Two placemats turn nicely into a hanging organizer

Enjoying the crafty ideas I've seen in crafting blogs for using placemats - or better said - for upcyling placemats.  I finished up this one in a jiffy, an organizer, using two placemats, sewing up the channels and well, I sewed it directly onto a plastic hanger.  Quick as that, I have a pretty little fabric bathroom organizer, or a cosmetic organizer or perhaps a child's room organizer.

I hope to make more of these.  A variation I did make, again using placemat, was to fold it in half along the long side and sew up four channels, making a roll up organizer which I am using in my purse. 

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Project; diy Duct Tape Dress Form

Found at ReadyMade blog
Custom dress forms be damned. Why spend an arm and a leg on one of the limbless de Milos when, in less than two hours, you can make one from duct tape for about $15 (instead of the $300—or more—a custom form would cost you)? The folks behind Threads magazine have put together a great primer on how to make a duct tape double.

Perhaps because of its irresistible body armor allure, the duct tape doppelgänger is also oddly popular among Lord of the Rings costume makers, and historical reenactors. The process requires a partner (who will mummify your t-shirted torso with tape), so invite your stitch-savvy friends over for drinks and a duct-tape dummy-making party à la The Bookish Girl. Spilling wine on your shirt isn’t a problem when you’re wrapped in duct tape!

A duct-tape dress form is quick, cheap, and simple. You'll need a couple of 60-ft. rolls of duct tape, a long tee shirt, and a little plastic wrap. Oh, yes, and someone to wrap you in tape.

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Project; Re-use jeans/denim to make assorted quilts

More jean/denim quilt ideas. I really must begin saving jeans for the denim and make these projects.

Link for article and some how to instructions at Backwoods Home Magazine.



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Also, same magazine website - Backwoods Home Magazine, an article that explains how to sew a baby quilt in two days. Sounds like something even I might learn to do since I haven't yet begun the self-teaching of learning to make a quilt.




And another quick make it fast project for woolen mittens using old sweater.

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Project; two pairs of too small pants to one pair of capris that fit

Pants too small, adapt them using an idea from Three Cat Night (link to follow her instructions). I'm not sure she is still blogging since the last entry in Dec 06, but I remember seeing this project at her blog before and I thought I might could try something like this. Well, now that many of my old pants don't fit my growing hips and waist, I gotta try something!



Two pair of too small pants to one pair of capris that fit

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Project; diy Denim Organizer

Now here is something I can do with all those pockets I cut off of old pants. And I'm sure I have a pair of used denim jeans around here. The instructions are real simple, and even I can 'make this project'. See the instructions (such as they are) here

instructions given - (note, I in this is Homespun Heart I - not me I); And, this hanging organizer was born! I cut a leg off of a pair of jeans and cut down one side so that when I opened it flat it was a bigger piece of denim. That formed the backing and is why the backing is not perfectly straight as legs of jeans are tapered. Then I sewed pockets and made "pockets" to hold gloves and hats. Scarves are hanging on a hanger next to this.

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Project; kimono style roll; for sewing needles, crochet hooks or...

This is called a kimono needle roll, but I think I will adapt it for other uses as well, depending on how my first go at it turns out. I like the idea of using combinations of fabric to create it, and while I don't really need a sewing or crochet needle roll, I do need to contain some other smaller type objects in a kimono style roll. Besides, I like kimonos. I lived a couple of years in Japan when I was a wee child, and I fondly remember kimonos.

I also don't think I would follow all the steps in the tutorial because I'm basically feeling too lazy to put that much energy into it, but, I may need to follow the tutorial if my free whirling attempt fails.

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Project; t-shirt refashion - halter from crew neck t-shirt

from Make magazine

Nobody just wears a t-shirt these days. You've got to "mod" them. To get you started on your first t-shirt for the summer, artist Karyl Newman took a regular looking large crew neck t-shirt and created this cute halter tee. The complete step-by-step is up on Instructables. Link.




get instructions here;

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