Gift Ideas for Him, Her & Kids Archives

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!

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!!!

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 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…

November 26, 2020March 20, 2024

How to Sew: The Ultimate Handmade Relaxing Neck Pillow

Just the other week I shared with you a list of great gift ideas for book lovers, when you want to avoid giving them yet another book. (Didn’t catch it? Read the list here.)

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There was one suggestion in there in particular that I know caught a lot of attention: that funky-looking neck support pillow. Remember? The one that was shaped a little like a dog’s bone?!?

They are so practical AND cute. You can use it as

> a neck rest (lean back and relax!)

> a book stand

> or just a comfy pillow to snuggle up with.

“What else is so good about a neck support pillow?” I hear you asking. Well, they’re ideal for a personalised, unique gift for any occasion (Hello, Christmas gift! Hello, birthday present!) for friends and family of all ages. And who doesn’t like comfort when reading?!?

What’s also super cool about these relaxing reading pillows is that they are SO easy to sew! Yes, even for beginners! (Trust me 😉)

And I’m here to share the details with you, how YOU too can DIY one of these super comfy, relaxing neck support pillows!

November 12, 2020January 18, 2023

Guide to the Greatest Gifts Book Lovers will Adore!

I love my kids. I love how they constantly have an abundance of creative ideas! And I love how they are always asking about Everything’s Famtastic and offering me ideas of what I could write about here. This post is the result of exactly this type of enthusiasm and brain-storming. Well, sort of… in a roundabout way… 😉

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All 3 of my kids are MASSIVE bookworms. My 2 daughters have been so for a loooong time. And my son, who just started school this year and always had an affinity for books, can now proudly read for himself. Suffice to say, that this bilingual household is overflowing with German and English children’s books!

A while back my eldest daughter wrote a (now very popular!) post about super books series for girls aged 9-12. And then my younger daughter published her list of must-read book series for girls 6 – 9 years. So naturally, they keep prodding me to write even more blog posts here about kids’ books.

But this article isn’t about books per se, rather about creative gifts for the book lover in your life. These gift ideas are perfect for bookworms of any age, especially if you are trying to avoid adding to the already sagging bookshelf!

So, what present do you give a book lover, if not books?!? Well, in this list we have thought of all the things an avid reader needs to stay comfortable, undisturbed and busy in their reading “happy place”! There’s also printables to keep an eye out for.

Be careful though! These gift ideas are SO GOOD that your bookworm may get so settled, you might never see them again! Take a look for yourself…

April 2, 2020June 26, 2021

11 Simple Steps to Sewing Your Own Easter Egg Basket

With Easter just around the corner and a lot of people having some unexpected time on their hands at the moment, what better way to cheer up your mood and your living space than with a couple of super sewing projects?!?

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This week I was lucky enough to be invited to create an easy, (child-friendly) sewing project as a guest post on the Skelly Hodgepodge blog. You can check out my “Easiest Easter Bunny Sewing Project” HERE. I bet you and your kids will have as much fun sewing these as we did! You know what happens when you start off with just a pair of bunnies, don’t you? Pretty soon there are more popping up everywhere 😉. Kind of like the felt bunnies around our place!

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The project that I will be sharing with you in this post though, is something I promised a couple of weeks back: an Egg Basket with space for 5 eggs!

Did you see my tutorial How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket already? That version had space for 4 boiled eggs to snuggle in all nicely together. This updated version has place for 5 eggs!! Which comes in handy for those of us with larger households. 😉

Don’t just think of this as an Egg Warmer. It’s also the perfect sewing project for Easter. You can hide some coloured eggs inside and use it as a simple table centrepiece. Or for the chocolate fans fill it with Easter Eggs and you’ve got yourself a sweet Easter gift! Mmm, chocolate…

All my detailed instructions and photos are ready to guide you through this easy sewing project. Read on to find out how!

March 12, 2020October 6, 2021

Tutorial: How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket

Around here lately it’s been all about the sewing. Karneval costumes! Shirts for my own and other children! Dresses for my girls!

Somehow in the background, the house stays (somewhat 🙈) organised, the kids get wherever they need to be (on time, no less!) and everyone is clean, fed and happy. What more could you ask for? Well, apart from a 2 week holiday in Tahiti perhaps…

Wait, what?!? Oh! A new sewing project, you say? Well, have I got something egg-citing for you 😉.

Q: What happens when you make an egg laugh?

A: It cracks up!

Easter is coming up and for some reason, this project always makes me think of Easter. Even though it’s really meant for chicken eggs, not the chocolate kind. Note: chocolate eggs also fit snugly into this sewing project 😉.

Q: Why does the Easter bunny paint the eggs?

A: It’s too hard to wallpaper them!

In this week’s post I am going to walk you through an egg-cellent, easy, quick sewing project: How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket. Not only is it easy, it’s also fast. Perfect for when you really really want to sew something but know you haven’t got much time!

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If the last 2 posts of me interviewing fellow bloggers about their early days of sewing (you can read them here and here ) haven’t stoked that creative fire in your belly, see whether this egg warmer tutorial gets you warmed up 😉.

Are you ready to discover how it’s done?

February 6, 2020April 16, 2024

Brilliant Book Series Girls 6 to 9 Years Old will Love

Wait! What?!? Are we in February already? Whoa! I have been working countless hours behind the scenes here on Everything’s Famtastic, studying and planning and preparing great content to serve you better. And I was starting to think that February might have been a little sewing-biased. And that would have been OK. But no! Not anymore!

My younger daughter decided that enough was enough. She was waiting no longer to have her turn in the spotlight like her bigger sister before her. So for this week, sewing chit chat is off the table, and children’s book reviews are the thing everyone is talking about.

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If you remember, a few weeks back my eldest daughter (Miss 11) wanted to create a post reviewing her personally chosen and recommended book series for girls aged 9 to 12 years old. I was responsible for the general blurb, she wrote the review entirely independently. I’ve gotta say, I was REALLY proud of her and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback for her reviews 😊. *pat on the back Miss 11*

Not only our eldest daughter, but also our younger daughter and son are all complete and utter bookworms. Hand them a half-interesting book and it may well be finished within hours. Naturally Miss 8 (and Master 6, to be honest) also want to share their opinions of the best books to read. And by share, I mean, write a review here on this very blog. Who said the fam in FAMtastic didn’t stand for family?!?

So, without further ado, come and take a look at Miss 8’s recommended, best book series for 6 to 9 year old girls! I’m really excited that she wants to get on board with my blog! Read on…