Have a Grillin Holiday

I want to do a homemade holiday this season for all our friends, family, and neighbors (except for the kids-they'd kill Santa if all they got were printed shirts, embroidered mittens, jar gifts, fabric & paper based toys, homemade books and games!) So with all the holiday buzz focusing so much on the frilly and girly gifts, it's occurred to me can I do for the men in my life. I've been thinking a bit about it and have decided on a few projects. Starting today and over the next few days, I'll share a few of my smokin' ideas with you!

For the BBQ'er in the family

• Either sew a basic apron with neutral tones or purchase one. Make sure it has plenty of pockets to hold tools of the trade. Embellish the apron with an iron-on transfer, fabric paint & stamps, or embroider with "manly" images or words. "Kiss the Cook", "World's Best BBQ'er", "Number 1 Dad" are always popular. Extra fun can be had by adding a lipstick or grill image. Feel free to customize it to the personality of the reciever. That's what will make this gift stand out!
• Personalize plain T Shirts or Sweatshirts with fabric paint and a stamps with a fun saying "I'm smokin!" "Too HOT to handle!". You can buy the stamps at a craft store or make your own from sponges, potatoes, or even an iron on template using printed clip art and freezer paper!
• Include a jar of home made rubs, spices, sauces, etc.
• A "manly" recipe book makes an excellent addition to the gift set.
  

Try making a custom grilling tool roll (inspired from this crayon roll tutorial). Using a tough material like tent canvas, nylon, leather, burlap, denim, etc will create a manly and durable gift he's sure to use. (Tip: to avoid the hassle of fusing two single sided materials together-go for a material that's reversible like denim, tent canvas, or even nylon)

1. First make sure you have all the grilling utensils handy. It will help you figure out how far apart to space the pockets.
   
2. After you've got the utensils together, lay out your fabric and mark your measurements. The size of your fabric will depend on how many utensils you're gifting. It may help to lay them flat side by side (like pictured above) to get the width (add at least an inch for seam allowance). To get the proper length, mark your fabric one full length of the longest utensil PLUS 2/3 of that length for the bottom pouch PLUS another 2/3 the original length for a cover flap (Example: if your longest utensil is 12 inches long-the length would be 12 in + 8 in + 8in for a total of 28 inches. If you choose to go with a shorter length then you may need an elastic band sewn into the final product to secure the utensils as shown in the photo above).
   
3. Cut your fabric according to your measurements and hem the raw edges at 1/2 inch all the way around. You'll end up with one long rectangle
   
4. Fold up the bottom length for the pouch (8 inches in my example above) and pin. From this point it's rather simple. Stitch either by hand or machine, straight vertical lines creating the pockets for your utensils. Make sure you allow enough space between the pockets so your utensils will lay flat.
   
5. Include an eyelet on one end of the roll and a long enough strip of leather to wrap and tie around the roll. Alternatively you can use snaps, buttons, velcro, etc to secure the roll.

There's lots of things you can do with a little creativity and some inspiration. What are you giving the men in your life this holiday season?