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7 Quick Holiday Gifts (That Take Less Than 2 Yards of Fabric)

HollyAnne Knight

The holiday season is here, and so are endless opportunities to share special gifts with family, friends, teachers, coworkers, and others. Handmade gifts offer an extra touch of thoughtfulness while also providing an opportunity for some “quick wins” in the sewing room (and maybe even a bit of stash busting!). If you’re looking for the perfect “handmade but not a quilt” gift ideas, you’ll love this collection of project ideas!

Pie Carrier

Whether you’re headed to a family holiday party, the church potluck, or any other gathering, sometimes the trickiest thing about bringing food to share is knowing how to carry it! This easy and lovely pie/casserole carrier makes is easier to transport your dish and can even double as a host gift.

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 2-3 hours

  • Pair gift with: a pie! Or a plate of homemade cookies or brownies

Supplies needed:

Drawstring Bag

Drawstring bags are perfect for carrying small projects, a book, as a wristlet purse, or even as a gift bag. You can totally customize the size for your exact needs, too. Plus, they’re a fun way to practice some fundamental bag making skills on a beginner-friendly project.

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 2-3 hours

  • Pair gift with: Recipient’s favorite snacks or wine (tip: make the bag long and narrow to hold a bottle!)

Supplies needed:

  • 1 fat quarter (18 x 21 inches) for the exterior of the bag

  • 1 fat quarter for the lining and accents

  • 2 pieces of cotton rope, cord, or ribbon, 30” long each

  • OPTIONAL: medium weight fusible interfacing (approximately a fat quarter sized piece). OR use a heavier fabric like canvas for the exterior of the bag and omit interfacing.

Burrito Pillowcase

Pillow cases are a perfect way to show off novelty fabric, bust stash, make a quick gift, or store a quilt. When I first started quilting, a friend gave me a great tip: Every time you make a quilt, make a pillow case— it completes the set and creates an easy way to store and carry the quilt.

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 1-2 hours

  • Pair gift with: A favorite bed time story, new book, tea, or cocoa mix

Supplies needed:

  • 3/4 yard main fabric (pillow case body)

  • 1/4 yard secondary fabric (pillow case cuff)

  • 1/4 yard accent fabric (flange strip)

  • Coordinating thread

  • NOTE: to make two identical pillowcases, you need 1.5 yards main fabric, 1/2 yard secondary fabric, and 1/4 yard accent fabric

Scrunchie

Scrunchies are such a cute accessory— they look cute on your wrist or in your hair, they’re a great way to use fabric scraps, and they make great little gifts! They’re also a fun project that even the newest (or youngest) sewist can make, and nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a quick success!

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 30 minutes

  • Pair gift with: a new hairbrush or product, a bonnet, or pair of earrings

Supplies needed:

  • A strip of fabric (4.5 x 18”)

  • An 8” length of 1/4” elastic

  • 2 safety pins

  • Coordinating thread (I recommend Aurifil 50wt)

Panel Tote Bag

A large but not too large tote bag is a treasure for carrying picnic supplies, a craft project, or all the stuff kids seem to need for an outing. If you’ve been looking for a fun project that can give you a bit of bag making practice without being too complicated, you’re going to LOVE this. Pro tip: This makes a cute gift and could also hold a little zippy pouch filled with treasures such as earrings, lip gloss, and lotion for a friend or your favorite notions for a fellow quilter!

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 3 hours

  • Pair gift with: Cozy afternoon essentials (fuzzy socks, book, cocoa mix) or Beach day essentials (towel, book, sunglasses, a cute tumbler)

Supplies needed:

Zippy Bag

I love a good tote bag or backpack, but there’s nothing more annoying than losing my small things like keys, chapstick, and headphones down inside. An easy zippy bag is a great solution, plus making them is an opportunity to practice installing zippers and boxing corners. They could be filled with treasures such as earrings, lip gloss, and lotion for a friend or your favorite notions for a fellow quilter! Just think of all the ways you could turn them into travel toy bags, make up bags, teacher gifts, beard care kits, etc!

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 1-2 hours

  • Pair gift with: Fun self-care treats (nail polish, lip gloss, etc) or Road trip essentials (gum, chapstick, sunglasses, a favorite candy, a phone charger) or the tech lover’s essentials (chargers, USB box, headphones, HDMI adaptor, etc)

Supplies needed:

  • Quilted fabric, at least 20” x 10”

  • Lining fabric (a fat quarter will do)

  • A 9” zipper

  • Coordinating thread

Pet Bandana

Pet bandanas are such a cute and simple way to dress up your dog, cat, or other critter, and they’re an easy and beginner-friendly sewing project, too! It’s quick and easy to sew an over-the-collar pet bandana, so why not bust your stash and dress up your pet all at once?

Details:

  • Skill level: Beginner

  • Time Needed: 1 hour

  • Pair gift with: Doggo’s favorite treats or a new toy

Supplies needed:

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