Handmade Gift Idea

A lot of people are at a loss for gift ideas--including me. I’m always on the lookout for that special something. To me, Christmas is about finding a gift that screams Johnnie!

One year, yet again, I was stumped for what to get little Johnnie, who happened to love the Marvel Comic character Wolverine. This was years before the X-men movie was created, so I couldn’t find a Wolverine to save my life. I came home night after night with achy feet, but I didn’t blame this on the 3 ½ inch heels I wore to the mall. I was hot, but not because I wore my faux fur coat to shop in crowded stores. My arms felt like they were going to fall off, but this had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my purse is the size of an overnight bag. And my head felt like it was 3 sizes too big and of course this wasn’t due to the fact that I use enough hairspray that my hair could be used as a bike helmet. Just because I walk around the mall looking like I belong on a runway doesn’t mean I should receive any repercussions like bunions, headaches or spine problems.

I digress.

Wolverine eluded me until one night I realized I would have to create my OWN Wolverine. So, I went on-line and found a really cool picture of Wolverine and saved him in My Pictures. I purchased some Iron-on transfer paper at Wal-Mart. I also bought a long sleeved shirt at JCPenneys. Then I printed that picture onto the iron-on paper and pressed it onto the shirt. And viola’ a custom made one-of-a kind shirt! Not to mention, Johnnie had a Wolverine shirt well before X-men was even popular! Boy did he love that shirt!

This is such an EASY gift. You can download a picture of a soccer ball and after ironing it onto the shirt you can sew black and white sequence for an added touch. Or if someone is a dancer, you can use ballet shoes, or how about the equestrian in your family--try a horse or saddle. Another way to decorate the shirt is with paints.

You can paint the entire iron-on or just outline it like I did on my lion shirt above. Or once you have downloaded your picture you can add words or names using a photo program. Just make sure you use the proper settings before printing because the words will be backwards. My program has mirror image. And be sure to have HAVE FUN. Plus the fact that it’s handmade will make it all the more special.