Need charity craft fair ideas

Hi, all you talented ladies. Am involved with the local hospital Auxiliary and am looking for ideas for our annual holiday craft fair in November. A few of us meet every week to craft for this event. We all have varying sewing skill levels. Am trying to use up a huge amount of fabric that was donated. Am looking for project ideas that have a good return ($$$) or easy and quick to make in quantity. Any suggestions and/or places where to get patterns or ideas, etc? I search the web and have come up with a few ideas but hoping others have some, too. Thank you!

Quick and easy would be tissue holders. good way too use up smaller pieces of fabric. Reuseable grocery bags using a simple tote pattern.If you have christmas-y fabric maybe drawstring bags that could be sold as "re-usable gift bags"?

There is a you-tube video titled, Pot holders in minutes, and they are literally made in a few minutes, I made nine in a couple of evenings, after cooking and doing dishes. So if you have help, you can do these assembly line style and whip up several very quickly.

YoYo Angels. I love to grab those and they are generally priced around $4 to $5 each. big return for material. do a google search or PM me on how I made my own as Christmas gifts.

Really easy are draught excluders. Back strip can be all one piece approx. 6'' x 36''. The front side can be made up of different size rectangles/squares upto 6 x 36 and then join the two together. Leave a space to put the stuffing and handsew the gap. I am not sure what the weather is like in New England at that time of year but its frezing here in the UK and they are popular.

How about pillow cases - they go together pretty quickly.

For the young ones, how about crayon aprons and crayon holders?

Great ideas, Ladies!!! Need to add these to my sewing ideas folder.

I watched the u-tube video for the potholder. Super simple and quick but I would go one step further and add a loop to one corner before sewing the layers together. Definitely holding onto these ideas. Thanks for posting, Shelsmom.

The yoyo angels are really cute! They'd make great pins if you add a jewelry pin to the back or add a ribbon loop to turn it into an ornament. Thanks, Judy.

I've always wanted to make a draft excluder, but have never gotten around to it. Such a practical idea, JB10.

Those pillowcases are so easy to make. i haven't given any as gifts yet but I keep thinking I'm going to add machine embroidery to the edge with a monogram and decorative border to give as gifts. Another project on the "To Do" list.

I was selling aprons a while back and made a couple of children's aprons at the request of a friend. She had one child that was interested in cooking and one in art. She added the appropriate supplies to the pockets for each child and they loved them. You really can't go wrong with aprons. Good suggestion, Suzette.

How about placemats? Those are fairly quick to make and can be a plain or fancy as you want to make them.

Every one of your ideas is a good one that we will try out. Thank you so much. Right down to making pins with another item suggested! I will be checking out that pot holder video, shelsmom. Even without the Auxiliary's fabric supply, I personally have enough scraps that we could use with no money being expended. And you know New England (I live in NH) gets mighty cold so the draft excluder is a very practical idea. Do you stuff with fiberfill or something heavier, like sand? From Grannyjudy, the yoyo angels sound interesting and ironically I just bought 2 yoyo makers from MSQC! Yahoo...can now try them out and actually make something with the finished product. Now I'm going to gather the supplies so my group can get started. Will let you know of our progress and if any other ideas strike....would love to hear them! Thank you so much for all the great ideas. Have a great day!

All of the ideas given are great so I don't have any new ones to add - but at the risk of being stupid what the heck is a draft excluder? Is it the decorative thing in front of the door the keep drafts out?

Yes. they were popular during the 70's gas shortage. they were called"draft dodgers" around here.

I've made a couple of Draft excluder ( draft dodgers as my youngest called them) I always used something heavy.. like those glass bead things for the bottom of floral vases.. They make great Christmas gifts if ya get a bunch of snowmen together with a bottom of heavy beads or marbles. Not too hard to make and really appreciated here during the winters..

Here is a link to easy Christmas Stockings by JENNY....yayyyyyy. I mean really.....what's more christmasy than stockings :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YK2GlJGeH4

Thank you again, everyone! Wicked....the stocking idea is a great one that we hadn't thought of. Will definitely do that as we have some donated Christmas fabric. Going to check the video as soon as I get off the forum. Thank you!

most of the thinks I could think of have already been suggested - placemats & napkin (sets), table runners, mantle runners, potholders, etc... but then I was thinking about all the lanyards people wear. Wouldn't it be nice to have a pretty calico one? From 1 yard of material you could make 18 from a 2" strip. At $5/yd, the cost of material is only $0.28 ea. Add a split ring and a clip to the end and your cost is probably under $1 ea. Sell for $3, $4, $5 ea.

You're very welcome ... :) :)

I anyone Crochets, crochet from fabric small circles (thick wrapped) rather than rugs, another version of potholder. Doing a plain pillowcase with a matching quilted end design on them (set) -- saw those online with Moda I think? or a tutorial here?
Potholders done in color sets for different seasons -- Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, July 4 -- then a Set could be sold as a gift.
Small coffee table set for front room in Christmas etc colors in order to design cute table toppers NOT for the kitchen table.
Mini-stockings to hang as a cute ornament set -- with '11 on it -- 5 or 6 -- keep it simple and rustic.
Fabric bags to use year after year for Christmas -- We use that instead of killing trees and fighting weird shapes that wrap miserably -- colors for kids -- and use fabric "strings" woven to tighten the tops. Could quilt up a design and line or just make basic bags with a wrap on top.
Kettle covers
Advent Calendar - simple with pockets and a nice hanger on top (cheap) -- ours just had pockets with a ribbon that had a pretty snowflake on it that we moved pocket to pocket
Aren't there quilted wraps for 9x13 cake pans out there for taking them to others' homes when potluck dining?
Picnic table holder for plate, knife, fork, spoon that unrolls and acts as a placemat and can be washed and re-rolled with it to not lose things?
mini-butt-blankets for having picnics where the table may have wet/icky place for bottoms to go, or to use at events in the community, or picnics in the grass and keeping bummy dry from moist grass/dirt.... like 2x3 or 4
Back of chair toppers/back of couch etc for front room like in the old days when they would crochet a fancy thing -- you can make mini, thin toppers to set the mood without making full-blown quilts. Quick way to dec a room for those who don't want to change off the mantle, swap out curtains etc. I've even made them to go just over the top of my curtains and hang down about 1 1/2 ft (and some for behind the curtain (solid and plain) and that decs the room for a holiday -- you could even have two seasons -- one on each side!

Ok, that is the beginning of my brains ideas. I can think of things -- wish that I had health to make all that I can "create"!!

Thank you's to Melanee and Nquade. Melanee....you came up with so many and most we have not thought of! WoW! Will have a blast trying them out. Sorry you are dealing with health challenges...but boy, oh boy, your brain is working great!! Take care.
Nquade.....I really really like the idea about the lanyards. Will search for a 'pattern'....if no luck, will wing it! Thanks, too, for the price suggestion. We always struggle with that. What is too much vs not wanting to give it away. But we are resigned to the fact that we won't ever really get our 'time' back. Thank you, Ladies.

You are very welcome, I also added a hanging loop on the pot holders, because the ladies I am giving them to as gifts, will more than likely hang them in their kitchen as decoration as apposed to using them, I made them to match their decor. But to sell any colors and patterns will be great and be used I am sure. Wishing you much success.

I like the small pillow cases as many elderly people use small pillows as comfort pads for arms etc.. I like a couple in my car for long trips. The tube pillow cases are made in 10 minutes. Its so easy.

Pillowcases are quick and to give them a different look try dressing them up with ribbon or another fabric on the edge. Good luck!

how about a baby sling? i made several of these......so easy! They are really comfortable to use/wear and they comfort newborns in particular.

This is the pattern i used

http://www.patsythompsondesigns.com/free-video/

but here is another:-

http://www.handmade-adelaide-baby.co...g-pattern.html

ohhhhh i just thought of another idea.... we call them Proggy Mats........ but i think they are also called rag rugs. very easy and great to use up any fabric scraps you have from your other projects

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW6irT_GwDg

The lady in this video has a Geordie accent which you may find difficult in the US. I know my American friends have problems understanding me sometimes lol. But these mats are called Proggy, Proddy, rag, raggy etc etc. You should find instructions you can decipher somewhere on the net lol. Tradionally sacks were used to make them and i still do use sacks sometimes but you can use any strong mesh backing stuff. I also just use one side of a wooden peg, i dont have a posh tool. These mats were made of any available fabric, didnt often have a picture on in the old days but they usually made a pettern as they went along. They wash well, are great for fun bath mats, or door mats, best to add some rubber grips to the back though in these days of health and safety :) i used them for years for my old dog...... lots of uses, will stop rambling now.

I made nine in a couple of evenings, after cooking and doing dishes. So if you have help, you can do these assembly line style and whip up several very quickly.

Just came home from a week away and found these other great ideas! Daisy, really like the idea of the proggy rugs and want to try the wreath in Christmas colors. (love her accent....had no trouble understanding her!) We have the perfect fabric to make some baby slings. Maureen and Susan......Never thought of making cases for the smaller pillows. IN fact, plan to make one for myself. Need to support my arm after having some residual damage from a fractured shoulder and often the bed pillows are too big. Adding decorations/embellishments is a good idea, too. Thank you all you special ladies!!!