Monday, September 6, 2010

Help Needed with New Item

I have been thinking for quite some time that I should make laptop sleeves and totes. What I decided today was to make and sell them in sets. Since laptops come in all sizes now, I had no idea how big I should make them. Enter my Twitter friends! Thanks to their help and advice I have decided to make sets for iPads (since it was suggested they need a harder cover to protect the screen), a size for 10"-13" laptops and a size for 14"-17" laptops. Now, here's where it gets fun! What I need is exact measurements of the different sized laptops. I have a 17" laptop, so mine actually measures 15 1/2" wide x 11" high when closed. So, the favor I need is for you to measure your laptop (when closed) and let me know the measurements :) And if you also have any suggestions for options, etc for the sleeves and covers (such as pockets--make it padded, etc) please feel more than free to let me know! I want these to stand out from all the rest so anything you may add or suggest to make mine different will be very welcome advice! And who knows--maybe I'll just give one of these away :)

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Inexpensive Gift Ideas

Christmas will be here before you know it so you need to start making that list! I decided to post a few tutorials that will help you make fun, practical, and inexpensive gifts. Ready? Here we go!

Manicure Kit
Our first tutorial will show you how to make this cute manicure kit! So easy and would make great gifts! You could even do one in kids' fabrics for little girls! Best part: you can buy the manicure sets anywhere--including the dollar store! You can hop on over to dhbuscher.com to get the complete instructions.

Leg Warmers
Our next tutorial is by Venezie Designs. She'll show you how to make these cute leg warmers from a pair of women's socks! Another great, inexpensive gift idea!

 Composition Book Cover

This would make a great gift for the students on your list! It's made using strips of fabric so you can use up some of those scraps you have! To find out how to make this one, hop on over to V and Co Blog

On-the-Go Activity Book
 This is a great item to make for the little ones on your list! It's made completely out of felt so it's inexpensive and fun! There are three activities in the book to keep the little ones occupied: tic-tac-toe, dress-up, and coloring. You could probably make cars instead of the dress-up doll for boys. To see how to make this cute book, go visit At Second Street blog.

Onesie Dress
We can't leave baby girl out now can we? This cute little dress made with fabric and a onesie only takes 10 minutes to make! You can make baby girl a whole wardrobe in an hour! To see how easy this is, go to Prudent Baby and check it out!

Lined Zipper Pouch
This is a great one for the guys (even though the picture shows feminine fabrics)! I've made Mike a couple of these and he uses them to hold his golf tees and balls. To see how easy these are to make, go see A Pretty Modern Life

Menu Planning Organizer
Our last tutorial is for Moms-on-the-go. It's a menu planning organizer. This is made using fabric and ultra firm stabilizer.  There is a pocket on the left for a legal sized pad where Mom can write down her grocery list and pockets on the right to hold her menus for the week, recipes, and coupons! I think this might be on my to-do Christmas list! To find out how fun and easy this is to make, go visit Little Big Girl Studio