How To Make A Wreath That Will Be Perfect Year Round

Seasonal decor is SUCH a drag, it's time for a wreath that will be perfect year round. This simple black and white wreathe can be decorated for any season. Wander through the many choices of Printed Fabric Panels in the Canvas Corp shop. Choose your favorite then cut,color, and hang. Up-date your look with snap of your fingers and a twist of TWINE!

~ All Seasons Wreath ~

Directions:

 Step 1: Cut images from your favorite Fabric Panel leaving at least a 1/4" edge. Trace it onto fabric adhesive, cut out shape. Follow package directions for ironing adhesive to fabric. Trim images closely to reveal shape and remove strings. Color with permanent markers.

 Step 2: Divide wreath form into 1" quadrants. Cut 4 sheets of  12x12 cardstock in half. Roll into a cone lengthwise.

Step 3: Use a stapler to secure the large end. Use a brad or hot glue to secure the small end. 

 Step 4: Add paper cones to the wreath form working in pairs and dividing the form in half with each set of cones. I used hot glue for my wreath. Make a loop from a 28" piece of twine. Use a slip knot to attach it to the form.

 Step 5: Cut 3-4 12x12 cardstock sheets into 6x6 squares. Roll into cones and adhere to form. The shorter cones fill in the spaces between the larger cones so 2 smaller cones might not fit. Remember to work in pairs so the wreath stays balanced.

 Step 6: Cut a 6" circle of CARDSTOCK, and an 8" circle of a contrasting color. Cut complimentary strips of colored cardstock to frame the title. The title should be 1" smaller on all sides than the patterned piece and 1/2" smaller on all sides than the solid piece.

 Step 7: Attach the circles together and to the wreath. The circles will cover the center snarl and add a splash of color.

 Step 8: Adhere title and layers of cardstock together. Cut a piece of twine 8" long and tie a knot at the end. Punch a hole in upper corner of the cardstock frame. Pull twine thru the layers of paper, leaving the knot in the front.

 Step 9: Loop the twine around one of the paper cones, lace the twine through the back of the lower corner of the cardstock frame. Tie a knot in the front. Repeat for other end of cardstock frame.

 Step 10: Cut a 35" piece of twine. Tie a loop at each end of the twine. Slip loop over opposite paper cones. Use clothes pins to hang prepared images from the Fabric Panel onto the twine.

 Use a paperclip or brad to hold the twine in place if the weight of the images makes it slide. Choose a new Fabric Panel for every season, celebration, or color scheme. Iron, cut, and decorate as often as you'd like!

Supplies:

Paper:Canvas Corp, Craft Smith
Fabric Panel, Twine, Clothes Pins:Canvas Corp

Permanent Marker:Sharpie

6" Foam Wreath Form:Beter Homes and Gardens
Heat Activated Fabric Adhesive:Therm-O-Web

Craft On!

~charity~

How To Make Something Useful From a Burlap Bag

This post is all about how to make a useful artist organizer from a burlap plant bag. Yesterday I gave detailed directions of how to make a fall themed artist apron. Today I have these super easy directions for this hand sewn beauty.

 Supplies:
Medium Burlap Plant Holder (Canvas Corp)
Canvas Garland 2" width  (Canvas Corp)
Black Hemp Rope (Canvas Corp)
Fabric Panel With Printed Spider (Canvas Corp)
Black Thread (Coats and Clark)
Embroidery Thread (Prism)
Wiggly Eyes (Dollar Tree)
Heat Activated Fabric Adhesive (Therm-o-web)

Step 1: Cut spider from fabric panel leaving at least a 1/4 edge. Trace it onto fabric adhesive, cut out shape. Follow package directions for ironing adhesive to fabric.

Step 2: Trim spider to fit bag. Follow package directions for ironing spider to bag. Stitch spider legs with black hemp using a backstitch. Stitch through bag to reinforce adhesive.
Backstitch
Knot the thread and pull it through the fabric to the front. Insert needle 1/8" below the thread and back out 1/8" above the thread. Insert it again, this time where the last stitch started and back out 1/8" above the most recent stitch. On top of the pocket you will be sewing backwards, but underneath you will be sewing forwards.  

Step 3: Use a blanketstitch to applique spider to bag front. Fabric adhesive reduces fraying and stiffens the fabric for ease of use.

Blanket Stitch

This stitch is like a capitol "L". Knot the thread and pull it through the fabric to the front a 1/4" from the outer edge of the shape. Insert the needle 1/4" above and to the left of the thread then straight down and back out 1/4" to the left of the thread but on level with it. Slip the loose thread under the front edge of the needle and pull the needle through the fabric. This should leave a capitol "L" with the thread now coming through to the right of where the sides of the L intersect. Continue to insert the needle 1/4" above and to the left of the thread as you sew around the shape.

If you did not slip the thread under the needle you will have a diagonal line and the thread coming up on its own.

Step 4: Write words on the bag with a permanent marker. Stitch over the words using a backstitch. 

Step 5: Measure the circumference of the bag at the top, add 1", and cut canvas garland to that length. Fold the garland in half, matching up and pinning the ends. Stitch a seam across the ends, about 1/2" from the tip. A backstitch will hold the ends securely.

 Step 6: Pin the garland around the inside of the bag, 1/4" below the rim.

Step 7: If the garland is slightly larger than the inside of the bag leave the excess to bulge by the handle.

Step 8: Stitch the garland to the burlap bag one "X" at a time. Place these stitches where the pleat overlaps. If you catch only one layer of the burlap the stitches will not show on the outside of the bag. This takes some practice.

Step 9: Glue wiggly eyes to spider. Leave bag to dry. Of COURSE I used Scraperfect's Best Glue Ever. It worked great holding the two different materials together.

Step 10: Slip pens into the slots between the bag and the garland. Hook the lid clip over the garland. Fill the center of the bag with a sketchbook and colored pencils.

The coarse natural texture of the burlap give this Art Bag a hardy flavor. The Canvas Garland makes adding the pen loops a SNAP. Hope to see your version of this idea on Facebook or Insta!!!

Here is the bag from another angle without the wiggly eyes.

Scrap On!

~charity~

How To Make An Easy Apron For A Scary Treat

If you want to know how to make an easy apron for a scary treat this post is for you.

This hand sewn apron comes with pockets for brushes and pens and such. It has a matching art bag that will be posted later. I chose to sew this project by hand so those crafters without a sewing machine will be able to accomplish this project.

~ Fall Artist Apron ~

 This canvas apron is a blank that comes from Canvas Corp. I chose one without pockets because I had my eye on the fabric panel printed with a cat and a spider. I knew these would look just right with the Haunted House canvas banner.

Apron Supplies:

Canvas Apron (Canvas Corp)

Fabric Panel with Printed Designs (Canvas Corp)
Haunted House Canvas Banner (7 Gypsies)
Purple Embroidery Floss (Prism)
Black Thread (Coats and Clark)
Permanent Markers (Sharpie)
Heat Activated Fabric Adhesive (Therm-O-Web)

Art Bag Supplies:

Burlap Plant Bag (Canvas Corp)

Black Hemp Rope (Canvas Corp)

Canvas Garland 2" width (Canvas Corp)

Wiggly Eyes (Dollar Tree)

Directions:
Step 1: Cut printed designs from fabric panel, leaving at least a 1/4 inch edge.

 Step 2: Color images with permanent markers.

 Step 3: Pocket placement can be determined by tying the apron on and placing a straight pin where the pants pocket opens. The Canvas Banner will be the right-hand pocket. Pin it to the apron front about 1.5" from the right edge. Use a straight edge against the top of the banner to be sure it is on straight.

 Step 4: Sew both sides and the bottom, leaving the top open. The canvas banner already has finished edges so a backstitch will be the easiest way to attach it. Follow the stitching of the pre-finished edge if you are worried about getting it to look straight.
Backstitch
Knot the thread and pull it through the fabric to the front. Insert needle 1/8" below the thread and back out 1/8" above the thread. Insert it again, this time where the last stitch started and back out 1/8" above the most recent stitch. On top of the pocket you will be sewing backwards, but underneath you will be sewing forwards.

 Step 5: The left-hand pocket will be the tree. Check the edges with a straight edge and trim where necessary.

Step 6: Cut 1/4" strips of  the Heat Activated Fabric Adhesive. Iron them on the back of the tree pockets sides. Follow the package directions for times and temperatures. Peel the paper backing off. Fold the sides over 1/4" and iron them down.

 Step 7: Repeat step 6 for the top and bottom of the pocket. The fabric adhesive will keep the canvas from raveling out.

Step 8: Stitch the top edge of the pocket to reinforce the fabric adhesive. Pin the pocket to the apron measuring and straightening as you did for the first pocket. Stitch the sides and bottom of the tree pocket to the apron using a backstitch.

 Step 9: The Cat, Pumpkins, and Spider are appliques. Trace them onto the paper backing of the fabric adhesive. Cut out your tracings, iron the adhesive to the shapes, cut the shapes to the right size, peel the paper backing. Follow the package directions for ironing times and temperatures.

 Step 10: Position the pumpkins and cat on the front of the apron. Follow package directions for ironing. Stitch the edges of the shapes to the apron using a blanket stitch.
Blanket Stitch
This stitch is like a capitol "L". Knot the thread and pull it through the fabric to the front a 1/4" from the outer edge of the shape. Insert the needle 1/4" above and to the left of the thread then straight down and back out 1/4" to the left of the thread but on level with it. Slip the loose thread under the front edge of the needle and pull the needle through the fabric. This should leave a capitol "L" with the thread now coming through to the right of where the sides of the L intersect. Continue to insert the needle 1/4" above and to the left of the thread as you sew around the shape.
If you did not slip the thread under the needle you will have a diagonal line and the thread coming up on its own.

This canvas apron is just the right thickness to protect an artists clothes from the paint splatters and other staining supplies they so enjoy. The hand sewn decorations and useful pockets will remind them of your love with each use.

The directions for the Art Bag will be posted tomorrow.

Craft On!

~charity~

How To Update A Planner The Quick and Easy Way

If you need quick and easy ways to update a planner this post is for you. I have three projects that will take just minutes to complete. Kick back and take it easy today!

~ Thrifted Planner ~

I bought this cute mini-binder at local thrift store. It measures 6 7/8 x 8 7/8 " and I have cut my pages to 5.5 x 8.5". The star of today's show is the Best Glue Ever. She comes to you from ScraPerfect, magically perfect products, to demonstrate these simple uses. 

Binder Liner

The inside of the binder had carefully printed measurement charts and other standard Mead subjects. Useful, but not pretty. I cut and corner rounded a piece of floral printed cardstock to cover the mundane.

 I used watercolors to paint the flowers and detail the lattice. The paper dried quickly with little curving.

 Thin strips of the Best Glue Ever were spread around the edges of the binder with a few strips in the center.

  Because this glue doesn't make the paper buckle, the final product is quite polished. The muted colors give off a shabby chic air.

 Budget Page

I needed a chart to keep track of my spending. Sometimes my need for stickers, clips, and pretty papers gets out of hand! 😏 I used a ruler to mark out my chart on graph paper. I wanted to use my new month dies but the lines are so tiny!

 My bottle of Best Glue Ever is topped with a No-Clog Writing Cap. It was a breeze to add squiggles of glue to strategic points.

Bee Clip

I need to be able to flip between my weekly and monthly plan for keeping track of my activities. This happy embroidered bee patch is just the thing.

 I centered a bit of foam adhesive on a circle of cardstock then added a thin strip of the Best Glue Ever around the edges. I fit the clip over the foam into the glue then added a few dots of glue on top of the foam for good measure.

 I used a clothes pin to clamp the Bee Sandwich together and let it dry over night.

  The Best Glue Ever spiffed my planner up quickly. I can trust the glues holding power and long lasting effect. With these easy updates I am ready to go!

Stop by the ScraPerfect Blog for more projects and ideas.
Supplies:
Binder:Mead
Cardstock:Photo Play Paper
Watercolors:Close To My Heart
Bee Patch:Amazon
Clip:Dollar Tree
Month Die:Peachy Cheap
Glue and Writing Cap:ScraPerfect

Scrap On!

~charity~