May Day. I’m talking about the first day of May, not a radio signal for help. Some of you may be very familiar with giving small gifts on this day each year. Others may have never heard of this concept. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, this was popular back in the 19th and 20th centuries. First, people would fill paper baskets or cones with treats and flowers. Then, they’d knock on the recipient’s door and yell “May basket!” and run away. If they got caught, the gifter owed the giftee a kiss. The popularity of this tradition has faded over the years. I’m not exactly sure why because it’s sounds so fun!
I have never given or received a May Day basket (I know! Sad, right?), but only because I just discovered this tradition. I don’t think anyone in my neck of the woods celebrates the first day of May with anything other than Justin Timberlake memes. However, my good friend Dorothy lives in Iowa, and it’s a total thing there! She makes handmade items and passes them out to her friends. I forgot to ask her if she ever has to kiss them too. (I’ll have to call her later and ask that!)
If you already take part in the May Day tradition or if you just want to start, I have picked out some super creative and fun little projects to add to your baskets. There are also a TON of May Day projects on Pinterest. Just search for “May Day Baskets” and you will get loads of ideas. You have approximately two weeks from the time of this post date until May Day to get them made. Let’s get started!
Hand Towels or Key Fobs
Decorative ribbon is so fun to play around with. You can sew it down onto a variety of fun and fast projects. The perfect May Day gift could be a few plain hand towels that you simply added some adorable ribbon to! I always see the cutest ribbon when I am shopping and never know exactly where I could use it or what project it would be right for. Here’s your chance to buy and use some super cute ribbon and make a great gift with it! (I’ve been eyeing some cute football ribbon and I bet I know a football fan that would love a towel with football ribbon on it!) Read more about adding ribbon to hand towels on Missouri Star blog or by clicking here.
Another great item to make with ribbon are key fobs. Everyone can use these handy little items! They are fast and easy and oh so gosh darn cute! Read more about this project and other similar ones on Missouri Star blog or by clicking here!
Read more about them here.
Reusable Microwave Popcorn Bag
This is a fast and easy project from eHow that is sure to be a sweet surprise for anyone. (Who doesn’t love popcorn, right?) This little bag allows you to add popcorn kernels and microwave them. This is a cheaper alternative to buying microwave popcorn, plus it may be a healthier option too. Many microwave popcorn bags have additives and preservatives. Here is an important tip though: be sure to use only 100% cotton fabric and 100% cotton thread in this project though! You don’t want a fire to happen in the microwave. Find the free pattern and tutorial here.
Need some floral fabric for that perfect May Day project? I picked a few of my favorites below but you can check out the huge selection of florals (including the three below) by clicking here!
Fabric Bowl Covers
These handy bowl covers are fast, easy to make, and a great alternative to plastic wrap! Plus it’s something anyone and everyone could make use of. Depending on what fabric you choose, you could make them feminine or masculine. Each one can be made from a fat quarter. Hearth and Vine has a wonderful free tutorial online to make these. Check it out here.
You can find them here or click here for even more fat quarter options.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to make May Day baskets with some awesome handmade projects in them? I know I am! Happy sewing!
‘Til next time,
Beth
P.S. Want more ideas for quick and easy project ideas? Click here to see more on Nancy’s Notions!
horrible links, and so many popup ads I could not read the article. It kept going back to the first page every time I tried to scroll down to continue reading. Will NEVER CLICK another link from any of these Articles again.
Hi Glenda. We don’t have any popups on our site at all, nor do we have anything that would interfere with scrolling. I’m so sorry you had a bad experience, but I think maybe it is your computer or device. You may want to run a scan for viruses on your computer. Good luck and we would love to have you here at Nancy’s Notions.
It’s definitely your computer — clear all the cookies and run system care. You need to do regular maintenance of your computer. I’m lucky that my husband takes care of my computer because it is complicated!
I agree, I encountered no pop-ups.