DIY :: Tile Magnets

I purchased a tile magnet at a craft show I was in a couple years ago. It had a lovely image of vintage flowers somehow transfered onto it. Unfortunately, it fell off the refrig one too many times and now sits in a basket on my desk in about a million pieces (I can't bear to throw it out). I decided to start hunting for a tutorial on how to transfer images to basic bathroom tiles and couldn't really find anything that didn't require purchasing a type of chemical/adhesive help I did not already have. So I tried just using ModPodge and it was a fail. An epic fail. Half of the image transferred, and then peeled right off. So I thought I would try to ModPodge the printed images straight to the tiles. 

I decided to just go with it and start using different materials to see what would work and look best - I used the printed images from here, here and here, vintage sheets and clothing I found at a thrift store, and washi tape, and all three turned out great. I also found sheets of magnetic material at the thrift store (random, right?!).

These little magnets are super cute, super inexpensive to make, and of course, super fun to make. I purchased a sheet of 2"x2" tiles (they come in sheets of 36, glued together for about $3.25) from a home improvement store and then broke them apart at the glue (*edited: they come apart fairly easily by bending them back and forth at the glue) and trimmed off the excess glue with an x-acto knife. 


Materials:
- 2"x2" bathroom tiles
- ModPodge and foam brush
- Magnets (you can buy this on a roll, usually at craft stores)
- Glue (super strong, for adhering the magnet - I recommend Gorilla Glue)
You can use any of these (or all of them!)
- Fave papers, cut down to 2"x2"
- Fabric (either new or repurposed clothing, sheets, etc. I recommend using a fairly light-weight fabric, so that the ModPodge will hold it - ie. no upholstery)
- Washi tape

If you are using Washi tape, you can directly adhere it right onto the tile in a fun pattern, glue on a magnet and call it finished.


If you are using paper or fabric: Using the foam brush, apply a thin layer of ModPodge over the top of the tile. Adhere the 2"x2" piece of paper or fabric and gently smooth out any air bubbles. Apply another thin layer of ModPodge over the paper or fabric and around the edges of the tile to smooth out - this will ensure there are no edges of paper or fabric hanging off of the tile. Let dry completely.

Then glue a magnet onto the back, and voila! A fun magnet to add some lovely to your refrig. You could also print out letters, a quote or Scripture and adhere that to the tile. What an easy, inexpensive, but thoughtful gift! :)

    

Pretty Package

I absolutely love to wrap small packages in leftover paper supplies I have laying around. It's so much more fun than using a roll of wrapping paper - but don't get me wrong, I love wrapping paper too! In fact, I wrapped this cute little gift in the brown paper from the interior of a wrapping paper roll (you know how sometimes there isn't a tube at the end of the roll? It's just stiff-er brown kraft-type-paper?). I then used a doily and covered it with some fabric swatches, a vintage button and topped it off with fabulous Divine Twine, alphabet letters, a leftover fabric scrap and some paper rounds. Reusing and adding a handmade touch :)

DIY Tuesday :: Fabric Covered Binder

One of my sweet friends asked for a Food Planning Binder from her hubby for Christmas - I gladly said I would make them one :) I didn't know how to go about making the actual "binder" part - I wanted it to be unique, but of course, still functional. I tried taking apart a binder and putting it back together with booktape and gluing fabric and such, but it was a fail. So next I decided to try and just glue the fabric to an actual binder (a used binder in great condition- yay for reusing!), and glue sturdy cardstock paper on the insides. It worked quite well and was a fairly easy project.

Not much is needed to make your own- an old binder that still has functional rings, some glue and cardstock paper.

Supplies:
+ Old binder that needs an update (I used a standard size that holds 8.5"x11" paper)
+ Fabric
+ Spray adhesive (I use 3M Super 77 - once you spray this stuff, it is SUPER permanent)
+ 2 sheets of 12"x12" cardstock that coordinate with your fabric
+ Rotary blade, metal ruler and cutting mat
Optional: Fabric glue and 4 butterfly clilps (to reinforce the corners once you glue the fabric to the binder)

Start by cutting the piece of fabric down so that it is about 1" larger than the binder on all sides.

 Cut the corners off - this will make it easier when gluing.

Now comes the tricky part. Lay the fabric wrong side up on a large piece of paper or newspaper (or fabric) that you don't mind getting spray adhesive all over. I used an old remnant piece of upholstery fabric that I had no use for.

Spray the entire piece of fabric that you are adhering to the binder, taking care to get all the way to the edges (do be careful that your spray is even if you are using a lightweight fabric, as the glue can sometimes permanently make glue spots on the other side).

Carefully lay the binder in the center of the now-covered-in-glue-fabric, putting the spine part down first, and then each side. Pull up the top center and bottom center parts of fabric and carefully tuck them under the binder ring clasp (see picture below). Now work your way inch by inch pulling the fabric down over the edge of the binder.

I left the corners undone while I secured all of the edges-- then wrap the cut part of the corner onto the binder first and finish securing the sides on top of that (see picture below).
I decided to reinforce the corners to make sure they would stay put. I used a couple dabs of fabric glue and then put butterfly clips on to hold it for about 10 minutes.
Next, I cut down the 12"x12" cardstock sheets to approximately 9.5"x11.25" and rounded the corners - this allows for about .25" all the way around where the fabric is - so you can see about .25" of fabric on the inside. Be sure to measure the insides of your binder to make sure you are cutting down to the right size (the right side of the binder ended up needing about .25" more on one side because I glued the fabric a little off). Cover only up to the fold in the binder, otherwise it won't be able to shut properly (see one of the final close up photos below).

Spray with spray adhesive and secure to each of the insides of the binder.

(Paper goes up to fold so it will open and shut properly)

Voila! A *new* and cute binder! :)
I hand-cut divider pages out of 12"x12" cardstock sheets and put blank labels on them for her to label.

DIY Tuesday: Felt Leaves Napkin Rings

I wanted to help jazz up the table at my parent's house for Thanksgiving, and even though I'm terrified of working with felt (no really), I thought I'd give making some napkin rings a try :). These little cuties are super quick and easy to make and don't require a sewing machine. Perfect to make for Thanksgiving this week or to celebrate Fall.

Supplies:
+ Various colors of felt
+ Embroidery floss in a Fall color
+ Needle
+ Scissors
+ Pen or pencil
+ Template for leaves (see end of this post)
First, cut out the leaves from the template.
Next, trace onto felt using the pen or a pencil. Trace as many as you desire to make.
Cut out the leaves from the felt. Now stitch the leaf "veins" using the embroidery floss and needle.
Next, cut out the napkin ring strips. Mine were 6.5"x1". You can use a variety of colors for these strips, I chose to do all brown.
Next, the leaves need to be attached to the mid-section of the strips. I just made extra "veins" that also doubled as stitching the leaf to the strip (see the arrow in the picture below - that's an extra "vein"). You could also double up on some of the stitches you already made in the leaf (or you can use a hot glue gun ;)).
To finish them off, simply stitch the two ends together.
Voila! A cute and simple way to dress up your table! :)

Template for leaves: Click to enlarge, right click to save and then print.

Tuesday Tutorial: Simple Fabric Headbands

I used to make these super cute, super easy-to-make headbands and decided to make a few more recently :) They take less than 20 minutes to make, a tiny amount of fabric, and are a great way to coordinate with an outfit :) These make great gifts and would be great little gifts for Christmas! :)

Supplies:
+ 2.5" x 18" piece of fabric
+ 3" piece of elastic (you can purchase elastic in different colors, be sure to purchase a color that will coordinate with your fabric. I usually keep white, black and brown on hand- these will usually coordinate nicely with different colors of fabric)
+ 2 safety pins
+ pins
+ scissors
+ sewing machine and coordinating thread
+ needle and coordinating thread

*Please note that as head sizes of course will vary, you might need to do a little trial-and-error with the measurements of your fabric! I measured my head with a sewing measuring tape where the headband would sit and it was 22" when pulled very snugly- about 4" bigger than the piece of fabric I used. So for example, if your head circumference (where the headband will sit) is about 16", try using a 12" piece of fabric, etc. I would definitely do a trial run with a fabric remnant before using your desired piece of fabric (and hopefully then you have 2 fun headbands to wear!). :)
Start by folding the fabric in half, lengthwise, so that the wrong side is out. Pin every couple inches.
Begin to sew a straight stitch down the open, pinned side with a 1/4" seam allowance.
About 3" from one edge, leave a 1.5" opening (see picture below). This will allow you to turn it right side out later on. Be sure to back stitch a couple times on each side of the opening so it doesn't come undone.
Pin one of the safety pins to one edge of the elastic piece.
Begin to push the safety pin into one of the open sides of the headband.
Using the other safety pin, pin the other edge of the elastic (that doesn't already have a pin in it) to the edge of the opening you just went in (see picture below).
As a visual, below is what is happening at this point. Don't pull safety pin #1 out the opening you left, I just wanted to show where it is :)
Now, begin scrunching down the fabric over the safety pin and elastic as you push the safety pin to the other opening.
The safety pin eventually comes out the other side. Pin to the opening you just came out of- you can use a quilting pin to hold it in place while you adjust the safety pin. Now both sides are pinned with a safety pin.
Now, using approximately a 1/4" seam allowance, sew up the openings on each side- this will sew the elastic in place as well as close up the openings. I switched out the safety pins for the straight quilting pins, but found it easier to leave the safety pins in and sew up the edges. This step takes a lot of finagling, and I stuck myself a bunch of times with the quilting pin while trying to hold the elastic and fabric in place for sewing (Yet another reason to leave the safety pins in while sewing). Sew back and forth a couple of times to reinforce. Close up of the sewn edge.
Both edges sewn. It's all scrunched up because the elastic is stretched inside :)
Now it's time to flip it! Find the 1.5" opening and begin gently pulling the elastic through, followed by the fabric.
Now, iron it all nice and flat, sew a blind stitch on the 1.5" opening and voilà! A simple fabric headband :)