Sack Lunch

Inspired by this I decided to make my own version of a felt lunch sack set for a little girl's birthday party last weekend. I made a bologna sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce along with a bag of ruffle chips and a chocolate chip cookie. This was my first "on my own" sewing project ever. I borrowed my friend's sewing machine (after she showed me how to thread it and wind the bobbin - sad, but true), crossed my fingers and went to work making templates and putting it all together. And it turned out to being a lot of fun. Felt food is a great way to begin sewing I think. So if you are looking for a fun little sewing project there are tons of tutorials out there for all kinds of food.

Baby Boy Ties

My friend, Liz, helped me make these cute little baby boy ties for my sister's little one on the way. I don't really sew unless you count Home Ec. so this was quite an accomplishment for me. If I can do it so can you!

This was a pattern for 6 month to 1 year size ties and they use less than a 1/4 of a yard of fabric. Very affordable, creative, and fun to make and give!

Update 01/23/10: I found the tie pattern online. It can be purchased here.

S'mores Kits

I absolutely love this cute gift idea: s'more kits found here. You could do these any way you like. These particular clear boxes can be found at any packaging store or site and you can buy in bulk and save big (either go in on a bunch with some friends or save them for your own gifts). Here is a sight I found that seemed pretty reasonable to me. You don't have to package it this way though. You could come up with your own fun way to present a s'mores kit (and then share it with me!) What a fun gift for a family to get! I always love gifts that give us something fun to do together. Or what about a miniature s'more kit for an individual? oooh.

Mini I-Spy Quilts

Take on a mini project and try this out. Here are some fun mini i-spy quilts I found here. If you have your own scraps from other projects this could be very easy on the wallet.

Cookie Flowers

I love this cookie bouquet because it has mini cookies! I LoVe mini! I found this bouquet here. I like this for teachers or mother's day gifts for the kids to make. Or maybe for a new mother in the hospital or a get well gift. But really any day is a good day to get flowers.

Hint: To add some variety add some Oreo Fudge Rings (dark brown with white stripes).

Mini Muffin Tin Magic

If you like the Pie in the Jar idea then you'll LOVE this! These mini pumpkin pies and mini cherry pies are the coolest. All you need to do is buy a mini muffin tin!

Giving someone a pie would be a great present. But make mini pies and it becomes extraordinary. (And it makes the ingredients go further too!)

Miniature Donuts

Miniature stuff makes me so happy. This is a picture of some tiny donuts and a quarter that I found here. Donuts are pretty cool on their own and it would be an awesome neighbor gift. BUT when you make them miniature it is like you have reinvented the donut and you become a genius who just gave the coolest gift ever. They used circle fondant cutters ($2.97 at Michael's for a package of 3 sizes). I think they used the 2 smaller sizes to make these.

I checked it out and there are lots of basic shapes (squares, hearts, rectangles, ovals) found in the cake decorating section of the craft store. Miniature cookies (with or without holes in the middle) would be awesome too.

I have also seen regular donuts made with a tiny heart cut out of the middle instead of a round hole (the same idea as these cool marshmallows). Check it out here along with the recipe for apple cider spice donuts. If you like the simple, easy, convenient route here is another great recipe using a can of dough.

And if you like miniature stuff you might like this too.

Pie in a Jar

All you need is a small glass jar (half-pint) and a great pie recipe for this fabulous idea first seen here. Fill the little jar with a sweet mini version of your best pie and bake it right in the jar. As soon as it comes out of the oven you can seal it with a canning lid (so that the heat will seal it) and then you can freeze it. Why not start baking now for the holidays and have them ready and waiting in the freezer? Add a little tag or label and you are set. This is a great gift idea for a special someone who lives alone and doesn't need an entire pie. Plus, miniature ANYTHING makes an ordinary gift extraordinary and helps your ingredients go further, which is nice on the wallet.

If you are on the lookout for a great pie recipe I'll share mine. It is a sure-fire hit no matter who I make it for. And don't let it scare you off if you don't like apple pie (or pie at all for that matter). This pie changes lives.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

9" pie crust, unbaked

2 c. Granny Smith apples: cored, peeled, and chopped

1/3 c. + 2 T. white flour

1 c. sugar, divided

1/4 t. salt

1 c. sour cream

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 T. cinnamon

2 T. butter

1. Place crust in pie pan, add apples

2. Combine 2 T. flour, 2/3 c. sugar, and salt in separate bowl

3. Add sour cream, egg, and vanilla and add to apples

4. Bake at 425 for 15 min.

5. Then 350 for 30 min.

6. While pie is baking, combine cinnamon, butter, remaining flour, remaining sugar and then sprinkle on top of pie when finished baking.

7. Then bake for at 400 for 10 min.

I dare you to try out this recipe on someone that says they don't like pie. They'll eat their words. Let me know how it goes!