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?

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Easy Sewing Tutorial: How to Make Your Own Reusable Produce Bags

With horror, I realised that it has been a couple of years since I promised to share the easy-peasy sewing pattern for making your own reusable produce bag.

I have shared plenty of other sewing projects since then though, right?!?

I mean, it’s not like environmental issues aren’t in the media every single day. And my own children regularly point out and pick apart our family’s purchasing and consuming habits. And I have written about simple ways to reduce plastic in your own household. And we do already own several of these net fruit and vegetable bags.

It’s just that I forgot to show you how YOU can make your own too! *hangs head in shame*

These lightweight, fabric bags are perfect for your next outing to the grocery store or farmers’ market to carry home all matter of vitamin-packed fruit and veggies.

They are a perfect sewing project for anyone- yes, even sewing newbies- and can be completed in such a short time. There are a few patterns out there in internet-land, but this one is seriously MEGA easy!

In this post I’ll not only walk you through how to sew these practical bags (in 2 variations and sizes, no less!) but also give you tips on which fabrics to use.

Let’s get started!

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

A little reminder: Valentine’s Day is coming on February 14th. 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…

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Sewing Tutorial: How to Make a Fabulous Dragon Costume

Today I’m sharing with you some really cool ideas and hacks to sew a dragon costume for your kids!

If you have looked around my Everything’s Famtastic blog you have surely seen that I do love a good sewing project. Especially the type where I have sewn something really cool by modifying an existing pattern which didn’t fit exactly what I needed.

I tell you, THAT is the beauty of being able to sew! Have an idea of what you want to create and being able to find a way to make it happen!

What you might also have noticed around this site is the variety of kids’ costumes I have sewn over the years for my own 3. In Germany here we celebrate Karneval early in the year and then there’s Halloween in October. Add in any dress-up wishes and that all ends up being a lot of costumes that I’ve had to deliver! Hulk, animals, spooky, funny costumes … I’ve covered quite a range!

So, do you want to see that super dragon costume and take a peek at some other kids’ costume ideas too? Read on…

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Make, Bake & Sew: 15 Fun & Easy Christmas Projects for Kids

Christmas is coming reeeeeeal soon and the Christmas spirit is in the air!

Well, at least it is in our house. And when I say “Christmas spirit” I mean, studying toy catalogues for ideas and excitedly writing out Christmas wish lists with dozens and dozens of ideas.

The kids are just SO EXCITED about Christmas being so near. Aside from hoping for a stack of Lego sets and a mountain of new books, there is also building excitement about buying the Christmas tree and how to decorate the house and what foods we can start making now and which ones we will be enjoying at Christmas time.

And all of this means it’s time to start digging out the colourful craft supplies and shopping for the groceries to bake delicious-looking Christmas recipes.

But Christmas can also be a stressful time, keeping up with the kids and ALL.THE.THINGS. that need to be organised.

Are YOU ready for getting creative with your kids? Or maybe not… Perhaps you’re not quite there yet and actually looking for some new inspiration. Or perhaps you don’t see yourself as creative and are actually dreading feeling obligated to “do Christmas stuff” with your kids.

Well, I can definitely help you with that right now!

This post contains loads of kid-friendly (and budget-friendly) Christmas activities to sew, bake and make this festive season, with an emphasis on less stress and more fun and happy faces. Sound good?

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13 DIY Halloween Costumes to Make Right Now and WOW Your Kids

As Halloween ticks ever closer, many of us are on the hunt for the perfect Halloween costume for our little ones. Ok, and for ourselves too, perhaps. And aren’t there just a million gazillion to choose from?!?

If you are anything like me, time gets away and you are left scrambling for ideas, fabric, needles and the glue gun. And never mind that the children change their minds every 37 seconds. Or they come up with a vague idea of wanting to dress up as “lots of colours”. Umm…

To take some of the stress off, I have done a stack of research for you and found 13 fun-to-make, colourful and creative costumes that you can put together for your trick or treaters!

There is something here for everyone. Whether you have left it until 30th October to start, this is your 200th Halloween costume, or you can’t manage a sewing machine to save your life, there’s bound to be something in this list of 13 DIY Halloween costumes that takes your fancy! See for yourself…

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The Simple Way to Sew a T-Shirt Neckline

Whether you are new to sewing or not, getting creative with your sewing projects is one of the awesome things about sewing. YOU get to decide the colour of the fabrics you use. YOU get to decide what embellishments you can make. And sometimes, YOU get to decide which technique you want to use for a particular step.

For instance, T-shirt necklines. There are a number of fabric options you could choose, a variety of different stitches you could use, and even a number of ways to sew the neckline together.

I am going to make it really easy for you and show you the simplest, cheapest way to sew a T-shirt neckline using supplies you almost surely already have in your fabric stash.

This sewing tutorial will walk you step-by-step through the whole “How do I sew a professional looking T-shirt neckline?” process- accompanied by loads of photos!

Let’s do this!

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8 Essential Tools You Need in Your Sewing Kit

Happy New Year! I’m not sure whether you dared make any plans for this year. (Last year put the brakes on a lot of people’s plans.) My goal for this year is to create create create! One thing I love doing is sewing unique clothes for my kids. But another thing I love creating is super helpful tips and fun ideas for my busy readers!

I have been asked before about what types of machines and tools I can’t live without for my sewing projects. There certainly are a few that I love! So how about I share my list of essential sewing tools with you, right here, right now?!?

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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!

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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…

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