How To Make a Handmade, Cozy Home: A Guide to Simple Winter Sewing Projects
Fall is my favorite time of year for so many reasons. We get the cooler weather, get to wear cute layered outfits, and get to start planning for the winter months. Winter sewing projects are fun because they usually revolve around Christmas, warmth, and an overall cozy vibe.
I wanted to dedicate an entire blog post to sewing projects specific to winter and give you some ideas on how to make your home more cozy and festive this year. We’ll also discuss sewing crafts you can make and sell this holiday season.
What Can I Sew in Winter?
The possibilities are endless for things you can sew to prepare your home for the colder months. If you’re super into decorating for the holidays, there are SO many easy winter sewing projects that can bring your decorating game to the next level.
We will look closely at several projects you can make to make your house so warm and inviting that Santa won’t want to leave after he’s dropped off the presents this year.
Before we look at specific projects I’ve gathered up, let’s review a few other ideas worth mentioning.
- Stuffed Animals and Plushies: reindeer, snowmen, gingerbread men, teddy bears with little winter sweaters, the list could go on and on. Kids love this kind of decoration because they’re adorable and can play with them. My favorite Christmas decorations growing up were a pair of gingerbread kid plushies.
- Placemats and Table Runners: These could be extremely simple, but they make a massive difference in the overall look of your kitchen and/or dining room. Use some beautiful Christmas fabric to create custom placemats and table runners for your family Christmas gathering.
- Baking Apron: Many of us brush up on our baking skills during the winter, so how cute would it be to have a winter-themed apron to do all our holiday baking in? You can follow a simple apron tutorial and use a wintery fabric to put yourself in the mood for warm cookies and hot chocolate.
These are just a few simple suggestions that you can use to get you and your family ready for the wintertime and holiday season. In more detail, we’ll check out more winter sewing projects later in this post.
What Can I Sew and Sell for Christmas?
It is no secret that some of us who love to sew and do other crafts also want to make a little extra money doing what we love. I have gone to my fair share of craft shows and events as a vendor and spectator, and I can tell you what I have observed over the years and what seems to sell.
Selling at craft venues depends heavily on the competition, the geographical area where the craft show is being held (rural area vs. a large city), and if the people who come to the shows are there to simply observe or buy.
TIP: I always encourage other sewists to check out a craft show before setting up, if that’s possible. Ask the vendors how it’s going and look around. Are people actually buying anything, or are they just window shopping?
Also, remember that just because you are selling around Christmas time doesn’t mean everything you make needs to be Christmas or winter-themed. Many times that does help, but it’s not always necessary.
This list is just my suggestion, and I obviously can’t guarantee that these items will sell. However, let’s look at some of these options, and then you can decide for yourself what will work and what won’t.
- Pot holders, placemats, hot pads, and other kitchen items: These are great low-priced items that I’ve sold several of and have seen many different vendors selling them as well.
- Gloves and hats: There’s always that one booth selling gloves and hats like hotcakes during winter. They can be sewn, crocheted, or knitted.
- Baby items: Blankets and burp clothes are great options if you like to make baby items.
- Fleece blankets: Everyone wants a giant fleece blanket to cuddle up under when it’s cold outside.
- Handbags: If you can make a professional-looking product, you could make good money selling bags. Just choose a marketplace where people are willing to spend money.
9 Winter Sewing Projects To Try This Year
Now that I’ve (hopefully) got your creative wheels turning in your head, let’s take a look at some super cute and cozy winter sewing projects for beginners and seasoned sewists. The significant part about these projects is that they won’t take a crazy amount of time to complete, so you can make several of them for your home.
I’m a quilter, so I had to include one quilt in this list. This fantastic free, beginner-friendly quilt pattern is from The Fat Quarter Shop. If you want to dip your toes into the wonderful world of quilting this winter, this pattern would be a great choice. The finished quilt measures 59”x59”, the perfect size for a throw quilt.
If you enjoy hosting parties in your home and want to kick your tablescape game up a notch, this free tutorial from Petro of Easy Peasy Creative Ideas for DIY cutlery holders is right up your alley. She includes step-by-step instructions and pictures, plus a video tutorial for those who prefer to learn visually.
How cute are these ear warmers? This would be such a fun project to do with the kids! They could pick their favorite fleece fabric and make their ear warmer. It could also potentially be something you could make to sell. This free tutorial from Fleece Fun is easy-to-follow and a great beginner sewing project.
Here is another excellent free tutorial for DIY heating or cooling pad. This would make a lovely handmade gift for your friends and family, don’t you think? The pad has simply designed pockets that you can fill with either beans or rice. You can heat it in the microwave or cool it in the freezer.
You can never have too many throw pillows, right? This is a free tutorial from Kaysi at Keeping It Simple Crafts, and she has done a great job making this an easy-to-follow project even for beginners. You could also use this tutorial to make decorative pillows for all kinds of holidays and seasons of the year!
This is a free pattern to make these beautiful and adorable stuffed Christmas Trees. The pattern includes step-by-step instructions and a template to cut out the fabric or the trees. Each tree only needs two fat quarters, some stuffing, and thread. That’s it! These would be a quick and easy weekend project to do with the kids or to make for friends and family.
Suzy Quilts is a well-known (and respected) quilting blog specializing in modern, beginner-friendly quilt projects. Suzy has included this super fun free tutorial + pattern to enjoy. This is a fun and easy project for any sewist to make, even if you aren’t a “quilter” by trade. She includes excellent photos of each step to help you along the way.
It wouldn’t be a winter sewing projects list without some flannel and faux fur, am I right? This awesome free beginner tutorial from Kim at Sweet Red Poppy will guide you along to make this super cozy, plush blanket. You can use this tutorial to make blankets of all different sizes and for all occasions.
Heather from Heather Handmade has created a free tutorial + pattern to make your fleece slippers. These slippers look so cozy; I think I need to make a pair for me, my sister, and my mom! My home’s wood and tile floors can get pretty cold during winter. These would be perfect! This is a well-written tutorial with helpful photos for each step.
So what do you think? Which winter sewing projects are you going to try this year? I hope you had as much fun as I did and that you feel inspired to start creating some beautiful, cozy things for this winter.
Happy Stitches!
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