Not all crafts make brilliant presents, but these fabric brooches work a treat. Crafty kids will be proud to make something so impressive, and dare we say it, grateful recipients will be looking smart indeed.
With two crafty kids in the house we like to make some of our Christmas presents each year. My daughters love planning gifts their friends will like, and they also enjoy all the making and doing it takes to produce their haul of presents.
Homemade presents don’t need to be particularly difficult to make, or require expensive materials, but as they’re being given to someone else it is important to make them look as good as you can. These fabric brooches are very easy to make, whether you can sew or not, and they look great too. Here’s how we make them, plus a couple of other ideas for crafty presents kids can make.
Step 1: Source some fantastic fabric and buttons
The first step is to find your fabric. You can make these brooches in any colour or way you like and add as many layers you want, so think about what design would suit the recipient and see what material you can find to match their style.
Using what you already have is great up-cycling, as well as being inexpensive, so if you have any fabric in your making box, start there. Check out your local haberdashery shop or market stall too and you may find they will sell pieces of fabric in smaller sizes, so you can pick up several patterns without having to buy a full metre of each. They might also have a remnant bin where you can pick up a bag of assorted fabric pieces, which is great when you’re making something small such as this brooch.
eBay is another good source, especially if you look for bundles of quilting or patchwork fabric as you can get assorted squares of material which all co-ordinate well together. Don’t forget to find a great button to go in the centre of each brooch.
Step 2: Plan and cut
Once you have your fabric, decide how many layers you want in your brooch and which order to place the fabric. Next you need to cut out the circles of fabric for each layer. You can use a pair of compasses, or find mugs, egg cups and yoghurt pots in different sizes to draw round. We like to draw all our circles out on a piece of paper first, to check the sizes, and then fasten each paper circle to our fabric, with a pin to hold it still, so we can cut out the shape. The brooches actually look better if the circles aren't not too neat.
Step 3: Assemble and sew
Then you need to assemble your layers and place the button in the centre. Using a needle and thread to join them all together is very easy even if you’re a novice sewer, or you could even stick them together with strong fabric glue.
Step 4: Pin and wear
Add a pin on the back and you’re done. It’s worth buying some special brooch pins to sew or glue on to the back to finish off your brooch, or you could even fasten on a hair clip or bobble.
To present your brooch nicely, you can take a piece of card, punch two holes in centre and pin your brooch to it, or pop it in a little gift box or draw-string bag.
More child-made Christmas gifts
How about giving some customised stationery, floating cookie cutter candles or home-made soap and bath bombs?
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25 November, 2011
What an excellent idea, Cathy! I've already printed this out for my husband to do with our eldest son as a pressie for me for Christmas, although he doesn't know this yet! ;) Luckily I have a fabulous collection of old bits of material from the last few years.
I'm also going to use these material pieces to make some bunting for the kids' rooms - here's a useful link I found for bunting instructions! :
http://www.buttonbag.co.uk/files/bunting/bunting-instructions.pdf
I think it's great for kids to get into the spirit of Christmas by making things for people - and gifts like that are so great to receive!
Better sort out my off-cuts now :) !
Sue
Ready For Ten team