handmade gifts- day 1

Before I start, I should mention that one of my big goals this holiday season is to be able to relax and enjoy my family as much as possible. A good deal of my gift giving will be things that I buy online and have shipped to me (REI and Amazon, I love you!).  Far off family members will get photobooks of the grandkids. But I did find myself wanting to make a few small things for friends and family members to help keep expenses down and give gifts a more personal touch. Everything I've made has so far has come from supplies I already had, and sewn up during an hour here and there.

So first up... lavender sachets!

I purchased my lavender a couple of months ago from Jen's Enchanted Garden on etsy. When the package arrived, the lavender scent was so strong I could smell it before I opened the mailbox! FYI, one pound of lavender buds totally stuffs a gallon-size ziploc bag.

How To:

The construction of these is pretty basic. Cut 4.25" squares from linen and sets of 3 coordinating prints. Sew one square of linen and one print right sides together with a  3/8" seam allowance and tiny stitch length, leaving a 1.5" hole on one side for putting in the lavender. Clip the corners, iron, turn it right side out, and iron again. Insert a funnel and pour in enough lavender to fill up the sachet. (I made a cone out of taped cardstock for pouring in the lavender-- the only funnel I had that was small enough kept getting clogged up.) Then ladder stitch the openings closed. Wah lah!

When I purchased my lavender, it cost me $12.50 plus $5.00 shipping (it's a bit higher now but still very reasonable). I've used less than half of that for 6 sets of sachets. The fabric was from my stash. I've figured the cost of this project to be less than $2 for a set of three sachets. And they come together very fast. Can't beat that!

Next up... Echino scarves! Check back tomorrow!