Need: A lunchbag for work
Requirements:
- Large enough to accommodate the storage containers we use in our kitchen, which are wide, shallow, and stackable.
- Does not need to maintain temperature.
- Needs to have sturdy handles
- Whimsical design
Issue: After checking local shops and online, I did not find a bag meeting these specifications
Solution: Make the bag myself using materials on hand
Materials
Bubble wrap (a ton of it came with Christmas packages!)
Scrap yarn (odds and ends from the bottom of my yarn basket)
Ribbon (formerly tied around a box of cookies)
Transparent nylon thread
Tools
Iron
Ironing board
Parchment paper
Sewing machine
Scissors
Guidance from: Etsy’s Fusing Plastic Bag tutorial
I fused 4 layers of bubble wrap total and sandwiched it with scrap yarn to make the fabric for my new lunch bag. I used three shades of scrap yarn to give it a “hip” look. The iron was on the highest setting possible, but because I did not pop the bubble wrap ahead of time it took a lot of time to iron it flat. Parchment paper kept it from sticking to the iron or the ironing board. I love the cellular look the bubble wrap gave the bag.
The main body of the bag is one large rectangle, and the sides are two smaller rectangles. I used transparent thread to attach the handles (reinforcing as much as I could) before sewing the sides together. The transparent thread allows the focus to stay on the bag than the edges.
I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and it has worked out brilliantly. Just the right size!
Lessons learned
- Pop the bubble wrap ahead of time
- This was really fun and took less time than expected
- I might fuse additional plastic to the base of the bag next time to give it additional stability
Belly dance hip scarf / coin belt / costume piece. Whatever you call it, it looks and sounds pretty!
Ready to make your own hip scarf for belly dance? I’m not talking about tacking store bought trim on some fabric. You won’t weave the fabric or spin the yarn, but you’ll make the “coins” and crochet the trim yourself.
This is a proof of concept project I designed to refine my skills and find stumbling blocks before I make an elaborate hip scarf for my costume. Think of it as making a muslin to test a pattern before sewing a fancy party dress with expensive material. You can use these techniques to design your own hip scarf.
Knowledge of beaded crochet will be very helpful. The project takes between 10 and 15 hours to complete, but the out of pocket costs are minimal. Consider taking apart thrift shop costume jewelry for beads. Metal coins for belly dance costumes are available for purchase at online bead shops if you want to skip making your own, but the costs add up quickly. I am using this one for dance practice, so it doesn’t need to be fancy. Continue reading 'Belly dance coin belt / hip scarf tutorial'»
This is how they look before they are baked. All of these were drawn by hand, then colored with Prismacolor. They shrink to about a third of this size.
This is an example of the shrunken plastic pendant necklaces I have been working on. And yes, there is a good chance those are rosary beads.
(also testing out posting here from my mobile phone – if it works, rejoice, as it will mean more frequent updates. This time I am using Flickr as an intermediary.)
Running far behind on keeping this blog updated, but I’m not going to make any apologies for it since it has left me more time for crafting. Anyway, the Hallowe’en Bazaar was terrific. Aaron got a lot of responses to his comic book preview, and I had an excuse to work day and night to prep jewelry inventory for the show.
I’ve been collecting vintage and estate costume jewelry, breaking it down into components, then re-assembling as I see fit. I have also been making shrunken plastic pendants to accompany the necklaces and bracelets. Nope, not “Shrinky Dinks”, although the same premise. I use recycled plastic pieces instead of buying the kits.
Muchas gracias to Frykitty for inspiration on the plastics. She has been hand-carving stamps to use on the plastics – the end result is pretty freaking amazing! I’ve been going a different route and using Prismacolors and Sharpies with (mostly) my own sketches. Hey, it gave me an excuse to buy a very pretty set of the pencils! I haven’t had a full set since high school, and I’ve been wondering what took me so long.
I also made custom skull beads from Sculpey, then hand painted them with acrylics. I am very pleased with the results, and you should be able to see more of these in the near future.
Materials
I fused 4 layers of bubble wrap total and sandwiched it with scrap yarn to make the fabric for my new lunch bag. I used three shades of scrap yarn to give it a “hip” look. The iron was on the highest setting possible, but because I did not pop the bubble wrap ahead of time it took a lot of time to iron it flat. Parchment paper kept it from sticking to the iron or the ironing board. I love the cellular look the bubble wrap gave the bag.
