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Home » Diy Gifts

30+ Easy Gifts to Sew For Friends and Neighbors

By Damjana Jakos • Last updated on Jan 31, 2025 • This post may contain affiliate links.

Looking for the perfect gifts to sew for friends, co-workers, or neighbors? Not just any gift - something they'll actually use and love.

We all have neighbors, co-workers, and friends who help us in different ways. They don’t expect anything in return, but taking a moment to say 'thank you' can make a big difference. Here are more than 30 thoughtful, homemade gifts for friends and neighbors - the perfect way to show your appreciation.

gifts to sew for friends durign teh holiday season - three cowl scarves, a dice pouch in blue tie-dyed fabric, and hand warmers in red fabric
Table Of Contents
  • Sewing Gifts VIDEO
  • Sewing Gifts LIST
  • Pretty Diy Oven Mitts
  • Easy Potholders
  • A Bowl Cozy
  • Reversible Fleece Neck Warmer
  • Easy diy pocket hand warmers
  • Diy Sleep Mask Gift
  • Easy Diy Christmas Coasters
  • Cute Diy Coffee Cup Sleeve
  • Always a Handy Gift: Beautiful + Simple Keychain
  • Lipstick Pack?
  • Super Simple Corner Bookmarks to Sew
  • A Quick Gift Card Holder Anyone Can Sew
  • HUGE Holiday Sewing Pattern BUNDLE - FREE!
  • Stunning Table Topper Gift
  • Diy Heating Pad For Sore Back
  • Make a Beautiful, Sturdy Tote
  • Sew A Quick Zipper Pouch
  • A Stylish Makeup Bag
  • Quick Elastic Pen Case
  • A Quilted Zipper Pouch
  • Cute Mini Pincushion
  • Super Handy Cord Keepers
  • Free Front Pocket Wallet Pattern
  • Sew An Elegant Glasses Case
  • Diy Dice Pouch for tabletop game players
  • Make Diy Gift Baskets
  • Cute Wall Decoration
  • Mini Fabric Bins
  • Conclusion
  • WANT MORE FREE TUTORIALS AND GOODIES?

Sewing Gifts VIDEO

First, for those of you who like video tutorials, I've made a video slide-show so you can sit back and watch to get a picture. (There's of course a list with separate links to these tutorials, later in this post.) Check out the video first:

Sewing Gifts LIST

These cozy, heartwarming, and thoughtful gift sewing ideas make perfect Christmas presents for friends and neighbors, adding a personal touch to the holiday season.

Also, finding pretty and useful sewing gift ideas for adults can be challenging, so here I've focused on sewing gifts that people will actually use. Check them out!

I picked quick and easy ideas that beginner sewists can do too. The first three are some of the most universal gifts you can make during the gift-giving season, and make great diy hostess gifts too:

Pretty Diy Oven Mitts

a handmade oven mitt in pink fabric print, next to kitchen utensils and homemeade hot pads

Use our easy oven mitt pattern to make great diy hostess gifts and easy gifts for friends all year round. And especially during the holiday baking season.

Easy Potholders

blue quilted potholder in a classic look with a hanging tab

Make a set of super easy potholders as a perfect diy Christmas gift for friends who love to cook, bake, and barbecue. Get the free potholder template here.

A Bowl Cozy

a floral fabric bowl cozy placed on a pink tablecloth

Sew a thoughtful diy gift for a friend with this easy bowl cozy pattern. These protect hands from hot bowls - and look so lovely in any kitchen. With three sizes, you can make a cozy for everything from a small ice cream bowl to a large soup bowl - perfect for the gift giving season!

Get Free Bowl Cozy Pattern

Reversible Fleece Neck Warmer

three finished winter cowl scarves sewn with fleece in red and teal

Use this cozy fleece neck warmer pattern to make a perfect Christmas gift for friends - it’s warm, practical, and something they can enjoy all winter long. Super quick, one of the easiest sewing projects I've ever made.

a child wearing a handmade fleece hat and a cowl scarf

+1 Freebie: Fleece Hat

Make a set with a fleece hat to keep them warm:

→ Free Fleece Hat Pattern

Easy diy pocket hand warmers

finalized hand warmers with fabric and rice filling, held in a hand

Make a few super easy diy pocket hand warmers for a quick last-minute gift. You only need scrap fabric, a cup of rice and a ribbon to quickly tie a bow - diy gift ready!

Diy Sleep Mask Gift

face masks in lime, white and pink fabric sewn with a free applegreencottage pattern

Gift the luxury of a relaxing sleep with this easy to sew yet practical and thoughtful sleep mask. Grab the free template, read the tips on what materials to use, and you are on your way to a great diy Christmas gift!

Easy Diy Christmas Coasters

red patchwork coasters that make great diy gifts for friends who love to entertain
Diy Coasters Tutorial HERE.

These diy Christmas coasters are ridiculously quick and easy to sew and make perfect little diy holiday gifts. You won't believe how simple they are to diy - no fabric piecing!

Cute Diy Coffee Cup Sleeve

a bamboo cup with a sip cover, filled with coffee placed next to a coffee machine and wrapped in a handmade fabric coffee cup cozy

A great stocking stuffer gift you can sew yourself, for friends, your coffee-drinking co-workers, and neighbors. Use this free coffee cozy pattern and make a beautiful and easy diy coffee cup sleeve as diy holiday present.

Always a Handy Gift: Beautiful + Simple Keychain

three finished  keyholders sewn with beautiful fabric as an easy gift to sew for a friend

This easy diy fabric keychain makes a great gift! Key fobs and diy keychains make great gifts for friends and family.

Lipstick Pack?

finished lip balm pouches with a snap closure

This quick DIY chapstick holder is the perfect stocking stuffer, and a little gift for anyone who loves soft lips. This thoughtful present will sure make them smile!

Super Simple Corner Bookmarks to Sew

a corner book  mark in blue and mustard fabric as an easy gift to sew for a friend
Corner bookmarks tutorial here at Applegreen Cottage

These are perfect to send by post as gifts - even when you can't meet someone in person, you can simply post them a lovely letter, and add one of these bookmarks. What a thoughtful gesture! Speaking about quick gifts, did you know we also have a FREE email guide to sew 5 quick gifts? Here:

sew easy gifts course
JOIN FREE EMAIL COURSE

Join the FREE 6-part email guide and make super easy diy GIFTS - each in 30 minutes or less! You'll love it!

A Quick Gift Card Holder Anyone Can Sew

Easy gift card holder

And sometimes, you'll just want to give your neighbor or friend a choice to choose their own gift. Wrap it in a handmade fashion! This easy gift card holder pattern tutorial is part of the popular, free Homemade Holidays pattern Bundle:

HUGE Holiday Sewing Pattern BUNDLE - FREE!

holiday sewing patterns

17+ sewing patterns to craft your own, cozy holidays! (Updated - October 2024)

Get FREE BUNDLE

Stunning Table Topper Gift

backing of pieced red hexagon table runner in holiday prints with a red poinsettia pot plant decoration

Looking for the perfect homemade gift for neighbors who are new to the place? This beautiful, easy table topper is a wonderful choice! Get creative and spread holiday cheer with this thoughtful, handmade gift. Especially new neighbors will love the warm welcome! 🎄✨

Easy DIY Christmas Pajama Pants

pajama Christmas gift to sew for friends and family
DIY Pajama Pants Tutorial

Have you heard of the Christmas pajama tradition? Sew matching pajama pants for a neighbor's kids! I’ve made plenty for my kids, and I’m sharing a simple pajama pants tutorial with step-by-step instructions.Quick to make and can be sized for everyone. Get the free tutorial here!

Water Bottle Holder

finished water bottle holder in bright cotton print with top closure and a crossbody strap, hanging next to a water bottle

Got a friend who's always on the move? Sew them this free water bottle bag pattern with a crossbody strap—they'll thank you forever!

Diy Makeup Remover pads

finished makeup remover pads made with flannel and cotton

This is fun: a simple zero-waste project you can do in like half an hour (to diy a whole set!). Make a quick batch of zero waste makeup remover wipes - tutorial here at AppleGreen Cottage. Bonus, place them in this tiny fabric bin or a drawstring pouch that can be washed as well, and you'll always have them at hand!

Diy Heating Pad For Sore Back

homemade rice pad for the back

I love to give practical things - I hope there's a higher chance they'll be used and appreciated! 

A handmade rice heating pad for the back and neck is a thoughtful and practical gift, and it will literally warm their heart! Use the free rice neck heating pad pattern to create a comforting and personal present.

Make a Beautiful, Sturdy Tote

a floral market tote bag that makes a great easy gift to sew for friends

Another item that's super useful: big, beautiful bags. Whether as sturdy shopping bags, market totes, as pool totes, or simply as storage totes, people love using them. This is a project that will take a littel more time than just sewing little trinkets, but it's so worth it! Sew up this market tote sewing pattern, you can't miss!

→Free Market Tote Pattern

Sew A Quick Zipper Pouch

diy pencil case sewn using applegreencottage tutorial and a single piece of faux suede and a pink zipper

If you're running out of time, sew a simple, stunning zipper pouch in no time - perfect as a thoughtful gift for friends. Also, it's the easiest quick zipper pouch of all here at AppleGreen Cottage website!

Zipped pouches are a great idea to sew as gifts: they are useful for everything from makeup to cables, and you can use up scraps. There are so many options, let me list a few more:

A Stylish Makeup Bag

a finished cosmetic bag sewn with green faux leather and faux suede, propped against a white wall

Use this free cosmetic bag pattern and make a beautiful makeup bag.

Quick Elastic Pen Case

a faux leather in shimmery rosegold color with an elastic attached to a notebook, made with applegreencottage notebook pen case tutortial

How about making a super easy, faux leather pencil pouch - in minutes! This easy pen case with elastic tutorial will keep the pens always where you need it. A great gift!

A Quilted Zipper Pouch

a finished quilted zipper pouch with a rounded bottom and a pieced exterior, in aqua blue and tropical prints

This lovely quilted pouch can be used as a pencil pouch, as storage for makeup brushes or lipstick, sewing supplies, or simply, a pouch for little trinkets. This free quilted zipper pouch pattern comes in 4 sizes.

Cute Mini Pincushion

a cute scrappy diy pincushin sewn with an applegreencottage pincushion tutorial

No matter how tiny fabric scraps you have, you can use them to create these cute diy scrappy pincushions for your friends. Add this diy needle book and you've got a quick sewing kit gift ready to gift!

Super Handy Cord Keepers

rounded earbud cable holder for samsung cell phone - an easy gift to sew for a friend

Are you more into the practical side, like helping people organize their stuff? This diy cord keeper pattern is something to go for!

Free Front Pocket Wallet Pattern

handy card wallet sewn for a friend using an easy sewing pattern to sew gifts

If you never knew what gift to create for a man, this idea might be THE one to go for! You only need 2 scraps of faux leather or vinyl to create a simple slim card holder. It takes 2 seams and probably 5 minutes of your time - get this free card holder pattern now.

Sew An Elegant Glasses Case

a beautiful handmade eyeglasses case with a flap and a magnetic closure, placed next to red eyeglasses and flowers

A handmade eyeglasses case makes a handy gift. You only need a few scrap pieces - and this free glasses case pattern.

Diy Dice Pouch for tabletop game players

a finished sewn dice pouch in a dark denim print next to several colorful dices

A diy dice bag with pockets is an ideal gift for a Dungeons And Dragons enthusiast! Pair it with a set of unique dice for a truly memorable present.

Make Diy Gift Baskets

a handmade small fabric basket in pink fabric filled with holiday gifts

Also, make a set with our free storage baskets pattern and create a holiday gift basket. Fill them with goodies your friends love, be it Hersheys and Reese's, homemade napkins or reusable makeup pads.  These are beautiful and handy, and will hold anything you like!

Cute Wall Decoration

a framed patchwork quilt

Create a charming framed patchwork decoration as a heartfelt gift for your loved ones.

Mini Fabric Bins

a finished small handmade fabric bin with coloring pencils stored in it and placed on a white table

This mini bin is a great pencil holder or a trinket storage box for your desk or kitchen counter!

Quick Round Coasters

colorful felt diy round coasters for hosting holiday parties

These easy felt coasters will be an eye-catcher at any party, and make a perfect homemade gift.

Conclusion

So now that we've covered so many sewing practical projects to sew and items that make great gifts, I hope you've found your perfect ideas to sew for friends this holiday season. Happy gift-giving!

When you have your own project ready, post a photo to Instagram and tag me @applegreencottage or #applegreencottage - I'd love to see what you sew!

WANT MORE FREE TUTORIALS AND GOODIES?

Get email updates and never miss out on new patterns, printables, and tutorials:

Or …check out the gift bag pattern in 6 sizes in our shop - a super easy no-corner-boxing sewing project. Reusable gift bags for all your future gifts!

fabric gift bag Reusable Block pattern
Get Pattern HERE.
gifts to sew for friends durign teh holiday season - three cowl scarves, a dice pouch in blue tie-dyed fabric, and hand warmers in red fabric

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Damjana is the owner and pattern designer at the popular AppleGreen Cottage website, founded in 2014. She creates easy sewing patterns everyone can sew and enjoy. Her customers say they are super easy to follow and love the little hacks and tips sprinkled around. These will make your sewing a breeze, too. Enjoy!

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