Gifts & Household Archives - Everything's Famtastic

April 25, 2024April 26, 2024

Sew Wonderful: 13 Perfect Gifts Sewing Enthusiasts will Love

If you’re here, chances are you’ve got a soft spot for the hum of a sewing machine or perhaps you’re on a mission to find that just-right gift idea for the sewing lover in your life, no matter if they’ve been sewing for years or just beginning their stitching journey.

Well, either way, you’ve come to the right place! In this corner of the internet, I’m all about celebrating the magic of sewing and as a bonus, finding gifts that spark joy and ignite creativity.

You’ve heard the cliche, right? If there’s one thing all sewing enthusiasts enjoy, it’s shopping for fabric. (Well, it is true… 😅) But do you know what else sewing lovers treasure?

Being gifted fun accessories and practical tools to help them enjoy their sewing passion with even more excitement, joy and enthusiasm! 😍

So, whether you’re here to uncover new treasures to add to your own sewing arsenal or to surprise a fellow stitcher with something truly special, get ready to explore a handpicked selection of gift ideas that are as practical as they are delightful!

Dive in and discover the perfect gift for every sewing enthusiast in your life!

August 17, 2023April 3, 2024

Clever & creative ideas to easily reuse your old towels

As a busy mother of 3 kids, there are times when I look around our family home and am shocked by the amount of stuff we have. Piles and piles of books, clothes splayed out on the kids’ bedroom floors, overflowing, disorganised cupboards… urgh.

That’s when I get all ranty and demand we start clearing out and organising some of our possessions.

But when I say “clearing out” I don’t mean throwing out. To our family, it means finding new life or new homes for our unwanted things.

As someone who loves sewing, I tend to squirrel away bits and pieces of unwanted textiles during our “clearing out” phases that I can upcycle sometime, somehow. (That’s one of the advantages of being able to sew, right?)

So, while “clearing out” recently I discovered that my collection of rescued old ratty towels was larger than I remembered it being 🙈. I decided I needed to find myself some DIY projects to make a couple of useful things out of them.

Which lead to me scouring the internet for ideas for myself. And then of course I had to share some of my favourite finds with you here!

And since I am all about simple sewing projects that are low-stress and no fuss, I’m know you’ll find something perfect for you and your old towels, no matter how advanced (or not) your sewing skills are!

Take a look for yourself and give your old towels a new lease on life with these fun upcycling sewing projects!

August 3, 2023August 18, 2023

Upcycling sewing project: How to turn your old towels into drawstring bags!

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself at the sewing machine when my kids need something. Sure, of course I enjoy sewing simply for the fun of it or because I discovered some amazing fabric I couldn’t bear to leave behind at the fabric store and I wanted something just for ME.

But there are frequent times when necessity really is the push behind creating a sewing pattern.

Like recently, when my kids were packing to go away camping and we realised that they each needed a bag to stuff in their plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery and tea towels. Something that could get banged around and dirty, but keep the contents inside clean, could fit in a suitcase with all their other gear, and still be suitable to go through the washing machine at the end of their outdoor adventure.

And that is where my idea for sewing drawstring bags came from.

I had been saving a stack of old, thinning, fraying bathroom towels for a handy upcycling project and a drawstring bag was perfect!

This sewing project will only take you about ½ an hour requires nothing but sewing straight lines! Which makes it perfect for all levels of sewing fans, even nervous newbies!

(If you’re on the lookout for more simple sewing fun, take a look at my other straight lines sewing projects .

Ready to put your old towels to good use too? Environmentally-friendly AND easy? Yes please! I have got the perfect, easy-to-follow sewing tutorial for you!

November 17, 2022November 18, 2022

Simple Christmas Sewing Projects to Brighten Your Home this Holiday Season

Nothing says “sewing fan’s favourite time of year for new sewing projects” quite like Christmas!

Although sewing is a year-round ~~hobby~~ passion, Christmas brings out our desire to make handmade gifts for loved ones and to decorate our homes with fantastic fabric creations.

The possibilities to add colour to your home with personalised, handmade decor are endless. Just type “Christmas sewing patterns” into Google to see what I mean.

After a while of searching for sewing projects, they all start to blend into each other. And often you see the exact same projects over and over again.

To help save you from ~~blowing your mind~~ 😅 too much stress trying to find some great new sewing patterns to try this Christmas, I have put together a list of 10 really fun Christmas decorations to sew.

And in case you think all I’ve collected here is 10 different types of Christmas cushion covers, think again! 😉

Whether you’re a complete beginner or have loads of sewing experience, have loads of fabric scraps lying around or are dreaming of a festive fabrics shopping spree, there is sure to be some great new Christmas sewing projects in here for you to discover.

The hardest part here is deciding which one to make first!!!

June 16, 2022August 18, 2023

7 Super Sewing Ideas to Make with Old Jeans

I read a quote about denim jeans once. It went something like “Jeans are like French fries. You can’t just have one”.

But have you got some old jeans around the house? And you like ~~French fries~~ sewing too? Then you are in EXACTLY the right place my friend!

Because in this post I am going to share a bunch of super sewing projects you can make with denim!

Best of course, is recycling those old jeans and upcycling them into something new and cool vs going out and purchasing yards of new denim fabric. 😉

Some of the best sewing advice I was given a few years back was to never, ever throw out any old jeans.

So now, thanks to that piece of wisdom, I have a sack of old jeans laying around in our roof waiting to be reused somehow.

Which is what inspired me to go searching for sewing projects using old denim and to share what I found with you!

In this post you’ll find 7 really cool ideas of what you can use that old denim to make. I’ve found a fun mix of projects, ranging from home décor to clothes to cute accessories. And all of them have loads of photos and easy to follow instructions to make your sewing time as productive as possible!

Get comfy and let yourself be inspired with these eco-friendly denim projects now!

April 22, 2022April 16, 2024

Sewing for Mother’s Day: 7 Easy DIY Gifts She’ll Love!

For dozens and dozens of countries around the world, Mother’s Day will be celebrated in a couple of weeks. The big question is: Are your gifts ready yet?

As an adult, you don’t get to rely on the Mother’s Day stall at school like you did when you were a kid. You actually have to organise something all by yourself!

Even when it’s not from the school stall, handmade gifts are always a lovely, personal thing to receive.

How do I know? Because I am a mum too!

I’ve done some research and put together a round-up of 7 simple, yet beautiful, fabric gifts for you to sew this Mother’s Day. I’d be delighted if I received any of these gorgeous gifts!

Many of them are perfect for sewing beginners. Some are a great way to use up your leftover fabric stash. And there’s even a bonus no-sew fabric project in here too 😉.

Get your sewing machine ready to go!

March 24, 2022April 30, 2024

How to Make a Useful Fabric Box in ANY Size You Need!

Spring is finally in the air! Thank goodness! There is something about a sunny day that makes my heart sing after a grey, damp and loooooong German winter. The sun and warmth sure do improve my mood and energy levels. BIG time! You too?

So, with that extra energy, you know what it is that we all tend to do each year? Spring cleaning! Get organised. Recycle what can be recycled. Throw away the accumulated crap. Tidy up.

What if you could do these things with one little sewing project?

One simple sewing project that can help you keep things organised, tidy (and cute!) is to create fabric baskets!

I published a sewing tutorial a while back, which walks you through how to make a square fabric basket step-by-step.

But what if that size fabric basket doesn’t suit you? What if you want to make a larger (or smaller) one?

I’ve seen other tutorials sharing how to make these fabric baskets in 2 different sizes. Or maybe even three.

What if I told you, that with the help of pen and paper (or maybe a calculator 😅) and this sewing tutorial here, I can show you exactly how you can make ANY size fabric storage cube you want! Then you will never be stuck for organising and tidying solutions to fit YOUR home.

Ready to get creative?

March 10, 2022April 23, 2024

Awesome Book Series for Girls aged 9 to 12: What to read now?

In honour of World Book Day, I thought it was about time to let my younger daughter publish another list of her must-read book series for girls. A couple of years back, she put together a list of recommended reads for girls aged 6 to 9 but now that she is almost 11, it’s time for my little bookworm to update her reading recommendations for older girls like herself.

I’ve talked about this before, but my 3 children are ADDICTED to reading.

Like, when we go to the library, they borrow so many books they each take a sports bag with them to lug the latest literature home with them. And then the bags are so heavy the kids actually can’t carry them by themselves anyway.

Or like when we are in a Doctor’s waiting room and there is nothing to do but pick up scrappy old comic magazines or books for toddlers, my kids will read those too.

My kids love reading so much that my eldest daughter a while back also wrote a list of her own recommended book series for tween girls and my 8-year-old son also put together a list of his top book series picks for boys aged 6 to 9 .

To discover what some must-read books for girls aged 9 to 12 are, you’ll need to READ on…

February 10, 2022February 8, 2022

Simple Valentine’s Day Sewing Projects Using Your Fabric Scraps Stash

A little reminder: Valentine’s Day is coming on February 14^th. This many send some of your scurrying to the store to buy some cute home decor and lovely gifts for that special someone.

But have you ever thought about making your own gifts or decorations for Valentine’s Day?

If you have a sewing machine and a pile of fabrics stashed away, there are SO many gorgeous (and easy!) craft ideas out there to do this February.

Giving a personalised, handmade gift is precious and really shows the LOVE and thought behind your Valentine’s present.

Because these crafts are made from fabric, it means they will get lots of use and not just end up on the rubbish pile anytime soon.

I have put together a list of 5 simple and cute Valentine’s Day fabric projects to sew right now.

And they’re perfect for sewing fans of all skill levels, from absolute beginners to those with years of experience and want to have some fun this Valentine’s.

Time to go dig through that fabric stash…

January 28, 2021September 25, 2021

Cheap & Easy Awesome Activities to Stop Kids Saying They’re Bored

I’ve been hearing from a lot of fellow mums lately, about how hard it is to keep their kids busy and entertained these days. I hear you. (I am one of them trust me! 😉)

For a million reasons not limited to: the kids being at home more, household budgets getting tighter, chaotic work schedules, fewer activities outside of the home being an option, even lousy weather, parents just like you are struggling to come up with new ideas to keep their kids occupied and happy.

Last year I published a great post with tons of fun ideas (Psst! That are not TV!) to keep your children occupied when school’s closed .

In the list you’ll find a range of things for kids to do when they’re bored. There are indoor activities and outdoor activities, sporty activities and quiet ones, as well as social and independent activities for kids of all ages.

No matter whether you have toddlers, tweens or teens in the house not only will the ideas on that list stop your children from saying “Mum I’m bored!”, they are all budget-friendly! Fun and cheap ideas for kids?!? Yes please!!

Because I keep hearing people ask for help on how to keep the kids entertained when they’re stuck at home, I thought it was time for a fresh update of my kid- (and mum-) friendly ideas. But this time I am not the only one here with the suggestions.

I have called on a group of fantastic fellow mums to share their top tips for clever ideas to keep kids busy. I’m really excited to have them all on board, because as we mamas all know, what works for one family isn’t guaranteed to work for the next.

Have fun reading the dozens of ideas in this post and pick and choose as you please, the best boredom-busting activities for your kids.