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Install Pillow Piping from The Sewing Loft: National Sewing Month 2013

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It’s Day Twenty-Nine of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Hello, Hello FaveCraft Readers! Heather here from The Sewing Loft and I’m so excited to join the party during National Sewing Month with you.

The Sewing Loft

Today, I want to show just how easy it is to install custom piping on decorative pillows. This simple trim can really create that WOW factor on a limited budget.

Install Pillow Piping

 

Install Pillow Piping | The Sewing Loft

This project is for all levels.

Skill Level- 1 Button

Supplies:

  • custom piping
  • pillow pattern

Tools:

  • sewing machine
  • zipper foot
  • basic sewing supplies

Basic Instructions:

  1. Attach your zipper foot to your machine and check the needle position.
  2. Determine the starting point of piping on your pillow. I suggest in the middle of the bottom of the pillow to hide.
  3. Position piping; pin in place all around pillow matching seam allowance.
  4. Straight stitch as close to the cording as possible, clipping corners as needed to turn the seam.
  5. To join piping, unpick a few stitches on piping and fold back fabric to expose cording. Clip cording to match evenly; fold under the fabric edge and overlap to cover the seam; continue stitching piping in place.

Install Pillow Piping | The Sewing Loft

Custom piping is an easy way to add that decorative touch on a shoestring budget. The key is to take your time and not to be caught short with the trim. With a few minutes of prep work and some simple calculations, you can transform even the simplest pillow insert into a decorator pillow.

Here is what I created with my piping.

Witches Brew Pillow by The Sewing Loft

 

The Sewing Loft

PS- If this easy project inspires you to get your needle moving, be sure to visit me for more inspiration and sewing tips.

 

 

What project in your home would you use piping on?

 

Scrappy Fabric Baskets from Threading My Way: National Sewing Month 2013

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It’s Day Twenty-One of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Hi, Pam here from Threading My Way. I’m thrilled to be joining in with National Sewing Month.
Today I’m going to show you how to make your own Scrappy Fabric Basket, using small pieces of fabric from your stash. Measuring 6.5″ x 4.5″ x 4″ (16.5 cm x 11.5 cm x 10 cm), this handy sized basket is sturdy enough to stand up by itself. Let’s get started with the tutorial.
Materials:
  • 20 pieces – 11 inches x 2 inches (28 cm x 5 cm) – fabric strips for the exterior of the basket.
  • 2 pieces – 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm) – contrast color for the lining
  • 2 pieces – 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm) – light weight iron-on interfacing
  • 2 pieces – 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm) – medium to heavy weight, woven, sew-in interfacing
The fabric strips can be any combination of prints. I used quilting cotton. You may not use all the strips.

I like the combination of the light weight iron-on interfacing and the medium to heavy weight, woven, sew-in interfacing. This produces a basket that will stand up by itself, without being bulky to sew. You could substitute this with different weight interfacing, fleece or batting. It all depends on the look you are after and what you are used to sewing with.

Instructions:

All seams are 3/8″ (1 cm), unless otherwise indicated.

Use a NON steam setting for pressing.

Back-stitch at the beginning and ending of seams. Arrange fabric strips:

  1. Lay 10 fabric strips side by side for the front and the same for the back.
  2. Play with the strips until you are happy with the arrangement.

 

Sew fabric strips together:

Sew the fabric strips together, at random angles, making sure the seams are straight as you sew. The long edges of the fabric will not be level.

  1. Lay the 2nd strip on the 1st strip, right sides together and at an angle, beginning in the left corner. Line up your presser foot with the top fabric and sew.
    Step 1: place top fabric at an angle
  2. Trim excess fabric, before sewing the next seam.
    Step 2: trim excess fabric from seam
  3. Lay the 3rd strip on the 2nd strip, right sides together and at an angle, beginning in the right corner.
    Step 3: place next fabric at a different angle
  4. Continue sewing the strips, alternating the direction of the angles and varying the degree, until all the strips are sewn. You may find you only need 9 strips per side. It all depends on how you have placed the fabrics.
 
Press seams open:
  1. When all strips are sewn for both front and back, press the seams open.
  2. Trim the sewn strips into a square, 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm)
    Step 2: trim into a square
  3. Sew down each side of both squares, 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the edge of the fabric. This will secure the seams you have just cut.
Step 3: secure seams by sewing along the sides
Top-stitch:
  1. Set stitch length to slightly longer than normal. I set mine to 2.8.
  2. Top-stitch on either side of each seam, sewing 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the seam.
Attach interfacing:
  1. Follow manufacturer’s directions to fuse the iron-on interfacing to the wrong side of each square. I always cut iron-on interfacing a fraction smaller than the fabric and I place a cloth under the iron. This prevents any glue getting on the iron.
    Step 1: iron-on interfacing
  2. Attach the woven, sew-in interfacing, to the wrong side of each square, by sewing around all 4 edges, 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the edges. Sew with the interfacing uppermost.
Step 2: sew-in interfacing



Exterior of basket – sew front to back:

  1. With right sides together, sew down one side, stopping with the needle in the down position 3/8″ (1 cm) from the bottom edge.
  2. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  3. Lower the presser foot and sew across the bottom, stopping with the needle in the down position 3/8″ (1 cm) from the side edge.
  4. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  5. Lower the presser foot and sew the 2nd side.
  6. Neaten the edges by zig-zagging. Do NOT zig-zag the seams together. Sew them separately.
  7. Press seams open.
Making the box corner:
  1. Measure 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom corner seam in both directions. (Measure from the seam. Don’t measure from the edge of the fabric.)
  2. Put a mark to show where 2 inches (5 cm) is. You will have four marks, all 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom corners.
    Steps 1 & 2: measure 2″ from corner
  3. Pull out the sides of your basket.
  4. Place one seam on top of the other seam.
  5. Put a pin through the top mark. If the pin comes out through the mark on the other side, your boxed corner will line up.
    Step 5: check that the marks are lined up
  6. If the pin is not coming out through the mark on the other side, reposition the fabric until it does.
  7. Make sure the seams are open.
  8. Holding the fabric in place, take the pin out and re-pin away from the marks.
  9. With a ruler, draw a line across the fabric, at right angles to the seam and through the mark you made.
    Steps 8 & 9: rule a line to sew along
  10. Remove the pin. If you would like, hand sew to hold in place.
    Steps 10 & 11: remove pin and sew
  11. Sew across the line. I sew a couple of times for reinforcement.
  12. Cut the fabric and neaten.
    Step 12: cut fabric and neaten
  13. Repeat for the other side.
  14. Turn the exterior right side out and press.
Sewing the lining:
The two lining pieces are joined in the same way as the exterior fabric, except that a 3 inch (8 cm) gap is left in the bottom seam, to allow turning later on.
  1. With right sides together, sew down one side, stopping with the needle in the down position 3/8″ (1cm) from the bottom edge.
  2. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  3. Lower the presser foot and sew 2.5 inches (7 cm) across the bottom. Stop and back-stitch.
  4. Leave a gap and begin sewing  2.5 inches (7 cm) from the 2nd corner. Back-stitch as you start sewing. Stop with the needle in the down position 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the side edge.
  5. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  6. Lower the presser foot and sew the 2nd side.
  7. Neaten the edges by zig-zagging. Do NOT zig-zag the seams together. Sew them separately.
  8. Press seams open.
  9. Make boxed corners as per the exterior of the basket.
  10. Leave the lining wrong side out.
Attach the lining to the outside of the basket:
  1. Place the exterior inside the lining. IE: the right side of the exterior is next to the right side of the lining.
    Step 1: place exterior inside lining and line up top edges
  2. Line up the top edges of the lining and the exterior.
  3. Match the seams on either side, making sure the seams are open.
  4. Baste (hand sew) the top edges of the lining and the exterior to hold in place.
  5. Sew a 3/8 inch (1cm) seam to join the top edges of the lining and the exterior.
  6. Neaten the seam.
Steps 5 & 6: sew seam and neaten
Turn the exterior right side out:
  1. Put your fingers through the hole in the bottom of the lining.
  2. Gently pull the exterior out through the lining.
  3. Close the gap in the lining by sewing a row of stitching near to the edge.
Finishing off:
  1. Push the lining back into the basket.
  2. Press the top edge of the basket.
  3. Top-stitch 1/8inch (3 mm) from the edge, around the top of the basket.
You have finished your fabric basket. These little baskets don’t take long to whip up. You could easily make one in an evening. The most time consuming part is top-stitching the strips.
I made four baskets, each with a particular person in mind, although I’m tempted to keep just one. I think my favorite is the red… love the combination of checks and polka dots, teamed with Alexander Henry’s Willow Berries.
Then again, the yellow/blue combo of stripes and geometric shapes, Oh Boy! by David Walker, is rather striking.
Although the lining on the floral, blue basket appears to be pieced, it’s actually not. However, I deliberately chose it because it looked like patchwork. In fact, the lining could be two coordinating prints as I’ve done in the pink/maroon basket, although, it’s a little hard to see. I just didn’t have enough of any one fabric, which doesn’t matter, as it works well.

Now all you have to do is decide what to put into your basket.

 

Enjoy the rest of National Sewing Month. See you over at Threading My Way.

… Pam

 

 

What would you put in this Scrappy Fabric Basket?

 

 

The Little Belt Bag from Domestic Diva: National Sewing Month 2013

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It’s Day Eighteen of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Hi! I’m Gloria from Domestic-Divaonline.com and I’m so happy to have been invited to celebrate National Sewing Month with you on this blog. Thank you FaveCrafts! In honor of this event I’m sharing a fun new project which I call, The Little Belt Bag. The strap is actually one of my belts. I like this design of this bag because it’s convertible. I can wear the bag hanging from my shoulder or remove the belt and carry the bag like a clutch. And when the bag isn’t hanging from my shoulder, I have another belt to wear! There are other great features like the fact that it opens flat for packing and it has outer pockets to hold items you want to access quickly. It’s the perfect size bag for when you don’t want to carry all those things you haul around daily. I’m taking mine on vacation this month. Look for a belt in your closet and give this project a try!

The Little Belt Bag

The Little Belt Bag

The Little Belt Bag

What You’ll Need

  • A thin belt
  • Faux Leather Vinyl
  • Faux Suede
  • Lining Fabric
  • Fleece
  • Fusible Interfacing
  • 1” Flat Webbing
  • Two Magnetic Clasps
  • .25” Flat Brass Wire (optional)

Cut the fabric in the following sizes:

  • Faux Suede and interfacing – top bag trim 18” x 3.25”, pocket lining 8” x 6.25”
  • Faux Leather – pocket 8” x 6”, belt casing 6.50” x 1.25”, outer bag 8” x 13” (two pieces)
  • Lining and interfacing – 8” x 12” (two pieces)
  • Fleece – 8” x 5.5”
  • Webbing – 6” x 1”

NOTE: The seams on this project are .25” to eliminate bulk and the need for trimming.

Finished bag measures approximately 6.50” x 6” with the flap closed.

1) Sew the short ends of the webbing to the belt casing. The webbing will give the casing support and allow the belt to glide between it easily.

The Little Belt Bag

2) On the right side of the vinyl, place a horizontal piece of painter’s tape four inches from the top of the vinyl. Align the long edge of the casing with the tape, centering it with equal spacing on the left and right.

The Little Belt Bag

3) Sew the casing to the vinyl. My belt is .75” wide. If yours is wider, increase the size of the casing to match. Be sure all the metal on your belt will fit through the casing.

The Little Belt Bag

4) If my pocket looks like it’s pieced together, that’s because it is. I made this bag with scraps from another project and didn’t have one piece big enough to cut out the pocket. I turned this potential problem into a design opportunity and top-stitched the pieced seams open. I like way it added to the finished look of the bag.

Sew the right side of the suede pocket to the right side of the vinyl pocket. Turn the suede to the wrong side of the vinyl. The seam becomes the horizontal trim and the rest of the suede becomes the pocket lining. Pin the two pieces together and top-stitch close to the seam.

The Little Belt Bag

5) Determine the pocket widths you want and sew the pocket to the vinyl piece with vertical top-stitching. I created a space for my iPhone, for my business cards, and for a pen. You can personalize your bag to suit your needs.

6) To create one side seam for the bag, place the second vinyl piece on top of the first with right sides together. Sew a .25” seam through all of the layers. Lay the work flat.

The Little Belt Bag

7) Sew the top suede trim across the entire width of the vinyl, both front and back pieces. This will be folded over to create the top trim later.

The Little Belt Bag

8) Stitch one side seam of the interfaced lining. Sew the lining to the suede piece.

The Little Belt Bag

9) Sew one side seam on the fleece pieces. Lay it across the lining with the bottoms matching and sew the fleece to the lining.

The Little Belt Bag

10) Fold the work in half, pin together, and sew the second side seam.

The Little Belt Bag

11) Temporarily turn the lining into the vinyl to check placement for the clasps. The top fold of the bag will create a one-inch suede trim. Place the matching clasp hardware inside the two trims pictured (red arrows). This will hold the large opening closed. The prongs for this clasp should only pierce through the suede layer inside the bag. An additional clasp holds the bag flap down. Half of that clasp is attached to the outside trim (green arrow) with the other half attached to the outside of the pocket. All of the clasp pieces are centered vertically on the bag and each should have a .75” square of thick cardboard between the clasp and the fabric when attached. This will give support and make the clasp easier to fasten.

The Little Belt Bag

12) Once all clasps are attached, stitch around the top of the bag .25” from the trim.

The Little Belt Bag

13) Pull the lining out of the bag. Stitch it together to close the bottom lining, as well as the fleece by turning the raw edges in .25”. Stuff the closed lining back into the bag.

The Little Belt Bag

14) Chances are you don’t have the same belt I do so you won’t be adding the metal piece on the flap that I did, but it was created simply by cutting the wire to 2” long then folding the ends into 90 degree angles. I cut little slits in the suede, inserted the wire ends, then folded them with pliers to squeeze the fabric and hold them in place. I liked that the wire just happened to match the metal pieces on my belt.

Remember to see all of Gloria’s beautiful sewing projects on her blog, Domestic-Divaonline.com!

 

 

What does your go-to purse look like?

 

 

2-in-1 Art Tote from Made By Marzipan: National Sewing Month 2013

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It’s Day Eight of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Hello! Maureen here from Made By Marzipan. Don’t you love it when you discover something new to sew with? When I spotted this chalkboard utility fabric at JoAnn, I couldn’t resist buying some… even though I had no idea what I’d do with it! Luckily I have a few little artists, who inspired me to stitch up a 2-in-1 Art Tote. One side is a chalkboard, and the other is a dry erase board. A pouch in the middle holds the chalk, marker, and an erasing cloth. Ribbon handles make it easy to carry.

2-in-1 Art Tote

2-in-1 Art Tote

Supplies:

Outer fabric (16.5 x 8.5 in)

Iron-on interfacing (16.5 x 8.5 in)

Inner fabric, white (9 x 8.5 in)

Chalkboard fabric (9 x 8.5 in)

Iron-on vinyl (1 yd)

Velcro

Large button & Hair Elastic (optional)

Chalk & dry erase markers

Flannel fabric scrap for erasing

Supply Tips:

I bought the chalkboard fabric at JoAnn, you can find it by the utility fabrics. I purchased the iron-on vinyl from WalMart, it’s kept by the bolts of interfacing.

How To:

1) Begin by cutting a piece of outer fabric and a piece of iron-on interfacing to 16.5 x 8.5 in. Iron the interfacing to the back of the fabric.

2) Cut a piece of inner fabric (white), a piece of chalkboard fabric, and a piece of iron-on vinyl to 9 x 8.5 in.

3) Prime the chalkboard fabric by coloring the entire surface with a piece of chalk. Wipe off the chalk and the fabric is ready to use.

4) Add the iron-on vinyl to the inner (white) fabric piece. Peel the backing off the vinyl and adhere to the front of the fabric. Lay the paper backing on top of the vinyl and iron. Be very careful not to touch the vinyl with the iron.

5) Repeat the steps with the two inner pocket pieces (white). This will make the interior of the pocket easy to clean if necessary. The pocket pieces should each measure 7×6 in.

Creating the Pocket

6) Next we’ll create the pocket. You should have two inner pocket pieces with vinyl. You will also need to cut two 7×6 inch pieces for the outside of the pocket, using the outer fabric.

7) Pin a piece of Velcro to the middle of each vinyl pocket piece, about 1 inch from the top short edge. Sew the Velcro in place.

8) Now layer the pocket pieces together. First put an inner vinyl piece face down. Then comes an outer fabric face up. Next is the remaining outer fabric face down. Finally, add the other inner vinyl piece face up.

9) Pin together and sew with a 1/4 inch seam, leaving the top edge open. Begin sewing about a 1/2 inch from the top edge so it’s easy to turn under later.

10) Trim the corners, then turn right side out. Poke out the corners with a blunt tool.

11) Turn the raw top edges inward and pin. Sew around the top edge with a 1/8 inch seam. You don’t want to sew the pocket shut, so you’ll need to rotate the fabric as you sew.

12) Sandwich the pocket piece between the chalkboard fabric and the vinyl-covered fabric. Sew together along the left side with a 1/2 in. seam. (It’s a good idea to trim this inner seam to about a 1/4 inch so the tote will lay flatter.)

Adding Ribbon Handles

13) Next we’ll add the ribbon handles. You’ll need about 22 inches of ribbon. Fold under the raw edge of the ribbon and begin pinning in the center of the outer fabric piece. It should be two or three inches away from the side, depending on the width of your ribbon.

14) Make a loop that extends past the edge of the tote to create the handle. Add a pin about an inch from the edge of the fabric to remind yourself to stop sewing here… otherwise your handles will get caught within your seams later.

15) Sew the ribbon in place, first down the outer edge of the ribbon, then along the inner edge. Remember to stop sewing an inch away from the edge of the fabric.

Button Closure (Optional)

16) Now it’s time for the button closure. (This is optional, since the pocket has Velcro.) To add the button closure, pin a hair elastic to the center of one short end of the outer piece. The elastic should be pointing inward. If the elastic has a metal clasp, extend it past the edge of the fabric and you can trim it later.

17) Sew in place with a zig-zag stitch and a 1/4 inch seam. Backstitch for durability. Trim off the excess elastic.

18) Sew a button on the opposite short end of the tote. Make sure you place it far enough down that it won’t interfere with your seams. A button without a shank provides a smoother drawing surface.

Assembling the Tote

19) It’s finally time to assemble our tote! Pin the handles down, towards the center of the tote, so they won’t get caught in the seams. Layer the two pieces right sides together and pin.

20) Sew around the edges with a 1/2 inch seam, remembering to leave a 4-inch hole along the top edge of the vinyl page for turning. Trim the corners and turn right side out.

21) Turn the edges of the hole inward and pin. Topstitch all the way around the tote with a 1/8 inch seam.

22) Top-stitching between the pages will help the book to lay flatter.

Add dry erase markers, chalk, and a piece of flannel for an eraser to the center pocket. Now your little artist can create anywhere!

Be sure to check out Maureen’s blog, where she makes all kinds of crafty creations at Made By Marzipan!

 

Have you ever used chalkboard fabric?

 

 

Keep Kids Occupied With a DIY Felt Busy Book

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This tutorial is brought to you by Latrice Murphy from Any Occasion.

I have three active kids and I’m always trying to come up with ways to keep them busy. I find lots of great ideas for this on Pinterest. I’ve seen different posts here and there about “felt busy books.” My littlest is just 20 months, so keeping him busy is a must, especially when we’re in the car. The catch is that I needed something that he couldn’t throw, put in his mouth and tear up. What’s better than a felt book with little activities on each page? Here is a peek at my finished book. I love how it turned out and he’s already been playing with it.

 

Materials:

  • Various felt sheets ( I use a eco fi felt that is nice and sturdy)
  • Three jump rings
  • Velcro adhesive backed dots
  • Sewing machine
  • Scissors
  • Heavy duty hole punch
  • Fabric glue
  • Die cutting or templates

 

Instructions:

  1. Start out by planning your pages and cutting all the sheets of felt down  in half to create the pages.
  2. Cut out and arrange all the page pieces. My book had the following pages:
    1. Car with road
    2. Tic tac toe
    3. Dress up
    4. Shapes
    5. Tree
    6. House
    7. Barn
  3. Sew on your die cut pieces where needed.
  4. To make the pages place the right sides together and sew around three sides. Flip it like a pillow to the right side after done.
  5. Once all the pages are complete attach the front and back page to a binding piece.
  6. Next punch holes using a heavy duty hole punch to punch all the pages.
  7. Assemble the book with three large jump rings.

 

 

 

 

My son loves this book already. Even the two bigger kids are totally into helping him with it and playing tic tac toe.

I would have to say that planning is key on a project such as this. I decided in the end to add a pocket for the car page, a pocket on the dress up page and a strap to hold it closed nicely. I luckily hadn’t sewn anything together yet.

Enjoy the process of creating something your loved one will enjoy – I know I did.

Guest Blog: Motor Oil and Cotton Balls; Food Photography’s Tricks

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By: Zana Faulkner for DivineCaroline.com

How about a nice big bite out of a juicy cardboard, glue, and toothpick “hamburger” or a mile-high stack of pancakes steaming with microwaved cotton balls and motor oil syrup? No? Steak and brown shoe polish perhaps?

Ever wonder why your perfectly executed recipe doesn’t look exactly like the photo in the cookbook? Photographing food is tricky business. Unlike unruly children and unpredictable animals, it does sit still. However, it also melts, wilts, falls apart, dries out, cools down, and basically ends up looking quite unsavory.

Foods that are used in ad campaigns are required to be the real thing, but in other photographs, anything goes. Since hot and cold foods are so unstable, non-edible and durable, structured products are used to give the illusion of perfectly prepared food. Other items are used to enhance overall appeal.

So next time you see photos of mouth-watering food, consider just what it is they’re made of.

Make Mine with Motor
Motor oil is very commonly used in place of syrups, which are non-photogenic. And, to prevent motor oil from soaking into pancakes piles high with berries, a fabric spray protector is used. (Imagine how this stuff will protect your couch!)

Want to achieve that perfectly browned edge to hamburger patties and poultry flesh? Try a blow torch. And the perfectly browned chicken or turkey you see in a photograph is actually raw. Additionally, the reason that raw bird looks so juicy and plump is because a syringe has been used to inject mashed potatoes just under the skin.

Speaking of mashed potatoes, why doesn’t your freshly baked strawberry pie slice into those perfectly uniform slices? Because you didn’t fill your pie with mashed potatoes and then slather the edges with strawberry filling.

A hot steamy plate of anything is steaming because of the wet, microwaved cotton balls that have been placed strategically within the food.

A Freshening Spritz
If you’d like to impress your guests with your straight-from-the-garden and freshly rinsed salad and freshly caught seafood, remember to spritz with glycerin just before serving. Cold, rinsed grapes, though very tasty, always have a slightly dusty look to them. The “secret” here is quite literally “Secret Deodorant”-in the spray version. Apparently, it’s strong enough for men, women, and grapes.

Food that begins to dry out can be revitalized with hairspray-any brand will do…

Read the entire article at DivineCaroline.com

Guest Blog: “Insane” Father’s Day Gift Ideas

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Check  out these fun and unique Father’s Day gift ideas from Kendra Halterman of My Insanity Blog:

A “TIE-rrific” Father’s Day

Instead of joking about the stereotypical Fathers Day Tie, why not celebrate this icon of the holiday with some of these fun Fathers Day projects and ideas?!

Father’s Day Tie Gift Bags

These gift bags are inexpensive, easy, and fun to make. Use them for Father’s Day or for a gift for another special man in your life. I just used white standard-sized paper lunch bags.

Click here for the full project instructions.

gifts-1s

Father’s Day Tie Banner

Greet Dad Sunday morning with this fun tie banner. I made mine out of coordinating scrapbook paper. I made a pattern out of tag board, and could get three ties out of each 12×12 piece of paper. I printed out letters from the computer and used the old window-as-a-light box trick to trace them onto the scrapbook paper.

(A Cricut or similar machine would be nice, here!) I cut out the letters then glued one on to each tie. I then folded the ties over a piece of twine and stapled them to secure them. I cut bands of paper and folded them to look like the knot at the top of a tie and glued them on the backside so they would stick out a little in the front and give a bit of a 3D feel.

banner-close2

I’m hoping to take care of the banner and be able to use it for several Fathers’ Days. You might consider making the banner out of fabric or even old ties from thrift shop or Dad’s closet.

banner-1

Tie Pancakes

Fix Dad a special breakfast. Use the bottle technique I blogged about here to make tie shaped pancakes. You could make the ties Polka dotted by adding blueberries or chocolate chips, like I did to my ghost pancakes, here.

pancakefd1

Tie Napkin

Fix Dad his favorite dinner, and dress-up the table with this great napkin fold. I found the directions here , but simplified the process by choosing not to iron the folds and letting them be a little less stiff (and much quicker).

napkin1

You could take this tie thing a step further and make a tie-shaped cake, or tie shaped sugar cookies. The basic tie shape is simple enough that you could cut the shape out of the sugar cookie dough with a knife, if you don’t have a cookie cutter. I was also planning to try a tie shaped cake, utilizing one of the corners of a square or a rectangular-shaped pan to be the corner of my tie and cutting away the sides. Drizzled chocolate or white chocolate across the top of the cake would give a tie pattern that Dad would be excited to eat.

Check back at My Insanity Blog, because when I find the cool Father’s Day Tie card I made, I will post it there. Happy Father’s Day to all of the wonderful men out there who have chosen to be Dads! Let’s show them how much we love them!

For more great Father’s Day gift ideas, check out our craft projects at FaveCrafts.com!

Crochet

Jewelry

Knitting

Paper

Sewing

Thrifty