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Welcome to the Geek Crafts column, your weekly dose of geeky goodness with Haley Pierson-Cox from The Zen of Making!
I’ll admit it: I’m the kind of girl who will fish a dead keyboard out of the trash for purely crafty purposes—there are just so many awesome ways to reuse and repurpose the parts! In addition to the ever-popular keyboard jewelry options, I love the idea of using old keys to geek up projects in unexpected ways. So, with that in mind, I decided to add a quirky keyboard message to my travel embroidery hoop sleeve, ensuring that all of my needlework projects stay both clean and extra-sassy while I’m stitching on the go. If you’re not jazzed about the Beastie Boys, feel free to change up the words to better fit your style!
Materials:
- Wool felt scraps
- Straight pins or fabric clips
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Keys from an old keyboard
- Fabric scissors/rotary cutter
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Sewing needle (optional)
- Fabric glue (optional)
This tutorial will show you how to make one embroidery hoop sleeve in a size that’s made to fit your favorite embroidery hoop.
Step 1
Fold the large piece of felt in half, then trim the top and sides so that they fit the size of your embroidery hoop, adding an extra inch to the top and both sides.
Step 2
Using the felt rectangle from step 1 as a template, cut the piece of fabric to the same size.
Step 3
Cut one or two smaller felt rectangles to accommodate your keyboard letters. The lengths will vary depending on the words that you choose.
Step 4
Using basting stitches or small drops of fabric glue, position the rectangles that you cut in step 3 just above the fold on the large felt rectangle, then use your sewing machine to stitch around the edges of each to secure them in place.
Step 5
With right sides facing, use your sewing machine to join the felt and the fabric rectangles at the top and the bottom edges using a ¼” seam allowance. (The longer side edges should both remain open.)
Step 6
Once the ends are joined, turn the felt and fabric rectangles right side out. The top and bottom seams that you made in step 5 should now be enclosed between the two pieces. Use straight pins or fabric clips to neatly align the fabric on either side of the seams.
Step 7
Use your sewing machine to top stitch across the top and bottom edges using a ¼” seam allowance.
Step 8
Fold the joined rectangles in half so that the fabric is facing the inside and the felt is facing the outside. Pin or clip the sides together, then use your sewing machine to sew the seams on both sides with a ¼” seam allowance. (The top should remain open.)
To add extra strength and stability to the opening, you can whipstitch around the side seams near the top on each side.
Step 9
Position the keyboard letters on the smaller felt rectangles, then use hot glue/your favorite multipurpose adhesive to secure the keys in place. Allow the glue to dry completely before using your finished sleeve.
Do you have a great idea for crafting with old keyboards? Leave a comment below and tell me what you’d make!
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