Ready or not – Christmas is coming! The holidays are such a special time for crafters because it lets us share our creative gifts with friends, family and those in need. There is no better time of year to warm the hearts of your near and dear with a homemade gift (that just happens to show off your crafty abilities).
Shorter days and holiday activities can make it feel like there isn’t time to make handmade gifts (it’s already December!). While tackling a brand new quilt may be daunting, there are many festive projects that can be created quickly and bring cheer to those who receive them. And in a year like 2020, when social distancing means breaking time-honored traditions for the safety of our friends and loved ones, there is no better gift than something made from the heart and by your own hands.
What is more classic than a Christmas Stocking hung by the chimney with care? This holiday gift has an extra bonus – it’s already gift wrapped! Stitch up a quick and easy Quilted Christmas Stocking using 2.5 inch strips of precut fabric, and then fill them with all kinds of handy quilting notions, Missouri Star Gift Cards and sewing thread for a merry gift to the maker in your life! Even if sewing isn’t your recipient’s passion, that beautiful, handmade holiday stocking will become a part of their traditions every year.
For this quick and easy project, pick a festive fabric (we like Winter’s Grandeur 8 Holiday Metallic Roll Up by Liza Bea Studio for Robert Kaufman). These red, green and gold 2.5″ strips of quilting fabric sparkle with poinsettias, snowflakes, cardinals and plaid, adding charm to each square of your stocking. Cuff the top in a lovely plaid for a magical winter wonder.
Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >
A lot of the Christmas season takes place in the kitchen with holiday baking, festive family dinners and plenty of hot cocoa! The incredibly simple One Yard Apron is the perfect gift for the hostess in your life. It’s such a fast, easy project, you can use it to teach the kiddos in your life the joy of handmade gifts – with only one yard of your favorite fabric!
If you want to follow Misty’s lead, use Cozy Critters – Buffalo Check Red Yardage by M.J. Merrill for Wilmington Prints. This black and red plaid check fabric ties in well for the holidays, but is perfect for any home chef year round! If your stash needs to be reduced, just use ANY yard of fabric you have on hand!
Watch the Missouri Star LIVE Replay >
Shop Fabric by the Yard Here >
This little Mug Rug is such an easy project, you’ll probably make a few for yourself along the way! Using a pack of 5″ squares of precut fabric, these cute table-savers keep your Christmas cocoa cozy. As a holiday bonus – this fast little gift is perfect for beginners!
When selecting your fabric, it’s not just about snowmen and snowflakes. Keep in mind the mug rug will serve as a protective layer for a hot drink, and also might soak up spilled drinks after enthusiastic cookie dunking! Avoid light fabrics that stain and try a thick flannel fabric such as a Woolies Flannel Holiday Warmth Charm Pack by Bonnie Sullivan for Maywood Studio. If you’re feeling ambitious, swap out the charm pack for a Layer Cake (10″ square of precut fabric) and create gorgeous table protectors for your holiday feast!
Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >
More so than all the other decorations, the Christmas tree is always the focal point of the holiday season – that’s where the presents go! Gifts get the perfect showcase when arranged on a quilted fabric Tree Skirt. This little quilt for your tree comes together simply with 5″ squares of precut quilting fabric.
The fabric is what makes this project shine! Of course you can design the exact skirt to suit your holiday style if you want to whip this up for yourself. If you’re making it for someone else, consider solids or batiks so it’s more likely to match their decorations. Season’s Splendor Batiks Stamps by Kathy Engle for Island Batik is a perfect combination of festive Christmas colors and classic motifs.
Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >
Give the gift of functionality this Christmas with the Easy Zipper Pouch, featuring the all new Missouri Star Fancy Zips! In this Missouri Star LIVE, Jenny and Misty teach us how to stitch up this extremely useful project that, with a little festive fabric from your stash, makes a thoughtful last minute gift idea. There are so many uses for this handy little bag. Add some vinyl to the interior for a cosmetics bag or add some batting for a notion holder!
You’ll need cut yardage no smaller than 14″ in length (the necessary length to add a Missouri Star Fancy Zip). For a festive holiday bag, select a beautiful cut of Christmas fabric by the yard. If you need a little extra help with this project, you can purchase a digital download of the Easy Zipper Pouch pattern so that you can start stitching immediately!
If it’s the night before Christmas and you’re still having doubts, keep it simple and crafty and gift card it out! If there’s a quilter on your list who has it all, give them the gift of choice with a Missouri Star gift card! Available in both physical gift cards (definitely consider a holiday gift card holder for big MSQC fans!) and digital gift cards (that can be emailed same day), this last minute gift idea will save Christmas when your crafting time has run out.
