Homemade Little/Big Gifts

[texas*princess]

I wanted a little something unique for my diamond back in my collegiate days.

I made her a cross-stitched bookmark that took FOREVER to to make. It was one of those bookmarks from the craft store that had white lace around the cross-stitch fabric and an azure blue ribbon on the bottom.

The top of the bookmark had an azure blue diamond with a woodland violet in the center, then going down the bookmark I cross-stitched the greek letters Alpha, Delta & Pi in azure blue with two smaller white diamonds on each side of each greek letter, and a lion on the bottom. Then I filled in the background with a midnight blue color.

It came out really pretty and besides the fact that it took awhile to finish, it was cute

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by tld221

so in making this no-sew blanket - how much is considered "cheap" when buying fabric? i went to a fabric store yesterday and found some royal blue fleece (though it had a more terry cloth feel, so its heavier) for $2.99/yd.

now i need to find some pretty gold/yellow/goldenrod fabric, but since its going into spring, i doubt ill be able to find fleece or any winter-y type fabric. suggestions on some alternates?

did you cut a square from each corner? my mom had me do a few of these blankets for her Godson for Christmas one year. One side was Red and the other was Spiderman. I remember cutting a square from each corner and then 1" wide strips on each side. Then you tie the red fleece strip to the spider man fleece strip(or whatever fleece you use).

It looks like you didn't cut the squares from the corner.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by SigmaPezY60

did you cut a square from each corner? my mom had me do a few of these blankets for her Godson for Christmas one year. One side was Red and the other was Spiderman. I remember cutting a square from each corner and then 1" wide strips on each side. Then you tie the red fleece strip to the spider man fleece strip(or whatever fleece you use).

It looks like you didn't cut the squares from the corner.

i did cut the squares actually - i cut the fabric 1 yd by 1 yd, and the squares were 5". the strips were 2" wide.

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by wanderersarah

I am all about making cheap gifts, I just got my second little and I'm a little cash strapped so I've been making a lot of cute little things for her.

Since I'm in a local, I can't really buy many ready made products, but I can definitely steal ideas from overpriced greek shops.

I figured out how to make some nifty magnets, like the ones here:

http://www.greekgear.com/soma6.html

You can buy everything you need at Wal-Mart.

Materials:
Clear, flat backed marbles (found in the floral section, $1)
Magnets w/ adhesive backing (found with in crafts, $1-2)
Craft Glue ($1)
Color Print out of letters/flower/mascot

Directions:

1) Create a sheet of letters/flower/mascot to print out.
You can go to microsoft.com and find clip art for this.
I've also found that buddy icons are just about the right size for this, so you could also check out: http://www.geocities.com/sororitybuddyicons/ for pictures to use.

2) Cut out the paper to fit the back of the marble.

3) Spread glue on the back of the marble, affix the picture, let dry.

4) Affix the magnet

It's pretty simple all in all.

Here is a picture of the first batch that I made up, the picture quality is poor, but you'll get the idea:

http://www.geocities.com/wanderer511/magnet3.jpg

When I saw that post I was so excited to try it out. At AC Moore I found a 3/4lb bag of the marbles for $1.27 and "Flexible magnet discs" 1/2" diameter by NicoleCrafts with sticky backing..the perfect size for the marble for $.99 for the sheet of 12.

If you put the buddy icons into word, you'll have to make them just a little smaller. And don't worry about the text looking tiny on the paper, the marble magnifies it.

For me it was easier to cut the paper after I glued the marble to the paper.

[UofISigKap]

Originally Posted by SigmaPezY60

I love this project and have done it for gifts for my friends who are SKs and for the cheer squad I coached this past year. They look so neat, and people are impressed, but it's such a no headache project. Love it!

[aephi alum]

When my local first became an AEPhi colony, I cross stitched an AEPhi design.

Here it is:



I made two: one for my big and one for myself. I meant to stitch one for my little, but life got in the way.

Someone wayyyyyy upthread mentioned craftster.org I recently discovered the site - and as a crafty person, I was soon addicted.

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

When my local first became an AEPhi colony, I cross stitched an AEPhi design.

That's beautiful! I imagine that's the sort of thing that was done in the beginnings of sororities. That will probably be something your sisters cherish most of their lives.

[Eirbear]

Originally Posted by tld221

the only thing is that maybe i'm tying the knots too tight, because now it doesnt lay flat - its all concave and what not (like a fitted sheet for a mattress). how to fix?

I learned this trick from my cousin's fiance...pull the blanket along the edges, all the way around. There WILL be a small ripping sound, but it's okay. When you pull the blanket, the cuts you made make themselves equal length. This should make the blanket lay flatter.

I hope that helps!

[acbaby009]

My big gave me a picture frame, a wooden letter in my favorite colors, my family tree (in my favorite colors haha), a knot blanket with our letters on one side, a box-ish thing that i can put my books in and it has our soror name spelled out on it in big massive 3-d letters, an adorable pin box-painted and I put a pic. of us in it, and (my favorite) a photo album that is in the letters of our soror- it is so freaking adorable and has pictures from my pledge-ship

I hope this might give some people ideas... I canNOT wait to craft for a little!!!