On the run up to Christmas it can be hard to find a special present for your someone you care about. We think a really good way to impress is to make something and give them a hand made personal gift so we are putting together a blog series about sewing your own gifts, starting with this one – Perfect Gifts to Sew For Men.

If you are a novice sewer, sewing a present may seem slightly daunting, however it doesn’t have to be. Most of the projects we have picked here are simple and will impress.  Remember, it is not the fact all your stitches are straight that will make the present special, it is the fact you put time and thought into creating something unique that will make them happy.

Gemma’s Pick – Men’s Apron

Does the man you are thinking of love to cook or BBQ? Come on they all think they can BBQ don’t they? Whilst they burn the living daylights out of everything.  If so you could be on to a winner here as sewing an apron is one of the simplest gifts to sew and actually it is really easy to personalise too.

Gemma, (admin Gemma), who you may have spoken too if you have called us, has ambitions to make an apron for her boyfriend – but she’s won’t tell us what she will write on it!

This ‘DIY Manly Man Apron’ tutorial by Lovely Indeed,  recommends using a flour sack towel to create an apron, however we would recommend using a heavy cotton twill fabric (like our Bull Denim Fabric.)

Bull denim is very durable, will wash and wash easily on a 60 degree wash and will take any detergent to get stains out. It will shrink so wash if before you make the apron. Any cotton drill or canvas would an excellent job too. Some are heavier than others so be careful as the heavier it is the thicker it will be so it will be slightly harder to sew.

The tutorial also gives you step by step instructions for printing the design that is shown on the image. Although after discussing it here at Croft Mill, we’d be tempted to just invest in some fabric pens and draw/write on the apron instead…you could also embroider onto it with thicker yarn or some fabric shapes.

Caroline’s Pick – Remote Caddy/ Holder

I love this, ‘Are they called remotes because they are always out of reach’. Maybe it is just my wayward children who love the game of controlling the one TV in the house by constantly hiding them, if that is the case then this gift will probably make no difference. I am sure you won’t have young kids ruling the remotes so this will be a super little gift, a remote caddy/ holder is a great gift to sew for men.

This ‘Sofa Caddy’ tutorial by Sew4Home does suggest a soft furnishing weight fabric; that is a very wide term and covers a HUGE amount of fabrics, you basically could do with a nice cotton poplin or 60 square cotton for the colourful detail and a cotton drill or canvas to do the sturdier areas. Croft mill’s wool fabrics could work for this too.

I am sure you know what colours he likes but why not use the colours of his favourite team?

I also like this ‘Sew Cool Remote Cadd’ by iHeart Organizing – it’s a different style, more like a cushion so you can hide the remotes when necessary eg. when Coronation Street is on!

Jayne’s Pick – Sleep Wear

Jayne loves Christmas Day, LOVES it! She may not have a kitchen this year as she has had to rip it out and is fighting with the insurance company over matters best not discussed here. Wish her luck as she is still insisting the whole family come to hers!

Yes you can buy PJ’s at Marks and Spencer but it is not the same as making it yourself. We do have some stunning Italian cotton shirtings and brushed cotton in that would be perfect for the job. This 6741 Burda Pattern is great for beginner sewers, and has two options so you can mix it up to meet his style. If you want to go that step further you could even embroider your man’s initials or name on the breast of the top to make it more personal.

There are two main options, warm cosy pyjamas for winter or cool pyjamas for the summer. Pick  Croft Mill’s brushed cotton or flannel fabric for winter and cotton lawn or our Italian cotton shirting‘s would also be fabulous for the summer (and are cheaper in price) than our pima cotton lawns). A cotton lawn will be softer than other summer weight cottons (such as cotton poplin) and therefore can be more comfortable to sleep in.

If a onesie is more his style then Jaycotts have just the pattern for you, with the Simplicity 1731 pattern. It also has options for children and women, son you don’t have to feel left out.

Andy’s Pick – Duffle Bag

Andy works in the cutting room and he liked the idea of this duffle bag but just because this is a mans choice don’t let it sway you. This obviously will not be the easiest item to sew.  This ‘Swoon Dallas Vintage Duffle Bag’ Pattern by Craftsy is aimed at the more intermediate sewer, but we love the classic look of the bag.

This  bag has three sizing options so you can make it to fit his needs (or his wardrobe!) and costs just £4.59 with all the money going to the designer, you download the pattern and then it stays in your pattern library and you can get free pattern updates when they come out.

You do need 3 different types of fabrics to make this bag, such as quilting fabrics and interfacing, however you never need more than 1 1/2 metres so you may have some already at home. Take a look at Croft Mill’s wool fabrics or canvas fabrics for inspiration.

Laptop Cover

A laptop cover is a gift that is easy to sew and could be very useful too. Jacqui Cheng’s How to Sew Your Own Laptop Sleeve tutorial shows you how to make one and you only need two fabrics (one being the lining, and the other being the outer sleeve) maybe you could choose his favourite colour? This is a great project for a novice sewer and can be made form small scarps of fabrics. You can lots of fun making this and once again it is easy to personalise.

If you don’t have much time, or just want a quick gift there is this ‘1 Hour DIY Laptop Sleeve Tutorial for Any Size Laptop’ by Happy Creative Family. A handmade gift in an hour? You can’t argue with that.

Rebecca’s Pick 1 – Flannel Scarf

An easy project to sew is a flannel scarf, I’ll be making one for my partner as he keeps threatening to grow a beard – and if he’s got a scarf to keep him warm, surely he has no excuse to grow one.

An Oregon Cottage, has shared this ‘Easy Low-Sew Men’s DIY Flannel Scarf’ blog – it offers a simple guide with step by step instructions and some images to help guide you. It also has a link to post which shows you how to fray the edges of the scarf. This project is a ‘low-sew’ gift, great if you only have very basic sewing skills.

When choosing a flannel fabric for this item, keep colours and patterns in mind. Do they like extravagant, eye-catching prints? Or would you be best opting for a more neutral colour that they can wear with more outfits? It is also possible to buy online pre-made letters or emblems that you stitch on to your projects, to help make it even more unique.

Rebecca’s Pick 2 – Watch Band

I can only speak about myself but towards the end of the year I do try to make an effort to use up some of the smaller pieces of fabric that I have in my stash. Many of them are perfect, just the left overs from other projects and a small gift is a great way to give them a purpose.

If you’re more efficient (or should I be honest and just say tidier) than me, and don’t have any scraps have a look at Croft Mill’s Fabric Offers page for remnant bundles and bags.

This ‘Funky Fabric Watch Band’ Craftsy pattern which you can download, shows you how to make a watch band and the pattern for free! You will need some fabric, some interfacing and some snaps – which you should be able to buy locally.

I do enjoy making ‘special items’ and I think this watch band is a great option when you want to give them something that they will wear a lot, if not daily. This one can also be a great gift for teenagers that often return home late because they “didn’t realise the time.”

Alan’s Pick – Journal Pen Holder

Alan is a good old fashioned man and still has his best pen in his bureaux.

This Journal Pen Holder tutorial by Made by a Momma  shows you how to make one, and again this project is great for those with a lower level of skill or if you just want a quick make to act as a stocking filler. All you need for this creation is some fabric, some elastic, a sewing machine and a iron. One of the things I like about this tutorial is that it only has 6 steps – perfect for if you get caught off guard and need to find a last minute gift.

We hope this blog post have given you some ideas or served as inspiration for sewing Christmas gifts for men.

In the following weeks we’ll have guides for sewing Christmas gifts for friends, children and anyone else you may want to spoil or impress (or maybe both!).

If you do make someone a gift, we’d love to see it – but only after you have given it to them, we don’t want to be responsible for ruining the surprise!

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