Sewing Tutorial: Doorknob Letter Holder

I display Christmas cards on the inside of my front door, and wanted to keep the letters nearby. I designed this pouch to hang from the doorknob for just that purpose. It doesn’t need to be restricted to Christmas newsletters, but if you want to make one for regular mail, I suggest making it two or three inches wider.

SUPPLIES

One fat quarter or quarter yard of fabric

Batting

Bias binding

DIRECTIONS

Once the fabric is prewashed and ironed, cut three 5x15 inch strips (8-9x15 if you want it to hold larger pieces of mail—maybe even wider if you’ll be leaving it in the envelopes). Cut one 5x15 inch strip and one 5x7.5 inch strip of batting (again, increase the width if desired). If you think your letter holder will need to support more weight than just a few letters, use thicker or stiffer batting, or you can cut another 5x15inch (8-9x15 for wider) piece and double up the batting for more stiffness.

Layer the pieces as shown: on piece of batting between two fabric strips, right side out; the remaining fabric folded right side out over the remaining batting. Stitch bias binding along the folded edge of the shorter piece. 

I used purple because it’s my favorite color, and I can justify it because purple is the color of Advent.

Using a mug or other similarly-sized round object, round the top corners of the longer piece. 

Use a glass that fits over your doorknob to cut a hole for hanging (you’ll need a smaller hole than pictured for a lever-type handle). 

Mine is 3" in diameter

With the shorter piece pinned onto the bottom (non-hole) half, stitch all around the exposed edges with a very narrow seam allowance. Be sure to catch all the layers.

Trim any threads or uneven edges, pin on the bias binding, and sew it on. Trim the threads, and you’re done! 

This is single-fold; next time if I make another, I’ll use double-fold—this was so narrow it was difficult to properly sew it on.

If You Can Sew, You Can Make...

What I love about sewing is how quickly small projects can go once you're set up. Of course, quilts and clothing take longer, but simpler projects like purses and wallets and even toys can be done in an evening. A good pattern is essential--I've tried some free ones that an experienced person could probably make work, but in general, the money you pay for sewing patterns is worth it. One exception is tutorials; those have step-by-step instructions to guide you along.

PERSONAL ACCESSORIES AND CLOTHING

When my kids get invited to birthday parties, my go-to present is a purse or wallet with an ice cream gift card slipped inside (after all, it's "bad luck" to give them empty). My favorite purse pattern is Runaround Bag by Lazy Girl and my favorite wallet tutorial is by Allisa Jacobs. There are many other patterns around of course, but these are both straightforward and great ways to use up scraps left over from other projects.

Purse, wallet, and gift card for a girl who invited all three of my kids to her party: one thing from each child (two are old enough to help sew, and they did).

These purses, a thank for some staff members at a medical office my family used for years before moving to another area, were all made with left over pieces of fabric, batting, and ribbon--and since I already had the zippers, the only cost was the coffee gift cards to go inside.

And of course you could also sew hair accessories, scarves, hats, gloves, boot toppers, and anything you set your mind to. Some items need to be more fitted than others, especially for clothes. Dresses are a bit more forgiving for those just venturing into sewing garments: if it's a bit long, no one will mind; if it's a little short, add leggings and it becomes a tunic. Similarly, baby clothing: err on the side of too big, then the baby can just grow into it. As with any gift, before you go to the effort of tackling a project, make sure you're picking appropriate material, the right size, and a pattern you know the recipient will like.

If you plan ahead, you can enter the gifts you make in fairs. Then you might win a few dollars and get to tell the recipient that the item won a ribbon. This pattern is the Swing Dress from Sew Hip magazine, issues 9 and 36.

KITCHEN ITEMS

The kitchen is a great place for sewn gifts. Potholders, pie carriers, trivets, placemats, tablecloths--most projects are small enough to be made quickly, and they're easy to coordinate to a person's tastes. 

A woman whose children I used to watch asked me to pick up some pot holders one day. The store didn't have any, but I had plenty of fabric in her favorite color as well as InsuleBrite and cotton batting. I made one and she immediately commissioned two more. Simple strip-quilting and zig-zagging the edges: took half an hour.

These were all made with the same method; Christmas presents for my cousins and aunts and uncles. I was able to finish them all assembly-line style over the course of a few days.

This heart-shaped pot hold takes a bit more time, but is more charming.

This fits around a pie tin, making it easier to carry the dessert and keep it warm. I reverse-engineered from a similar piece; I'll eventually put up a tutorial on it.

Keep in mind your recipient's decor and favorite colors, sports teams, animals, and other things to make picking the fabric easier. If you're looking for a really specific pattern, it might be easier to find what you're looking for online. If you're not sure, browsing in person is a good way to find something that looks just right for your recipient.

TOYS

My favorite toy designer is Funky Friend Factory. Her patterns are so detailed and so easy to follow. There are certainly other great designers and companies out there, but I highly recommend looking to her website for stuffed animals. To see if you like her style, sign up for her newsletter to get a free teddy bear pattern. You'll probably want to get more.

The only hard part of sewing this lamb was cleaning up the bits of fuzz from the fleecy fabric. The next time I used this kind, I sat outside to cut the pieces.

Soft toys don't need to be animals specifically; these blocks have jingle bells deep in the PolyFil, making for a fun, colorful, not-too-loud toy.

Books are another great sewn gift. You can buy pre-printed fabric with panels to cut out to make into a book. Just be careful to line up the pages correctly! Babies will have fun chewing on the pages without ruining the book. 

Older children might like dress-up clothes,especially around Halloween. Again, pre-printed fabrics exist, or you can find patterns, or make your own. Dress-up clothes work well for dolls and other toys too; many children enjoy dressing up their toys.

Mermaid and shark tale blankets are popular, and not too complicated. You can even find fabric that looks like scales.

Toy apron to go with a toy kitchen. There are also patterns for toy foods, which look good enough to eat.

If you're feeling really ambitious, look at books like Little One Yard Wonders. It has a sewing pattern for an entire play house! It also has some smaller projects like play mats, lunch bags, clothing, and a ton of other great items.

Another toy-related idea: storing the toys! Baskets, bags, car organizers, sleeves that hold some crayons and a sketch pad--parents will be especially appreciative things to help their kids clean up.

Just a yard of fabric with at tube to to hold a few feet of elastic, and she has easy access to her toys without them being strewn all over her room.

Three guesses what kind of toy this scaled-up Runaround Bag holds, and the first two don't count.

HOME DECOR AND OTHER SMALL ITEMS

Throw pillows, pillowcases, table runners, organizers, wall hangings--I love little projects. One I've recently been into is A Simple Pencil Case, which I've been adapting into toiletry bags. 

Just slightly longer than the tutorial shows, but the same technique. The pattern's great for using charm squares or other small scraps of fabric. 

Much nicer to find little things when traveling, and prettier and sturdier than a plastic bag, and easier to clean than a lot of commercially-produced toiletry bags.

It's especially great when you can incorporate nostalgia into gifts. For example, my nieces and nephew are getting these for Christmas: throw pillows in their favorite colors because their great-grandmother gave me her craft supplies, and she'd happened crocheted swatches in their favorite colors. 

Tutorial can be found here

Pillowcases for standard pillows are pretty easy to make, too. I like the burrito method myself, but there are others that make more sense for other people. 

This was for the anesthesiologist who placed the epidural when I was in labor, for his next slow call night (the knit scarf was for the L&D nurse).

And think outside the box, too. Got some long narrow fabric, or several squares? Get some flax seed or uncooked rice, and you can make a hot and cold pack.

Or one of each, because if you have lots of red and lots of blue, it just makes sense.

QUILTS

Handmade quilts are keepsakes. But they're also time-consuming: before committing to a quilt, be sure you have the time and motivation to finish. Also consider if your recipient would actually like a quilt. Going to all that effort only to have it rebuffed is hard. If you're new to quilting, consider starting with a simple baby quilt: small, and straight lines.

I helped a nine-year-old make this when her former nanny, who is from France, was expecting her first child. The nine-year-old had taken a sewing class and knew how to use a machine. The quilt wasn't perfect, but it looked really nice and her former nanny loved it.

When you're confident in your skills, quilts are great fun. As with other sewing categories, there are countless patterns to choose from.