Homemade Gifts: Embroidered Hand Towels

Every year I try to come up with a fun, homemade gift for the boys to make that we can mail out to family in the midwest. This year I decided to dust off an oldie but goodie and teach the boys a family tradition. The boys' great-grandma used to give everyone embroidered gifts including blankets and hand towels that she made well into her 90s. When I saw an embroidery project in a kids craft book at the library I though, what a fun idea for the boys to make for their grandparents, aunts and uncles! It is sure to bring a tears to an eye or two on Christmas morning.

We started by having Nigel draw the pictures because he is a little young to get into the sewing part and he is really into drawing right now. Xaviar and Basil both drew a picture or two each and both of them helped with the embroidery. I showed them a simple backstitch and off they went! Here is Basil hard at work:


Basil is a natural (of course) and loved doing it. His stitches are beautiful. Here are his masterpieces:


Nigel drew the bowl of goulash for grandma and Basil stitched it.



The other grandma gets a frog that Nigel drew and Basil stitched.


Basil drew the hearts and stitched this one for one of their aunts.

Xaviar was a little less patient with the embroidery and his stitches kept getting longer and longer over time. Here are the two he drew and stitched:



And the one that Nigel drew and Xaviar stitched for an uncle:


While we were working on this project we found a box of hand towels great grandma had embroidered. She did this one in her 90s! Look at the dainty stitches!! How amazing:




Now, all we have to do is mail them off and hope none of the grandparents, aunts or uncles will read this post before Christmas ;)