Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

I spent yesterday afternoon making my first three Dotee dolls, and what fun that was! Have you heard of them? They were invented by a lady in Australia named Dot, and they’re becoming quite the rage, especially for swapping. (Click here to see more dotees)

I was charmed by them right off the bat, and also love that they take so little in the way of materials or even skill. In fact, this would be a great craft to do with a child—a fun way to learn basics like sewing on a button, stuffing a small toy, with a reward at the end in the form of a new toy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Scraps of fabric, roughly 8″ to 10″ square
• A bit of white, cream, or tan fabric for the face
• Trims for hair (optional)
• Dangly bits—those earrings from the ’80′s you held onto work well
• Odd bits and buttons you might use
• Pens, crayons, etc., for drawing the face
• Glue, needle & thread, scissors, fusible interfacing, etc.

The simplest dotees are rectangular, with no arms, legs, or even hair. They always have a hanger at the top, and a dangle at the bottom. Well, actually the dangle is optional, too!

To get started, decide about how big you want your dotee to be. Try a rectangular one first—you can make shaped ones next. Cut a two pieces of fabric the size of the doll you have in mind, plus half an inch seam allowance all around, plus about an inch more to allow for the “shrinkage” that will happen when you stuff it. If you like, round the top of the rectangles.

Now cut a circle of the white/cream/tan fabric for the face. You might want to cut a paper circle first, to gauge size. Draw a face on the circle. I used an ink pen, a fine-tip marker, and fabric crayons to draw mine. Use what you have—it’s all good!

Cut a bit of fusible interfacing the same size as the circle, and iron the face in position on the front of your rectangle.

Now sew the rectangles together, right sides facing. Leave a gap at the bottom for stuffing. Clip any curves, and trim the corners, and turn right side out. Stuff lightly, and blind stitch the opening.

If you aren’t going to put hair on your doll sew the hanger into the seam. If your doll will have hair, you can cut a length of string, tie a knot to make a loop, and sew where the hair will cover the knot.

For Plaidy Lady, I used a short length of upholstery fringe for her hair, with a button sewed to each end, and sewed it around her face, going right through the doll, and putting a French knot in several places just for pretty. I also added a bit from a broken necklace, to hand down in front. Here’s the back:

You could also just glue the fringe in place, which is what I did with the two other dotees.

Now choose a dangle—a dangly earring, a bit of a bracelet, etc.—or create your own. Sew or glue it to the bottom of your doll. If you like, cover the place where it’s attached with a button. (I put buttons on the front and back, both.)

Like many crafts, I think the instructions make these dolls sound harder to make than they actually are. Here’s the truth of the matter: I looked at pictures of a bunch of dotees, and just started making them. It’s that easy, and I think you’ll think so, too, once you’ve tried one!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

You just never know when a perfectly innocent activity is going to ruin a great pair of jeans. For instance, my husband recently asked me if I’d give him a hand with getting the old water heater out of the basement. Of course, I would!

He took the top of the water heater, and I took the bottom, and together we heaved it up the stairs. It was awfully heavy, so with each step I’d put my knee and thigh under the bottom of the water heater and use my leg strength to help boost it. How was I supposed to know the thing was all-over rust and dirty water on the bottom?

Naturally, I decided to rescue the ruined jeans. If you’ve also got a water heater to move, or some other dirty job wreaks havoc, here’s how you can do what I did.

First, find a piece of fabric with a reasonably large and simple pattern. I chose a fabric sample with a black velvet pattern on a gold satiny background.

Begin by cutting out some of the motifs, leaving about 3/8″ all around to turn under, laying the motifs atop the stains until you have the stains covered and an attractive arrangement created.

If the fabric you’ve chosen seems prone to fraying, run a narrow line of a fray stopping liquid such as Fray Check around the very edge. When that’s dry, iron the edge under, clipping wherever needed to let it lie flat.

Pin the motifs to the jeans, and blind stitch in place.

If you have enough fabric, do a back pocket, too:

I wear these jeans all the time now, and get compliments on them even from total strangers!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of my tee shirts after a while. That’s when I start thinking about ways to change them up and make them more interesting, especially if there’s nothing wrong with them. I like to reuse material and clothing to create “new” shirts. Ruffle up your Tee in under an hour!

Here’s an easy change, for which all you’ll need are two things:

A tee shirt, and a camisole or other garment with a ruffled hem.

Step one is to cut the ruffle(s) from the cami, leaving about a half inch of fabric above the ruffles. Iron the extra fabric to the wrong side of the ruffles, which will create a facing.

Cut the sleeves from your tee shirt, leaving the overlocked (zigzagged) seam intact. (Or, if your shirt has very short, cap sleeves, as mine did, so that the ruffles are longer than the sleeves, you don’t even have to do that.)

Cut the ruffled piece into two pieces of equal length. Don’t worry if the pieces you have won’t go all the way around the armhole of your tee.

Find the middle of each ruffled length, flip the top ruffle up, and pin the ruffle to your tees armhole, matching the center of the ruffle to the shoulder seam.

Invisibly hand-stitch the ruffle to the tee, using either a blind stitch, or running your needle down the seam between the ruffle and the facing.

Last step: Wear your “new” shirt!

By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”. 

Have you ever worked with sheer fabric and wondered how to deal with your edges? They can be so ugly and fray easily. Another reason you may want an enclosed seam (also a “French Seam”) is when you want your garment to be presentable with no edges on either side.

1. Place your fabric, WRONG SIDES TOGETHER. Usually when you are doing seams, you put right sides together. Don’t let your intuition take over. Put the WRONG sides together and sew a 1/4″ seam. (Please ignore poor seam in picture! It was slippery!!)

2. Press the seam open.

3. Turn the fabric over, and fold it on the seam. Now your RIGHT SIDES ARE TOGETHER. Press and pin if necessary (I had to pin mine!)

4. Sew a 1/2″ seam.

5. Turn your fabric out again and you have an enclosed seam! Viola! Easy & beautiful.

By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.

Every child should, at some point in their lives, get to have their very own super cape. Admit it, you’d take one yourself if given the opportunity, wouldn’t you? Capes are magical, mystical, and also, just plain fun. This light and simple cape is a snap to make, requires no sewing at all (unless you want to) and can be tailored to your child’s interests and tastes. So if that special little someone who you are making it for is, say, REALLY into garbage trucks, well then, a super garbage man cape it is.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 XL men’s t-shirt
• Fabric Scissors
• Velcro or ribbon
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Optional:

• Heat transfer shapes
• Iron on patches
• Freezer paper stencils, Click Here to learn how to make your own!

1. Fold the t-shirt in half lengthwise and cut off the sleeves.

2. Turn the shirt inside out and cut out the side seams on both sides, from the hem to the armpits. If yoru shirt has no side seams, simply cut open the sides.

3. Unless the emblem of your shirt is very cool and what you want on the cape, or the shirt is plain, plan on using the back of the T so that you have plain material to work with. Lay the shirt open on a flat work surface and then fold in half vertically. Starting at the hem on the outside edge, cut at an angle up toward the shoulders.

4. At the shoulders, turn and cut in toward the neck. Trim around the front of the ribbing at the neck. Discard the rest of the fabric.

5. Open the cape up and cut a 3-4 inch section out of the neck loop. You can leave the neck as is but it will be most likly be too large for your child.

6. Hot glue velcro or ribbon to each end of the cut neck piece to create a new closure for the cape.

7. Embellish with an iron on patch, embroidery or a stencil.

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

Here’s an easy tank top redo that probably won’t take you longer than about half an hour.

You’ll need:

• A tank top
• A slip or nightgown, or other nylon tricot piece in a coordinating color
• Scissors, needle, and thread

As you can see, I used a slip as my nylon tricot piece. The idea is to use a fabric that won’t fray (no hemming) and will drape nicely.

Your first step is to cut circles from the nylon. A circle about 3 ½” (8.9cm) in diameter is good, but you don’t have to be exact. I created my circle pattern by tracing around the rim of a handy teacup. Cut between ten and fifteen circles, depending on how much you overlap the pieces, and which style tank you choose to create.

Fold each circle into quarters and crease to find the centers. Lay your first, opened out flat, circle so the center is at the shoulder seam, near the center of the neck binding of the tank top. Take four tiny stitches right in the center.

Take another folded circle and put it slightly under the one you just sewed down, open it up, and stitch its center. Repeat.

Add circles until you’re almost to the center, and then start the process again, from the other shoulder seam. When you have the neckline almost covered, tuck the last few circles in a pleasing arrangement, and stitch them as you did the others.

Your previously plain tank top is now deliciously flirty!

And just for fun, here’s another way to go, just as easy, but asymmetrical:

By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”. 

I saw these towel wraps at a children’s store and thought it would make a great project for summer before swimming lessons creep up on us! Even though I made this one for my daughter, you can make one for anyone, as long as you have a big enough towel!

You need:

• A Towel
• Pins
• Scissors
• 4 Buttons
• Sewing Needle
• 1″ Elastic
• Sew-on Velcro
• Thread

First, measure your client (hey, who says they have to be paying to call them a client!). Using a measuring tape do the following before beginning your project:

1. Measure just under the armpits all the way around the body.

2. Measure chest width.

3. Add your first & second measurements. Let’s call this the “real towel measurement”.

4. Measure back width (shoulder blade to shoulder blade works in this case)

5. Measure over the shoulder, keeping in mind that you are making straps. You need enough length to attach the straps on both sides.

Second, cut your pieces:

1. Take your “real towel measurement” (see #3 above) and then add 4″ to that number. The extra inches include a seam allowance for the raw edge and 3″ for your elastic to stretch. Lay your towel flat & measure the amount across the towel. Make appropriate marks and cut the excess towel off.

2. Take your elastic and cut the piece according to the back width measurement (#4 above.)

3. Using the excess towel piece, cut 2 strips 4″ x shoulder measurement (#5 above).

Let’s SEW!!

To get the best idea of how to place everything correctly, I suggest getting your little model and wrapping the towel around him to make sure you have the measurements right. The end product will have a piece of elastic that will go across the back width. As it wraps around the front, the towel will overlap the entire chest width. This is where you will be putting in the Velcro. The straps will button just below the elastic in the back, coming over the shoulders and buttoning in the front as well.

1. Mark with pins (or your favorite method) where you will be putting the velco and elastic. Keep in mind that you cut your elastic according your back width measurement BUT when you sew it, you will want to stretch it a full 3″. Keep that in mind when you are centering your elastic across the back.

(Soft Velcro will be sewn on the Left INSIDE of towel)

(Elastic is going to be middle of the back. This side of the Velcro will be sew on the Right OUTSIDE of the towel)

2. Sew in your elastic. Pulling it tight so that it measures 3″ more than you cut it, pin the ends in place. Sew the elastic just below the edge of the towel. Make sure to keep pulling while you sew!

3. After your elastic is in, measure in 1″ toward the middle of the just under the elastic (approximately 1 ½-1 ¾” down from the top). Sew your back button on the RIGHT side (the outside) of the towel. Repeat on other side.

4. For the front buttons, measure in 1″ from the end of the towel , then sew a button approximately 1 ¾” from the top. Then measure from that button the chest measurement minus 2, then sew in the other button.

5. Finish the raw edge of the towel. Make a narrow hem by pressing ½”, then tucking the raw edge into the crease and pressing again. Sew a seam.

6. Sew soft Velcro on RIGHT side (outside of towel), ¼” from the edge and just under the towel binding on top.

7. Sew the sticky Velcro on RIGHT side (outside) of the towel, but sew it approx. 1 ¾” down from the top. NOTE: Make sure that you are sewing it in the right place by folding the towel down over the elastic and see where the soft Velcro will meet the sticky Velcro. Mark it with pins, then sew it in!

8. FINALLY, fold the top over the elastic (will probably be folding approx. 1 ½ to 1 ¾” from the top.) Sew a seam all across the edge, using the towel’s binding as a guide. Make sure you are pulling the towel tight as you sew near the elastic!

MAKE THE STRAPS:

1. Fold length-wise. With right sides together, sew across the top and side. Turn inside out and tuck the bottom under about 3/8″ and topstitch. Make button holes about ½” from the top and bottom. Repeat for other strap.

If straps are too long, cross them in back!