It’s the season of homemade gifts and if that stack of unfinished quilts is stressing you out, we’ve got some quick quilted gifts for the holidays.
In a world where two-day shipping and downloadable material makes things so quick and easy, I still believe that there is a sacred place in our hearts that truly cherishes giving and receiving homemade gifts. And as quilters, we have ample supplies to create some really beautiful quilted gifts for the holidays. It doesn’t have to always be a full-sized quilt. There are wonderful things to make that incorporate quilting techniques and make great gifts.
So here’s some inspiration to have some fun quilting this holiday season:
Table Runners
Add warmth to the table of your family and friends with a classically designed, quilted table runner. You can opt for either a holiday design they can pull out during the season of gathering or a neutral-toned runner that can stay on their table year-round. Avoid anything too bold or busy (unless you know it’s something they’ll love!)
Play with creating your own design or find an online pattern like this one.
Hot Pads
These quilted hot pads have been put to good use. Hot pads make great neighbor gifts with a package of brownie mix or housewarming gifts for a new home. Use two layers of cotton batting and/or Insul-Bright for increased durability.
Tree Skirt
Nothing says classic Christmas more than a quilted Christmas tree skirt. You’ll find dozens of great ideas on Pinterest for everything from farmhouse-inspired to cute and quirky. This makes a great gift for a newlywed’s first Christmas or a housewarming gift for someone.
I Spy Quilt
Maybe not all quilts are made for snuggling…some are for playing! While these quilts can be made smaller than lap quilts or baby quilts, there can be a lot of cutting involved. So give yourself plenty of time on this project. I Spy quilts are so fun for little hands as they look for familiar character faces, colors, and shapes while you play I Spy. Different variations of this quilt include cutting sets of two identical hexagons so little ones can look for matching pairs or using blocks instead of hexagons (which reduces the need to cut all the tiny triangles).
You can find a free pattern for a block I Spy Quilt here.
Quilted Bags
There are so many fun options for quilted bags and backpacks. These make the perfect quilted gifts for little girls to carry dolls, backpacks for boys to haul their trucks or dinosaurs, or bags for teachers for carrying supplies.
Check out this cute drawstring backpack.
Or this darling overnight bag
Wall Hangings
This category is very broad. A wall hanging means different things to different people. So know your audience and how your gift will be received. Art can be very personal to each person. These two separate projects I made for myself, but could be created as gifts to the right recipient.
The book wall hanging is such a fun and easy way to use up scraps, play with a stack of fat quarters, or try out a new fabric line. This makes a great quilted gift for fellow bibliophiles or teachers who wish to display their love of books and reading.
This whimsical bird quilt has no pattern at all (if you can believe it!). After machine quilting my white fabric I hand cut various birds to applique on my rick-rack branch. This was such a fun and easy project and would make a great gift for the nature lovers out there.
Art Quilts
Art quilts are one of my favorite things to create, and maybe they land in the “wall hanging” category, but they can be such a cool unique gift. Smaller art quilts can even be made into framed art. This is a great opportunity to play with different quilting and textile techniques. You can really personalize your piece when you make it on a smaller scale. Celebrate a milestone of the last year or capture a memory you two share.
Pillows
Taking it back to Home Economics 101, a pillow or pillow cover can make a great quilted gift! Make it seasonal or personalize it for a child’s room. If they already own a quilt you’ve made, you can coordinate the fabrics, or let it be a standalone gift.
Stockings
These stockings in particular were so fun. Using a couching foot, I was able to couch an intricate design on the stockings with fluffy chenille yarn. It gives it the perfect festive feel for the holidays and looks much more difficult than it actually was. Stockings are great gifts for newlyweds or a baby’s first Christmas. (or even a spoiled furbaby!)
Quilt with a Panel
If you are set on gifting a quilt for the holidays, a large quilt panel can cut down your cutting and piecing time considerably! Plus it gives you a head start on choosing colors and design. Border out your quilt panel with coordinating blocks and quilt it with an edge-to-edge design to pull it all together.
This is really just the beginning of where your skills as a quilter can take you. You can create dozens of different quilted gifts for the holidays that are smaller and simpler than gifting an entire quilt. So let your creativity flow and have fun experimenting and trying new patterns for your friends and family.
Have fun creating!