How-to make fabric postcards

It is no secret that I am a huge snail mail fan and I’m always on the look out for ways to make my mail unique. A while back I had the idea to make postcards out of fabric which could be sent and the receiver could keep as keepsakes. I knew exactly how I was going to do it. Being able to choose fabrics from the Sew Crafty shop as a part of the Sew Crafty Design Team made it so much more exciting, they have such a gorgeous selection to pick from. I chose some lovely fabrics that I think make nice postcard fronts. Here is how I went about making the fabric postcards:

You will need:

• White fabric for the back (writing side)
• Patterned fabric. I made a few postcards using different fabrics from the Dashwood Sweet Escape range, Dashwood Confetti range and Sealed with a Kiss Envelopes fabric
• Embroidery thread
• Card (I used a cereal box)
• Scissors/rotary fabric cutter
• Pins
• Chalk or vanishing pen
• Pinking shears
• Clear flexible plastic (I used plastic from a travel card holder)
• Sewing machine

Step 1. 

Cut out 2 rectangles 19 cm’s by 15 cm’s (approx 7.5 inches x 6 inches): one in white fabric for the writing side and another one in a patterned fabric.

Step 2. 

On the white fabric rectangle draw out your written message and postcard lines with chalk or a fabric pen with erasable ink. Then using embroidery thread (dark colours like black work best) sew on top of what you have drawn using a running stitch or backstitch.

Not a fan of embroidery? Why not use a fabric pen instead. I did this for the address below. A pen for labelling works as it is permanent. I already had a pen but there are a variety of pens available.

Step 3.  

The next step is the stamp.

Option A.

Stamps out of fabric. Cut a small rectangle out of white fabric (cotton, felt or leather. I used leftover interfacing!). Then use pinking shears to cut a zig zag shape around the four edges. Cut a smaller rectangle out of patterned fabric. Then sew the smaller patterned fabric on top of the white zig zagged rectangle. Finally, sew the stamp to the right corner of the writing side of the postcard leaving a margin for when the postcard is sewn together.

Option B. 

This option is if you would like to actually send your fabric postcard through the mail. Simply sew a rectangle piece of flexible clear plastic (such as that from an old travel card wallet) to the right hand corner of the white (writing side) fabric. 

When sewing on your plastic leave a margin for when the front and back fabrics are sewn together.

Step 4. 

Place your 2 rectangles of fabric right sides together and pin in place. Then sew along three sides (1cm from edge), leaving one short side open. 

Trim the corners and turn the postcard the right way round.

Step 5. 

Put your piece of card inside and fold in the open edges. Iron the folds (don’t use steam as this will make the card inside soggy) and pin together. You can invisible stitch the opening closed or sew it closed with a sewing machine in the final step, where you sew all around the edges.

Step 6. 

Finally, sew around all four sides approximately half a centimetre from the outer edge. 

Here is how the fronts of the postcards looked above. The pink one is actually a pouch.

Here are the backs of the postcards showing the two different types of stamps.

Pouch option: 

If you would like to send a secret letter in your postcard you can turn it into a pouch. You can do this  by sewing a zip either at the side or along the top.

For the pouch above I sewed the zip along the top edges of the fabric then sewed together the remaining three sides (right sides together) using a 1cm margin. I then turned it the right way around and gave it a quick press with an iron. Put a piece of card inside for stability if it is to flimsy. You could keep it as a pouch for yourself and not send it at all if you wanted. Would be great for storing letters or pens.

Would you like a fabric postcard in the mail? Would love to know your thoughts in the comments section below.

How to turn a plastic bottle into a plant pot

Do you like to put your plants in nice pots, but can't find anything you like in the shops? You could have everything you need to make the perfect pot at home, for free! With just a plastic bottle and some scrap fabric you can make some lovely, totally unique plant pots. I will show you how with this easy DIY.

All you will need is:

• A plastic bottle. One that is wide enough at the bottom for your plant to go in and has a smooth surface.
• A small plant.
• Enough fabric to cover your pot (thin or medium weight fabrics work best). I used some fabric from a previous upcycling project and a bandana.
• Scissors.
• Glue (I used Modge Podge but you can use 50% pva glue and 50% water, which is basically the same).
• A paint brush or sponge.

1. Start off with preparing your plastic bottle. Wash, dry and remove any labeling.

2. Measure from the bottom up how tall you want your pot to be (using the size of the plants original pot as a guide). Then mark around the bottle with pen or with washi tape where you will need to cut. Cut around the markings on the bottle. You should be left with the bottom part of the bottle which can now be used as a pot. Measure your fabric and cut out, making sure you have enough to fold over the top (approx 1-2 cm's) and cover the bottom.

3. Apply glue to the outside of the pot.

4. Cover the pot with the fabric, smoothing it over as you go.

5. Glue down the top edge. 

6. Then glue down the fabric to the bottom of the pot. Depending on the type of finish you want you can either leave it as it is now or if you would like a shiner finish apply a coat of modge podge to the outside.

So that is how you can make a plant pot from just a plastic bottle and some fabric. Hope you enjoyed this DIY, I would love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments section below.

Makeover a notice board 3 ways.

Do you want to turn your notice board into a gorgeous office accessory? Would you love somewhere attractive to display your notes, inspirations and keepsakes? Using a notice board that I got from the Post Office's online shop, I will show you how. The techniques I will use in the makeovers include; applying paper, using stencils and covering with fabric. Lets start off with the easiest and by far the quickest way you can transform a notice board, which is by using paper.

Paper

I gave this notice board above a makeover using glitter gift wrapping paper and it took me approximately 15 minutes to do! It has to be one of the quickest ways you can transform a notice board and it is so simple to do.

You will need:

A notice board, paper (big enough size to cover your whole board), glue and scissors. 

• Cut your paper to size. Cut the paper to the exact same size of the cork part of the board or if your noticeboard has a slight gap between the frame and cork part like the one I used, you can measure and cut the paper a few millimetres larger all round so it overlaps slightly onto the wood frame (this will be tucked into the gap at the next stage).
• Apply a small amount of glue along the back edges of the paper (tuck in the gap if applicable then) adhere to the board. 

That's it! Really quick and easy. If you don't have a large piece of paper, why not try using smaller pieces of paper overlapped in similar or contrasting colours. Just remember when choosing your paper that pin holes may be visible when you take the pins out.

The best bit about this type of makeover is that it is very easy to change if you want a different colour scheme etc. 

Stencilling

You can turn your notice board into a piece of art using stencils. Making patterns using paint and stencils can really brighten up your board and make it a focal point in your room. You can make your own stencil templates like I did or buy them online or from your local home decorating store.    

You will need: 

A notice board, a stencil, paint (avoid watery paints as they can seep under the edges of the stencil), a stencil brush or sponge and some tape to hold the stencil in place.

• Before you start painting with the stencils try and have a rough idea of how you want the stencil patterns to be arranged. 
• When you have decided on how you want the layout of your stencil patterns place your stencil flat onto the board in the desired position. Secure in place with some masking/washi tape.
• Using a stencil brush or sponge apply the paint all over the cut out parts of the stencil. Apply the paint quite thinly so it doesn't seep under the stencil.
• Repeat the last step for each place you want a stencil shape to be painted until you are finished and allow to dry.

If you are planning on overlapping your stencil patterns you will need to allow the first layer of paint to dry first before applying a second layer of paint on top, so smudging doesn't occur. Also remember, if you are using different colours of paint to clean and dry brushes/sponges thoroughly in between.

Fabric 

Finally the third option, and probably the most popular way to makeover a board, especially amongst diy fans and craft enthusiasts. This option is to cover the notice board in fabric. I love the way the fabric softens the look of the board.

You will need: 

A notice board, enough fabric to cover your board and adhere to the back, wadding (note that thick wadding will make pushing pins into the board difficult, so go for a type that is thinner and light weight), scissors and glue (or staple gun if you have one).

• Start buy cutting the wadding so it is the same size as your notice board.
• Glue along the front of the wooden frames edge and stick down the wadding. You can glue the wadding to the center of the board to if you want it to be extra secure.

• Iron you fabric if it is creased. Then measure and cut it so that it is a few of inches larger each side than the notice board. The fabric needs to be a bit larger than the board so that its edges can be glued to the back of the board.

• Finally. lay the fabric pattern side down on to a flat surface. Place the notice board centrally on top of the fabric front down so that the wadding is sandwiched in between the fabric and the board. 
• Fold over one side of the fabrics edge to the back of the board and glue down. I folded the fabrics long edge twice to give it a neat finish in case I wanted to use the felt back on the board I have. The edges don't really need to be folded over twice and glued neatly if no one is going to see it though so don't worry about it looking perfect. 
• Stick down the rest of the fabrics sides. In between gluing each of the sides turn the board over so you can see the front and check if the fabric is still laying flat. In order for the fabric to lay smooth across the board it will need to be adjusted and pulled slightly over the edges as you go.
• Allow the glue to dry then hang the notice board up.

I would love to know if you use any of these techniques to makeover a notice board and how you get on.

DIY: Easy card for snail mail lovers

I thought it would be great to make a card that stamp/mail lovers would like. This is the design I went with. As you can see it is very simple and you don't need many materials.

All you need to make this card is a piece of smooth A5 size card folded in half (I cheated and bought some ready made blank cards), a pen, glue stick, scissors and either a real stamp, a printed off image or drawing of a stamp.

I started off with writing the words in white pen. If your wanting to use a white pen I recommend a good one like a Pentel 1.0mm, I couldn't find mine and ended up using a cheap pen which smudged a lot.

I then glued the stamp in place in the middle of the card. I was going to stop there but decided to try adding some washi tape, so applied it to the top and bottom edges. That is it, easy peasy!

Easy mail themed wall art using washi tape

I really love art and have been meaning to create a piece to go on my wall for ages. I particularly like the idea of doing a painting and went as far as buying the canvas, paints and brushes. My problem is  that I am not confident enough to actually put any paint on to the canvas. I get thoughts like "What if I make a mistake and can not cover it up? What if I don't like it when it is done? Do I throw the canvas in the bin?" So I never start. I looked online at other mediums I could try and was inspired by some washi tape art I had seen. Washi tape seemed the perfect thing to create a piece of art with. It is so quick to apply, easy to change/remove if you make a mistake and as I am not short of washi tape, cheap to put together. I knew straight away what the subject of my art would be, my love of letters (of course).

So I started off by sketching out my design. I then practiced placing the washi tape on sheets of paper a few times to see where, how and what size the strips of washi tape should be. Once I got it how I liked on the paper I just copied it onto some thin card. I measured the lengths of washi tape against the practice version I had on paper to get it the same but you could lightly draw the design with pencil and go over it with tape if you prefer. If you want to use paper instead of card for your art you could simply trace onto a new sheet of paper with tape over the your practice sheet.

To make this washi tape art all you will need is:

• A frame (mine was from a charity shop).
• Thin white card or paper same size as your frame.
• Washi tape (colours according to your preference)
• Scissors

That's it! A very quick and easy piece of art dedicated to happy mail, what do you think? Hope you like it.

A parcel (letter) in the mail

Here is a simple way to decorate your envelopes that will make your recipient feel they have received something special in the post. Letters can be uplifting, encouraging and perhaps even a source of therapy for some. So getting a letter can often feel like a gift when they arrive. Someone has, after all given you the gift of their time. Decorating envelopes in the style of a present seemed very apt to me.

All you need to do to re-create this look is cross over some washi/decorative tape on to the envelope and stick on or draw a tag for the address. Any extra details and the address can be added with a pen. 

If you do not have any decorative tape why not try drawing the criss cross shape with a pen (such as felt tip or marker pen) instead. A present in the post, would it be something you would like to receive? I would love to know what you think?

DIY money (post) box

You know you are a big snail mail fan when even Bisto gravy tubs appear to you as post boxes! I had the idea to turn a Bisto gravy granules tub into a post (money) box and this is how it turned out. 

Why a post box you ask? Well, I love sending letters just as much as receiving them and enjoy my trips to the post box. Sending the letters, notes and little parcels that I have enthusiastically put together, on their adventure to a person who is either waiting for them or will be surprised to get them (and hopefully have their day brightened a little) gives me such a happy and contented feeling. For me, it never gets boring to go and post a letter into one of those big regally red post boxes. I am still filled with amazement that letters manage to get to their right destinations at all, especially so quickly. 

So, I usually walk away (trying not to skip) from posting a letter into a post box with a big smile on my face. Having a smaller version of my own at home just made sense (just me?). A Bisto gravy tub seemed like the perfect thing to use to recreate a mini post box with it's shape and lid the perfect colour. 

I intended to make the post box into a money box, as I am always trying to save for something. I debated for a while whether to have the lid as the opening where the money would go in or to make an aperture just like a real post box where the letters (in this case money) usually go. I decided to go for the latter.

I know the detail proportions on my little post box are not exactly to scale, but it is just a bit of fun. If you would like to make one of your own you will need:

• An empty Bisto gravy tub/ or similar size tub (As they are cardboard be careful not to get them to wet when cleaning the inside. I suggest using a slightly damp sponge/cloth or wet wipe)
• Red card
• White paper
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• A pencil, black biro pen, white pen/pencil and a marker pen
• PVA glue and glue stick

This is how I made it.

1. Mark on you red card the width and height of the tub. Then cut out using scissors.

2. Draw the letter box opening onto the card and cut out opening. Then wrap the card around the tub again and mark out the opening onto that.

3. Using a craft knife cut out the letter box opening. Tip: If you do not have a craft knife or would prefer not to cut an opening, still draw the small rectangle. Instead of cutting the rectangle out though, colour it in black with a marker pen. Just remove the lid when you want to put money in or out.

4. Draw post box details onto the red card. Use a small rectangle of white paper for the post box collection time details. Write on and then stick the paper onto the red card using a glue stick. As its difficult to write that small you may just want to doodle instead of writing word for word or use my cheat option below instead. 

5. Glue the finished card onto the tub using PVA glue, matching up the letterbox openings
6. Place the lid on top and start saving!

Cheat option: If you don't like drawing why not use a picture off the internet. I confess, I found it tricky writing really small for the collection time info (the white rectangle) so instead I used a photo. I just searched Google images for a post box image and scaled it down to the size I wanted then I printed it off. I then cut out the bit I wanted to use. I realised though, I could have used an image for the whole door of the post box. So if you want to recreate this money box my time saving tip would be to find a good quality, straight and face on image of a post box. Scale to size when printing off (this may take a few tries) and then cut out the door section of the picture. Then all you will need to do is stick the image onto the red card that you have measured and cut out and draw the black rim along the bottom with a marker to give it a 3D effect.

So how is my saving going? Erm... well money wise not great, but note wise fantastic! It turns out my children really LOVE the post (money) box, they are also big mail fans. They haven't stopped playing with it and have been posting lots of little notes for me inside. It didn't occur to me that it would be something children would like (duh!), so I am happy that it has a multi-purpose use now. My lovely surprise notes certainly make up for the lack of savings!

My first attempt at hand carving stamps

I have come across so many nice handmade stamps lately on Pinterest and couldn't wait to have a go at making some myself. So I bought a linoleum cutter and a load of erasers and off I went. There are many lovely examples out there so it was easy to find inspiration (here is my stamping board on Pinterest). I have found it so much fun!

All you need is an eraser, a pencil to draw motif onto the eraser, ink and a linoleum cutter. The envelope stamp above was inspired by a pin I saw on Pinterest. I have started making my own cards as well as decorating writing paper.

There are tutorials on the web for learning to carve stamps such as this one by Ishtar Olivera. I confess though that I went straight into carving without any know-how. The results were not great at first and I cut my fingers a ridiculous amount of times (those linoleum cutter blades are sharp!) but the results did get much better with practice. I would still recommend looking at a tutorial first though, I would have saved quite a bit of time and plasters if I had done so!

My favourite stamp I have made so far is the earth stamp. Here are a couple of examples of how I have used it.

If you are getting into stamping to I would recommend buying this book by Geninne Zlatkis. I just have and I think it's really good. It has detailed instructions on how to carve stamps and use them on different types of materials including fabric and stone. The book has lots of lovely photos and illustrations throughout showing examples of ways you can use your stamps, as well as templates you can use at the back. I found it really inspiring and it is now one of my favourite books. I am always on the look out for more stamp related tutorials/ books so recommendations are very welcome. 

How to make bracelets out of ribbons

I recently bought some nice ribbon in Hobbycraft. Nearly all my ribbons go straight into my ribbon/trim box (this box by the way makes me ridiculously happy) to use for something later. It occurred to me though, when I opened up the box that none of the loveliness inside ever gets used for anything! What a travesty! I needed to make something fast in order that my little happy box didn't become a sad little box of unused ribbons and trim. 

I had already been toying with the idea of making bracelets out of ribbons but had never been sure of how to go about it. After a little bit of trial and error I settled on a style I like.

All you need to make a bracelet like the one I made above is; ribbon, ribbon end crimps, extension chain, jump rings, a lobster clasp (little beads can also be added for an extra decorative touch) and pliers to open/close the rings and chain. The photo below shows the order I put the components.

They are very easy and quick to make once you get the hang of it.

Here is how I made them;

1) First off, cut your chosen ribbon to a desired length. I find the best way is to wrap it around your wrist before you cut it, so you can decide whether you want the ends to meet or have a bit of a gap. Once you have cut your length of ribbon secure ribbon end crimps on either end. I used the pliers to firmly close the crimps, you could also apply some glue inside the crimps for extra security.  

2) Attach the extension chains (one short and the other longer) to the crimps and add the lobster clasp to the short extension chain. Jump rings need to be used to join the sections together. The pliers make opening and closing the jump rings and extension chains much easier.

3) To fasten the bracelet open the lobster clasp and attach it to either a jump ring or along the long extension chain.

4) That is it!

I have also been experimenting with making the bracelets out of plaited ribbons and lace trim. I really like the results and have been getting a bit carried away with making them. Let me know what you think.