I am NOT a crafter. I don’t have the patience, the skill or the creativity to take tiny bits and pieces of things and put them together to make them look pretty. That’s why I create my photo albums digitally (through Snapfish) instead of scrapbooking, as I used to back when I had more time. (And even then, they weren’t pretty!) I don’t knit, crochet, make jewelry, etc. I can’t even sew on a button very well – I take them to my mother’s house so that she can do them for me. My mother sews beautifully, and I have aspirations of being just like her when I grow up. Sewing, in my mind, is one of the more useful skills to develop, especially when it comes to the mundane but necessary business of attaching loose buttons and taking up hems. But I think I need some inspiration. I always start every new project the same way – by shopping! So whether these items appeal to the crafter in you, or to a crafty friend or neighbor, they are sure to inspire some creativity!
1. British Sterling Sewing Accessories, $48-138: Beautiful and functional – a brilliant combination. These darling sterling silver and velvet pincushions (shaped like assorted annimals, from a rabbit to a bear), needles cases, and an entire miniature sewing kit are highly collectible.
2. Cath Kidston Sewing Accessories (prices vary): This adorable felt sewing basket, $80, makes me yearn for long, sunny afternoons spent stitching something pretty. And lack of time and talent is not going to keep me from buying these adorable Provence Rose “books“, $10-18, filled with buttons, thread, and other necessities, or the prettiest measuring tape in the world, $8, or an adorable floral felt pincushion, $10!
3. Sewing Bird, $29.95: A staple in Victorian homes, this silver sewing helper is both decorative and practical. It actually holds the fabric while you sew!
4. Japanese Washi Tape, $8.95: These beautiful, decorative tapes can be used to embellish everything from gifts to scrapbook pages to furniture.
5. Fiskars Limited Edition Squeeze Punches, $7.79 each: These punches make it easy for even a novice to create impressive crafts. Seasonal designs include Angel Wings, Sleighbells, Frosty Fun and Under the Tree.
6. Simple Times – Crafts for Poor People, by Amy Sedaris, $27.99: You do not need to be a crafter to love this book. All you need is a pulse. Hilarious, classic Sedaris humor.
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