Remember when I made that baby book for my best friend’s baby shower? Something I learned from that experience is that I love handmade gifts and that I want to make and give more of them.

This probably sounds like a no–brainer—who doesn’t love something homemade, right?—but it takes time and planning, so I’m making an effort to plan ahead this year when it comes to gift–giving.

Here’s a handmade gift I worked on during the fall and gave my nieces for Christmas:

I used this pattern from the Etsy shop Charlotte Lyons.

Aren’t the little farm animals so cute?

One niece has a beagle and the other has a chocolate lab, so I sketched those with a quilting pen and embroidered them. (I was worried it wouldn’t be clear that these were their dogs, so I included a tag with the each dog’s initial!)

I’ve mentioned my issues with sewing before—see also: weeping and gnashing of teeth—and I’m happy to report that it wasn’t quite as bad as it’s been in the past. Lots of straight lines, thankfully!

I used various patterns of fabric for the back of each animal to make everything fun and colorful.

I made the little girls in the barn look like my nieces, and the dog sitting outside looks like my dog. Lots of little personal details that are hard to get in a store–bought gift, you know?

These were so much fun to make! The embroidery took a while, of course, but it’s my favorite hobby, so I didn’t mind. I did most of it while we watched football. The sewing took me a full day, but I’m sure more experienced seamstresses could finish it much more quickly!

The best part? Giving them, of course! My nieces were so excited to open these on Christmas Eve. I’m already dreaming up what I’ll make them next.