The holidays can pose a challenge for crafters: What to make for friends and relatives that is useful, attractive — and fast to churn out? Speed and simplicity are key this time of year.
These five projects capture the imagination and offer ample opportunity for improvising; put your creative twist on any of them for memorable gifts.
Crafts: 5 speedy, simple, DIY holiday gifts
FELT SOAP: The first time Leah Adams of Seattle gave out felt soap for the holidays, one of her relatives cut the felt away, taking it for elaborate packaging. It wasn't. The colorful felting is slightly abrasive and holds suds well.
E-READER COVER: Lisa Occhipinti of Venice, Calif., is a painter and sculptor who tears apart old books, incorporating pages into her fine art but also devising ingenious everyday sculptural uses, from mobiles and mirrors to wreaths and the "Kindle Keeper."
FELTED MITTENS: Scavenging for this craft is half the fun: Dig through unworn sweaters at home or at a local thrift store. They don't have to be wool, but wool is warmer...
SIMPLE BEADED JEWELRY: The 2011 "Martha Stewart Holiday Handbook" shares instructions for how to make delicate, beaded necklaces with minimal parts. Its simplicity is the beauty of this project, says Marci McGoldrick, editorial director of Holiday & Crafts for Martha Stewart Living.
EMBELLISHED T-SHIRTS, TOWELS, TOTES: Finally, there are many ways to embellish and personalize a T-shirt; hand or kitchen towels; or a tote. McGoldrick suggests taking a profile photo of a beloved pet, enlarging it and cutting it out of a fabric that won't fray, such as ultrasuede. Attach the silhouette and a twill-tape collar and leash to a tote with craft glue; sew them to a T-shirt or towel.
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