The Perfect Last-Minute Gift
Gah! The holidays are RIGHT around the corner and we have to quickly check off our Christmas list! I’m a definite procrastinator and usually, there would be plenty of time to go shopping and I would actually enjoy this time, even if Christmas is only a few days away. However, after having Remy, the thought of bundling everyone up and fighting mall traffic to find the perfect gift does not appeal to me. Instead, I would rather stay home, in my PJ’s, in front of the fire, and enjoy this holiday time with my family. But that still leaves the question of the gifts! What to do, what to do…
AHA! I just finished making an amazing $7 ball gown, so I am still on a sewing high. I’ll sew the gifts! Nothing is better than a handmade and thoughtful gift, right? The trouble was…what could I make that was pretty simple (meaning I can make a bunch in such a small amount of time), but still have the ability to personalize it for the recipient?
Enter in my lifesaver: Patterns for Pirates! They recently released a FREE pattern for an infinity scarf with a HIDDEN POCKET! YES! A pocket! This is a perfect, last minute gift because you can choose the fabric based on the recipient’s favorite color AND they are a pretty quick sew.
The tutorial is very easy to follow and there’s even a video tutorial, if you learn better visually. This is a perfect beginner’s project, even with zippers!
So off to Joann’s I went and the timing couldn’t have been better! Flannel was on sale for $2.69 a yard, so these homemade Christmas gifts are also easy on your wallet. 🙂 I bought the zippers on Amazon as it was a deal you couldn’t beat at $12.99 for 120 zippers in 20 different colors!
In order to test out my skills, I made just one infinity scarf to start. Once I knew and felt comfortable with the steps, I formed an assembly line with the rest of the scarves: completing one step with all scarves before moving onto the next step. This assembly line saved me a whole bunch of time because I could focus on doing one thing instead of cutting, pinning, then sewing to finish one scarf and then do it all over again with the next one! If you’re sewing a lot of something, I definitely recommend doing an assembly line.
And voila! For the past week, I worked on these scarves for about an hour after Remy went to bed, so these six scarves took me about 4 hours to complete total! Not too shabby!
Honestly, the best part of these scarves is the hidden pocket and that YOU made it! When I wrap these up as gifts, I plan on putting little trinkets in the pocket, such as gift cards, chapstick, or hand sanitizers! Just don’t forget to tell your recipient to check the pocket because it’s so well-hidden. 🙂 Also, these are not just for the holidays! These are perfect for your jetsetter best friend for her next trip or a thoughtful birthday present. The possibilities are endless with this pocket infinity scarf!
To help make it clear that this is a “pocket” scarf, I made these cute gift tags that you can download for free below! How cute is this?
Are you a last-minute holiday shopper too? Or are you a planner and have your shopping done by Thanksgiving? I would love to hear from you!