ladyfingers as we roll the dough into small ovals and roll in powdered sugar.
oh that pie pod hip carrier is way too cute!
Love the mittens, practical and adorable! Would enjoy a copy of Pretty Little Mini Quilts or Sew What! Bags.
Going to have to make some of those felted mittens, and the picnic blanket tote! Great ideas here!
I especially love the water bottle bag!
Delighted to seethe green bag challenge.. we “wrap” all our gifts in shopping bags we have made and have done for the last 2 years . Call them bonus presents, make them suitable for each recipient . Brilliant brilliant idea . Well done .
That Picnic Blanket Tote is such a great idea! And I love the snowman kit. These books look awesome – thanks for the giveaway!
I have been coveting that Martha Stewart encyclopedia for months!
The snowman kit is just toooo cute! Perfect gift for my nieces and possibly the daycare kids!
I love that side baby carrier as well, babywearing makes life so much easier!
These are all so great! I get so excited to see all the new ideas everyday, thanks so much.
Another great gift-giving category. I especially like the snowman kit!
Have been wanting Martha’s book – looks interesting
Those mittens are a great idea! Thanks
Great ideas once again!
I love those mittens! Need to make some for the whole family!
Oh boy, I’d love to win the geocache cards. My kids have tried geocaching in their school classes and it would be great to try as a family.
Those snowball cookies look delicious! I would love to own the Martha Stewart book!
I love the water bottle sling idea! I wonder if I could dye one hot pink for my girly girl…
Wow! These are all such great books – and love the gift giving ideas, too.
If Martha Stewart has a book with all the definitions of sewing things, I may not have to call my friend who is two time zones away so much while I’m in the middle of a new project and haven’t come across something!
Another list of great ideas, thank you!
Snowman kit, yes! As a kid growing up in the midwest, finding dark stones (just forget about actual coal!) was the only hard part of building a snowman.
Ohh.. what fun! I think I’m going to have to make myself those mittens.
and maybe a snowman kit ;P
Love the gift tags! So cute!
Love that Green Grocery Bag Challenge!
Sign me up! What a great selection of reads.
Wow! I LOVE love love the snowman kit idea! How cute!
Those tags are too cute!
I just might use those little gift tags!
The mittens are gorgeous.
Love your new projects for today!
More great projects–love the mittens! Thanks for posting the info about the Green Grocery Bag Challenge. I’ve been wanting to do this, and that was the reminder I needed to get started!
I love the geocaching bag! that is awesome! truly! Thanks ladies for everything!
Ooo love these projects and these books!
Thank you for the links for the gifts. Great ideas!
I love the upcycled water bottle holder!
I’d better get going on the crafting – the list gets longer day by day!
The snowman kit is super cute, and the snowball cookies look yummy!
Oh my, if I don’t win that Sewing School book I will have to buy it. I know *just* the girl to give it to.
The snowball cookies are very similar to the Russian tea cakes I make. I think I am going to have to try this recipe. They look so good!
nice stuff
What wonderful ideas! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the outdoors. The picnic blanket is great!
I love the mittens! I might want to make a pair for myself!
I would love to get my hands on the sewing bags book. Thank you for your generous offers!
What great ideas! I Love the picnic blanket tote!
love all those books. i’ve been eyeing the pea pod turorial for a while, even though my baby is almost too bog for it.
I am going to whip up some mittens for the neices and nephews! Thanks!
Geocaching is lots of fun. Hope I win!
Hello, would love Martha’s book!
that picnic blanket tote looks fabulous!
Wow, another giveaway! Are you moving and want to purge? Cause that’s what I’m doing… But i could always find space for one of your lovely books on my new shelves…
I would love to win Sew What Bags. Your November posts are a delight!
OoooooHhhhhh! I would love to win the Sewing School book! I love sewing with my little girls and teach them the joy of creating and making for others this holiday season.
Oh finally! An idea that will fit my brother in law! Geocache bag here I come!
Cute projects!
Awesome! The snowball cookies are so beautiful – I’d be afraid to eat them (won’t don’t worry, I would sum up the courage hehehe)
I love the mittens! Thanks for the tutorials!
LOVE the pea pod hip carrier!
I’ve tried on mittens like those, and they are so comfy.
I love snowmen! Those gift tags are adorable. And the snowman kit…what a cool idea!
I love the Pea pod hip carrier – what a great gift it will make!
looking forward to some new mittens, and my kids would love to make snowman kits for their friends!
I was just going thru my old sweaters thinking I should make some mittens, Thanks for the pattern!
I really like the Green Grocery Bag idea. Not sure I have enough time this year to get it done.
I love the geocaching bags!
What great ideas. I love “Handmade Holidays.” So many great ideas that I end up using all year round.
So excited to see ideas for the out of doors crowd. I’ve been looking for an idea of something to make for the ladies in my hiking group and I think the Swag Bag might be the thing. Thanks!
I love sewing bags and there’s a couple cute options here – as well as that awesome book!! Thanks for sharing!!
Love the mittens!
Wow those snowball cookies look good!
Oh, the Martha Stewart book is on my Christmas wish list. How fantastic would it be to win it!
Awesome tutorials – love the baby carrier!
Oh boy another new bag book i didn’t know about!
Love the recycled gloves!
Great stuff today! Love the recycled wool mittens! Great idea/
i made the upcycled water bottle slings for my boys earlier this year and they loved them!
Did I mention that I love this website… alot?
Those books all look great!
I usually stock up on reusable bags before the holidays…everyone loves getting their gifts in those!
I love the mittens. I have yarn to knit a few pairs, but I’m still looking for a pattern. I love the idea of the felted mittens especially if it lets me recycle unloved sweaters.
Great ideas!
Those mittens are so cute!
Love the ideas from today. I’ve been eying that bag book for quite a while.
Hooray! I love the recycled water bottle holder; this would be fantastic for my best friend! Thanks so much for the fantastic ideas, I’m so excited to be working on Christmas gifts!
Love the ideas!
Okay, the snowman kit is ridiculously adorable. And ridiculously easy.
What fun ideas!!
Great ideas!
More great tutorials!! I will be busy from now until Christmas next year!!
Love them all!!
I hope I win one of these books!
Love the snowman kit, very fun! Thanks again for another great round-up of tutorials and ideas!
Growing up we called the snowball cookies either Mexican wedding cakes or Russian tea cakes. I wonder if they are all really the same cookie! Thanks for the giveaway!
The snowman kit is so cute! And the picnic blanket tote is perfect for summer!
Love the snowman kit! I have half a kit from an impromptu mini snowman my husband made last winter…just need the facial features made up and ready to go!
more lovely tutorials for today – thanks!
Love the water bottle tote idea!
I have some recycled sweater mittens that my mom bought for me and they are absolutely awesome. I was so glad to see the tutorial here to make more pairs for myself!
Great ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Love the snowman kit! What fun!
I’m off to check out the geocaching gift ideas… definitely have some family friends who enjoy that!!! Thanks for another batch of great ideas!
I love love love the picnic tote! Putting that on my Christmas list… and the snowman kit for my nieces and nephews!
Great projects and books!
Great tutorials! I am going deffinetely going to do the mittens!
My dad would love the water bottle sling! Great ideas!
So many things I want for myself too!
Those gift tags are adorable!
I HAVE to make the picnic tote for my girls! Thanks so much for sharing such wonderful ideas! The sweater mittens are another that I’m adding to my list to do
Just joined the Green Grocery Bag Challenge! LOVE this idea!
I’m so excited to make one of the Pea Pod baby carriers!
Love those mittens!
Think I am going to make some snowman kits for this year. Thanks for the great tutorials and giveaways!
So much inspiration, so little time!
Had to make a trip to the fabric store yesterday to get more supplies for all of these wonderful ideas. I love the upcycled tote, which requires no extra trips!
I love the printable labels! And the felted recycled wool mittens! And I’m enjoying reading about the various prizes; have already added a few to my wish list. Thanks today and always!
Love the picnic blanket idea!
Those snowball cookies look so yummy!
Great gift ideas! Love the drawsting tote.
Great ideas, but I think I am most excited to find out about that Thicket Warm fabric which is gorgeous and I had somehow overlooked before.
What great ideas. The picnic tote is such a cool idea and the water tote and the…
Am loving the daily tutorials/gift ideas! Look forward to seeing them every day!
My father used to be a geography teacher and taught me about geocaching. I’m a creative indoor girl, but he still backpacks and goes on adventures. It would be fun to use the postcards to hide his Christmas gifts this year!
We are going to need a few of those mittens!
I love, love, love, love the picnic blanket tote!!!!
The bag book looks great. I need to make a messenger bag!
Thanks for sharing some more great ideas.
I love the picnic tote! (And I normally don’t set my eye on a specific giveaway, but boy am I coveting the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia!
)
Today, the picnic blanket tote is my favorite idea. And I think I am going to add those snowball cookies to my growing collection of Christmas cookie recipes!
I love the bag! So cute
More fun projects! Thank you!
lovely, thanks for the great ideas
The tute for the hip carrier is incredible. Those things are pricy! What a great gift for anyone with a little one!
Love the tags, thanks for sharing so many awesome links.
The pea pod hip carrier is on my list now!
That hip carrier is so cool– I really would love to make one before my son gets too big to carry!
I LOVE the idea for a water bottle sling. I have a particular pocket I have been saving and wanted to make a boy bag with it, but didn’t know how my boy would like the idea of a purse. LOL! Using it as a water bottle sling is perfect!
MMmmmmm snowball cookies!!!!! They sound so good to me right now…
(p.s. the Martha Stewart book looks fabulous)
Love the books! And I’m definitely checking out the Pea Pod Carrier!
That bag book looks very interesting, and I love the kids’ water bottle tote what a great idea!
Wonderful ideas! Love the snowball cookies, gift tags, Martha Stewart book (looks amazing!) & especially the Green Grocery Bag challenge! I’m planning on making bags for all my friends this year!
Great ideas!
Lots of great ideas here, thanks
I’m dying for that Martha Stewart book! And the mittens are cute. I think it’s about time I finally tried this felting thing.
I think a lot of family/friends are going to be getting that picnic blanket tote!
It just dawned on me: the kids can carry their own water! Lots of fun ideas to use, thank you!
Fun ideas. Love the snowman kit.
The snowman kit is TOO cute. If we got snow here reliably, I’d make myself one of those!
My daughter would LOVE the picnic blanket tote!
That’s a great picnic blanket tote, and my stepmom is an avid geocacher so it should be a great gift. I can hardly wait to make the snowball cookies!!
Really great ideas today! Love the water bottle tote. Also I’m a geocacher, so that tote looked great, too!
Thanks for turning me on to geocaching!!
Those snowball cookies look yummy!
Adorable tags! Who wouldn’t love a picnic blanket?
Looking closely at the picnic tote – we have a lovely field right behind our house, and in 3 years, we’ve had one picnic there. Will have to make a picnic blanket. Thank you.
Wonderful books!
I’d love to win the pretty little quilts book! Thanks for all the giveaways and gift ideas!
I love those snowball cookies.. some of my favorite holiday treats!
The snowman kits are too fabulous!
Great ideas today!
I am sort of a secret Martha admirer. As much as I punk and indie and botch my way through crafting, I go back to Martha every season for the official word on what’s happening in the world of craft/food/sew/fix-it etc.
The Snowman Kit is a fantastic idea!!! Love it!
Great idea with the geocache bag! My family has just discovered the fun of geocaching and we love it!
I’ve been knitting gloves for Christmas gifts this year, but I’m thinking the felted mittens are the easier way to go! I’m going to have to try those.
Cute! I love the pea pod hip carrier.
That hip carrier looks awesome!
The snowman kit is such a fun idea!
Thank you for your great ideas! A geocatching tote … yes …
I’m an outdoor person – done a lot of backpacking and several service trips with organizations like the Sierra Club, Wilderness Volunteers, and Earthwatch. I’ve made some camping equipment (gear loft for the tent, storage bags) and some other bags for prairie restoration (seed collection bags, rucksacks). I really like the prizes today!
Thank you so much for this list each year! Many presents I have made have come from this list.
Adorable! You guys rock.
Love the mittens!
The water bottle sling looks cool. My husband has some ripped up shorts that I can “borrow” to make that. Perfect!
I am loving this series on gifts. There are so many great ideas. I really hope you’ll do something for the men. I’d love to do an all homemade Christmas, but I can never figure out something for the men, the grandpas, dads, brothers and nephews in our lives.
Can’t wait to see more!
I love those mittens!
Thanks for more wonderful ideas!
That hip carrier is very cool! Thanks for the links!
Love these great ideas!
Our park district introduced geocaching this year and I would love to win those postcards!
I really love the water bottle tote. It’s a great use of old pants.
Geocashing I am going to look into. Sounds like fun.
The picnic tote is great!
I wish the pea pod carrier had been around when my babies were tiny
Gill
Love that picnic blanket tote and the water bottle tote looks like something our family can use!
I always like to add fun sewing books to my collection, you guys have great books on here
Those mittens are lovely!
Wonderful ideas & such great books! Thanks SMS!
Fun ideas. I like the picnic tote.
Love the upcycles!! And those snowball cookies look YUM!!! Thanks for the chance!
I’ve bookmarked the geo-caching bag for a definite project. My daughter geo-caches and this will be a perfect gift for her! Love the postcards, too.
I love the tags featured in this one!
I wish we lived where it snows… But I’m off to explore that picnic blanket tote. Another great day of handmade holiday tutorials.
I think I love them all!!
The picnic blanket tote is such a great idea!
The snowman kit is genius!
Love the water bottle sling.
That hip carrier might come in handy soon…
Those cookies sound amazing!! Can’t wait for the holiday baking to begin
I love the picnic blanket tote.
Wow – I really want to own that bag book!!
Love the mitten project, also!
My husband loves geocaching, but we’ve been distracted with other things lately. These postcards would be so great for him!
The snowball cookies look delicious!
I love the snowman kit! I also love the Martha Stewart book. I got a chance to see a copy at the library and it looks great. Thanks for all the great ideas!
What great ideas! Thanks for pulling them all together.
The Martha Stewart Encyclopedia giveaway?! AMAZING!
Loving the up-cycle water bottle holder, so inspired. The snowman kit is pretty cute too!
Thanks for all the ideas! I can’t wait to get started on all my Christmas presents.
I’m going to have to try the water bottle carrier. I crocheted some for my boys, but after continously swinging it round and round, it’s a bit longer than when I started
I love the recycled projects. What a great way to get outside and learn about reusing!
recycled wool mittens? Right up my alley for I have a knitting capability disfunction. Thanks for the idea.
Once again, great ideas! Love any grocery tote.
So many projects – so little time – will just have to make the WIP list longer!!!
Oh wow. I need a pair of those mittens. those are amazing. I am makign some longies out of an old sweater for a friend’s baby shower… I might need to use the scraps to try to makes some mittens. Yum.
loving the ideas!
Love the geocaching bags! Very nice…
I love all these great ideas! Thanks for keeping our creative wheels turning!
the mittens are a great idea and cute too!
My son would love that water bottle sling. Thanks for all the great ideas!
Them Snowball Cookies look awfully tempting! Perfect to munch while crafting winter away…
I’m two months pregnant and I can’t wait to make that hip carrier!
I am loving these tutorials. Thanks for doing this.
We love geocaching here, so that tote was the first link opened. And those cards look adorable, must go check them out now. Lots of cool ideas, thanks.
These are just great. I may need to put a whole nature study kit together with these ideas!
Thanks for the really fun gift tags. I can’t wait to make the picnic blanket tote – so clever!
Thanks for another great roundup of projects! We make Snowball Cookies (aka “Russian Teacakes” at our house) every year. yum!
I once went geocaching and had to cross the shallow part of a lake to a little island, and climb a tree it was the coolest one I have ever seen. my daughter loves to picnic (:
All of these books look great!!
What a cute snowman kit!
These are great ideas for creative gifts- and how fun would a family christmas geocaching event be?! I absolutely love the month of handmade gift ideas- affordable, cute, and clever- thank you guys so much for putting this together!
Love this set of ideas! Absolutely wonderful.
Yes! I want to make that picnic blanket tote!
I love that little picnic blanket. One for each child maybe?..
I think the snowman kit will be making its way into my son’s stocking this year! Plus, loving all of the other ideas I’ve seen. Thanks for the Handmade Holidays November.
Love the snowman kit idea!
That snowman idea is very cute.
Cool items yet again
That picnic blanket would be a great gift for a fellow playdate mom & munchkin! Thanks!
yumm, snowball cookies
Would love that mini quilt book – and, I love any of Martha Stewarts’ books…
So cute – Pretty Little Mini Quilts just went on my wish list!! (unless I win it, of course!)
Yum – snowballs.
I love the holiday tags. Even if you can’t sew or craft, you can use those!
love all your ideas! and those cookies look so so good!
Love the geo-caching items & the printable gift tags!
love all of these – especially the picnic tote!
I love the snowman kit-Great gift idea!
so much fun!
Great ideas!!
wow – the picnic tote is such a simple but BRILLIANT idea to me – it’s multifunctional and convenient – I love it, and I can’t wait to try making it!! Thanks so much for posting all these excellent ideas as well as for the chance for such great giveaways!!
Those snowball cookies look delicious!
I am so making that snowman kit for my son for Christmas!!! great idea!
awww i love those holiday tags.
i am loving all this themed gift posts! so many great tutorials have been bookmarked!
You’re killing me with all of these new recipes I want to try. Those snowball cookies look like a winner!
Love the water bottle tote!
Love the water bottle tote!
Love the green bag challenge. It goes great with the Sew What Bags book. I recently gave a gift wrapped in a large linen kitchen towel. Perfect for the recipient.
i love those holiday tags! so cute!
Love the snowman kit.
Such fun ideas, and the books are all wonderful! Thanks for inspiration and giveaways
That make your own snowman is cute! Thanks for all of the great ideas!
That snowman kit is so great! I want to make one even though it doesn’t snow where I live… maybe I’ll make one just in case we go visit the snow…
the geocache sewing is so simple yet the idea of creating a kit is so genius
The snowman kit is so incredibly cute!
Those gift tags are adorable!
I am really excited to make that baby carrier!
The picnic tote is adorable!
All I need is snow…love the snowman kit!
I totally love the baby wrap for hiking! Great ideas today!
Love the snowman kit, since i have no kids…i’ll be recruiting my husband for this xmas project
thanks again for the great inspiring ideas.
Grocery bag wrapping is a great idea. And yummy snowball cookies!
that water bottle sling is a great idea!
Great ideas – will have to make some mittens!
Another day of great ideas and I’m going to make the snowball cookies. My kids will love to help with these cookies.
Love the picnic blanket tote idea!! Those snowball cookies look yummy
I would love the Martha Stewart book!!!
I’m crazy about the picnic tote.
I am just loving the recipes posted so far.
Wow, that’s uncanny…as I was folding my green bags from my weekend shopping trip, I was thinking that I should make some of those bags myself. I am going to make bags for all my Christmas giving this year. Thanks for the challenge, and thanks for the chance to win one of those fabulous books!
I like the snowman kit, what a fun idea
I have a huge pile of felted sweaters…I should definitely whip up several of those mittens!!
We will definitely be making those cookies! This is one of my favorite months on Sew, Mama, Sew!
So many books of which I’ve not heard – my Christmas list just keeps growing… Thanks!
I have some old wool sweaters – I see mittens in my future…
Very unique items. I did the wrapping-in-a-reusable-grocery-bag a couple of years ago and it was a big hit.
Such fabulous ideas!
I really like the fabric choices.
really loving that sling. it looks so cozy for an older baby!
I’ve always wanted learn to quilt. I think it would be great to start with a mini quilt.
Cute picnic tote! Thanks!
There is a type of geo-caching that involves hand carved stamps but I can’t remember what it’s called!
More great ideas!! I just love it when this time of year comes along.
I am loving that hip carrier. Now let me dig through all my fabric to see if I have something to make it out of.
This day’s entry has me all warm and fuzzy. We’re a geocaching family so I’m thrilled to see geocaching items and projects here! I also grew up with a granny that made snowball cookies every Christmas, so it has me all nostalgic!
Another great post – I look forward to seeing your ideas each day
Thanks for all the great ideas. Love the holiday tags!
oooh what a find! those geocaching bags are just *perfect* for my family!
What a great Picnic Blanket Tote tute. Others on that site are wonderful as well. A few others today were great ideas too. Thanks for all these great ideas being posted for us.
Ooh, love all the ideas today – I have a ridiculous number of internet tabs open now so I can look at all the projects! Thanks!
Great ideas, thanks!
awesome! I need a new pair of gloves
I was just looking at the Martha book at the bookstore
Thank you for all this sewing inspiration and also for the superb book giveaways.
The snowman kit is now on my holiday “To-Do” list. My nieces will love it!
Yay! Love all of the above!
I really need to get a picnic rug, and that tote is just perfect!
I wish we had a GPS just for Geocaching! Oh perhaps someday!
Love the mittens, great way to recycle.
Love those mittens!
So many great projects, so little time! Thanks for some great ideas!
This is fast becoming a highlight of my day.
I do plan to give my gifts in handmade bags. They will be various sizes depending on the gift. Some, of course, will be reusuable grocery bags.
I love the recycled mittens… will have to give those a try.
Love the recylcled mittens!!
Oh so marvellous!
The picnic tote and those printable tags are now on my list. Which is going to take three Yule seasons to get through…
What fun ideas today! I love the picnic tote and cute mittens. I check my Google reader first thing every morning to see what the day’s theme will be! Can’t wait till tomorrow….
I love the reusable grocery bag idea – I made them for my family last year and they were a hit!
More great ideas to love- I really need to get sewing! and I really hope to win one of today’s books!
I am in the midst of getting the equipment needed to start geocaching, so good timing on this post!
My daughter and I just agreed to an all handmade/hand-me-down holiday. Thank you for more great ideas!
Cool crafts. Love them all.
My kids had a snowman kit once and loved it! Also, thanks for the snowball cookies. They are so good. I’m ready for Christmas.
Oh, those printable tags are so cute!
Having shrunk not one, but two of my husbands wool sweaters I’m thinking I should try to make mittens! Love your blog!
Thanks for all the ideas!!
Great ideas! That snowman kit would be great for our piano teacher…
This month rocks! Thanks for all of the ideas.
Love the pea pod carrier!
I LOVE the geocache swag bag! We have just started geocaching – so much fun
another great day of wonderful tutorials. It seems like there is a lot of up-cycling going on as well. fun fun
Living in WI, who wouldn’t love getting a pair of handmade mittens?
ooh! so much crafting to do! So little time!
I love the little holiday gift tags – I will totally not be buying any at a store this year!
Those mittens look great!
I love the picnic blanket tote – and the tags, and the mittens too. But, really everyday is wonderful and inspiring.
The book, Pretty Little Mini Quilts, looks great. I also love the idea of making mittens out of felted wool. I tried felting some for the first time this year, so may venture into making some mittens.
I love the picnic blanket!!
I love the tags and green wrapping ideas!
Those snowball cookies look delicious!
My boyfriend and I LOVE geocaching that bag is such a great gift idea…I love your blog
OOOOOO — such fun stuff! I might have to try some mittens, and the water tote.
and the books looks so fun! I want to make bags and read about all the crafts that might exist.
Lovely picnic tote!!!
More fun ideas today. I like the eco wrap challenge too. I make simple fabric bags each year to reuse.
I must say… I’m digging november! So many ideas and prizes! Whoohoo!
I am so loving this Christmas series. I have to check in everyday to make sure I do not miss anything. And the books you are giving away are truly awesome.
I still use the easy bag pattern from last year. I’ll have to make some more this year.
I got some very vintage (old) 100% wool yarn at the thrift shops in pretty colors so I’m crocheting and felting to make slippers for gifts. I love the upcycled water carrier and I’m inspired to make my friends personalized grocery totes for Christmas! Love your site, always inspiring and fun.
Yay!
Another day of great ideas. Thank you Sew Mama Sew!
I love the Pea Pod Hip Carrier! I can’t wait to make one, my bubba is too much of a wrigler for the sling so this hip carrier looks just like the thing I need
Soooooo many great books on offer! I love the upcycled water bottle holder, great for roaming our forest out back
What great ideas for gifts – thank you so much for sharing them!
Any of these would make such a sweet gift! Lucky we drew my hubby’s outdoorsy sister in the gift exchange this year!
So many wonderful ideas as usual. I really love the mittens and the water bottle holder. Perfect for walking or hiking.
I was just looking through Pretty Little Mini Quilts book at the bookstore today. It has some really cute quilts in it.
What great ideas and what awesome prizes!!
I’d love to try making those mittens! I’ve been meaning to try felting for quite some time now. Thanks for sharing the great tutorials.
I’m super excited about making gifts for my family and friends. I love the baby carrier for free hands even though I have no baby. Guess I’ll have to make it for a friend.
I know someone who would love the geocaching swag bag. I would have never thought about that!
The thicket fabric is just gorgeous — glad you featured it! And the mini quilts book has been on my wishlist for quite some time now…
cute stuff
The picnic blanket tote is a necessity for us. Making one…pronto! The Frosty the Snowman kit is a hoot. I will definitely make up a set to share between my kids and their cousins this Christmas. Great idea!
Awesome idea for geocachers!
More great ideas = more to add to my never-ending to-do list. I especially love the snowman kit and picnic blanket tote.
LOVE the mittens and the carrier!
Another day of great gift ideas.
So many great ideas!
I might just have to whip up some water bottle totes for stocking stuffers!
That hip carrier would be perfect! I need to be hands free.
I may just have to make a couple of water bottle slings. Thanks for another great roundup!
the snowman kit is an awesome idea, I think it would be great for the kids at my son’s preschool!
The geochaching bag is such a great idea….
Oooh, those cookies look yummy.
Great gifts!
Martha’s book is SO on my wish list!
Our granddaughters would love that bottle sling! And the book giveaways just keep getting better – thanks so much!
I’m loving the geocaching ideas — too cool!
Adorable snowman kit and a reminder that we need to take up geocaching if for no other reason than to have an excuse to make the bag.
Those snowball cookies are making my mouth water!
Wonderful ideas!
Thanks for the chance to win one of the books!
I have a felted light blue cashmere sweater I have been saving for something special. Mittens with embroidered snowflakes? Very cool.
And I have a pair of worn out cargo pants in my supplies pile as well. Maybe waiting to be made into a water bottle carrier for a young explorer!
Love the snowman kit and the picnic tote. So many great gift ideas!
Love the water bottle carrier! Thanks again for so many great gift ideas!
I love the printables today.
I would love the school sewing book!
More Ideas!
this was the post for me! thanks.
Oh Geocaching where have you been all my life? My kids are going to LOVE it-
That picnic blanket tote is perfect for outdoor outings with my dd!
the wool mittens are just my thing.
The bag patterns book and the Martha Stewart book look so interesting! Plus, I’m loving the water bottle sling idea.
The mittens tute is perfect for some red, pink and white striped felt I just harvested out of an old sweater. Great idea!
GREAT ideas! I love the fabric you guys picked out for the projects!
Genevieve
The Geocaching Swag Bags are a perfect gift for my brothers family…I think I need to add it to my to do list. Thanks so much for the wonderful idea!
kbsteuber at yahoo dot com
When I was a kid, my mom, my sister and I used make the snowball cookies! Very sweet memories.
I love this month of tutorials–thanks!
Love the picnic tote and Geocaching Swag Bags – can’t wait to try them!
Oh, I know a couple of lovely ladies who will be getting a hip carrier this year!
Gotta make those mitts!! Thanks for a fabulous batch of tutorials!
Oh, I love picnics. What a great idea.
I love the idea of picnic blanket tote. Great!
The upcycled water bag is an awesome idea!!!
You guys never cease to amaze me. Thanks for all the tutes!
(i can’t remember if i commented yet or not, so apologies if this is a repeat)
I love that picnic quilt! These are wonderful ideas!
I like the picninc blanket tote. It is so cute!
Love the ideas!
Wow! What great gifts for my outdoorsy family and great books too! Now I just need to figure out were to start.
I’ve been wrapping gifts in fabric bags for years. I love the challenge idea. Maybe we can get more people to participate. Also, thanks for the printables and I’m so making those cookies!
I love those mittens!
How timely, I just picked up some gingam I want to turn into a picnic blanket. Won’t be able to use it for a good long time around here though. It’s much more recycled mitten weather, brrr!
my little homeschooler would LOVE that sewing book! great project too!
Awesome giveaway!! I had to go look up what geocaching was!! Looks like it would be fun to try with my kids.
love the mittens!!!
and the picninc blankie!! geat ideas!!
Another awesome giveaway!
what’s geocatching??
Those books look awesome. Especially the mini-quilts one
I love the picnic blanket tote
Oh dear! The geocashing bag is lovely! I threw one together too just out of bags we already owned but that one is soooooo cute!
Loving all the ideas!
Such fab ideas! If only I had time to make them all!
Ooo that pea pod carrier… a gift for myself perhaps?
I am going to have to add Snowball Cookies to my list of cookies to make for the holidays!
Have bookmarked those wool mitts- great idea!
OMG, I love this post. This is my favorite one so far.
Planning on giving the carrier for a gift this Christmas and have found a couple of other ideas from these lists. Thanks for putting all of these together!
I look forward to checking your blog like I am a kid on Christmas morning. Thanks!!!!
What little kid wouldn’t love a snowman kit, all ready for that first snow day?!!
oooh, i want to win the Bags book!
My husband and I just decided last night to give out snowman kits! I am so glad to see this guide so I can get a few ideas for our.
I love Martha Stewart’s ideas!
Love that baby carrier, too.
What a wonderful idea! Fabulous handmade gifts! And a giveaway as well…..I LOVE this!!!
Kind regards from Germany sends
Claudia
I never even considered making my own hip carrier…that is going on the baby shower gift ideas list. I have an old friend that just had a little girl (and it’s her 3rd child in 4 years), and this just might make it into the gift box!
Such inspiration! Love the ideas and love the books!
Thanks for the inspiration!
love the mittens, what a great idea!
i’ve been thinking about making a monster doll for my neice….guess this means it was meant to be.
Wonderful ideas….and those snowball cookies are making my mouth water!
Hmmm… would I make the cache bag for my husband, or my almost-4-year-old? Not sure yet, but I think we need one. Thanks!
That snowman kit is a great idea!!
SheilaC
I’ve always wanted to try and make mittens!
I am in love with the picnic tote!
Wonderful books–thanks for the chance!
Snowman kits! What a great idea!
Love the ideas! Its so hard to then narrow down gift ideas after November because you guys give us so many ideas!
Wow more great ideas! thank you!
Oh these crafts are great. I love how the reusing (now called upcycling)of clothing etc is catching on again.
These books are great resources and full of inspirations. I con’t choose just one if I had to.
I am so in love with those mittens!
LOving these great ideas!
I love the felted mittens; definitely need to get cracking on some gifts for the holidays!
Would love to win the bag book.
Awwwww, the snowman kit is super cute!
The snowman kit is so cute! Too bad we only get snow here once every several years, and then you have to scrape up all the snow in the neighborhood just to erect a 2 foot tall snowman!
My husband is the heads the GIS dept. for our county. He would LOVE those postcards.
I really like the picnic blanket tote. I think it would be used constantly here!
I love those mittens!
That snowman kit is too cool!
Cant’ wait to try the felted mittens. We have cold weather right around the corner and those mittens would be handy!
Upcycled water bottle is my fave. Hmm… wonder if I have some old cargos around…
Those wintery tags to print are so cute!
And I would love to win the geocaching prize.
The Sewing School book looks so cute! It would make a nice gift for my niece, she turned 10 last Monday.
Snowman kit, you rock!
I’ve checked out that Sew What BAGS book and LOVED it. Sure would be great to have my own copy!
That Upcycled Water Bottle Sling is brilliant!
great giveaways! i <3 bag patterns
Love the ideas, wish it snowed here I’d love to wipe up the snowman kit.
Love the felted mittens. i have some moth-eaten sweaters that will be perfect for them.
so many projects, so little time – but I am really enjoying these
Love the picnic blanket. Awesome.
I would LOVE that Martha Stewart book! Sew What! Bags looks amazing, too, and in a few years my daughter will be ready to learn sewing as well…
the sweetpea hip carrier would make a super gift for some friends of mine…also that mini quilts book looks exciting! i love your handmade holidays posts so much.
I have always wanted the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia! There is so much inspiration here for Christmas. I want to make everything!
Love these ideas! I’m off to start sewing!
Lovely ideas! Must try the Pea Pod Hip Carrier, it’s a wonderful gift for a new mother.
Would love LOVE any of those books! Thanks for all the handmade goodness!
I’m making the snowman kit for all my neices and nephews. The kits are turning out so darn cute. Michael’s had little snowman boxes for a dollar to hold the little pieces.
Michael’s also had a very large jar Vase Filler that consisted of just the rifht size of black rocks for $3.99 – enough to make as many snowmans as you need and still have left over for a vase.
Love those mittens! They make me sad that I just threw away a wool sweater because it had a few holes–I could have worked around them!
great ideas! I love the bottle sling made from pants
The snowman kit is perfect for brother-in-law’s family who live in snowy Boston!
LOVE the printables – how do you find all this great stuff!?!?!
Snowman Kit – genius!
snowball cookies! yum!
Geo Cache cards are great!
Forget adding to my ‘to-make’ list: I want someone to make ME those cozy mittens!
I love the upcycled water bottle sling from cargo pants. Very boyish!