Make a Large Shopping Tote from a Pillowcase

Here is a quick tutorial on how to re-purposed some of those old pillow cases into a large shopping tote.  

Or if you are like me and your regular sheets aren't the most fun fabrics head on over to Goodwill to look for bright and fun pillowcases to make into a large tote.

(Here's a tip: Sheets/pillowcases are really just huge pieces of fabric that can be used for tons of sewing projects.  Next time you see a bright colorful sheet set think about how it might look as drapes, or throw pillow, or even a custom shower curtain.  The possibilities are endless, and the price/yard is usually a great deal!)

Supplies you'll need:

- 1 pillow case (regular or queen)

-seam ripper
-scissors

- sewing machine

You'll start by ripping out both side seams and the end seam if necessary.  All the pillow cases I own are really just one piece of long fabric folded in half so there probably won't be a third seam at the bottom to rip out.

After the side seams are ripped out fold the fabric back in half and lay it flat on the table.  You will make two cuts here.  The first is to cut the fabric in half along the fold at the bottom. And a second cut diagonally through the rectangular pieces.  To do this you will need to cut diagonally from the lower right corner to the upper left corner. After both of these cuts are done you should have 4 right angle triangle shaped pieces of fabric.

Here is what the pieces will look like after one has been flipped upside down to show the shape of the tote.

Next step is to iron and sew a hem on the angled edge of all 4 pieces. 

Once the seam is done you will need to sew two of the triangles together in the layout above to form one side of the bag.  Sew along the angled edge, following your seam as a guide.  Repeat this step with the other 2 triangle pieces.  You can see where my pins are above to follow the seam.

Now you will need to sew the front and back of the bag together.  Line up each piece with the right sides together and sew the two side seams and the bottom seam to form the bag. 

Once the front and back are sewn together you can stop here, or add box pleat corners like I did.  Adding box pleats is super easy and I like the squared off look it gives this large tote.

To make box pleat corners you will need to sew one seam in each corner perpendicular to the seam that made the bottom of the bag.  The length of the seam is up to you, but I used 3" as my guide for this project. 

  

Once the box pleats are done all you need to do is turn the bag right side out and tie the two sides together for the strap. 

And that's all there is to it.  A few cuts and sewing a few seams and you have a reusable (and cute) large shopping tote.

I hope you can find the time to make one!

How to turn anything into a Wristlet

I have a confession.  I am addicted to deals!

I have been on a 'Junking' bender these last few weeks to try to finish decorating this new house.  I am constantly on Craig's List looking for the perfect console table or arm chair.  I am in Goodwill every other Saturday hoping to score a deal during the 50% off sale. 

Side note, if you haven't been to Goodwill on the 50% off sale day it is an experience.  People are lined up before they open and it's a great way to get your "Black Friday" rush all year long.  LOVE IT!!

And since I'm usually scouring through racks of vases, or sorting through the mirrors stacked in the corner I have found that the big purses I adore are not working out so well.  Enter the wristet. 

I. Love. Wristlets! 

They are super functional and a great way to have everything you need with you and still use both hands to shop.  Genius.

While shopping at my local Target I stumbled upon their back to school section and what would soon become my favorite wristlet.  This beauty is being sold as a "multi zipper bag", but I saw potential for so much more.  I love the larger than normal size, and the 3 individual compartments. 
All that for only $2.50?  SOLD!

So here is a quick tutorial for how you can turn any small pouch into a wrislet in no time!

Supplies you'll need:

-small pouch

-coordinating scrap fabric (around 5"x16")

-seam ripper

-sewing machine

First, cut your scrap fabric to measure 5" x 16" (or as close as possible).  Fold the fabric in thirds length-wise and iron.  Fold the piece into thirds again and iron again.  You should now have around a 1/2" x 16" strip of fabric. 

Sew the strip of fabric right down the center with a straight or decorative stitch.  You can also use contrasting thread for a little more unique design.

Now that the strap is done, you'll need to attach it to the bag.  I recommend adding your strap to a seam near the top of the bag.  I prefer to have my strap near the zipper pulls when the zippers are closed, but you can add it to either side. 

Turn the bag inside out and find the seam where you want to attach the strap.  Using your seam ripper, open up the seam in the bag to the width of your strap.  Thread your strap into the opening, and leave about 1/2" to 3/4" of the ends sticking out. 

Resew the side seam of the pouch with the strap in it.  It will probably be pretty thick, so some hand sewing may be necessary. 

Turn the bag right side out and there you have it.  A quick sewing project to turn the perfect zippered pouch into a functioning wristlet.

You could use this idea to turn any pencil case, small makeup bag, or even a homemade pouch into a great wristlet.

You just have to find the time to make it happen!

Placemat Clutch

So I have been on a creative bender lately...everything I see has to become a purse!  It's a ton of fun and I've got one more gem to share with you all.

A special THANK YOU to Jill at Women Who Do It All for featuring this idea in her Wednesday Project Spotlight!

I found some cheap ($1.99!) placemats at Bed Bath and Beyond this weekend and they just had to become clutches.  They are some sort of waterproof fabric...feels sort of like raffia, but more shinny.  Very flexible, but also very sturdy.  I was worried that the sewing machine couldn't handle it...but one quick test and I was off to the races. 

I began with the oblong shaped placemat because it was going to give me a bigger purse and I wanted a little more to work with.  It's going to be a very simple envelope clutch.

First, begin by cutting off about 3 inches of one of the rounded edges.  This is going to be the front of the bag.  My placemat didn't have a good or bad side, but if yours does make sure you know which is going to be the outside of the purse and keep track of that during this process.

Here's the cut placemat

(the edge is actually straight, but the placemat was not laying down properly in this picture):

Next sew a quick binding to the unfinished edge to clean it up and keep it from unraveling.  You can see in this picture that I cut my piece of fabric too short on the right side, but that will be covered up later.

For the closure on this purse I used magnets, and the only way to attach them is to sew them on with a small pocket of fabric.  I've shown it below using red fabric so it's easier to see.

First you need to fold up your placemat to find the right spot to sew the magnet.  A simple three way fold is how to get this envelope shape.  To sew the pocket for the magnet onto the purse move the alignment of your needle to the inside of the foot, and sew the magnet inside the fabric pocket as tightly as possible.  I took two passes around the magnet to make sure it's really secure.

Repeat the process for the top flap of the purse.  Make sure you sew the magnets on the same side of the placemat (the 'wrong' side if you have one).  Trust me, this will guarantee that one magnet is inside the purse, and the other is on the underside of the flap.

One more step and you're all done!  Fold your placemat in thirds to get the shape you like. You want the flap to come about half way down the purse where the magnets are lined up.

Once you have it lined up (and double checked that the magnets are on the inside of the purse) you can do a quick stitch up each side and you're all done! 

(I know it's impossible to see the stitching below, but believe me it's sewn and it was as fast as it sounds!)

I decided that I wasn't going to turn my seams inside because my placemats had great finished edges and looked good as is.

I did add a little cuteness with a quick felt flower.  It also served a double purpose to cover up the stitching from the magnet under the flap.

I did a similar process with a pink circular placemat and this is what I got:

I did do the side seems on the inside for this one and it turned out just as nice.  I really like how the two circle patterns are coming together right at the closure.  Not on purpose, but a great surprise!  A little more complicated closure...but I had this fun black button and I love pink and black.

To do the button closure just mark a rectangle on the top flap that will be big enough to go over the button, but not so big that it won't be secure.  Once it's marked, stitch around it about 4 times.  Using an exacto knife, cut out the piece in the middle and sew the button onto the front of the bag.  I might add some flowers to this one also, but I'm not sure yet.  Either way, I love it!

Both of these purse were completed in one evening after my daughter went to bed, so there is no excuse not to find the time to make yourself one! Enjoy!

No Sew Bamboo Clutch

It's about time I did a non birthday themed post!  I loved sharing all the tips for decorating your house for a party, but now it's time for a fun DIY craft project. 

First, here's a special thanks to
Michelle @ Someday Crafts for
featuring me in her
Whatever Goes Wednesday
Link up Party!!

And to *Remodelaholic
for the Guest Highlight!

I've seen a few fun ideas online for making clutch purses out of placemats and I wanted to get in on the action.  I ended up finding two of these bamboo woven placemats and I thought they would make very unique purses.

(ignore the fabric swatches...that idea did not work out!)

The placemats were originally woven together with a plastic string, so the first step was taking the string out without getting the bamboo pieces completely out of order.  I found the end of the string, cut off the knot, and slowly removed the string.  I starting moving the pieces around to create the handles and getting the right size for a clutch purse. 

(You might want to decide on the size before the placemat is unwoven)

Here is the placemat in the final size and arrangement for my purse.

Next I used the plastic sting to re-weave the bamboo pieces into my new shape.  I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to secure them at this point so I took lots of care to not weave through the openings for the handles.  If you are going to follow the rest of my steps you won't need to worry about that and you can find the quickest way to put the placemat back together.

Once the pieces are woven tightly back together you will need to cover the entire inside of the purse with duct tape.  I bought a black roll from Michael's for about $5, and they had tons of other fun colors.

I would recommend adding at least two layers around the handles because this part will get the most wear and tear.

Once the pieces are locked into place you can remove the plastic string.  Next I cut out a piece of cardboard for the bottom of the purse.  Once the bamboo pieces are duct taped together you can pick it up like a purse and see what size to make the bottom.  My purse seemed to naturally fall into a shape with 5 rows of bamboo as the bottom, so I just went with that.  After it's measured and cut, cover the cardboard with duct tape to help it blend in and to reinforce it.

Use a few pieces of tape to secure the cardboard insert to the purse.

Next you'll need to make two pieces of overlapping tape to form the sides of the purse.  Lay five 4" pieces of tape in a row with about 1/4" overlapping to form a 'sheet' of tape.  Then lay one 7" piece of tape over the top of all of those pieces with about 1/4" overhanging on one side.  Fold this flap over and that will be the top of the sides of the purse.  Cut the bottom two corners about one inch in from the corner at a diagonal to help you get smooth corners (not in the picture, I learned this step the hard way!).

Staring with one of the long sides, install the side piece by pressing the tape firmly to the duct taped side of the purse.  Work your way down the side, and secure the bottom piece of the side.  Finally work your way back up the other side to finish securing the side of the purse.

Follow the same steps for the other side and you should end up with a purse like this:

 

I would recommend creasing the duct tape sides into the inside so when you pick up the purse they don't stick out.

I'm sure this technique can be used with all sorts of woven placemats to create some very fun combinations. 

What a quick fun project for a truly unique DIY clutch!