Lasso The Moon

Custom Sized Canvas Bins :: a tutorial

Take your shelves from this:

To this:

With some home-sewn canvas boxes.  You can make them in any size.  And they are way easier than they look.  Canvas boxes can cost a lot of money, but these literally cost me about $10 for the whole set!

The secret to these is the frame.  It's made from plastic canvas!  This inexpensive material can be found at any craft store.  Mine was $.99 for a 10x13 inch sturdy sheet, and $.49 for a slightly more flimsy piece.  I used the regular for the sides, and the sturdy for the bottom.

My tutorial will take you through the process for making one smaller bin, like those on the top shelf in the picture above. (The dimensions are 6"w x 9"h x 9 1/2"d.)

Step 1: Gather Supplies

*Plastic canvas - 1 sturdy sheet, 3 regular sheets (Buy extra if you tend to make measuring mistakes.)

*A roll of paper for making the pattern

*Transparent grid ruler

*Paper Weights or clean stones for holding down the pattern

*Binder Clips

*Needles and straight pins

*Pin

*Scissors

*Yarn or string for lashing together the plastic frame

*Fabric: 3/4 yards each of canvas and lining. Coordinating fabric for binding (1 1/2" wide x about 36 inches long)  I used an old canvas drop cloth for the outer fabric, and for the prints, thrifted sheets.  Cheap!

Step 2: Prepare the plastic canvas

From the sturdy piece cut 1 - 6"x9 1/2" for the bottom.

For the sides, 2 - 9"x9 1/2" and 2 6"x9" pieces

Lash the sides to the base with yarn.  Tie really good knots.  Leave flat for the next part. (Should be in the shape of a wide cross.)

Lay out the flat frame on your pattern paper, and carefully trace around the entire perimeter. Be careful not to shift the plastic canvas while you are tracing.

Put the paper aside until the next step, and sew up the sides of your box frame.  Tie really good knots.

Step 3: Make the pattern

With your ruler, add a 1/2" seam allowance to the inner corners of your pattern.  Do not add seam allowance to the top edges of the box pattern. 

Cut out your pattern.

Step 4: Cut fabric

Lay out your pattern on top of the fabric, and use weights to keep it from rolling or shifting.  You can use anything as a weight.  Here's my rag-tag assemblage:

Trace around the pattern in a pen or pencil--directly onto the fabric.  This will give you the most accurate sizing, and you want your fabric to fit the box frame very closely.

Cut one from canvas and one from the lining fabric.

Cut out one rectangle for the handle from canvas--3"x6".

Step 5: Sew it together

Stitch up your pieces in this order.  First, sew the box lining.  Remember to use a 1/2" seam allowance! Start at the top edge (rim) of the lining, and sew toward the corner.  Continue with each side until it forms a box shape.

Next, make your handles. Sew into a tube, lengthwise. Turn inside out and press flat.  Turn the ends under.

Pin handles to your canvas before sewing up the edges.  This makes for easier placement.

For added strength, sew a square with an "x" inside on each side of the handle.

After your handle is attached, sew up the sides of the canvas.

Attach the binding to the top edge of the canvas layer.  Start by folding over the binding about 1" and sew all the way around using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Overlap the binding a little at the end for a clean finish.

Step 6: Finish

Turn the canvas layer right-side-out and place your plastic frame inside.  It should be snug.  Carefully line up the seams with the corners of the frame.

Slip the lining inside, with the right side of the fabric showing.  Line up the top edge of both fabrics with the top edge of the frame.  Hold in place with binder clips.

With needle and thread, slip stitch binding in place. 

And there you have it.  You made a box!

Now make a few more, and clean your place up!

I hope you have fun using this tutorial to help organize your own space.  I'd love to see how you make the project your own.  I've always been a little prejudiced against plastic canvas as a craft supply, because everything I'd seen done with it seemed so dated.  (You know what I mean...) But now I have seen the light, and I'm thinking up many more project ideas to use the stuff.  It may just be a new favorite.\

Linked to:

TDC

 

Make your own paper bunting - free printable!

I was playing around with a design last night, and I came up with this cute little paper banner:

I saved the image at a couple different stages, so now you can make one for yourself!

What you need:

Download and print one of the templates below.  To do this, click on the photo to bring up the full-sized image, then right click on it and select "save image as". Insert it into a drawing program (like publisher). You should be able to fit two to a page.  Print on white card stock. 

blank bunting:

relax bunting:

You also need: scissors, pin-hole punch, embroidery thread or crochet thread, embroidery needle.

Cut out each triangle carefully.  I left a thin border of white around each one as I cut it out.

Using the small hole punch, make holes in each flag at the top corners--not too close to the edge.  If you don't have this handy punch, go buy one.  No, not really--although I do use mine ALL THE TIME.  You can skip to the next step and punch your holes with the needle as you string.

Thread flags together.  Make sure you start front-to-back and end back-to-front, so your thread doesn't show too much.

 

End by tying a looped knot in the thread for simple hanging.  I show the details in this knot in my fabric bunting tutorial.

Enjoy! I gave you two options for making your paper bunting--either with the word "Relax" or blank.  If you'd like to add your own letters to the flags, feel free! Let me know what you come up with!

 

 

A Handy Grandparents Gift

Here's a sweet gift for Grandma that can be whipped up in just a couple hours.

You'll need:

paper and pencil

dark colored marker

rick rack (approx. 1 yd per towel)

plain dishtowel - I like the flour-sack kind.

fabric paint

*****

Start by sewing down the rick rack along the entire bottom edge of the towel.

Next, use some scrap paper to trace your kids' hands with a pencil.  You may be tempted to make actual hand-prints, but trust me--this turns out better.  You only need one tracing for each child.  You can just flip it over if you want two on the towel.

On a 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper, arrange the hands so that they look balanced.  Write the child's name and age next to his hand.  Choose a place for the year, too.  If you don't like your writing, print out the info in a nice simple font, and trace it onto this sheet in the right place.  When you are happy with the composition, trace over everything with your marker, using a thick, smooth line.  This is your template for painting.

Fold the towel into thirds long-wise, so that the rick rack is along the bottom and the middle third is showing.  Now fold the towel in half, short-wise.  The exposed surface should be a little bigger than your template paper.  Slip it under the top layer of towel.

Choose the color you want for the writing and carefully trace over that first.  Start at the top and work down so you don't drag your arm through it!

If possible, wait for this color to dry before you do the next one.  If not, be super careful with your next color.  It's so easy to forget and rest your arm in the wet paint!

Trace over the hand prints using your next color.  Slip out the template while the paint is still wet.

Let dry for a couple hours before wrapping.

We have been making these dish towels every year since Emma was tiny.  We make them for Christmas, but they would also work for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Grandparent's Day.  Don't forget to make one for yourself, too!

linked to:TDC

 

Diversity and Stamp Carving

Emma had a special school assignment due this week--right after Thanksgiving.  It was due today, and I only remembered it on Monday evening.  Oops.

The assignment was to make a 2-dimensional art project that reflected diversity.  She's part of an enrichment class at school, and they'd been discussing diversity for a couple weeks now.

I asked her what she knew about the word, and she told me that it was figuring out how things are different, but also how they are the same.  I love this.

Starting with the idea of similarities, we decided to carve some stamps.  That way we could have similar images and color them with different patterns. We got a couple blocks of stamp rubber and a piece of sturdy paper at Hobby Lobby.  I've done this type of project a couple times before, so I already had some lino-cutting tools, and exact-o knife, a brayer, and a tube of black block printing ink.

When faced with school projects, it can be tempting for mommas to take over.  I fought it, y'all.  I fought it.

I gave Emma a piece of paper and told her to draw some birds.  To be honest, they looked a little weird, and I thought that might distract from the intended message.  So I gave her a cool old book about cars and trucks and asked her to draw some of those.

Much better.  I LOVE these drawings.

The next step was to transfer her kid-drawings to the rubber stamp material.  I used a pencil and darkened her lines.  It was hard not to straighten out her lines, but I tried to resist.  I wanted this to be all her.

Turn the darkened drawing face down on the rubber.

Scribble all over the back of the drawing, pressing so that the transfer happens.

You can peek to make sure that you got all of the lines.

Success!  You now have a mirror image of the original drawing.

Now carefully carve around the dark lines.  I start with a very fine cutter and do the outlines first, then fill in with the wider cutters.

Trim away the excess with an exact-o knife.

Squirt a small amount of ink onto a plate.  I used a ceramic plate, but it was very difficult to get off all of the ink.  Save yourself the trouble and use paper.  Or do what professional print-makers do and use a piece of glass.

Spread it out with your brayer until you hear it "sing".  It sounds a little sticky.  That's when you know it's right.

I love seeing those little hands make things.

Smooth it carefully onto your stamp.

Press onto the paper, using even, firm pressure.

Since we only made one stamp at a time, we used the original drawings to hold the spaces between the cars.  I did help with the placement.

We waited as long as possible for the ink to dry before Emma colored in the cars.  Ideally, you'll want to wait overnight at least.  She used colored pencils to make the cars diverse.

Be careful not to drag your hand across the ink, even after it's dry.  It tends to rub off a little for a long time.

Mount the finished piece on a larger black board, and it's finished!  Don't forget the signature!

Diversity.

 

 

 

Inside-out Cupcake Pops

I made some cake pops for Emma's class in honor of her birthday.

Here is a down-and-dirty cake pop tutorial for those of you who still have not tried them.  Trust me, they are way too easy to be so yummy.

You need:

cake mix, can of frosting, sprinkles, chocolate-flavored almond bark, lolly pop sticks, something to stick the pops into while they set...a block of styrofoam or a box poked with holes.

Steps:

::make the cake as usual and let cool completely.  COMPLETELY.

::Crumble the cake into a bowl, and mix in about half of a can of frosting.  Knead with your hands until mixed.  You are looking for a moist, doughy texture.  Not gloppy.  Knead in about 1/4 cup sprinkles.

:: Roll the dough into balls.  Bigger than a shooter marble, but smaller than an egg.  Try to make them close to the same size.  Freeze for at least one hour.

::Melt the chocolate almond bark in the microwave or a double-boiler.  Read the directions on the package if you have never done this.  It's possible to burn it, so be careful.

::Take out the frozen cake balls.  Dip each stick into the melted bark, and insert it into one of the balls.  Freeze again for about 15 minutes.

::Making sure the cake pops are very cold, and the almond bark is very hot, dip each pop completely.  Tap off the excess chocolate coating.  Lightly tap the warm pop into a bowl of sprinkles and stick it into your cake pop stand at a slight angle.  If it drips, you don't want it to drip down the stick.  As they harden, move them to a plate to make room for more dipped pops.

::Let set for 30 minutes before packaging.

::If these are for a group of kids, put each one in its own bag with a few candies and tie with a twisty.

 

So simple, but so impressive.  Emma's teacher called them "balls of chocolate delight!"

Don't forget to save one for yourself!

 

Costume Tutorial - Angry Birds (no sew!)

This is a very quick tutorial for the angry bird costume Ethan wore this year.  I wish I was one of those blogs with the perfectly staged photos with great light and awesome step by step actions, but the truth is, I work really quickly (I'm sort of a manic crafter) and it's a miracle I have any pictures of the process at all.  I hope these are helpful if you decide to make one for your own kids some time.  I imagine the sphere costume could come in handy in lots of ways.

Here are a list of the supplies you'll need:

2 pop-up hampers $2.50 ea

4 black laundry bags $1 ea

2 pieces foam core board $1 ea

felt or fleece fabric in yellow, white, grey, and red

ski cap in black $2

toilet paper roll

hot glue, crayon, string, and scissors

Step one: cut the sides out of the first hamper.  The wire will start to bow out a little bit at this stage.  Cut off the handles.  Turn it upside down, but for now keep the bottom intact.  This is where the head will go.

Cut the second hamper completely apart.  You will use two of the wire circles in the next step.

To start making the sphere shape, hot glue the wire circles to the top and bottom of the costume cage.  Make sure that they are pushing the wires out a little, but that they aren't so far up that the shape is distorted.

To make the sphere very round in the middle I made a ring out of foam core board.  I found mine at the dollar store.  It was small so I used two pieces and glued them together.

To make the ring perfectly round, make a compass out of string and a crayon:

I made two half circles with my compass, the second about 3 inches inside the first.

Before you glue the two halves together, put them inside the wire costume cage.  It will be too big to put it in as a whole piece.

To cover the cage, which is pretty light and delicate, I knew I needed something super-light weight.  I found these cheapy laundry bags at the dollar store.  I used 4, but you might need more or fewer, depending on your covering technique.  Cut the bags up the seams so that you have a flat piece of fabric.

The best way to cover a sphere with a flat piece of fabric is to start in the middle.  I didn't discover this process til I was almost done, but I'll try to describe it.

Gluing as you go, start gluing the middle of the fabric taut to the foam core ring, and then go back and pleat the top and bottom to fit the contures of the sphere.  Or just glue it on however you can figure.  It will be a little messier, but most of the time the costume will be seen in the dark, so not that big of a deal.

The fabric is very sheer, so I used two layers.  It was still just as lightweight as I'd hoped.  Remember to leave a couple slits in the sides for arm holes.  Or you can cut them out later if you forget.

Cut an "x" in the top of the costume (what used to be the bottom of the hamper) for the head to go through.  Fold the flaps to the inside and glue in place.

For the hat, I used a black ski cap I found at WalMart, and a toilet paper roll covered in black and yellow felt.  I cut a slit in the hat where I wanted the tube.  Then slipped the tube inside, snipped around the bottom so it would lay flat against the inside, and glued the little flaps into place.  It was very secure.

The face is made of basic shapes--circles and rectangles for the most part.  The beak was a little tricky, but I just free-handed it and it turned out okay.  I glued it on with hot glue.

This wasn't my favorite costume ever to make, but it was a really fun challenge.  And this was by far the most popular of our family's costumes at the carnival.  All night long I heard kids and adults yell out. "Hey, look at that angry bird!"  So I guess it was a success!

I can't wait to hear how you use this tutorial to make your own sphere costume!  Let me know and I'll put a link to it on the blog!

Costume Tutorial - Baby Bee for $5 (no sew!)

When I found out that Martha Stewart had given some of her designers a "dollar store challenge" for costume ideas this year, I thought, "I could totally do that." 

The hardest part about making a costume from dollar store items is that you can't go in with a preconceived notion about what will be available.  In fact, I went to the dollar store once, went home disappointed, and then went back and found everything I needed to make the baby bee costume for Esther.

Here's what you need:

Old t-shirt in grey, black, white, or yellow that you don't mind cutting up ($0)

1 pair ladies black trouser socks ($1)

Baby onesie in white or yellow ($1)

Yellow wrist bands ($1) (These are not essential, but I loved how they looked!)

Pack of pipe cleaners ($1)

2-pack of flexible cutting boards ($1)

other craft supplies:

hole punch--standard size

black slick paint

hot glue

scissors

For the Wings:

You only need one of the cutting boards for baby wings.

Fold it in half and trace a wing shape with a dessert plate.  Or just free-hand it!

Make sure you don't cut two separate pieces.  Keep the crease between the wings intact. 

Open up the wings and punch four holes for the ties: two at the bottom, on either side of the crease, and two at the top, on either side of the crease.

Next, lay your t-shirt flat and cut off the bottom hem.  Cut another strip, about two inches wide from the bottom of the t-shirt.

Pull the 2-inch-wide strip so that it curls in on itself and makes a nice soft cord for the wings.

Thread your t-shirt cord through the four holes in the bee wings, crossing in front, and tying in the back.  The bow will show behind your bee and become part of the charm of the costume.

When you dress your bee, keep the crossed cord in the back and just slip her arms through the straps.  I tried with the cross in front, and it wanted to tighten up around her neck.  The simple straps stayed on perfectly, since the cord is a little stretchy.

I've made many pairs of wings before, but these are the easiest AND best by far.  I will NEVER make the wire kind again.  These are too good.

The Antennae:

Lay the tshirt flat again, this time looking at one of the sleeves.

Remove the hem, and cut a wide band--4 inches or more.  This will be  the headband.

Fold it in half length-wise, and try it on your little bee.  It will probably be a little big, and that is good.  We'll make it smaller with the wire.

Next we'll make the holes for the pipe cleaners.  Make them about 2-4 inches apart, depending on how big it was on baby's head.  If it was much too big, make the holes wider apart.

Insert one pipe cleaner into both holes like this:

The goal is to keep any pointy wire away from baby's head.

Then, insert a second pipe cleaner through both holes.

Wrap one short end around the long end in the same hole to hold it in place.  Then pull the headband to gather, and twist the other two (long and short) together. 

After each side is secure, twist the two long pieces together like this:

Wrap the end of the pipe cleaners around your finger for a little curl in the end.

Bee body:

I bought a white onesie at the dollar store, and though I tried to dye it with some stuff I had in the kitchen, I think it pretty much looked white anyway.  I would have tried yellow mustard, but I was out at the time!

Draw stripes or squiggles on the onesie with paint for bee stripes, and then add the wrist bands and the trouser socks (as tights).

Your little bee is ready to party!

Please let me know if you have any questions!  I love to help with costumes!

Anna

 

 

 

 

Costume Tutorial - Violet Indredible (no sew!)

 

Okay, so this costume was so easy that I didn't even take a progress shot.  But here are the supplies needed.

Long sleeved red t-shirt ($6)

Red knit pants ($6)

Black knit pants ($6)

1/4 yard yellow fleece fabric (or felt)  ($1)

3 squares black felt ($.60)

hot glue

eyelash glue ($2)

Pants:

Lay the black pants out flat, and cut away the legs so that the "underwear" part is left.  Then cut off the top part of the legs of the black pants so that the "boots" are left.  I angled them so that the boots are higher at the outside of the legs.

Next, lay the red pants flat and carefully layer the black pieces on top of the red pants.  Hot glue the black pieces in place.

For the belt, cut a strip of the yellow fleece about 6 inches wide and long enough to cover the waistband.  Fold the fleece so that it shows inside and outside, and hot glue to both the red waistband (inside) and the black waistband (outside).

Shirt:

Lay the shirt out flat.  For the arm bands, fold two of the felt squares in half.  Cut diagonally so that the point ends around the elbow.  Glue in along the wrists and inside of the arms.

For the logo, I used leftover felt and fleece in three layers and glued onto the front of the shirt.

Mask: 

We wanted Violet's hair to be smooth and straight so she could hide behind it, so I couldn't make it wrap around her head.  I cut out a simple mask shape and glued it straight to Emma's face with eyelash glue, not hot glue of course!

Total cost: $22

This one cost the most this year, but it was the easiest by far!  You could save money by using clothes you already have, or buying them at a thrift store.

Please let me know if you have any questions!  I love to help with costumes!

Anna

 

 

 

 

How to make a pennant banner, pt 2 (the making)

Are you ready to turn this...

...into this?

If you haven't made your template yet, here's the tutorial for that.

OK!  Let's get started.  Here's what you'll need:

fabric or clothing to up-cycle

pen

flag template

scissors

self-healing cutting mat

rotary cutter

clear grid ruler

iron

sewing machine

optional: bias tape maker (or store-bought bias tape will work just fine)

The first step is to make a general design plan. I knew I needed 4 triangles from each of 3 dresses to make 12 flags.  It helps to have a bit of a design plan so you don't cut too many.

If you are making your banner out of recycled clothing,  remove any linings or bulky pockets that might be in the way. 

Turn your piece inside-out and lay it as flat as possible on your cutting mat (right sides together).  You may need to cut the side seams to make this work.  If you had to cut away any part of the fabric surface (like around a zipper) make sure that side is facing up so you can see to work around it. 

Next, use your marker or pen to trace around the template directly onto the fabric.  I don't pin this, because that causes distortion, and this way is much simpler.  The marks will be inside the seam allowance.

Don't move the fabric!  While you have it laid out, cut along the lines with your rotary cutter, using your ruler as a straight edge.  You should be cutting two layers.  Don't separate them.  Just carefully pick them up, and lay them aside.  The right sides are already together, and the triangles are already lined up perfectly. 

Repeat with the rest of your fabric.  Keep each pair of flags with their right sides together.  Even though you used a template and rotary cutter, each pair will be slightly different, and you don't want to try and rematch them later.

Stack all of the triangles together next to your sewing machine. 

Leaving the top of your flag open, sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance around each.  Back-stitch at the beginning and end of each flag.

To save even more time, don't cut the thread between flags.  Just start sewing the next one at the end of the this one, and cut them apart later.

Soon you'll have a whole string of inside-out flags.

Cut them apart and stack them up for the next step.

Now, being careful not to cut through the stitches, clip each flag as shown here.  This will eliminate some of the bulk inside the point when you turn them right-side-out.

Carefully turn your flags.  Use a chopstick, knitting needle, dull pencil, or other blunt thin object to turn the point.  Iron them flat, and trim the little points at the top even with the opening.

Now for the binding.  If you bought your binding, you can skip this step.  Otherwise, cut 1-inch strips of fabric that measure at least two feet longer than your finished banner.

If you have a bias tape maker, pull the fabric through and iron as you go. 

If you don't have a bias tape maker, you can still make your own binding for this project in any size.  Simply fold your strip in half lengthwise (wrong sides together), and press to make a crease.  Then unfold your  strip, fold the edges in along the crease, and iron again.  Done!  So simple.

Now, over to the sewing machine again. 

Stack your flags in the order you want them to appear on your banner.

Starting at the very end of your binding, fold it over and stitch closed for about 12 inches.  I use a longer stitch length for this, a 4 on my machine.

Next insert the top of your first flag into the fold of the binding and sew into place.

Continue sewing all of your flags into place.  I like to leave about an inch between flags, but this is a personal preference.  When you run out of flags, sew about 12 inches of plain binding at the end for hanging.

Take your banner off of the sewing machine and trim so that the ends of the binding are even.  Then use this little trick to make a loop for hanging:

Fold over about 1 inch at the end of the binding.

Loop the binding around to make a basic knot, but leave the end folded when you pull tight. 

The raw ends are hidden inside the knot, and the loop is perfect for tacking to your walls.

And there you have it!  I love this style because there are no raw edges, and the banner is completely reversible.  No front and back! 

Make one today and come back to tell me how it went!  Leave a link in the comments so we can all see what you made!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to make a pennant banner, pt 1 (the template)

A couple weeks ago I got a request from a client to make a pennant banner (or bunting) out of some old dresses she'd been saving. I thought it was a great idea, and I'm guessing that she probably isn't the only one out there who'd like to have a reusable keepsake like this one. 

So.  This tutorial will take you through the process of making your own.  They really are very straight forward and fun.  The skill level is beginner to intermediate.

The first thing you'll need to make is a cardboard template. 

I made a template for a flag that was 5x6 inches, but you can adjust the tutorial to fit any size flag.

Supplies:

cereal box (for the cardboard)

pen or thin tip marker

clear grid ruler

scissors

Start by drawing a horizontal line with the ruler.  This will be the base width of the flag.  Mark the starting point, the ending point, and the exact center of the line.  I marked my line at 0 inches, 5 inches, and 2 1/2 inches.

Then, line up your base line with one of the horizontal lines on your ruler.  Adjust your ruler so that the straight edge intersects with the center mark on your base line.

Measure out the exact length you want for your flags, and mark it on this line.

Mine was 6 inches.

Now, connect the starting and ending marks of the base line with the top mark of this new line to make the sides of the triangle.

This is the finished size of your flag.  But we're not quite done yet.  We still need to add seam allowance.  Line up the edges of the triangle with the quarter-inch line on your grid ruler.  On my ruler these lines are orange.  Mark 1/4 inch seam allowance around the entire triangle.

Notice at the tippy top of the triangle,  I measured 1/4 inch from the point and drew a line across.  This is not totally necessary, but it will save a little time trimming the point, and it makes for a more professional-looking template.

Now cut out your template (outside the seam allowance) and you are ready to roll!

You might want to just jump in without waiting for the second part of the tutorial, and of course that's fine.  But I've made so many of these that I might just have a hint or two that could save you some time and headache.

Stay tuned for pt 2: "sewing your pennant banner".