Do you have a few creative and crafty peeps on your gift list? An artist, chef, baker, crafter? Or someone who just likes pretty things? If so, this list is for you! It just so happens that many of these items here are made or sold by friends and family. (But I am only sharing items I truly love!)
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, I hoarded bottle caps, doilies, paper bags, and boxes to make dollhouse furniture, cards, and various craft projects. Do you have a kid like this on your holiday gift list? Assembling a craft kit is a great solution if you are stuck for a gift idea. And these kits involve recycled materials which mean that can be cheap…and eco-friendly! The main idea is to gather recycled household materials, pair them with a few basic craft supplies, maybe a craft book, and pack them in a simple tote bag, bin, or box!
Read MoreIt's almost December! Time to set up an advent calendar! Save a few toilet paper, paper towels, or shipping tubes to create this advent calendar wreath. Fill it with small presents like candies or little toys or little notecards describing “activity” gifts like: “movie night!”, “hot chocolate with candy cane stirrers!” or “evening drive to see holiday lights!”. As presents are removed you can fill the holes with a small ornament, toy, or piece of candy.
Read MoreHave you tried punch needling? It is similar to rug hooking in it’s finished look but made with a different action (and tool). It’s fun, meditative, and surprisingly easy. The technique is forgiving and it’s easy to go back and fix mess-ups, like adding stitches.
I made this cute walrus last year for Bluprint. It’s an easy starter project, and winter is the perfect time for a cozy indoor craft! You can click over to their site to get the full how-to, including a video.
Are you looking for an inexpensive and handmade (but easy) kid gift idea? Look no farther! This is the time of year where a lot of us have cardboard boxes in our recycle bin…and you don’t need much else to make these cardboard animal kits!
Read MoreSoapmaking is a simple, fun, and satisfying project; perfect for when winter weather keeps us indoors. There’s not much to it; you use a store-bought soap base, melt it, tint it with a colorant, and pour it in a mold. I have used clear glycerin soap base, such as here, but had never used an opaque soap base and I loved the bright colors that can be achieved! Once you get set up, it’s easy to crank out a bunch of soap bars. I made these for Bluprint and we shot a fun video to show how easy they are to make!
Read MoreI've compiled a list of gift ideas for the creative kids on your holiday shopping list. The ideas may seem basic, but when paired with one or two other things, become a simple (but fun!) craft or activity kit!
Read MoreThese portrait lollipops I made for my husband are inspired by the Funny Face Pops in our book, Candy Aisle Crafts. Making them was some of the most fun that I had working on the book! I was creating all different shapes of lollipops for our hard candy chapter and Amy and I talked about including a page of people portrait lollipops. When she suggested that I try making Bert and Ernie–like faces, I was inspired! Make some for your Valentine...or your favorite couple!
Read MoreMany many years ago, my friend Page and I liked to make homemade Valentines for our coworkers at Martha Stewart Living magazine. We came up with ideas for little gifts, like these felt tissue dispensers (instructions here), that we could produce assembly-line style. The beautiful wool felt we used was special ordered from Holland. This was before the internet (!) so we would call the sweet owner over the phone to place our overseas orders! We sat together and measured, cut, and sewed until the wee hours of the night...and we loved it! This went on for many years until our recipient list grew to well over 100, we had our babies, and got too busy. Now, Page co-owns Purl Soho with Joelle Hoverson where, coincidentally, you can buy this beautiful felt!
Read MoreI just finished up a few finger puppet necklaces for a little friend who will be visiting this weekend. (Doesn't everyone need a finger puppet on their person?) These are a twist on some tube-knit and other no-knitting-needles-needed yarn crafts I made for Parents magazine a while ago. Instructions for the finger puppets are on the Parents website. To make these necklaces just start with some extra yarn hanging down the tube at the start and leave another length when you take it off the loom. (This will make sense once you start! Alternatively, you can simply thread a necklace length of yarn through the top of the finger puppet when you finish)
Read MoreI am thrilled to have contributed a few crafty holiday food ideas to one of my favorite blogs, Jenny Rosenstratch's Dinner: A Love Story ! I'm a longtime fan of both her blog and books. Have you seen her newest, How to Celebrate Everything? If I hadn't bought it the minute it came out it would be at the top of my holiday wish list! Anyway, these marshmallow tree-topped cupcakes, above, are "something to bring to a holiday party" and you can find instructions for them on DALS here.
Read MoreI made these little bird necklaces with Tracey Stewart when I was helping out with crafts for her sweet, gorgeous, and informative book, Do Unto Animals. I had so much fun working on everything with her and the Moomah gang, but the necklaces were one of my favorites. They are really easy to make and, like most people, I love birds (real...and fake-wearable)! They're made from felt and wooden beads and you can find the how-to over on her website, Moomah.
Read MoreOne of my favorite gifts to give to kids is a handmade (well, hand-assembled) imaginative play kit. I'm excited to share a fun story that I developed for Parents Magazine about this very topic in the March issue (on newsstands right now) with gorgeous photos by Zoe Berkovic!
Read MoreSometimes I want to give a special, not right-off-the-shelves gift but don't have time to handmake it, so I'll choose a great book and assemble a gift kit around it. These feel custom and personal, but are so easy to put together. I've gathered a few ideas here using some of my favorite books (and, er, my books too!).
Read MoreA few years ago on Mother's Day, my husband and kids gave me what is perhaps my all-time favorite gift, a storybook they made in which I was "Superhero Mommy". This personalized story bookwould make an equally fantastic Father's Day gift or a gift for a grandparent or special friend!
Read MoreFor some fun do-together Christmas candy craft ideas, pick up the December issue of Parents Magazine. I crafted and wrote the story "A Candy Christmas". Above are starlight mint garlands, shot in my studio while I was developing the story. They're super easy to make. Click here for the how-to on the Parents website.
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©2015 Jodi Levine. All photographs by Amy Gropp Forbes unless otherwise noted.
