Last year, I had already written an article about end-of-year gifts to make for the teacher and you really liked that article. I thought I would repeat it and offer you other sewing tutorials to sew great gifts.
I won't revisit the debate about mandatory gifts or not (everyone does what they want) but let's focus instead on small sewing projects accessible for beginner moms and dads that can be done in collaboration with your children!
Most projects are gender-neutral, you just need to choose the fabrics based on the tastes of the person you will give it to.
Last year the tutorials were more focused on the teaching profession, this year I thought that the teacher might have other desires after this post-Covid teaching year, especially for holidays and fun activities!
Let's go, here comes the best-of!
The book cover
It's very handy for carrying your novel everywhere without damaging it but this book cover can also be used to protect a planner, class journal, or even a bullet journal...
It's very simple to make and customize. Think about heat transfer vinyl, embroidery, fabric markers to make your creation unique!
In the apprentice tailor’s basket
- fabric: for beginners choose a cotton poplin and for the more experienced why not in denim, in coated fabric for the beach...
Choose two fabrics for the outside and inside of the printed, you can also choose a third fabric to make printed. - fusible interfacing like vlieseline S320
- some matching thread
- a small ribbon
- an elastic band
I'll leave you with Vanessa Salaun for the tutorial!
The mobile phone stand
The mobile phone / GSM has become an essential part of our daily lives. This stand will allow you to place the phone for example to do video conferencing, record a sequence while keeping the phone upright and secure.
In the apprentice tailor’s basket
- main fabric cotton 34x22cm long
- some matching thread
- stuffing wadding
I'll leave you with Valma's tutorial!
The cutlery holder
For the cafeteria or for going on a picnic at the beach or countryside, this cutlery holder will be very useful to carry your essentials everywhere.
This little sewing project is super easy to make and will be a great gift to make with a child!
In the apprentice tailor’s basket
- fabric in poplin or coated: 2 pieces of 28cmX26cm, one for the outside and one for the inside, and two pieces of 18cmX28cm
Note: if you use coated fabric, a Teflon foot will make sewing easier. - some matching thread
- matching ribbon or bias tape to create the closure ties
- some fleece
I'll leave you with Valma's tutorial!
Note: for making the cutlery compartments, I recommend marking the line with chalk before pinning. It will be easier to sew straight.
The lunch bag
Naturally, after talking about the cutlery holder, a small lunch bag was needed to go with it. I chose to tell you about the simple version of the lunch bag created by Lucatine. There are many tutorials and shapes of lunch bags with coated fabrics or thermal canvases that are also more complicated to sew with a child or for beginners. So, we are talking about this simple version accessible to beginners.
You can play with the shape of the flap, but be careful to keep a shape that is easy to sew.
In the apprentice tailor’s basket
- two coupons of poplin: 2 pieces of 30X60cm and 2 other pieces of 11X18cm
- matching thread
- fusible wadding like the H630 (a piece of 30X58cm and a piece of 11X18cm)
- velcro
- two sets of resin snaps or three sets of snaps if you don’t have velcro or don’t want to sew it on.
I’ll leave you with Lucatine’s tutorial
The little wallet
To do small errands, grab a drink from the school vending machine, the teacher will definitely need a nice little wallet.
In the apprentice tailor’s basket
- some cotton poplin fabric: 2 pieces of 12X24cm, three pieces of 4X24cm that will serve as decoration for the sides of the wallet
- some matching thread
- some quilted fusible interfacing 12X24cm
- a resin snap
I’ll leave you with Lucatine’s tutorial
A creative workshop
If the teacher is an artist at heart, why not pool together with other parents to give them a creative workshop? I was thinking of a sewing, ceramics, mosaic, painting workshop... a fun activity to relax after this year of work.
We organize sewing, embroidery, and leather workshops in our Brussels studio. I was especially thinking of the creative workshop "Make your own leather belt" because no prerequisites are needed to make this lovely belt with Kristina’s kind guidance! Plus, you can customize your belt by choosing its leather color: black, brown, burgundy, or camel... The price for this 3-hour workshop: €95 and you leave directly with your finished belt !
All our workshops take place at 357 Avenue de la Couronne in Ixelles (Brussels) Have a great day, Eugénie
Here’s hoping these little tutorials will give you gift ideas for the teacher, but also why not for Father’s Day, birthdays...
Get your needles ready!
