Inspired by ahhh-design I had begun to design my own filofax inserts for next year - something that matched what I wanted and looked a little more 'me' than the impersonal business-y ones. I quickly realised that this close to Christmas (and with a bank account as empty as mine!) that I should be focusing my crafting energy on making gifts instead! I decided to make notebooks instead of planner inserts - I had lots of nice paper around the house and had recently come across very clear instructions for making bound notebooks.
They're A6 size with monthly calendars on the first dozen pages - the rest of the notebook is a mix of blank paper and lined paper with quotes and stamps on the pages. The covers are thick handmade paper with flowers/leaves mixed in - I don't remember when I got this paper but it's lovely.
Printing out pages.
All sewn up! (I made five.)
Finally finished. (There was several days of glue drying in between.)
The boyfriend and I really are skint at the moment (last year of uni = half the student loans of previous years) so we made a lot of other gifts at home too. Plastic spoon + melted Dairy Milk = chocolate spoons! We wrapped them up in cellophane and put them in a cheap mug with a funsize bag of Maltesers and a few sachets of hot chocolate (or Starbucks Via for the coffee drinkers). Ta-da, one cheap but fun gift set.
I also dug out my bead box and made bracelets, earrings and a keyring for various relatives.
I also made a necklace for my aunt from a real peacock feather I picked up a while ago.
I got a candlemaking set years ago and never used it before so we made a couple of candles. To make them a little more gift-y we tied on Christmas charms.
Leftover scraps of card + holepunch + hemp string = gift tags!
….these are a few of my favourite things!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Oh My!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so talented. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bound notebooks. I know I would have been thrilled to see one of those under my tree on Christmas Day.
I am impressed by your creativity.... candles, jewellery, notebooks...... you could open a store! But anyways have a lovely time at your parents' and I hope you get some nice gifts in return as well :-)
Thanks CP that's a really nice thing to say :) I am having a great time thanks, just chilling with the family, it's nice to have a bit of a break from studying!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could make things like this, especially the notebooks. I'm not very crafty, nor do I have the patience (or time, it seems) to start a craft. I learned the very basics of knitting (I only make scarves and blankets) but it seems I have so many projects started and not enough time to work on any of them. I've been working on a blanket for my niece for the past two years. She just turned six. Maybe by the time she's 19 I'll have it finished.
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
Aw thanks kanalt! I've actually realised that if I have to stop a project and put it away, it will never be finished. I only manage to complete things that can be done in a day or two (and it has to be a day or two where I don't have anything else to do).
ReplyDeleteThe basics of knitting is further than I ever managed... just cannot coordinate myself at all.
I love your bound notebooks! How long does it take to make something like that?
ReplyDelete