I have both boys and girls on my Christmas list that need gifts, and they are all in that awkward 10-15 year old age group. You know the one: too old for toys, too young for adult gifts. Puberty is awkward for all of us. So what do we do about gifts for this "lost" age range?
For the girls, I decided to make make-up bags and fill them half with sophistication (real, proper adult make-up) and half kidification (chocolates and other goodies). Of course, not every mother of a girl this age is keen on allowing her daughter to wear make-up. I am hoping the neutral tones of the make-up will go down a bit better with mom than loud, garish colors. I am also careful to not ask if it's ok, and am just going for it. Someone has to be "cool Aunt Tupp" who understands that these girls aren't babies anymore. (Please remind me of this when those moms retaliate and give make-up to my baby!)
I found this tutorial by Drago[knit]fly which I followed, with only some slight modifications. After I completed the project, I found this even simpler tutorial by Indie House, great for those who are still beginning with zippers and/or want less fiddly bits. I made the handle extra long. It now has a loop to carry like a purse, but also a flush handle that slips over the "carry-on" attachment strap on luggage so when traveling it won't flop around. Plus, I like the detail of the bold strap along the side.
For the girls, I decided to make make-up bags and fill them half with sophistication (real, proper adult make-up) and half kidification (chocolates and other goodies). Of course, not every mother of a girl this age is keen on allowing her daughter to wear make-up. I am hoping the neutral tones of the make-up will go down a bit better with mom than loud, garish colors. I am also careful to not ask if it's ok, and am just going for it. Someone has to be "cool Aunt Tupp" who understands that these girls aren't babies anymore. (Please remind me of this when those moms retaliate and give make-up to my baby!)
I found this tutorial by Drago[knit]fly which I followed, with only some slight modifications. After I completed the project, I found this even simpler tutorial by Indie House, great for those who are still beginning with zippers and/or want less fiddly bits. I made the handle extra long. It now has a loop to carry like a purse, but also a flush handle that slips over the "carry-on" attachment strap on luggage so when traveling it won't flop around. Plus, I like the detail of the bold strap along the side.
Both girls will get bags in the same polka-dot material inside and out. I choose one to have a pumpkin orange zipper, and the other to have a grape-sherbet zipper.
The size of the "triangle" in the inside corners was 5cm on the orange zip bag, and 6 cm on the purple zip bag. You can see how just that one centimeter made a big difference in shape (both height and width).
I also kept the triangles on the inside instead of cutting them out. I hand-sewed them in place to hide all the fabric edges to keep it looking clean and tidy.
Each bag only took a couple hours to make and would be a great afternoon project.
Cute! I am making mirrors for both the boys & girl teens in my family. I bought some square mirrors from IKEA and some vinyl stickers. I am also going to attempt Etching paste. You could do that on a smaller scale and make pretty pocket or desk mirrors to be placed in the bags.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteThese bags are really professional looking! Your idea sounds perfect for that age group. Pretty but not kiddy, spot on!
ReplyDeleteI adore them!!! i adore the fabric choice and the details you added! thanks for the great links ;)
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm going to try to make this next weekend! I'm excited! I'm going to practice by making one for me, and then I'm going to make the 2nd for my 14 year old stepdaughter...Wish me luck!
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