Secrets to Great Last Minute Gifts

The holiday is just days away, the mall parking lots are packed, and you still have some giving to do? Relax, take a deep breath. We’ll get through this together.

First, take inventory. You have a closet, basement corner, guest room, or studio filled with art supplies right? Then you probably have everything you need to make a thoughtful, and soon to be well-loved gift.

1. Get some inspiration. Watch a Workshop DVD, or even Quilting Arts TV. (You can pre-order season 700, now!) After watching this episode on the right, my 11 year old daughter had the idea of turning Beryl Taylor’s Mixed-media Art Quilt technique into sachets.
		Pokey and Beryl on the QA TV set.
		2. Make it meaningful. Think of your recipient, what does she (or he), really love. Perhaps you could make a pet portrait, or even a silhouette of their favorite pooch or fluffy feline. Scan a photo and play with it in any image editing program to help simplify the shapes. Use this as a guide for a collage, painting, or mix of both.
Bindi the Puerto Rican rescue dog.
3. Make it small. Now is not the time to make an installation-sized piece. These little canvases are just 2" a piece and would make a lovely set of magnets. Work on a bunch of canvases at the same time and save some of that time you’re running out of.
		2" x 2" square canvases ready for art.
		4. Use your scraps. Use up all those bits of fabric, ribbon, or paper that you can’t bear to throw away. You love them for a reason—that makes them worthy of an extra special gift. These pins by Melody Ferris and Jill Russell, were featured in our premier issue Cloth Paper Scissors GIFTS.
Loads of pins made from fabric scraps.
5. Have fun! Get dirty. Make a mess. Enjoy the process and it will show in your work. Set the timer for 30 minutes and see what you can do. Be inspired by a pretty sunset, the box from your morning breakfast cereal, or any two bottles of paint on the shelf.
		All hands on deck at CREATE 2010.

Happy Merry Making,