Tag: Makes

Make your own colour block dipped art

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I love the dipped effect, so when I was trying to find an interesting way to give old paintings and portraits a modern twist, dipping them seemed like the perfect project, making pretty much anything look like expensive quirky art.

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What you will need:

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1. Remove the glass and picture from the frame. Take the frame and Rust-Oleum spray paint (we used Rust-Oleum Metallic Gold) and shake thoroughly. Hold the can approximately 30cm from the surface of the frame and spray. Apply several light coats a few minutes apart. Once fully dry, pop the painting back into the frame.

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2. Take a strip of masking tape and press the tape against some fabric to test that it isn’t too sticky (otherwise you may have trouble getting it off the photo without damaging it). Place the tape across the photo and frame and press down lightly.

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3. Using a sponge, dab the paint across the painting and the frame, building up the paint until the lower half of the painting and the frame is covered. Once fully dry, peel off the masking tape and hang!

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Make your own bathroom shelves using Rust-Oluem paints!

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You will need –

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  1. Ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean, dry and free from grease and contaminants.
  2. Using pliers, remove staples from the outer edges of the boxes.Colour_wash-how_to-2-800x800-1
  3. Give each wine crate a light coat of Rust-Oleum Colour Wash (we used Cloud Blue and Mint Sorbet) and leave this to dry.Colour_wash-how_to-3-800x800-1
  4. Screw the boxes together, alternating colours.Colour_wash-how_to-4-800x800-1

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Embroidery Hoop Wall Art

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Embroidery hoops are perfect for creating your own speedy eye catching wall art. They’re a great stash busting opportunity to use up a collection of much loved fabrics.

You Will Need

  • Old Embroidery hoops
  • Fabric scraps for background and with motifs
  • Plain fabric for motif
  • Bondaweb
  • Scissors

 

Instructions

Step 1

Cut background fabric out with a diameter 4in (10cm) greater than that of the frame.

Step 2

Draw or trace the motif onto the paper side of the Bondaweb then iron onto the reverse of the chosen motif fabric.

Step 3

Cut out the motif, then peel off the backing paper. Place the motif on the backing fabric and iron to bond.

Step 4

Using a contrast colour thread, top stitch round the edge of the motif.

Place decorated fabric over inner hoop, press on outer hoop and tighten screw. Pull fabric through to stretch and cut off excess to neaten.

Tips

  • Before applying Bondaweb to reverse of the fabric, iron the fabric with a hot iron, this will make the bonding process quicker.

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Mid Century Cushions

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Make stylish cushions from original 1960’s fabric

You can still purchase pieces of sixties fabric on eBay and very occasionally find them in vintage shops and markets. These cushions were made from one piece of fabric that had four asymmetric circles on it. I decided to cut the fabric into four to make four cushion fronts and make the back of the cushions from plain linen.

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You will need

60’s Fabric for the cushion front

Plain cotton or linen for the cushion back you will need two thirds more than for the front.

Scissors

Tape measure

Needle
Thread

Dressmakers pins

Cushion pad

Interfacing (optional)

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Instructions

  1. Cut your fabric into squares so they are the same dimension as the cushion pad 
plus 2cm seam allowance. If the fabric is flimsy or damaged, back it with 
interfacing.
  2. From the fabric for the cushion back, measure and cut out two pieces, each the 
same width as the fabric front but 2/3rds the length.
  3. Neaten along one width seam of each cushion back by turning under by 5mm 
and under again by the same amount. Sew with a running stitch.
  4. With right sides facing, and overlapping the neatened edges of the cushion 
backs at the centre back, pin the cushion front to the cushion back round the 
edge of the square.
  5. With a running stitch, sew the front to the back of the cushion. Turn the cushion 
through the gap and insert the cushion pad.

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Make your own butterfly chair cover

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Butterfly chairs are currently in vogue again. I saw lots of them at Maison et Objects in Paris. They were covered in a variety of fabrics and skins including leather and pony skin.

I bought this old butterfly chair in a junk shop for £10. The cover was rust stained and not very nice so I decided to give it a revamp.

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You will need

3 metres of white cotton drill

Dylon goldfish orange machine dye

Dylon Tulip Red machine dye

Dress making scissors

Sewing machine

Thread

Pen

15mm bias binding

 

Instructions

 

  1. Cut the fabric in half and using the instructions on the pot, dye half the fabric red and half orange.
  2. Draw round the old cover to make a pattern and don’t forget to add the seam allowance
  3. Cut out the pieces and sew the pieces first in one colour and then in the next together as in the original pattern.
  4. The only difficult part is pinning and stretching the seat top to the seat bottom as you are joining a concave piece of fabric to a convex piece. With right sides facing, pin the top of the seat to the bottom at the center seam. Sew from the center of the seat outwards stretching as you sew. This way the two pieces will fit together. Repeat this step to join the other half of the chair top to the chair bottom.
  5. The pockets for the front and back of the seam are neatened at their bases and then sewn with raw edges onto the cover. This is repeated for the reverse of the seat.
  6. Once the pockets are in place, with wrong sides facing, sew the seat top to the seat bottom round the edge and then hide all the raw edges with bias binding.

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Mini Makes – Pom Pom Hat

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Transform a dull, charity shop hat, into something a little more on trend with just some wool and a pom pom maker. If you don’t have a pom pom maker then cut two disks of card and make it the old fashioned way.

You will need

Woollen hat, An odd ball of wool this could tone in with the hat or be a complete contrast. Scissors to cut the wool and a pom pom maker.  A needle and thread to sew the pom pom onto the hat.

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Instructions Cut the wool and thread it onto the pom pom maker. When the pom pom is finished sew it onto the center top of the hat.

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Mini Makes – Envelope back notepad

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This is a very easy and practical way of using up old envelopes to create a notepad. Useful  for writing shopping lists and phone messages. I would love to say this is my idea but I must be honest and admit to having seen similar elsewhere. I have one friend who creates wonderful works of art from old envelopes so that are really worth taking a second look at and also why waste them.

You will need a collection of old envelopes, split open to reveal the patterned inside, a hole punch, paper scissors, charity shop key rings with easy opening rings.

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Instructions

Cut the envelope backs to roughly the same size. Punch a hole in one corner and then thread on the envelopes, with the patterned side facing upwards, onto a key ring.

 

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