Christmas Bargains 2015

Great Bargains this Christmas

This year’s Christmas gifts were a bargain and I’m excited to share my successes with you. Last year a friend was moving and gave me a lot of her fabric stash. (Thank you, Dianna!) I made plaid flannel pajama pants for the three boys. Total cost for all three pajama pants: $1 total for the elastic. I adjusted an old pattern I had on hand to fit my boys, but there are lots of free patterns online, like this one for kids and this one that guides you through making your own customized pattern.

This summer I attended a community fundraiser and at the silent auction bought a $10 gift card to a used bookstore for $8. I found one perfect book for each of my sons. Total cost: $8.97 (the cost of the gift card plus I went over the $10 by 97¢.) For next Christmas I plan to keep my eyes open for other gift card deals to make shopping easier come December.

Repurposing Fun

My favorite deals were for gifts for my granddaughter. We’ll back up to her birthday, which is December 5th. For her birthday I made a little kitty doll. Then I made two nightgowns for her and matching night gowns for kitty doll (she doesn’t have a name yet, just “kitty doll.”) The flannel for the nightgowns was on sale for $2 a yard, so with coupons for the other materials, the total cost was of nightgowns and doll was around $25. OK, maybe not terribly frugal, but wait! The best is to come:

This summer I found a cute curtain at the thrift store–new and still in the package–with a cute teddy bear border print. Cost: $1.50. I made a jumper for my granddaughter and found a cute red shirt with ruffled sleeve and neck edges. It cost just 50¢. The red buttons on the back of the dress cost 75¢ with coupon. This was her birthday gift in early December. And of course, kitty doll got a matching outfit. Total cost: less than $3.

Then I found a pretty sun dress at the thrift store–a pale lavender with lots of embroidery and scalloped edges for $3. I remade it into a fairy dress. And (you guessed it!) a matching dress for kitty doll. I used the same pattern from the nightgowns, but just flared it more after the waist. I found the pattern online for free. Not only is it super quick and easy to sew up, but it is very forgiving, allowing for little ones to grow quite a bit before it no longer fits.

matching princess dress for kitty doll. All I needed was to buy an extra 1/2 yard of gold braid trim. With coupon, it cost 50¢.

In addition to the teddy bear jumper and red shirt, nightgowns, fairy dress and princess dress that match with granddaughter’s clothes, I also made a couple other outfits for kitty doll, all from scraps in my fabric stash. I cut up an old pair of my jeans to make kitty doll some new jeans, made some purple corduroy pants and

coordinating shirts. Kitty doll’s new wardrobe all went into a pretty floral box that I found at the thrift store for $2. Total cost for my granddaughter’s Christmas gifts was $8.50.

Fun for everyone

Isn’t the best part of Christmas is all the surprises we have for each other? This year I loved surprising my sons and granddaughter with gifts they weren’t expecting. It was even more fun when they cost me less than expected and I get to use my creative talents.

For more ideas on how to get the most from your sewing, be sure to check out my book Sustainable Sewing.