Author: makelifecrafty

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Brag Post – My Incredible Mama

My mom taught me to sew when I was just 4 years old, as incredible as that is to believe. I started with hair scrunchies and pillows for my Barbies, and eventually moved on to quilts and clothing. I like to think I inherited her creativity, and it’s a HUGE part of who we both are.

In retirement she is finding lots of ways to keep herself busy, but one of her current projects I thought was worth sharing today.

I have a young niece who adores Barbies and my mom simply loves making clothes to fit her Barbies, just like she did for me when I was a kid. She comes up with her own designs and embellishments and creates stunning little pieces.

She recently opened an Etsy shop of her own and her shop name is “DreamingAboutCrafts”, not surprisingly.

If you’re looking for a cute birthday gift for a Barbie loving child in your life, check out her store for sure. She’s always whipping up new outfits and they are made with the utmost quality and care.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/DreamingAboutCrafts?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Happy Thursday!

Heather

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Wood Burned Gift Tags

Anybody who knows me IRL knows I will never say no to learning a new craft. If I hear about it, I must try it!

Last year I came across a tutorial online for wood burning. A lot of the images I was finding online were very elaborate. I always like to start small, though.

A very special person in my life was getting married and two very important people would be missing from her big day – her grandparents, who she adored more than anything.

I started to think about how I could do something special for her to take with her on her wedding day that would be a little reminder of them. As they are also my grandparents I went digging through my box of cards (yes, I keep cards……) and found cards signed by each of them.

Fondly remembering my grandfather, his signature saying came into mind. With that, a wood burning idea popped into my head. I could transfer their signatures onto a wooden disc. Drill a hole and run a ribbon through it to make a gift tag sort of thing.

I found cards with each of their signatures, and thankfully my grandfather had written his famous words “God bless” next to his name.

I ran out and bought a wood burning tool at Michaels. While I was there I picked up a pack of their small wooden discs and a few other small wooden things to practice on. I was convinced I could do this.

This is the tool I purchased:

Once I got home I fired up the tool and started to practice. It was a LOT harder than I thought.

Within a couple of days, though, with the use of carbon paper (for tracing their signatures) I was able to get the disc done. I gave it to her the night before her wedding. She wore it on the handle of her bouquet. As I watched her walk down the aisle in her beautiful dress, knowing that she had this little thing with her brought tears to my eyes. They would have loved to see her marry her sweetheart. They will be forever missed.

For this project you will need the following materials:

  • Any raw wood (not painted or stained)
  • Wood burning tool
  • Ribbon (optional)
  • Stamp (optional)
  • Ink pad (optional)

You can either write or trace something onto the wood, or you can totally cheat like I do and take a rubber stamp, dip it in ink, transfer to the wood, and start burning over the ink lines.

So this image above is simply stamped with plain black ink. I let my tool heat up for about 10 minutes before attempting to use it. It is EXTREMELY hot. I put a silicone mat underneath it to protect my counter top.

Once your tool is heated up and your image is prepared, you can start burning. The trick is to resist the urge to press the tip of the tool into the wood. Lightly and very slowly glide the tip of the tool over the ink lines.

If you are finding it’s not burning dark enough, you can always go over it again.

Try not to leave the tool in any one place too long as you will scorch your wood and likely leave a bit of a hole in the surface.

This is after the burning is complete. Looks a bit boring to me….


I just made some tiny dots around the perimeter (the tool doesn’t have to burn these for very long as they are tiny), and strung a ribbon through the hole. Gift tag complete!

You can literally burn anything onto these tags, this is just a simple example of what you can do. I would encourage you to practice on a scrap piece of wood for awhile until you get the hang of it.

I’ve seen some pretty cool wood burning on wooden spoons and cutting boards, which makes a fantastic bridal shower gift!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this simple tutorial.

Heather

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DIY Monster Stuffies

Happy Monday! I’m back from vacation now and so excited to get crafting again. While I was away I scored some pretty new things from Hobby Lobby and I can’t wait to share them with you.

For today, though, I’m going to share with you the final project from my son’s 1st birthday party.

Since I’m “that mom” I couldn’t just do loot bags for the kids. No, I needed to make something for each little kid. It had to be adorable, relevant, and one-of-a-kind.

I searched high and low for the perfect monster stuffy pattern and came across this free set from It’s Always Autumn, found here: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/stl-felt-monsters-to-make-with-your-kids-plus-free-mix-n-mat.html

I used these patterns for the bodies of the monsters and some of the accessories, but I did spice things up with my own monster mouths and eyes.

Here are the materials needed for this project:

  • Fabric for the monster bodies (I used fleece)
  • Fabric for the accessories (I used scraps of felt, cotton, etc)
  • Heat’N Bond Lite
  • Stuffing (I used Loops and Threads brand which you can get at Michael’s)

To start I printed a couple of copies of these patterns, as I was making about 30 of them and knew the pattern pieces would get worn out after awhile.

I had some help from a very dear friend during the cutting out phase. (Thanks again, Janet!) First I made sheets of fabric with applique paper attached to the back. Attach the Heat’N Bond Lite to the fabric using the directions on the package, and always remember to turn the steam setting OFF on your iron.

From those sheets we cut out bodies, eyes, mouths, accessories. Then I laid them all out so I could plan out each monster separately.

I appliqued the eyes, mouths and accessories in place. Then I sewed the bodies together per the instructions on the pattern pieces.

As much fun as it was putting the eyes, mouths and accessories on the front, I added hearts to the butts of some of the monsters. No idea why, just seemed cute at the time.

Next I turned them right side out, stuffed, and my amazing mama hand stitched them closed.

These don’t take a long time to make individually, probably about 20-30 minutes. Multiply by 30………I never want to see another monster pattern again.

Just kidding. They were so darn cute, and they were totally worth the effort.

Once they were all made I placed them in a basket with an Adopt-A-Monster sign. The kiddies got to choose which monster they took home, and lots of moms messaged me afterwards to tell me how much their kid loved their toy.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial!

Heather

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Pride Inspired Polymer Clay Earrings

So since writing my post last week about the DIY Polymer Clay Rose Earrings I have starting making LGBT Pride Inspired earrings, and they are probably one of my favorite projects yet!

In recent weeks a school in Lewisport, Newfoundland & Labrador has made headlines after the mayor of the small town declined a request to paint a rainbow crosswalk near the school. Disappointed in the decision, I started wondering how I could show support for these students and the LGTBQ community as a whole. From this curiosity these little earrings were born!

The pride flag colors (top to bottom) are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. I decided the petals should be in order, starting with the centre of the rose.

These are made exactly the same way as the original rose earrings found here: https://makelifecrafty.com/diy-polymer-clay-rose-earrings/

I’ve had some interest from followers who want to purchase a pair, so I have created an Etsy listing. A portion of the profit from each pair will be donated to a related charity TBD.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/614104739/handmade-pride-inspired-polymer-clay?ref=shop_home_active_1

These earrings are super fun to wear and can generate a lot of important conversation, so I’m extremely proud to share them with you.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this post.

Happy Monday!

Heather

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DIY Polymer Clay Rose Earrings

Stroll though just about any craft fair these days and you’re sure to see a table (or three) of earrings made from sculpted polymer clay. I found a pair at the local farmers market a few months back and fell in love with them. What I didn’t love was the pricetag!

After a little time on Pinterest I was able to piece together how these are made. Specifically I was browsing Fab DIY’s tutorial and learned the technique there. Here is that page: http://www.fabdiy.com/easy-clay-rose-beads/

I didn’t want to make clay beads, though, as I had my heart set on studs.

Here are the materials you need for this tutorial:

  • Polymer clay (I use Sculpey brand) in any color
  • Acrylic paint (if you want to paint your clay)
  • Sculpey gloss
  • Paintbrush
  • Earring post and back
  • E-6000 craft glue
  • Glass baking dish
  • Oven set to 275 degrees
  • Sculpting tools are optional
  • Knife
  • Clean, flat surface for rolling clay

I picked up a beautiful marble tray at Winners for $20 knowing that it would be perfect for working with clay. I purchased white Sculpey as well as a variety pack of colors, and some of their glittery colors at Michaels. I also bought the gloss and sculpting tools there.

To start you will cut off a block of Sculpey and soften it gently with your hands. Roll it out into a log.

Take a sculpting tool or a knife and start cutting small sections from the log.

Next you want to take each section and roll it into a small ball.

Next you will flatten each ball into a disc, keeping the edges of the disc thin and kind of flimsy, but not too flimsy as the clay will tear. You can either flatten it on your working surface or just between your fingers. You might find the clay sticks to the working surface so you will want to gently pry each one up off the board with your knife. If you are flattening between your fingers and it sticks to your skin, wash your hands with soap and water and it should help.

Next you can take a pointy sculpting tool (or you could use a toothpick) to begin wrapping your first disc, which will form the centre of your rose.

From here you will begin adding petals to the rose. You can either leave the rose on the tool or you can remove it, whichever is easier for you.

You will keep working in a circular pattern, adding petals to the rose. Typically I use about 9-10 petals per rose, but if I’m doing a mini rose (child-size) I may stick to 4-5 petals.

Once you’ve added all of the petals and are happy with the overall size, you will want to gently shape the rose so it has a round shape. Hold the rose between your fingers and gently shape it. The key is to NOT press on the petals directly as you will collapse them and ruin the design. You are gently kind of rolling the section of clay behind the petals to smooth it out.

If you notice one rose looks a little larger than the other it’s not a big deal, but to even it out you can simply squeeze the petals a little. Alternately you can add a petal or two to the smaller rose.

The clay becomes very soft as you work with it as it’s warmed by your hands. So once the rose is formed I like to set it aside for 15 minutes or so to let it cool down and get its firmness back. It makes the next step much cleaner.

You will want to cut off the back of the rose now as you don’t want your earring to be really thick.

Cut as straight as you can. Try not to crush the rose as you do this. If you notice the rose seems to collapse a little, you can gently squeeze around the perimeter and hopefully restore the shape.

Once you trim your roses you will place them in a glass baking dish in preparation for baking. Take the remnants of clay and place back in the package for use later.

Pay special attention to the baking instructions for your specific clay. I noticed my natural Sculpey needs to bake for 15 mins at 275 per 6mm (thickness), but the colored Sculpey needs to bake twice as long.

Once your earrings are baked you can leave them in the dish and let them cool down. If you’ve used natural Sculpey you may want to paint your earrings with acrylic paint. If you’re using a light colored paint you may just need 1 coat, but for darker hues you will need 2-3 coats.

Once your earring is finished baking/drying, you will seal it with Sculpey glaze. You don’t need to glaze the flat side (the side you cut) as you will be attaching the earring post. So just glaze the petals and centre of the rose.

The glaze needs to dry for 24 hours, but in the meantime you can attach the post about 30 minutes after applying the glaze and let it all dry at once.

To attach the post you will make sure the flat surface is clear of any dust or debris, then use a small dab of E6000 glue. Lay the earring back in place and let dry on a flat surface.

24 hours later you have a beautiful pair of earrings ready to wear!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. These make adorable gifts and a small pack of Sculpey makes a  LOT of earrings.

Happy Monday!

Heather

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DIY Birthday Shirt

Leading up to Connor’s birthday party I was looking at options for a fun birthday tshirt! My husband lives in baseball-style shirts so I thought it would be cute to dress him up in one of those.

I picked up the shirt from the sale rack at Old Navy for about $5.

I decided to test out my applique skills for this project, knowing it would be a bit more involved than what I’ve done in the past. I enlisted the help of my darling husband as he has mad drawing skills. We looked at how big the monster should be (based on how big the shirt was), and started to plan out the project.

We looked up some images on Google for monster birthday shirts and came across a design we loved. This is not our original idea, though Matt did draw it by hand. Within a few minutes he had drawn this little guy:

To applique this, he had to cut out (from paper) all of the layers separately to make a pattern, so first he cut the body (with arms attached), then the horns, then the eyes, then the mouth, then the teeth. We spent some time coming up with the best color scheme for the monster.

Then he cut out the letters (from paper) for “one” and we chose fabric to match the monster.

Here are the materials you will need for this project:

  • A paper pattern (you can create your own)
  • Heat’N Bond Lite
  • Coordinating fabric
  • Scissors
  • Contrasting or coordinating thread
  • Iron
  • Lightweight interfacing (optional but helpful)

Once your pattern is cut out of paper you will want to iron the Heat’N Bond Lite to the back of the fabric per the instructions on the package.

Use your pattern pieces to cut out the fabric pieces.

Position the monster body on the shirt where you think it best fits. Position the letters for “One” underneath. Once you’re happy with the placement, peel the backing off of the Heat’N Bond Lite and make sure the steam setting is turned OFF on your iron. Iron these pieces in place.

Next you will add on the horns, the white part of the eyes and the mouth. Press those in place.

At this stage I would cut a piece of interfacing and place on the inside of the shirt. This is optional, however if the shirt fabric is really stretchy or flimsy, a little stabilizer on the back does help with the applique, especially when going around the tiny little monster fingers.

Before adding on the pupils and the teeth, applique all of those pieces in place. To applique you can use either a very small, tight zigzag stitch on your machine or a regular applique stitch. The zigzag may be best if this is an item you plan to wash and wear often, as the zigzag will be best at preventing fraying over time. But this shirt was to be worn once and then put in a memory box for Connor, so I went with the traditional applique stitch. On my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8200 it’s stitch 39.

Once you’ve appliqued all the way around these pieces (using either a contrasting thread or a matching thread), you can iron the pupils and teeth in place as pictured here:

Applique the last pieces added.

Give the shirt a good press with your iron and it’s ready to wear! I did throw this one through the washer to soften up the appliqued fabric a bit before wearing.

This project can take a little time, maybe 90 minutes or so. But the result was so darn cute I would do it all over again!

Thanks for checking out my post.

Heather

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DIY High Chair Banner

There’s something SO adorable about a little baby sitting in a high chair munching on cake. Of course the trend these days is to dress up that high chair with a banner or a garland.

For Connor’s monster themed party I decided to do a really fun high chair banner. I headed to Fabricville and hit up the sale rack, scoring a great deal on some really adorable printed cottons. I also picked up some inexpensive broadcloth in complementary colors.

Here are the materials needed for this tutorial:

  • 2.5 metres (total) of cotton and/or broadcloth
  • 1/4 metre of fabric for hanging banner
  • 1/4 metre of fabric for back of hanging banner (optional)
  • Scraps of fabric (cotton, broadcloth, felt, denim) for applique on banner
  • 6ft piece of twine
  • Pinking shears
  • Scissors
  • Heat N’Bond Lite (for applique on banner)

If you just want to make a garland (without the hanging banner in the centre) you don’t need the Heat N’Bond Lite, scraps of fabric, or either of the 1/4 metres of fabric.

To start I strung a piece of twine (roughly 7-8ft long, which is way longer than it needed to be) and tied each end to handles on my cabinets. This will make it easier to loop the cotton pieces.

First you should iron all of your fabric. I forgot to do this somehow and ended up ironing each piece of fabric individually. Hello, time waster!

Once your fabric is ironed you will cut strips of fabric 3 inches wide by 42 inches long. If you have a rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat this is a breeze. But it can easily be done with scissors as well. It doesn’t have to be exact. I did more of the fun prints and fewer of the solids.

Cut 28 strips in total.

Once all of your strips are cut, fold each piece lengthwise and cut the ends with pinking shears. Here are a few options for the ends:

  • Cut straight across
  • Cut on a diagonal
  • Fold fabric in half and cut a diagonal, making a V shape once the fabric is opened up again (pictured)

If you’re making a hanging banner you will want to cut out two pieces of fabric (from your 1/4 metre pieces) that will be 17 inches long by 9 inches wide. Iron these pieces of fabric and set aside.

Take your scraps of fabric and attach to the Heat N’Bond Lite per the instructions on the package. Take a look at the fabric and decide how large you want the applique design. In the appropriate size, cut out the numbers, shapes, letters, etc that you want on your banner. I did the number “1” and the monster freehand but you can certainly trace something if you’re more comfortable.

Place both pieces of 9X17 fabric together, right sides facing out, and turn down one of the short ends (one of the the 9 inch ends) about 1/2 an inch. Press. Turn down again and press. Using a straight stitch, stitch along the first folded edge to form a pocket for the twine to go through.

Next you will want to attach the applique designs to your hanging banner per the instructions on the Heat N’Bond Lite. Always make sure you are turning off the steam setting when using applique paper.

Once the design is placed and pressed on, you are ready to applique. I have a Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8200 sewing machine and I use stitch number 39 for applique.

Separate the two layers of the hanging banner. You want to applique only the front piece, as the back piece will later get attached to hide all of the threads and make the project look neater.

Stitch along the outer edge of all applique pieces using either a contrasting thread or a matching thread.

Place both 9X17 pieces of fabric together. The bottom edge can be left straight or you can repeat the “V” pattern that I did on the bottom edge of the cotton pieces.

Next I did a zigzag stitch along the perimeter of the banner, stitching the front and back pieces together. I did not stitch over the ends of the pocket where the twine will thread through.

Once the perimeter is stitched, I used my pinking shears to clip the edges, just for texture.

String the twine through the pocket of the banner. If you are having difficulty with this, I recommend wrapping the twine around one side of a safety pin a few times, then threading the safety pin through the pocket.

Centre the banner along the twine.

You are now ready to string on all of those beautiful pieces of cotton and/or broadcloth! This is my favorite part.

You will use the same technique for this project as you would from my DIY Tutu tutorial. If you go to this video you will get an excellent demonstration of the looping technique at about 3mins 30secs.

Continue looping evenly on either side of the hanging banner. I made each side a mirror image of the other, but you can do it more randomly.

Once you’ve added in all of your pieces, you are done! Your high chair is ready to party!

This is such an easy project, especially if you are simply making a garland and skipping the hanging banner in the centre. You can use any color combination you like.

Thanks for checking out my post! Happy Monday!

Heather

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Cake Smash Photo Set-Up

Last weekend we had the great pleasure of working with my darling SIL on our sons 1st birthday photos. We had a LOT of ideas and it was difficult to narrow down exactly what we were going to do. I searched and searched for the perfect colors and accessories for his shoot, and the result was perfect.

My son is fair skinned like his mama so I knew I wanted a really colorful setting to really bring his photos to life. I started with the backdrop color, which was a dark, indigo blue. Next I needed gold and blue accents. I ordered blue and gold tissue flowers from a seller on eBay, but I was sad to learn that only about half of them would show up, so I sent Hubby out to pick up some tissue paper and I got snipping. Here’s an excellent tutorial by Hey Let’s Make Stuff on how to DIY tissue flowers.

Next I needed a tassel banner for the backdrop, which I knew would be primarily gold tissue but I wanted to throw in some dark fabric accents. (Side note: If you haven’t already, please check out my post on the Diaper Cover.)

I ordered the gold tissue tassels from eBay as well, though they are terribly easy to DIY if you need these in a hurry. Here’s an excellent tutorial for tissue tassels by Pizzazzerie. I decided to add pieces of the multicolored, patterned cotton, as well as the midnight blue broadcloth that I used for the lining. I also had some blue confetti print cotton (from the first iteration of the diaper cover) and decided to put that in there as well.

A few helium balloons and gold stars later, we were ready to go!

The cake was lovingly baked and decorated by my MIL, and the photo was taken (and is being used with permission) by my SIL at J.MacPherson Photography.

I had a ton of fun finding everything I needed to bring this to life. The banner was a super quick DIY and coordinated perfectly with his diaper cover.

Thanks for checking out my post!

Heather

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DIY Tote Bag

I love bags. Whether it’s a sequined clutch, a slouchy hobo, a leather crossbody, a backpack, or simply a reusable shopping bag, there’s never been a point when I’ve told myself, “You don’t need another bag.”

As you may know, I have a bit of a ridiculous fabric stash right now that I’m attempting to reduce. Today’s project is made entirely from my stash. I have chosen a buttery soft faux leather as well as a polka dot canvas fabric.

As fabrics come in different widths, I am assuming the narrowest width for the measurements listed here.

Materials:

  • 0.9m fabric for exterior (slightly more if using more than one fabric, to account for seam allowance)
  • 0.9m fabric for lining
  • thread
  • pins
  • clips (if using a delicate fabric like faux leather)
  • scissors

As with any project, I always begin by pressing my fabric to smooth out all of the wrinkles. If you’re using a faux leather (or similar) fabric, I recommend testing with a low heat setting to ensure you don’t scorch your fabric. You can gradually make the iron hotter if your fabric will tolerate it. I also ironed it on the wrong side of the fabric.

For this tutorial I am using 4 different fabrics so I am calling the polkadots “Fabric A”, the faux leather “Fabric B”, the turquoise lining “Fabric C”, and the elephant canvas “Fabric “D”

Here is a list of the pieces you will need to cut:

  • Fabric A: two pieces 16″(w) X 10″(h)
  • Fabric B: two pieces 16″ (w) X 7″ (h)
  • Fabric C: two pieces 16″ X 16″
  • Pocket: Fabric D (A or B work as well): one piece 8×5″ (h) X 5″ (w)
  • Any fabric (for the straps): two pieces 33″ X 4″

If you want a larger or smaller pocket you can adjust as needed.

This tool from Clover is a must-have for me. I use it for seam allowances, so you just fold fabric over the ruler and press with a hot iron. It saves a ton of time when I’m turning up a straight hem of, say, an apron.

I folded in a 1/2″ seam allowance all the way around the pocket. For one long side I folded it down a second time (a full inch this time). I stitched along this long edge.

To place the pocket close to the top of the bag, I came down 4 inches from the top, and centered the pocket. You can place this anywhere you would find useful. You can make the pocket bigger or smaller, or do multiple pockets. I wanted a pocket that would hold my phone or my car keys for easy reach. Make sure you’re placing the pocket on the right side of the fabric.

To attach the pocket I stitched close to the folded edge, but I also used a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.

Now you’re ready to attach the exterior of the tote. You will place Fabric A and Fabric B with right sides together. If you’re using a print that needs to be oriented a certain way (so the print isn’t upside down), pay special attention to that as you pin. Since I’m using faux leather I decided to use clips instead of pins. Clips are gentle enough that they don’t mark your fabric (though always test first on an inconspicuous part of the fabric to be sure) and they are easy to remove as you sew.

The clips I use are mostly bought on Amazon.ca and are various sizes. If you search for “wonder clips” you should see lots of options there.

Stitch along the seam with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat for the other side. Because I was using canvas on the outside of this bag, and canvas tends to fray quite easily, I decided to serge the sewn edges here.

After serging, I pressed the seam upwards and stitched close to the seam. The faux leather is a bit bulky and won’t stay in place simply by pressing with an iron, so to keep it flat I added this step. Also, the topstitching looks really nice and gives the bag a finished look.

Now you will stitch the lining together, with right sides together. No serging required for this fabric.

Here is the trickiest part of the bag (and it’s really not all that tricky): you will want to pinch each of the corners of the bag (liner and outer shell) so the seams are together and the corners form a point. Move in from the outer point about 1.5 inches and sew straight across. You will do this for all 4 corners (the two shell corners, the two lining corners). You can trim the tip off the edge as well once you’re done sewing.

This is what the corners look like once they are completed.

Here are the two pieces completed with corners snipped.

Now you can finish constructing your bag. Start by putting the lining inside of the shell, with wrong sides together. So you will turn your lining wrong side out and place inside the shell.

You may notice the lining is a little longer than the shell, so I just use my rotary cutter and take off the excess. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Next you will form the straps of the bag. There are two methods but my favorite is to simply fold the fabric (right side out) in half longways, press with an iron, then fold in each end a second time. Stitch along the folded edge. Another option is to fold the fabric in half lengthwise with wrong sides together, stitch, and then turn the tube right side out and press flat.  I knew this would not work for the faux leather, though, because ironing doesn’t seem to want to flatten the fabric.

This is the outer edge of the strap that I’ve stitched.

This is a view of the strap once it’s completed.

To finish the bag you want to fold down your lining fabric and the shell fabric just 1/2″ or more, to form a clean edge along the top of the bag. One you’ve folded down both, pinning along the way, you can add in your straps before stitching. I placed the straps in about 2.5″ from each side seam.

If folding down the fabric doesn’t happen nicely for you, you can turn the bag inside out and stitch along the edge (folding the straps down into the bag this time instead, to account for it being inside out), leaving a 4 inch gap in your stitching. Then turn the bag right side out and press the seam flat. Topstitch along the edge, which will close the gap you’ve left. I prefer the other method as long as the fabric folds nicely. If I was using faux leather for this seam I would have to use the second method as, again, ironing doesn’t seem to work on this fabric.

Stitch along the folded edge and you’re all done!

You can dress this bag up by adding a tassel or some decorative buttons. I will be doing a blog post (hopefully before too long) on a more decorative tote bag. I may even add in a zipper!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. Happy sewing!

Heather

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80s Throwback – Scrunchies!

For as long as I can remember, crafting has been one of my greatest passions in life. I love creating, customizing, and dreaming up new projects and bringing them to life.

When I was just 4 years old my amazing mama taught me how to sew. She would do the cutting, of course, and she would sit with me while I used her Singer sewing machine, but with her passion (and patience!!!)  she taught me to make small things like pillows and blankets for my Barbies. The first project I ever did, though, was a hair scrunchie. I made a million of them and I wore them proudly.

Lately I’ve been seeing scrunchies popping up all over the place, including Lululemon. I guess they really are making a comeback! I am still hooked on the Invisibobbles but scrunchies really are a cute accessory.

Last night I found some cute fabric in my stash and decided to put it to good use. This tutorial includes measurements for a small scrunchie and a regular scrunchie. Small might be best for people with thin hair (or for children). This project shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes once you master turning this thing right-side out.

Materials needed:

  • Scraps of fabric (cotton, lightweight denim, etc)
  • 1/4 inch wide elastic
  • Safety pin

To start you can cut a piece of fabric 3 inches wide by 9 inches long (for a small scrunchie), or 3 inches wide by 16 inches long (for a regular scrunchie).

Fold your fabric lengthwise with right sides (printed sides) together. Stitch the long edge with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Turn the tube of fabric right-side out. I’d tried a few techniques for turning fabric and I’d never found a really easy way until I saw this YouTube tutorial:

Next take your elastic and put a safety pin through one end, and close it up. In the other end you can put a stick pin or another safety pin. This needed should be big enough that it kind of acts as a holder at the end of the tube – it sits lengthwise across the bottom of the tube so the elastic doesn’t pull through.

Once both ends of elastic are visible you want to stitch them together, with about a 1 inch overlap. If you’re machine stitching I would use a zigzag stitch.

Next you want to close up the ends of the tube. So you will feed one end into the other, and then on the raw edge of fabric you want to tuck it under so no raw edge is visible. It should only be about a 1/4 inch tuck.

You can sew the end of the tube by hand or with your machine. I use my machine for this part. Sew directly across the opening. You’re done!

If you want a fuller scrunchie you can add 1 inch to the width of the fabric (instead of 3 inches, go with 4) and it will do the trick.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial! While writing this I have the sudden urge to throw on some neon clothes and watch Full House. Weren’t the 80s just the best?!

Heather