Handmade Housewarming, Hostess, and Wedding Gifts
I knew this day would come, I just didn’t necessarily expect it so soon…everyone is getting married! You reach a certain point in your life and it seems like everyone is taking the plunge and tying the knot. Of course, as a crafter and as a fledgling photographer I could not be more excited and I immediately began to plot my crafting timeline for the summer.
Although three weddings may not seem like a lot to some, there are also some housewarmings, and other various summer shindigs to go to this summer. I like to have a gift for all occasions because, quite frankly, I like giving gifts. I love making them, purchasing them, and naturally the look on someones face when you get them just the right thing. This season I will need three wedding gifts, two housewarming gifts, a couple of birthday presents, and I always like to keep a few little hostess gifts on hand.
One of my new favorite projects that are quick, easy, and effective, are the organic cotton washclothes I found on the purlbee. They are strong and soft and can stand up to the machine washing and drying needed. I think this is a simple project (easy to do while having coffee with someone or watching a movie) but I think it is an effective one. While the purlbee suggests these washclothes as a wedding gift, I think I will use them as a housewarming. It works either way!
The project I am currently enamored with as a wedding present is a little something of my own design: A French Press Cozy and Tempered Glass Cozies. I am a great lover of coffee in all forms, morning, noon, and night. So I think a French press makes a great gift. Paired with these cute tempered glasses and perhaps some yummy organic coffee would be perfect! More on this project here.
I try to have a hostess gift on hand for any shindig I attend. While time sometimes makes this difficult it is a good idea to have a few on hand. Although a lot of people have the knitting skills to master the knitted dishcloth it still makes a great, and practical, gift. People are always appreciative and the clothes are simple to make. The yarn need not be too expensive and the time and concentration factors are minimal. A great thing to have on hand is a small stock pile so you can just tie them together with some lovely ribbon and a thank-you note. Remember: it’s really the thought that counts so it’s nice to get people something they can really use.
The other great little project is a little lavender satchet. Any yarn will do, simply knit 2 squares approximately 3-4 inches (the number of stitches and the size of needles will depend on your yarn) and then use a single crochet to attach them. Before you seam up the last little bit fill the satchet with lavender. There are many variations on the project with many different scented fillers and many different fibres. It is also a great project for that extra little scrap of yarn. The two sides of the satchet don’t even have to be the same!
French Press and Tempered Glass Cozies
This project was one that I simply couldn’t pass up. All of my unfinished projects were once again put on hold when this great idea (if I do say so myself) popped into my head: a French Press Cozy. I love the idea of a kind of retro-70′s cozy to keep my french press coffee hot hot hot. My parents are both hot coffee fanatics. I have never served a beverage that was too hot for them. I thought that some cool tempered glass cozies would be great to go with it.
I originally came up with the idea for these glass cozies when my brother moved out on his own (just to Mom and Dad’s suite above the garage but still on his own). His colors were black and white with punches of green. I found some electric green yarn that I thought would be perfect to accent his place and I designed these glass cozies. This way his glasses were multi-functional because he could drink hot or cold beverages from the same glasses.
I wanted my own french press cozy and glasses to look funky and retro so I went with a sort of mottled blue/brown/white for the french press and a nice blueberry color for the cozies. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to use a couple of skeins of the luscious Koigu. The colors are unbeatable and the variety is also amazing. I am a big fan of things that are the same yet different so each cozy has a slightly different pattern but they are all the same size. The different patters are also helpful for guests to remember which glass is theirs, similar to a wine charm.
The yarn is held double throughout so it is also possible to use one strand of variegated and one strand of solid together or 2 strands of variegated or 2 strands of solid. I like that even the solid Koigu is not one flat color but is slightly variegated as well. I used the same technique of combining strands in my Earth to Ocean blanket and I just can’t get enough! These funky moose buttons added a little retro charm, I got them from (where else?) Button Button!
To make the glass cozies I used 2 sets of double pointed needles to get the tapering effect. I started with a set of US 7′s and then switched half way to a set of US 5′s. This way there is no need to increase or decrease your stitches, you simply carry on with the pattern and change your needles size to get a smaller diameter. This gets the cozies really snug on the glass. With wedding season fast approaching I figured this would also be a perfect gift. Something personal yet not too complicated and definitely original.
To purchase this pattern for $5 (CAD) click here. Patterns are send via email as a PDF document.
