Each year I try to give my two sisters equally awesome handmade gifts that follow a similar theme. I usually make something for myself so we can all dorkily match. Last year was a winner: shirts with giant cashmere hearts.

This is a low-skill craft. It requires hand sewing, but nothing complicated. I turn to my local thrift shops for blank sweatshirts and cashmere sweaters. Any tight-knit sweater will work if you aren’t able to find cashmere. Mohair or angora might be fun. Be sure to wash and dry your sweater on the hot setting a couple of times to ensure it is completely done shrinking. If you sew on a fresh sweater when you wash the final product the heart will shrink and cause the shirt to tear and bunch up where you sewed it on (I know from disappointing experience).

DIY heart shirt — No. 8 in Alaska Knit Nat’s DIY Holiday Craft Guide

What you’ll need:

• A blank sweatshirt
• A sweater you don’t mind massacring (cashmere recommended)
• Embroidery thread of contrasting color
• Embroidery needle
• Double-sided fusible, lightweight interfacing or Stitch Witchery

For the full tutorial, click here.