I'm at a loss trying to think of what to make for my grand daughters for x-mas.

Two of them are ages 2-1/2 and 1. I've already made them a quilt, crayon tote, raggedy ann's, embroidered paperdolls & clothes, in the past.

They have parents that buy them practically everything! Do you think a pillowcase with their names and some embroidery on them is stupid for their ages? I don't know what to do :?:

Any suggestions? Is there some kind of quilt I could make that is a game board or something?

Thanks

I think the pillowcases would be nice. Or towels with their names on them. They seem to have everything else! You are a great grandma.

Embroidered pillowcases would be very nice.

I saw a really cute idea in a magazine (think it was LTD) They had terry cloth towels and one end of them was shaped into animal heads (like a kitten) I'll see if I can find it when I go to work tomorrow and scan you in the picture.

I'm sure you could be able to duplicate something like that.

JoAnn's had a really cute butterfly pattern. It was large enough to hang from the ceiling--like a room decoration or use as a quilt. I thought it would be neat in a classroom w/ really bright colors.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.j...DID=xprd509535

My friend made cute ones for her little granddaughters who have everything!!!!!! (in the colours they loved) hers was actually hand embroidered & not sure of the pattern but it said Grandma loves you this much ..... and then there was hands spread apart... or something, can't remember the exact picture.

My mom made cloth books for my kids when they were little. I saw the material for these today and they are easy to make. They had a Santa, Rudolph, Frosty and some others relating to Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas, etc. They have been passed down to the grandkids and they hold up really well and are machine washable too. I made a wall hanging of a tree with little pockets for candy canes etc, like an advent calendar. Here is one of the books http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Mary-E...VVviewprod.htm

This link has 2 of the calenders http://www.quiltedgarden.ca/quilted/Kits.mnet

sewnsewer2,

First let me say that your granddaughters are the luckiest little girls to have a grandmother like you. My grandmother made my daughter a quilt when she was born and it was much loved (to the point where I had to put it away so my dear daughter would have it when she grew up). Can I suggest more quilts might be in order? In the past girls growing up had "Hope Chests" filled with wonderful things they could use in their adult life.

My mother has two quilts from her grandmother that are carefully stored in her linen closet. I hope that someday I will be the lucky daughter who inherits them. If I am the lucky one, they won't be in the closet, but used as a focal point for decoration in one of my bedrooms.

My two cents, for what it is worth, Kanoelani

I like the idea of the checkboard quilt/mat. I made one for my kids a few years ago (they are now 6 and 7) and before they were really playing checkers,they would put their toys on each square and play that way. I did my son's side with hockey fabric and used horses for my daughter's side, with a darker tan as the common "off square" color.

What lucky granddaughter's to have a grandmama like you!

wow, what a great idea to make things for their future, instead of for them to use now. I can only imagine how treasured those items will be as they grow older, and then their children will enjoy them and treasure those items. I have a few things from my grandmother after she died and they are some of my favorite things (although, unfortunately, she didn't quilt so no quilts!)!

the pillow cases are a wonderful idea!!

I still have the pillow cases my grandmother made and embroidered when I was a little girl and they are still going strong. They are 36 years old now and no sign of wear in them. I love those pillow cases and they always remind me of her. She passed away when I was 15, so I have something that she made.

I love the butterfly. It could be used as a decoration, a blanket, or a playmat.

I also like the pillowcase idea. How about taking it one step farther and making a soft comfy pillow (throw size) and then making a slip cover for it with their names (could be removed and washed). I don't know about your little ones, but mine love to drag their favorite blanky and pillow everywhere. Especially on over-night trips, say....to Grandma's.....

More quilts can be made throughout the years. I'm planning on making my daughters some for their hope chest. The old tradition was to have 12 done before you got married (or was it 13?) I have a while before that though, thank the good Lord!

How about a Advent Calendar, something they could add to pockets or hang on hooks. Or I have seen a really cute ABC book or hanging that velcros the objects onto the mat. You could use felt. For example a felt apple that attaches on to an embroidered or quilted A.

Yeah. I agree on the pillowcases

When my kids were little they had towels made to look like a puppy and a bunny. It takes a regular bath towel for the body, a hand towel for the hood, and 2 wash cloths for the ears (bunny ears were lined with pink cotton, the puppy dark brown). I'm not sure who made them , but the kids loved them, and because they kind of hung on their heads, they weren't constantly struggling to hold their towel when they were learning to dry themselves off. Use your imagination, seems like a fun easy not too expensive project :-) :-)

I think the pillowcases are great suggestions. I have 4 grandsons and have just got my first GD --YEA--SHE IS 13. I have made all the boys "hugs quilts" several years ago and I have made her one for Christmas this year. My boys are all older and I am making them pillowcases for Christmas this year---camouflage,and college fabric.

Kids of almost any age like "hide-outs". Clothilde has a pattern for a card table playhouse that you can personalize.

http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?...989&cat_id=183

There's also a teepee pattern.

Thank you everyone for the fabulous ideas!!

Have you seen the link Loretta posted to a web site called www.ohfransson.com? The doll blankets are so cute. I am itching to make some of them. The girls would love them. You can personalize them or simply use different colors for each girl.

Oh Oh! this brings back major fun memories of when mine were little. I made a big quilt that looked like a checkerboard with red and black bean bags for the checkers. It was huge fun teaching them how to play checkers that way:)

I am bookmarking this. You all have such great ideas.

Mine are a little older but one of the things we did together is: On my embroidery machine they pushed the buttons and picked out a picture, one picked a duck and one picked a bear, then we got the thread together and they loved watching the machine work. Then I made it into a pillow and they stuffed it. They had such a great time doing that part. They were so proud of the pillows they made.

Build a bear is making a fortune off of that exact same thing.

Thanks, more great ideas!

My grands are ages 1 to 5. I'm also going to be making some of them back packs (I think).

I love the checker and bean bag idea too.

There are small pillows available - 12 x 16 - how about getting them a couple of "little" pillows and making pillowcases for them?

The "housewife" or "breakfast" style pillowcase is very neat looking. And quick to make after figuring out how to do it.