Earlier, I wrote a post titled DIY Switch Plate and Outlet Cover Tutorials – which will give you TONS more ideas for making covers! This post is just about what I did with mine.

Materials:

• Switch Plate (I used a metal one)
• Sandpaper
• Primer Spray Paint
• Color of your Choice Spray Paint
• Images/stuff to Mod Podge your Switch Plate
• Scissors/X-acto Knife
• Mod Podge and Brush

Instructions:

Step 1: Sand the switch plate all over with your sandpaper, so that the paint will stick to it better.

Step 2: Lay out a big piece of cardboard that you can use to spray paint on outside. I had a lot of switch plates, so I just did them all at once! Spray paint with your primer.

Lay out your switch plates

Spray paint with your primer - I also altered a tin

Step 3: After the primer has dried, take your colored spray paint and spray paint it the same way you did with the primer. Let it dry. For the screws, tape off the “screw” part and paint the tops of the screws the same way you did with the main switch plate part.

Step 4: Pick out clip art or anything else you’d like to Mod Podge to the switch plate. I used a vintage image. Cut it out and place it on your cover to get an idea of where you’d like to place it. Take your time cutting – it will be very obvious if you do it quickly! For really detailed places, try using an X-acto knife.

Step 5: Using spray adhesive, spray the back of the image to be placed onto the switch plate, and then place it. Doing this keeps the clip art in place while you Mod Podge.

Step 6: Working from the back of the switch plate, use your X-acto knife to cut an X in the rectangle where the actual switch will go, making little triangles that you can fold in from the front to the back. If your image covers the screw holes, make X’s there are well, folding them in.

Step 7: Mod Podge the switch plate and the screw tops and let them dry. All done! Easy, right?

Vintage Woman Switch Plate

I made this switch plate specifically for DIYscene’s Black and Metal October swap – the recipient loved it!

I cannot BELIEVE how many tutorials are popping up for ornaments – it’s just crazy! Have fun!

Click on the photo to go to the tutorial.

Contents:

• Misc. Ornament Tutorials
• Bottle Cap Ornament Tutorials
• Button Ornament Tutorials
• Crochet Ornament Tutorials
• Fabric Ornament Tutorials
• Food Ornament Tutorials
• Glass Ornament Tutorials
• Paper Ornament Tutorials
• Pinecone Ornament Tutorials
• Polymer Clay Ornament Tutorials
• Trim and Ribbon Ornament Tutorials
• Wire Ornament Tutorials
• Wooden Ornament Tutorials
• Yarn Ornament Tutorials
• Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos

Misc. Ornament Tutorials:

• Homemade Ornaments: Homemade By Jill

CD Ornaments: Instructables

Icicle Ornaments: AllYou

Pipe Cleaner Snowflake Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Gold, Pink, and Silver Ornament: AllYou

Washer Ornaments: NannyGoat

Making Jasperware Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Winter Wonderland Cup Ornament: FamilyFun

Cookie Cutter Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Grinch in Chimney Ornament: FamilyCrafts.About

Medicine Bottle Snowman: AllFreeCrafts

Photo Frame Ornament: Shanty2Chic

Happy Meal Ornaments: hsitarzewski

Match Box Ornaments: TheCraftyChica

Beaded Ornaments: Write It Down

Tinsel Stars: Martha Stewart

Bottle Cap Ornament Tutorials:

Bottle Cap Ornament: PinkSunrise

Milk Bottle Cap Ornament: Craft.Dow

Bottle Cap Christmas Trees: Our Big Earth

Bottle Cap Ornament: AllFreeCrafts

Button Ornament Tutorials:

Button Wreath Ornaments: Write It Down

Crochet Ornament Tutorials:

Crocheted Heart Ornaments: Meet Me At Mike's

Free Holiday Crochet Patterns from Lion Brand Yarn: CraftZine

Fabric Ornament Tutorials:

• Toadstool Ornaments: The Long Thread

Fortune Cookie Ornament: 24-7-365

Softie Scotty Dog: AllSorts

Partridge Bird Ornament: Retro-Mama

Tiny Handbag Ornament: Write It Down

Little Rosette Ornaments: ReproDepot

Owl Ornament: Juicy Bits

Felt Polaroid Christmas Ornament: Katie Cupcake

Peppermint Swirl Ornament: BHG

Jingle Mouse Ornament: Pimp Stitch

Christmas Trees in Denim: melissagoodsell

Stuffed Ornament Tutorial: Jezze

Fabric Balls: Write It Down

Bauble Felt Ornaments: Bugs and Fishes

Sewn Bird Ornaments: Purlbee

How to Make Fabric Hearts: Mixed-Media Artist

Holiday Outfit Ornament: DesignSponge

Make a Felt Ice Skate Ornament: BHG

Make a Felt Mitten Ornament: BHG

Felt Birdcage Ornament Tutorial: Felt-o-Rama

Fabric Balls: Martha Stewart

Buildable Bird Ornament: FamilyFun

Felt-Ogree Ornament Tutorial: BetzWhite

Dimensional Felt Ornament: CraftZine

Fabric Ornaments: Jane and the Ducks

Plaid Shirt Ornaments: EddieRoss

Free Holiday Mitten Ornament Pattern: OliverAndS

Cute as a Button Ornament: ZakkaLife

3-D Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Food Ornament Tutorials:

Gingerbread Ornaments: TheLongThread

Walnut Ornament: Martha Stewart

Mice Ornaments: FamilyFun

Orange Ornament: The Shabby Nest

Glass Ornament Tutorials:

Gingerbread Candies Ornament: Scrappin' Out Loud

Cheerio Ornament: Poppies and Play

Photo Ornaments: Not So Idle Hands

Terrarium Ornaments: DesignSponge

Metallic and Spun Glass Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Covering Round Ornaments in Clay: Too Aquarius

Vinyl Ornaments: OhMyCrafts

Christmas Paper Machet Ornaments: BlueCricketDesign

Black and White Painted Ornaments: Write It Down

Homemade Bulb Ornaments: Cuegly

Believe Ornaments: NapTimeCrafts

Paper Ornament Tutorials:

Dove Ornament: According to Lei

Teardrop Holiday Ornament: A Little Hut

Criss-Cross Ornament: Remodelaholic - she has two ornaments so check them out!

Candy Holder Ornament: Martha Stewart

Holiday Card Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Easy Paper Globe Ornaments: Just Deanna

Origami Glitter Cranes: ZakkaLife

Rolling Balls: CraftZine

Tree Ornament Tutorial: Inkspired with Dale

Paper Lollipop Ornament Tutorial: Craftaholics Anonymous

Paper Ornaments: WriteItDown

Glittered Paper Cutout Ornaments: Martha Stewart

How to Make 3-D Paper Ornaments: How About Orange

DIY Paper Ornaments: The DIY Show Off

Glittered Paper Butterfly Ornaments: Graphics Fairy

Folded German Bell Tutorial: All Things Paper

Super Simple Double-Sided Paper Ornaments: Crafting a Green World

Twirly Paper Snowflakes: Designing Moms

Paper Ornaments: Heartland Paper

Another PB Knock-off: Crap I've Made

Fun Mosaic Photo Ornaments: Swell Designer

Pinecone Ornament Tutorials:

Parisian Pinecone People: Naughty Secretary Club

Polymer Clay Ornament Tutorials:

Christmas Socks and Flocks: CraftyGoat

Lusterware: Mica-Powder Details: Martha Stewart

Cameo Appearances: Pierceware: Martha Stewart

Trim and Ribbon Ornament Tutorials:

Ribbon Angel How-To: The Artful Crafter

Ribbon Ornament Tutorial: Write It Down

Wire Ornament Tutorials:

Illuminated Snowflake Tutorial: Fashioning Technology

Beaded Snowflakes: Martha Stewart

Perky Pixie Ornament: Margot Potter

Beaded Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Wooden Ornament Tutorials:

Popscicle Stick Sled Ornament: The Creative Crate

Silhouette Ornaments: The Shabby Nest

Let's Make Ornaments!: MyPaperCrane

Santa Ornament: Write It Down

10 Minute Santa Ornament: TheLongThread

Burlap Wood Ornaments Tutorial: My Little Gems

Doily-Trimmed Basket: Martha Stewart

Yarn Ornament Tutorials:

Snow Baby Ornament: Zakka Life

Snowball Ornament: AllYou

Snowy Balloon Ornaments: Martha Stewart

Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos:

Video Game Controller Ornaments: Technabob

Let’s keep this post going! If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

]]> http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/2009/12/diy-christmas-ornament-tutorials-part-2/feed/ 57 http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/2009/12/diy-pincushion-tutorials/ http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/2009/12/diy-pincushion-tutorials/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:02 +0000 Katar http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/?p=1842 These pincushions are so cute! I have SO many different pins and needles that I need to keep track of, so I can never have enough! Click on the photo to get the tutorial.

Contents:

• Misc. Tutorials
• Animal Tutorials
• Bottle Cap Tutorials
• Can Tutorials
• Flower Tutorials
• Food and Drink Tutorials
• Hexagon Tutorials
• Jar Tutorials
• Square Tutorials
• Wrist and Thumb Tutorials

Misc. Tutorials:

Lady Eleanor Half Doll Pincushon: HelenGibb

Wool Hat Pincushions: BHG

Pincushion Tutorial: AmazingMae

Homespun Hearts Pincushions: Free Quilt Patterns

Dress Form Pincushion: GetCreativeShow

How to Make a Basket Pincushion: ZakkaLife

Pincushion Sewing Kits: MonkeyRoom

Amish Puzzle Ball Pincushion: Craftster

Toadstool Cottage and Mushroom House: TheLittleHouseByTheSea

Pincushion Tutorial: CalamityJanesCottage

Doily Pincushion Tutorial: Whosies

Scrappy Armrest Pincushion: DuringQuietTime

Animal Tutorials:

• Free Hedgie Pincushion Pattern: Urban Debris Artlog

Bitty Bug Pincushion: Goody-Goody

Mouse Pincushion: MyByrdHouse

Bottle Cap Tutorials:

How to Make Pretty Pincushions: CraftStylish

Pincushion Tutorial: My Little Mochi

How to: Mushroom Pin Cushions: VeryBigJen on Flickr

How to: Ladybug Pincushion: VeryBigJen on Flickr

How To: African Violet Pincushion: VeryBigJen

Can Tutorials:

Tin Can Pincushion: DesignSponge

Fantabulous Pincushion Tutorial: CraftBlog

Flower Tutorials:

Wild Flower Pincushion: BHG

Pansy Pincushion Pattern: StitchinPost

Small Wonder Pin Blossom Pincushion: QuiltMaker

Flower Pot Pincushion: The Long Thread

Pincushion Tutorial: Abyquilt

A Handy Dandy Pincushion: Polka Dot Pineapple

Crazy Daisy Pincushion Pattern: ThePatchworkOrange

Food and Drink Tutorials:

Tomato Pincushion Tutorial: LoveToCrochetAndKnit

Patchwork Pincushion Tutorial: CreativeKismet

Homegrown Tomato Pincushions: Martha Stewart

Crocheted Cupcake Pincushion: CanadianLiving

Pear Shaped Pincushion: Uklassinus

Apple Pincushion Tutorial: Uklassinus

Strawberry Pincushions: Martha Stewart

Sundae Pincushion: MimiKirchner

Teacup Pincushions: Martha Stewart

Teacup and Saucer Pincushions: DressItUp

How to Make a Teacup Pincushion: MmmCrafts

Hexagon Tutorials:

How to Make a Pieced Hexagon Pincushion: Kootoyoo

Hex Pincushions: StitchinDye

Jar Tutorials:

Baby Food Jar Pincushion: CraftPudding

Pincushion Jar Tutorial: LittlePaperDog

Square Tutorials:

How to Make a Simple Square Pincushion: Kootoyoo

Pincushion Tutorial: PaperStringCloth

Pincushion/Thread Catcher Tutorial: Kquilts-Studio

Busy Bees Pincushion: XStitchHappy

Pincushion Hangup: CraftLeftovers

Patchwork Pincushion: BHG

Pincushion Tutorial: Barij

Granny Square Pincushions: Simmy

Wrist and Thumb Tutorials:

Square Wrist Pincushion Tutorial: Planet June

Wrist Pincushion Tutorial: Green Kitchen

Sunny Wrist Pincushion Tutorial: RozzieLand

Pincushion Cuff Tutorial: Keyka Lou

Wrist Watch Pincushion Tutorial: LuckyKateCrafts

Magnetic Wrist Pincushion: DIYStyle

Thumb Pincushions: LoopyLace

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

]]> http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/2009/12/diy-pincushion-tutorials/feed/ 3 http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/2009/12/diy-knitting-patterns-and-tutorials/ http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/2009/12/diy-knitting-patterns-and-tutorials/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:00:21 +0000 Katar http://redthreaddiy.com/blog/?p=1135 Knitting is one of the crafts I’ve been meaning to learn forever. Years ago, I received a ‘how to’ knitting book with all the supplies needed for beginners. I must have looked over the book and tried to knit a bunch of different ways for over a week – but just couldn’t get anywhere! I’m thinking about going to a class at Jo-Ann’s – hopefully they can teach me! In the mean time, here are some free patterns and tutorials for those who can knit.

Contents:

• Accessory Tutorials
• Stuffed Tutorials
• Halloween Tutorials
• Christmas Tutorials
• Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos

Accessory Tutorials:

• How to Knit Socks Video: Lion Brand Yarn

Child's Snaky Keyhole Scarf: Carson Ellis

Kitty-Kat's Kitty Hat: The Kat's Scratch Pad

Kat's Devilish Ear Flap Ski Hat: The Kat's Scratch Pad

Kat's "Two Sticks" Ear Flap Ski Hat: The Kat's Scratch Pad

Kat's Kiddies "Two Sticks" Ear Flap Ski Hat: The Kat's Scratch Pad

Knit a Market Bag: We Wilsons

Trios Knitted Bracelet: SoftFlexCompany

Stuffed Tutorials:

Melvin the Molar Knitting Pattern: The Kat's Scratch Pad

Halloween Tutorials:

Hallowig: Knitty

Christmas Tutorials:

Mini Christmas Stocking Ornament: Knitting.About

Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos:

Knit Zebra Pillow: CraftZine

I’m looking for more! If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

Contents:

• Misc. Tutorials
• Home Decor Tutorials
• Christmas Tutorials
• Ideas, Inspiration, and Photos

Misc. Tutorials:

• Cork Dork: 10 Cool Things to Do with Leftover Wine Corks: Dr. Vino
• Wine Cork Craft Project Instructions: WineIntro – this site has multiple craft ideas for corks!
• How to Reuse Old Wine Corks: WikiHow – this site has 14 great ideas!

10 Uses for Wine Corks: ThisOldHouse - click on the photo to get all 10 tutorials!

Cute Little Cork Stamps: CraftChi

DIY Create Wine or Bottle Stoppers From Old Crystal Knobs, Billiard Balls, Finials: Many Shades of Shabby

Business Card Holders: AnotherWineBlog

Reuse Wine Corks to Make Fun Place Cards: Instructables

DIY Wine Cork Placecard Holders: CasaSugar

Wine or cider mulling spice bags (and recycling wine corks): Eating Well Anywhere

Recycled Wine Cork Keychain Favors: CraftZine

Make a Wine Cork Man: CraftersLoveCrafts - why NOT!?

Cork Trolls: FamilyFun

Home Decor Tutorials:

Wine Cork Corkboard: WineIntro

How to Recycle Corks Into a Corkboard: WikiHow

How to Make a Wine Cork Bulletin Board: eHow

Wine Cork Corkboard: HowStuffWorks

Corkboard: WineIntro

Wine Cork Trivet (hot plate): WineIntro

DIY Wine Cork Trivet: Care2

Wine Cork Trivets: CraftersLoveCrafts

Cork Trivet and Coaster Set: Design Sponge

Make a Wine Cork Wreath: FrugalLiving.About

Christmas Tutorials:

Cork Ornaments: AllThingsChristmas

Make Christmas Tree Ornaments from All Those Cork Wine Stoppers You’ve Been Collecting: Indie Fixx

Wine Cork Angels: CraftersLoveCrafts

Ideas, Inspiration, and Photos:

Cardinal Birdhouse with a Corky Roof: TheCraftyWino on Etsy

Wine Cork Coasters Set of Two: TheCraftyWino on Etsy

Corky Chalkboard/Message Board: TheCraftyWino on Etsy

Cork Furniture Art: GalleryOfFunctionalArt - lots of chair and other furniture ideas for corks!

I’m looking for more! If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

If you’re crazy like me and need hand sanitizer constantly, the cost of buying it all the time really adds up. Why not make your own, instead?

And hey – this dude on YouTube says a lot of store-bought hand sanitizers are bad! Hand Sanitizers Cause Hundreds of Child Poisonings: WCVBtv on YouTube

Below, there are so many different ways that you can make hand sanitizer. Honestly, I don’t even know which one I should try or which one will be the most effective. But at least I can research more easily now!

Click on the photo or link to get the tutorial. Stay well!

Tutorials:

• Natural Hand Germ Busters/Hand Sanitizing Recipes: Soap Queen
• How to Make Hand Sanitizer With Ingredients You Have at Home: eHow
• How to Make Your Own Waterless Hand Sanitizer: WikiHow
• Make Hand Sanitizer: FrugalLiving.About
• How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer: Associated Content
• How to Make Hand Sanitizer: Mahalo
• How to Make Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer: Mahalo
• Vodka Makes a Great Hand Sanitizer: DIYLife
• How to Make Hand Sanitizer: Lotus Flower Herbals
• Waterless Hand Sanitizer: Budget101 – the quickest tutorial ever!
• How to Make Hand Sanitizer: WikiHow
• How to Make Hand Sanitizer: The Filipino Entrepreneur.com
• DIY Sanitization: Utah Preppers
• Make Hand Sanitizer: Frozen Garden
• Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer: Education
• Instructions for Making Sanitizer Hand Gel: Associated Content
• How to Make Hand Sanitizer: eHow

Natural Hand Sanitizer: Pepper Paints - this tutorial link has step-by-step photos, yay!

Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer: Lestout

Make Your Own Natural Hand Sanitizer: Rodale

Make Your Own Eco-Friendly, Germ-Annihilating Hand Sanitizer: LifeHacker

How to Make a Natural Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer: FireHow

How to Make Hand Sanitizer: TVLesson

Make Your Own Healthy Hand Sanitizer: NBC New York

DIY Hand Sanitizer and Surface Disinfectant Spray: EcoSalon

How to Make Your Own All-Natural Hand Sanitizer: Curbly

Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer: PrissyGreen

Make Your Own Waterless Hand Sanitizer: LearnHub

Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer: FitSugar

Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer: TreeHugger

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. I obviously need them!

Also, if you know of any recipes that work better than others, I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Thanks!

Actually, I made this stocking with some faux fur for my fiance’s niece. I hope she loves it!

Monster Stocking Tutorial from Crap I've Made

Click on the photo to get the tutorial.

Contents:

• Accessory Tutorials
• Clothing Tutorials
• Pet Tutorials
• How to Sew Faux Fur
• Halloween Tutorials
• Christmas Tutorials
• Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos

Accessory Tutorials:

• How to Sew a Child’s Fur Muff: Scribd

DIY Faux Fur Neck Warmer: Love Maegan

How to Make a Fake Fur Stole Wrap: ismoyo

Faux Fur Compact: FamilyFun

Beanie: Child's Faux Fur Trim: CraftBits

My Big Red Muff Tutorial for a Vintage style faux fur handwarmer: Laupre

Clothing Tutorials:

DIY Faux Fur Vest: LoveMaegan

Pet Tutorials:

DIY Reversible Pet Bed Tutorial: RedThreadDIY - hey! That's me!

Luxe Dog Bed From a Faux Fur Coat: FineDivingChicago

How to Sew Faux Fur:

• How to Sew with Faux Fur: eHow
• How to Sew Faux Fur Fabric: eHow
• Sewing with Faux Fur: BurdaStyle
• Tips for Sewing with Faux Fur: Fehr Trade
• Sewing with Faux Fur: Home Family
• How to Cut and Sew Fake Fur: Sewing.About

Halloween Tutorials:

• Six Kids Animal Halloween Costumes, One Pattern: Suite101

Fur Boots/Feet/Paws: FreeWebs User messerschmitt51

Christmas Tutorials:

Faux Fur Lined Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial: Centsational Girl

Christmas Stocking Card: Kaboose

Greyhound Santa: AllFreeCrafts

How to Make a Fur Christmas Tree: RoxyCraft

Inspiration, Ideas, and Photos:

Fun Faux Fur Bag: U-Handbag

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

Stenciling is always fun too – maybe I’ll make presents for my bridesmaids using these tutorials. Heck yeah!

Click on the photo to go to the tutorial. I researched long and hard!

Contents:

• Stencil Tutorials
• Stamp Tutorials

Stencil Tutorials:

Stencil Printing: Honolulu Advertiser

How to Stencil With Freezer Paper: How About Orange

Apple Placemats: bkids

DIY Coffee Stencil: How About Orange

Glammed Up Lamp: Plaid Online

Storage Cube: Plaid Online

Peace and Dream Pillow Sham: Plaid Online

Silkscreened Canvas Wall Art: Plaid Online

Stamp Tutorials:

• How to Make Your Own Decorative Rubber Stamps: The Artful Crafter

Make Your Own Stamps From Craft Foam: RubberStamping.About

Creating Fun Foam Stamps: CraftIdeas.Info

How to Make Your Own Polymer Stamps: Instructables

Cute Little Cork Stamps: CraftChi

How to Create Rubber Stamps: CutOutAndKeep

How to Make Your Own Stamp: Wiki.bhgscrapbooketc

How to Make a Stamp: ArtMind

Pennant Rubber Stamp Roller Tutorial: Just Something I Made

How to Make a Rubber Stamp for Letterboxing: WikiHow

How to Make a Stamp: ValleyQuest

How to Make a Rubber Stamp: Mitchklink

How to Make Ceramic Roller Stamps: Calstaging

Stamp Tutorial: MelsOwnPlace

If you know of ANY other examples or tutorials, please comment below so I can add them to this list. Thanks!

Crap I've Made has a printable template for the stocking

All ready to cut!

It's SEWING time!

All DONE! So AWESOME!

Again, if you want to make one of your own, check out Crap I’ve Made‘s tutorial for making a monster stocking! I promise it’s easy! Follow her blog too – she has a ton of great blog posts and projects to offer!

However, I did have a VERY different image in my mind of how these would come out- a lot less frills for one! Oh well

I’m going to say this now – this basket will take you a long time. Don’t expect to finish it in an hour. Set aside an entire day to dedicate to making this! That leaves room for mistakes and learning.

You could probably make one quickly if you didn’t use satin fabric, which I used. Sewing satin fabric takes FOREVER to pin and sew. It probably didn’t help that it was the cheap costume satin fabric that frayed like crazy.

It was very difficult to find any tutorials for covering a basket in fabric. The ones that I did find weren’t detailed enough to figure out, and when I tried them, I felt like they looked sloppy.

Earlier, I wrote a post: DIY Flower Girl Basket Tutorials – which has a lot of other different ideas and tutorials for flower girl baskets. If you don’t like mine, check out all of the other ones!

I got the basic idea for covering my baskets from a Waste Basket Cover tutorial from Craft and Fabric Links

I had to alter my pattern a little bit, because the pattern that I used on their site didn’t really make sense for an actual basket. Real baskets have all sorts of bumps, so they aren’t smooth.

Let’s get started, shall we? Be prepared for frustration! Nah, it’s not that bad – once you figure it out!

Materials:

• 1 Basket of your choice – I got mine for 50% off at JoAnn’s, costing me $3.50. I’m sure you could find one even cheaper at a thrift store, but I needed to make sure that both of my baskets matched. Also, my fiance wanted HUGE baskets instead of the normal smaller ones – lucky me! It might have been easier to cover if I had to work with less fabric.
  
• 1 yard of fabric – You probably won’t use it all – but it’s nice to have extra fabric if you totally screw it up! I picked up some white costume satin fabric at Wal Mart for $1.50/yard.
• 4″ wide contrasting ribbon – I got Offray brand dark red ribbon.
• 1.5″ wide ribbon to wrap around the handle – I got 1.5″ x 12 feet of ribbon and used it all on one basket.
  
• Fray Check – available at any sewing supplies store
• Hot Glue Gun
• Sewing Machine
• Needle
• Compass
• Pins
• Iron
  
• Thread
• Sharp Sewing Scissors or Rotary Cutter
  
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scrap Paper
  

IF YOU NEED TO SEE BIGGER PICTURES FOR DETAIL, SIMPLY CLICK ON THE PHOTO. THEN CLICK “ALL SIZES” ABOVE THE PHOTO.

Instructions:

Step 1: Make a pattern for the outside of the basket – make sure you label everything!

• Measure the circumference at the top of the basket (measure around the top, close to the upper edge). This measurement is “A.” Write these down!
• Measure the circumference at the bottom of the basket. This measurement is “B.”
• Measure the height of the basket, including some overlap on the inside. How far you want your fabric to overlap is up to you. I have a big overlap in one of my baskets, and a tiny overlap for this specific tutorial. This measurement is “C.”

• Add 2″ to A
• Add 2″ to B
• Add 1/2″ to C

Basket Measurements

• Now, adjust your “A” and “B” measurements.
• Divide “A” by 4, and round UP to the nearest 1/4″. Write down that number. (For example, my basket’s upper  circumference was 36″. I added 2″, which brought it to 38″. 38″ divided by 4 is 9.5″. No rounding was needed.)
• Divide “B” by 4, and round UP to the nearest 1/4″. Write down that number. (For example, my basket’s lower circumference was 27″. I added 2″, which brought it to 29″. 29″ divided by 4 is 7.25″. No rounding was needed.)

• Take your scrap paper, or any 8.5″ x 11″ sheet, and draw a line across the top of the paper that is equal to your “A” measurement.
• Draw a new line across the bottom of the paper. The line should equal “B”.
• The distance between “A” and “B” should equal “C”.
• “A” and “B” should have their centers aligned.
• Draw two lines, connecting the ends of “A” and “B”. (For example, my top line was 9.5″. My bottom line was 7.25″ and the two lines were 7″ apart, because my “C” was 7″.)

This photo is upside down, but hopefully you get the idea!

• Do the same as you did for the outside for the inside, except for “C”.
• For measurement “C”, only measure to the top of the basket, with no overlap. Then, continue to follow the above instructions for “C”.

• For the bottom and inside circles, measure the diameter of the bottom of your basket and add 1/2″.
• Using a compass, draw a circle the diameter you measured in the step above (plus the 1/2″). If you do not have a compass, draw a horizontal line across the center of the paper. Draw a vertical line down the middle of the paper. Draw an “x” where the lines intersect. Take a ruler and lay it so that it runs next to the “x”. Draw dots of equal distances from the “x”. The distance apart should be equal to the diameter and the “x” should be in the center of the dots (the dots are equal distance from the “x”). Do this several times, pivoting the ruler through the “x” a small distance each time. Connect the dots and you have a circle!

All three Pattern Pieces

Step 2: Pin your patterns to your fabric pieces. If using satin, make sure that you use LOTS of pins!

• You will need 4 fabric pieces from the outside pattern, 4 fabric pieces from the inside pattern, and 2 fabric pieces of the bottom circle pattern.
• To save a ton of time, fold your fabric in half twice, so that you can pin the patterns on all 4 layers at once.

I attempted to show the 4 layers of fabric per each pattern piece

All pinned and ready to be cut!

Step 3: Cut out all the pieces! I recommend a straight-edge and a rotary cutter. It cuts down the time significantly.

Cut out the fabric pieces

Step 4: Iron all of your fabric pieces individually so that they have no wrinkles. Make sure you’re using a low heat setting for satin fabrics.

Iron the fabric pieces

Step 5: Pin two of the outside fabric pattern pieces right sides together on one side. Do the same for the second pair of outside fabric pattern pieces. The inside fabric pattern pieces are also done in the same way, as shown below. Sew where you have pinned. ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 1/4″. This will make your 4 outside and inside pieces become 2.

• Then, take the 2 inside and 2 outside pieces that you now have, and pin those right sides together. Sew. You should now have 2 fabric pieces TOTAL, including the inside piece and the outside piece, excluding the circles. Before you go any further, make sure that the inside and outside pieces fit on your basket.

Pin the fabric pieces

Step 6: Pin each circle to the bottom of your 2 pieces, and sew. This will give you an outer bowl shape and an inner bowl shape.

Pin the circle to each of your pieces.

Just another view of one - ignore my Hershey wrappers in the background, lol. Crafting makes me hungry!

YOU HAVE FINISHED THE DIFFICULT SEWING PARTS! CONGRATULATIONS! Isn’t it a PAIN!? Especially with satin!!! The circles always took me FOREVER and the pins kept slipping! Grr!

Step 7: Glue the inside bowl (lining) to the basket with your glue gun. You’re probably going to be glue happy (I was on my first basket), but that is BAD! The basket will look more naturally covered if it isn’t glued everywhere. Also, if there is TOO MUCH glue, the satin gets stained and can’t be fixed! Here are my suggestions:

• Make hot glue dots on the outside border of the inside bottom a couple inches apart. Since hot glue dries pretty quickly, you’ll want to do this kinda fast.
• Make sure that the wrong side of your lining is facing down, and secure the circular part to the bottom. Be sure to work quickly!
• If you lay down your circle and it’s totally off, you can gently pull up the fabric and re-glue. I had to do this a couple times. Satin is hard to set perfectly and it’s always moving around!
• After the circle part is down, make hot glue dots at the top of the inside. Glue a few dots and position the fabric in an area, and then keep going around the inside top until all of the lining is glued.
• ONLY glue the edges of the bottom circle and the top of the inside lining. It looks so much more natural letting the fabric form on its own.

Glue the inside bottom circle first.

YAY! The inside is GLUED!

Don't worry about the frayed top - we'll be covering that up with the outside bowl.

Step 8: Now that the inside is all glued in, take the outside piece, and fold the frayed edges onto the wrong side, hot gluing them in place section by section. Hopefully the photos below do a better job of explaining this!

Glue the top edge

Fold over a small amount of fabric onto the glue.

Step 9: Once you finish gluing around the entire top, insert the basket and glue the top edge to the basket. You should be covering the frayed edges of the inside part the best you can. Please check out the photos to see what I mean.

Glue the outside on

Don't worry about glue spots or bare spots - we'll fix them!

We'll fix that one too!

Just another view

Step 10: So – we gotta do something with those bare spots and glue spots. This is a flower girl basket, so what better thing to cover them up with than flowers? To make flowers, decide how many you want to cover the inside and outside of the basket. I wanted 6 for the inside and 6 for the outside. For the inside flowers, I cut out strips of 1.5″ x 8″. For the outside flowers, I cut out strips of 1″ x 8″ (This DOES make a big impact on size!) Once they are cut, be sure to use some kind of fray stopper ALL around the edges, so that they don’t fray like mad! I used Fray Check.

Cut out strips and use Fray Check!

These are really uneven - BAD! I wanted to use red fabric for the outside flowers

Step 11: While you’re waiting for your strips to dry, now is a great time to whip out your ribbon and start doing the handles. I thought this would be really fast and easy, but yeah, it’s not as easy as it looks! First, glue the end of the ribbon to the bottom of the handle. Then, wrap the ribbon around that point twice, and glue it again. Now that you have an anchor, you’re now ready to wrap the ribbon around the basket. It’s easiest if you take all of the ribbon off the roll, and make sure that you do a very tight and even wrap. Once you get to the middle top of the basket, glue it in place and cut the ribbon. We’ll fix how the top middle looks later on.

Glue the ribbon on as close as you can get to the bottom

This is what it should look like after winding the ribbon around the bottom twice

Once you get to the middle, glue it in place and cut the ribbon

Chop!

An example of how close and even I winded the ribbon

Do the same thing to the other side of the handle, and glue and chop in the middle.

To do the second weird handle piece, I secured the base in the same way, and went up to the top of the little handle section. I went around the top part of the section twice, folded in the frayed edge, and glued it down.

View from Outside

View from Inside

Another View from Inside

Another View from Inside

First side done! Make sure you glue it down as flat as possible, and on the inside to hide it better

Second Side Done!

Step 12: Now to make the top middle of the handle look awesome while covering the frayed ribbon. Take your 4″ wide ribbon, fold it to the wrong side and glue it down so it doesn’t fray. Wrap the ribbon around the handle and decide how much ribbon you will need. Cut the ribbon accordingly. Glue the frayed part to the underside of the middle top handle.

Fold in the start of the ribbon and glue it down so it doesn't fray.

Glue the frayed side to the underside of the middle part of the handle

Just another view

Then, wrap it around and glue it down. It now looks like a finished edge! All done with this part!

Step 13: Once they are dry, take a needle and thread of the same color as the fabric, and weave your needle in and out of one long side of the strip. Once you reach the end of the strip, pull the thread, which will scrunch it up into a flower! Make sure to secure it by sewing up the bottom a few times and knotting it.

Weave your needle in and out of the strip - don't forget to knot the thread at your starting point!

Pull the thread when you get to the end of the strip

Flower!

Secure your flower by sewing through the bottom a few times and knot it

Houston, We Have Flowers.

Tobor stepped in for inspection

Step 14: Now for the fun part – gluing on the flowers! I covered any wood that was showing in hot glue, and then put the flower on it, making sure that I have every spot of showing wood covered.

First flower ON!

And 2!

I also placed them on the seams of the sides to cover up a glue mess.

The inside of the basket is complete

Step 15: I can’t figure out how to make bows for the life of me. I know, I should be able to! I had to buy two pre-made bows for each basket. I glued those onto the outside of each handle, and glued the flowers I made in between them. I put one flower on the middle seams of the outside, and then eyed the placement of the other flowers.

Offray My Moments Bows

And glued

FINISHED!

Here is a look at the FIRST one I made, which has a different inside and slightly different outside, but I couldn’t replicate it in this tutorial because it actually was the “messed up” one. I kept cutting fabric and adding fabric until everything fit around the basket – so I have no idea about the measurements on it! I love it just the same though, it just has a slightly different inside/outside!

If you have ANY comments or questions, please let me know! I hope that this tutorial was easy to understand, but I can definitely see how you can get confused! I’d also LOVE to see flower girl baskets that any of you have made or if you have a tutorial of your own. Thanks!

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