Looking for Mom Input

I found an amazing idea in a magazine but it was outrageously expensive. Maybe you could make it for less. Parents can collect favorite tshirts from their kids throughout Jr and Sr High (sports, activities, groups, trips) and as they wear out, keep them in a bag somewhere. Then when graduation rolls around, make them into the face of a quilt as a memory of their school career. I want to do it for my son but I don't sew (not well, anyway) and graduation is in 5 weeks! LOL

~L.

L.,

When I was little I had a busy book that was handmade by somebody (I don't remember by whom, unfortunately) and what they did was they started with a base piece of fabric and sewed pieces of fabric and yarn to make a person, a round pink circle for the face, a shirt shaped piece of fabric for the shirt and pants shaped for the pants etc.

Each page had a different activity on it. One page was lacing and tying using a shoestring, one was buttons, one was a zipper, I think one had a belt buckle, I can't remember everything but I'm sure there was more too. I loved that thing and played with it for hours and I've never ever seen anything even similiar for my own kids, and mostly I've looked at craft shows and bazaars. Just an idea of something you may want to think about trying. Good luck.

Hi L.,

I am in the Grand Rapids area and there is someone here who has sewn costumes and then rents them out to play productions - high schools and other groups. I don't know much about her business, but her daughter is a teacher at our school (elementary school) and we are putting on a play. The costumes that we couldn't find at thrift stores, or make ourselves, we rented from her. You could even start with pieces from goodwill, salvation army, etc and add the detail that makes it into a costume. I would suggest targeting the high school age and above, as their budgets are usually bigger.

Here is the deal - you need to really look into the laws of selling now. The new law that is supposed to help with bad toys encroaches on WAHM's making items you are talking about.

Make a few and take them to play dates to see if kids would even enjoy them - kind of like a focus group. Try to do a bunch of different age groups. You would not want to make a bunch to only have them not sell.

You may want to try your hand a mending too - hemming pants, etc. My MIL brings in some nice money doing that.

Good Luck.

look on ebay under crafts/sewing and see what's selling to get some ideas. I would think that anything "green" would be hot right now, like organic cotton clothes/blankets for kids, bags etc. I've seen homemade baby slings that are cute are work really well, maybe you could find a pattern?

Check with the local dance studios - our costumes are coming in right about now and many need extra embellishments sewn/glued on to them, as well as plain ole alterations. It's been hard to find people to do this kind of work!