Makeover Monday: You Can Make This

It’s that time of year!  Actually, for me it’s a little late.  I’m normally done with my Christmas shopping by this time, but I’m running behind this year and I’m only partway there.

Today I am starting on the first of many sewing projects which will become Christmas presents.  I like to give handmade gifts.  Do you?  Would you like to start?

Starting this week and running for the next several, I am going to be featuring projects from the website You Can Make This, owned by my friend Kim.  I knew her before she hit the big time and I couldn’t be happier about all of her success.  This website has patterns and tutorials for making hundreds of different projects, from Digital Scrapbooking to Jewelry Making, Sewing to Woodworking, Printable Paper Crafts to Painting.  There is a section of patterns designed specifically for kids to do (what a great present for Grandma that would be!), and even a large group of free downloads!

Who doesn’t love free?

So check out the website, explore some of the great designs, and pick out a project for you (or your kids!) to do today!  To make the deal even sweeter, YCMT is offering my readers a coupon for 15% off ALL orders placed from now through November 18, 2010.  Just enter code

BlogThisFall

at checkout to receive your discount!

And be sure to come back in the weeks to come for more great ideas from YCMT.  I will be making several projects from the website for Christmas gifts, and I will be featuring them on the blog every week.  I will also be giving away a very valuable prize package (over $100!) that you can use to create your own handmade Christmas gifts.  No experience necessary!

And be sure to click the button below and sign up for the newsletter, too!  You’ll get $75 worth of free patterns and ebooks, perfect for getting started!

*So that I don’t get hauled off to FTC prison, I must tell you that the opinions posted on this website are all 100% my own.  I receive no financial compensation for stating these honest opinions.  I will be given a pattern to facilitate my review.  It’s not valuable enough for me to lie to you.  Trust me, if I endorse it, it’s because I mean it.  It takes more than an ebook to buy me.

And the winners are…

Cindy & Soliloquy!  Congratulations ladies!  I will be in touch soon with information about how to download the ebook!

You Can Make This Giveaway

So here it is, the crafty giveaway I promised you.  I know I was supposed to deliver this yesterday, but when I posted I forgot that it was a holiday weekend.  Please pardon my tardiness.  I think the cool factor is worth the wait!

So last year I found a new project that I love to make.  I made these name pillows for my neice:

my nephews:

and all three of my daughters:

for Christmas.  I even made one for the Angel Tree child we shopped for:

I have since sold these in local boutiques, given them as gifts, and made them for friends. 

They are always a huge hit!  They are especially unique because they can be personalized to match the child’s room (as I did for my girls):

You can also use their favorite character, sports team, etc.  And they are the ultimate present for a child whose name isn’t common.  (Don’t we all remember looking through those plastic bike license plates?)

Even better than that, they are honest-to-goodness easy to make.  I promise!  You do not have to have any special equipment or sewing knowledge to make this pillow.  The instructions are easy to read, very clear, and detailed enough that you will not feel lost.

The cost of the project will vary depending on the finishes you choose, but I know you can do these for under $10 per pillow if you buy inexpensive fabric.  An easy and economical project! 

In the interest of honesty, I have to tell you that I was asked to review this item for a giveaway.  However, you should also know that when asked I was able to tell them that I did not need their free instructions to try the pattern out, because I had already bought it!  So I can whole-heartedly tell you that this is a good, high quality product that is worth every penny.

I know some of you are probably thinking that you couldn’t do this.  You are wrong.  You Can Make This is the name of the website, and it ain’t called that for nothin’.  I promise you can do this.  You’ll need your sewing machine, scissors, fabric, thread, wonder-under, pillow stuffing, and a spare hour or two.  The more you make, the faster you will get.  And did I mention that they’re fun?

Now for the goods.  YouCanMakeThis.com is offering two lucky readers a FREE copy of the Pesonalized Name Pillow e-book!  How awesome is that? 

All you have to do is leave me a comment here telling me who you would make a pillow for, and you’re in!  If you really really want to win, you can receive an extra entry each for blogging, tweeting, or linking to this post.  (If you tweet, send it @hopelessnflawed so I can find you!)  All entries must be received by midnight EST next Tuesday, June 2.  The winner will be chosen by random drawing and will be announced on Wednesday, June 3.

Good luck, and happy sewing!

Calling all crafters (or wanna-be’s)

I’m not sure how many of you know this, but I am a moderator for a great forum called Here Comes The Stork, a resource for online sellers.  The owner, Kendra, started out selling children’s clothing on Ebay (hence the baby name), but her business has grown tremendously and HCTS is now dedicated to helping sellers improve sales on Ebay, Amazon, Etsy, Bonzazzle, BuyItSellIt, independent websites, and any other online venue you can think of.  I’ve been a mod there for years and a member for even longer than that. 

One section of the forums is devoted to designers and crafters, which is where I found my niche.  I’ve been sewing all my life, but never tried selling online until HCTS and the Stork Studio Custom Design group (SSCD on ebay) gave me the confidence to go for it.

One of those encouraging members was Kim, or Kimberbell as she is known in the design world.  Kim is seriously one of the sweetest, kindest people you could ever [virtually] meet.  She always has a kind word for everyone, encouraging and supporting new designers and freely sharing her expertise.

Now I knew Kim while she was on her way to the top, and while I’m sure she hasn’t yet reached the highest height that she will acheive, she is definitely on a mountain.  Unfortunately Kim is no longer an active part of our website…because she is too busy running her own!

Several years ago Kim got the genius idea to turn helping people find their creative abilities into a booming business, and boom it has. YouCanMakeThis.com was named one of the top Mom-Owned business by Startup Nation, and the site has been featured in many print publications and on television appearances.

So why am I telling you all of this?  Well, first and foremost because I love the site, and I really believe in the concept and the products available.  YCMT has inspired thousands of people to take the plunge into crafting, be it sewing, cake decorating, decoupage, beading, and so much more.  There are fun projects for kids, too!  Want to learn how to knit?  Paint?  Improve your photography skills?  It’s all there, and a lot more.

But the second reason I’m telling you this is because I have an awesome giveaway to be announced on Monday!  The folks at YouCanMakeThis.com have made a generous offer that I am all too happy to accept, and I can’t wait to share it with you!  So yes, this is just a little teaser to whet your appetite.  Now pop over to the YouCanMakeThis site and find yourself a project to keep you occupied this weekend, and I will give you the full scoop on Monday.  Whoops! Sorry – NEXT Monday.  I am taking the coming week off.

*Weekend project not required for contest entry, but recommended to make you a better person.