Tag: crafts for home

DIY 349: Turn a Drop Cloth into a Cool Dust Cover

The time has come when it’s just too hot to sit outside~and that means covering the outdoor furniture with drop cloths to keep it clean. I recently reupholstered my patio furniture and was sad to not be able to see it anymore, so I drizzled a design on the existing cover.

Make your own pretty furniture covers:

  1. Buy a painter’s drop cloth large enough to fit each piece of outdoor furniture you plan to cover
  2. Also, while you’re at the paint store, buy a quart of color you love
  3. Lay the cloth(es) out in the grass or on a protected part of the patio
  4. Scoop two cups of paint into a Zip-Loc bag
  5. Breath into the bag and close it to trap enough air in it so it is easy to hold on to
  6. With some sense of what you will be “drawing” (like, words or just swirls) grab a pair of scissors and position yourself over your starting point.
  7. Clip the corner of the bag (best to start out smaller and see how you like it). I usually have a piece of scrap fabric or newspaper nearby to test on before I start.
  8. Gently squirt out the paint. To stop the flow, simply tip the bag back so the paint runs away from the opening.
  9. Good luck. Once you get the hang of it you’ll want to use this process on everything~I did!

Until Tomorrow~Sarah

DYI 352: Sew Easy Coin Purses

I discovered the joy of sewing vinyl when I whipped out a few little bags to organize things in my purse. I have one for everything: receipts, gift cards, business cards, lip glosses. I even made one to hold little things I find while out and about.

How to make your own organizational pouch (“King Regent” pattern, shown above in upper right corner of pic):

  1. Cut a rectangle of vinyl (5″x6″)
  2. Choose  various colors of thread to embelish the outside, and sew lines or little pieces on
  3. Fold three ways (along the 6 inch side) and pin down one of the folds (when you sew this will be the pouch part, the other part is the flap)
  4. Sew up the sides to close in the pounch
  5. For the flap edge, trim a curve and sew a decorative rim~or simply cut with pinking sheers
  6. Sew a button on the pouch side, then dtermine where the hole should be on the flap
  7. Cut a button hole with scissors or a blade
  8. Repeat with all colors of vinyl and your purse will be cool and organized!

Until Tomorrow~Sarah

DIY 354: Organize Sewing Treads in a Printer's Tray

This printer’s tray has been knocking around in a closet for years now. Seriously, I am surprised I still have it. It was a gift from my mom when I was about 12. I kept all my miniature glass menagerie in it until I started high school. Well, let me tell you how happy I finally found a use for it. And a “pretty” use at that.

Keep your treads handy:

  1. Buy a printers tray (search “antique printers tray” on Ebay or Craig’s List in your area) or a shallow shelf. Honestly, even this Bamboo Flatware tray at Target would work great.
  2. Hang it on the wall near your sewing table. Not only is it handy, you can see all the colors better than when they are in a drawer and it’s pretty too!
  3. Fill it up! I find the more colors I have the more creative I get with my sewing. I use a lot of the special stitches on my Viking sewing machine now and everyone is amazed. Really, the secret is knowing what I have and what my machine can do…but I don’t tell them that. 😉

Until tomorrow~Sarah

DIY 355: Organize Bobbins On Bamboo Skewers

I have been sewing a lot lately, and it is my tendency to trade up the colored thread on a minute-by-minute basis. You know~those of you out there who wonder about storing bobbins~that the more you handle bobbins the more tangled, lost and aggravating they become. Well, I have finally found a solution I want to share.

Keep Bobbins Neat and Organized On Bamboo Skewers:

Buy a bag of skewers at the supermarket and color a few (if you care to~I do!) from tip to tip with a permanent marker. I prefer about 5 bobbins per skewer.
Measure and wrap in tape "stopper"
Next you'll want to put a tape "stopper" to hold the bobbins toward the top of the skewer. Here I have my prescribed five bobbins on and tape stuck to mark where to begin.
Twirl the tape on until the mass is larger than the bobbin hole. This will stop the bobbins from sliding down to the bottom and falling off.
Once the bobbins are all on the skewers trim any loose threads. (Do this every time the threads get out of hand~it's that easy!)
Finally, put all the skewered bobbins in a narrow necked bottle and place on your sewing table. You'll be amazed how much simpler bobbin changing will be!

One last thing: I discovered I can take all my bobbins with me. Simply grab the whole shebang and lay them in your traveling case. A rubber band gently wound around the skewer tips can keep them from flying off. Happy sewing, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Until tomorrow~Sarah

DIY 356: Keep an Ideas Binder

Every time a magazine or website appeals to me, I clip out photos and ideas and pop them into a big binder. I keep it handy so it’s easy to file things and the clippings don’t pile up. It is, quite literally, my brain food. That, an a good cup of coffee, and I am ready to get creative.

Make your own Ideas Binder:

  1. Buy the largest binder (about 2″ will do) as well as clear pockets from your local office supply store.
  2. Use tabs to mark sections, like: Home, paper, embroidery, color combos, and others areas of interest.
  3. Start cutting images from all the magazines you receive in the mail, then move onto sites with good ideas.

In no time your biunder will be bulging with great references you can use!

Until tomorrow~Sarah