Craft it!
DIY gifts that channel your inner Martha Stewart.

By Sarah Han

RECENTLY, I hosted my first craft night. Ten friends showed up at my apartment with various DIY undertakings: knitting projects, needlepoint kits, handmade tarot cards, and good old paper-and-colored-pencil drawings. Although I wanted everyone attending to have a good time, the evening was mostly a selfish endeavor to kick my lazy ass (still drowsy from this summer's heat) into action. With a wet and cold winter ahead, and the holidays creeping around the corner, crafting will give me something to do on the nights I want to stay in and also provide some affordable and unique holiday gifts.

While one of the most rewarding feelings comes from finishing a project, I'm the first to admit it's not always easy to motivate yourself to get started. I've found the wackiest and funniest projects are the ones that jump-start ye olde crafting motor, not just because I'm laughing while making them, but also because I have the most room to use my imagination. They're my own creations and don't have to be perfect or follow any mold. Plus, I know they'll get a good reaction. When I first thought up making a line of crocheted poop dolls, for example, the first batch of "poolets" were a breeze to plop out, so to speak; I hooked until it hurt, making at least three piles a sitting.

Maybe poop isn't up your alley, but most of you probably have friends who appreciate handmade gifts that don't resemble the hoity-toity items sold in expensive boutiques. So induce that creative spirit within – without getting so cutsey that you induce vomiting – because it's easy and fun to make your own gifts. Here are a few good reasons to get out the scissors, rev up the sewing machine, and fire up the kiln.

Customized clothing

Most supermarkets and pharmacies – and all craft and fabric stores, natch – carry iron-on patches that are used to mend clothing discreetly. You can find swatches in varying sizes and colors to match and cover that gaping hole in the crotch of your favorite pink pants or the cigarette burn on your army jacket. But why not use them to add bold, personal touches (even, dare I say it, "flair") to clothes and give them to your pals? Draw the outlines of funny animals or letters on iron-on swatches, cut them out, and iron them directly onto skirts, shirts, bags, or whatever.

I used this technique for a custom-made Sleepaway Camp T-shirt (with a back that proclaimed "Eat Shit and Live!"). I like these iron-on patches better than premade iron-on letters and shapes because sometimes you don't want perfect lettering. Or you need more e's and a's than the packets of iron-on letters provided and you want your project to be completely your own design.

Another clothing project that's resourceful and pretty simple is reassembling old clothing items. While cleaning out my room, I found a fuzzy lavender sweater that I never wore because it fit me like a Denise Huxtable creation (come on, you remember that episode of the Cosby Show, don't you?). I also found an unworn muscle T-shirt that had an adorable design on it, but with a fit that didn't suit me. I decided I'd take the good from both items and combine them to form one super shirt. I cut the very bottom off the sweater and the very top off the shirt. Then I sewed the sweater band to the shirt – and voilà, a girlie off-the-shoulder shirt! The best thing about reassembling is you use clothing you don't normally wear and would probably just get rid of. Now you can turn these pieces into whole new outfits you would wear or gifts to give someone else.

Floral pins

Fake flower pins are still in style. Everyone's wearing them, from annoying mall tweens to the granny Home Shopping Network set. Unfortunately, the artificial blossoms are pretty pricey, usually hawked for at least $10 a pin. And maybe you don't want to wear a black rose the size of a baby's head on your chest, or it's possible you'd prefer a dahlia over a rose. You can easily make your own floral chest ornament in less than 10 minutes and for less than $3. Buy a fake flower from a craft store (I got mine at Pearl), pop off the bloom part from the stem where it easily comes apart, and then cut the remaining stem nubbin from the head of the flower with a sharp pair of scissors. Lastly, sew or use a hot glue gun to attach the flower to a pinback.

If you're not into the pseudo-realistic look of silk flowers, you can make handmade-looking ones with felt. Brooklyn artist Maggie Kleinpeter, a.k.a. Supermaggie (www.supermaggie.com), creates dear hand-sculpted and felted flowers. They're definitely cute, but when making your own, don't fret about going through the process of felting. While craft gurus may argue it's worth the effort, felting, like felching, is a difficult, wet, and messy task. Leave that project for the Martha Stewart types. Premade felt is cheaper, less time consuming, and easy to work with.

A friend of mine, local designer Becky Hui, makes Felt Felts, elegant but simple floral pins that can jazz up any outfit (www.linglingshop.com). You can create your own felt floral pins and accessories, too. Cut out felt shapes, layer them on top of each other like petals, and sew them together. Glue or sew your creation onto a backing (or even simpler, use a safety pin). Add beads and rhinestones for extra dazzle.

Novelty gifts

If you and your friends like to give each other novelty items but you're tired of spending your hard earned cash at places like Spencer Gifts, you can make your own gag gifts without breaking the bank.

I'm in love with the photos in old picture frames you find in thrift stores, especially the original fake photos that came with the frames, circa the 1970s and early '80s. My collection hangs on my wall, as is (I call them "my fake family"). But I got the idea from the roommate of a friend to embellish these funny photos with familiar faces. Take photographs of friends who hate each other, cut out their heads and superimpose their faces so that they're staring at each other all googly-eyed with a beautiful sunset in the background. Or place your 90-year-old grandma's visage on the body of a child on a tricycle. Or paste your kitty's mug onto the body of a posing bride. The possibilities are endless.

I don't drink beer, but I'm sure most of you do. Beer can cozies are another fun and easy novelty gift for the malt-and-hops lover in your life. You can make them out of a variety of materials, although I would steer away from fabrics that are slippery or too thin. Knit or crochet one, or use a sock (preferably new, unless your friend has a foot fetish) that you've cut to fit the height of a beer can. Embroider your friend's name on it. If you suck at embroidery like I do, you can cut out felt letters and glue them on, or carefully write it on with a sharpie or a fabric marker.

These are just a few ideas, but hopefully you'll come up with some of your own. When you're crafting, the finished product may not look exactly like you envisioned it in your head, but the process of creation is what often leads to ideas for other projects, and it always teaches you better ways to make things. And don't worry about not having enough time to practice – we've got a whole lot of rainy and cold days ahead of us.

You can find Sarah Han's crochet creations at Otsu (3253 16th St., S.F. 415-255-7900), or you can special order them by e-mail.

Craft gear

Got the crafting fever but don't know where to get your gear? Here are some conventional art and craft specialty stores in San Francisco that I shop at.

Arch 99 Missouri, S.F. (415) 433-2724.

Discount Fabrics 4458 Mission, S.F. (415) 586-1040. 1432 Haight, S.F. (415) 621-5584.

Flax 1699 Market, S.F. (415) 552-2355.

Mendel's 1556 Haight, S.F. (415) 621-1287.

Pearl 969 Market, S.F. (415) 357-1400.

While art and craft stores are great because you can get everything at one place, thrift stores and flea markets often carry fabric, yarn, latch-hook kits, and other items at unbeatable prices. Sometimes the goods may not be so obvious; you may have to be a resourceful and have a keen eye for what you want. For example, you can use sheets and other bedding as fabrics, or buy a cheap shirt just for the rare, vintage buttons. Out-of-town thrift stores are always best for scoring unusual, non-picked over finds. The thrift stores in the city that I frequent the most are:

Community Thrift Store 623 Valencia, S.F. (415) 861-4910.

Goodwill Various locations. www.sfgoodwill.org.

Thrift Town 2101 Mission, S.F. (415) 861-1132.

Other times, specialty stores are the answer to your needs. One of my favorites is the Ribbonerie, which is dedicated to, and filled with, the prettiest ribbons in town. Kinokuniya Stationery has not only the best Japanese knickknacks, stickers, and stationery but also beautiful traditional paper.

Kinokuniya Stationary Kinokuniya Building, Post and Webster, S.F. (415) 567-8901.

Ribbonerie 191 Potrero, S.F. (415) 626-6184.

And if you're totally craft-disabled, you can always just pick up a gift from one of these cool stores that sell handmade wares by local designers:

826 Valencia 826 Valencia, S.F. (415) 642-5905.

National Product 1845 Market, S.F. (415) 255-1920.

Needles and Pens 483 14th St., S.F. (415) 255-1534.

Otsu 3253 16th St., S.F. (415) 255-7900.

S.H.