No sew tote from T Shirt for my stuff toys

No-sew T-Shirt totes tutorials have taken the internet by storm of late. Every other day, a new video turns up on social media. For the methodical crafter that I am, these pieces of quickie bag making from old Tees were a put off. But out of curiosity I decided to pull out my husband's old T-shirt and give the effort a shot.

Often the tutorials for no-sew bags are with small sized T-shirts. The one I used was a baggy type garment that would have landed in the old-clothes dump box, but for my experiment.

Since the internet is so full of the tutorials, I will list out tips that may be helpful, based on my project that lasted about an hour and half.

All you need for this project, is

-- and old T-shirt and a pair of scissors

When choosing a T-shirt, keep in mind the purpose of your end product, the bag. If you plan to step out of home, a decent looking one could help.

Else, reach out for those ready-to-trash ones.

Here is a picture of the Tee I used.

The colour was originally a shade of military green.

But it turned into greenish beige with over-use.

Mark out how much you want to cut at the bottom and fold the Tee at its lower end by about two inches or more if you deem fit.

Keep in mind, that you will need to cut off the hands. You can visualize the length of the hands to get an idea how much needs to be cut.

Run the scissors along the fold and cut it.

Now you may fold the T-shirt again, by an inch or two, and cut this part into several strips that start from the upper end side of the T-shirt and hang at its bottom.

Cut off the garment's sleeves and alongside the neck.

Here is where a tip of two will come in handy for you. Gauge the length of the sleeves and the neck. This T-shirt had a round neck, and had a dramatic difference in height, compared to the length or height of the sleeves. I had to trim after initial cutting. This piece of upper garment can alternatively be used as a layer that you pull over on your body in winter. It works as a bust piece that can be hidden away.

The shearing may not be as smooth as the videos online show. It is your first attempt. Do not beat yourself up. It is all about trimming and patience.

Pick one strip from a corner, and another from the other layer, and knot the two strips up. I used two knots to keep it sturdy.

Continue knotting. Tip: Keep in mind the quality of your fabric. I cut the strips two thin. A little extra width for each strip does no harm.

Knotting takes long. Load yourself with patience. Plus, it is possible that a piece or two actually breaks when you try to knot it.

Once you are done with the knotting, the bag is ready. If you want to invert it, go ahead. I did not. I was only glad to stash in my stuffed toys, toys that I keep ready for any visiting toddler to play with.

Enjoy using the tote.

It is a teen craft. And you can either use it, or gift it away. My suggestion, keep a bunch of these ready and stash in your hand-bag. You can use them for groceries. Or give away when you spot someone in need of it. Or simply make a whole cartload of them for charity.


Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B

For permissions, write to: radicreative@gmail.com

Doorway mini pin-board with cardboard: How to

Organizing our weekly schedules is a task we loathe most days. It is so easy to dream of organizing, but so difficult to keep up! We come across pin-boards  to place above desks and in home offices. But really, how often do we care to look up our desks? A mini pin-board or post-it slip on the back of our main door is a lot easier to keep up with.

The last minute rush is what organizing products industry has cashed in on a great deal. We have today, `doorganizers' that get hung over foyer doors, or placed at the console tables of the foyer.

I used pieces of cardboard that came with packaged products, to create a mini organizer for my main door. Get ready for some mess.

You will need:

-- a felt sheet of your desired colour

-- tacky glue

-- a ruler

-- a pencil

-- a pair if scissors

-- satin ribbon of an accented or contrasting colour

-- tacks or push-pins

-- cardstock of an accented or contrasting colour

-- used corrugated cardboard cut into pieces approximately larger than postcards

-- optional -- washi tape or embellishments

The felt sheet you see in this picture is a lot lighter in shade than it appears. My corrugated cardboard pieces were all cut and ready for use before I started off. So I did not have to worry about the first step of cutting the cardboard to size.

If the cardboard was thicker, it would have been easier for the overall thickness of my pin-board. I had to get the desired thickness by gluing two pieces together. Keep a tissue or rag cloth handy as working with the glue can be messy.

Here is the picture, of the cardboard piece with tacky glue spread over its surface. After gluing the pieces of identical size together, let them dry for a while.

Place this set against the felt sheet, and leave out margin of an inch on its length and breadth. And cut along. Use the ruler and pencil to help with it.

After this, fold the one inch wide felt sheet protruding from beneath the cardboard, and glue it over the cardboard set.

This part of the project can get messy. I cut edges of the felt sheet that would mess with the gluing, and the scissors would not sheer through it easy! To ease the gluing process, make a slit from the corner of the felt sheet towards the corner of the cardboard, and maybe trim off a little more.

Smear some tacky glue about two inches from the intended upper edge of this piece, and glue a piece of satin ribbon, about four and half inches in length. Fold it to strick to the cardboard, to itself, and glue a little over the stuck piece (not seen in this picture).

Over this whole tacky glue mess, glue over the piece of cardstock that is an accented or contrasted colour piece, to cover the surface.

Let this dry. I discarded the washi tape that I had kept handy for the project. Instead, I pulled out cloth flowers from my craft stash and embellished it.

It is ready for use. If nailing this on a wall, or using wall hooks is a problem, use self-adhesive tape to run along its rear edges, and stick it on the door. You can make a few of these for strategic everyday use points at home - on the fridge, on the kitchen wall, near your bed...

For more thickness, you can use two felt sheets instead of one.

As for me, am falling a little in love with the versatile corrugated cardboard.

Pictures Courtesy: Radhika M B

For pemission to use content and pictures, write to: radicreative@gmail.com

No part of this tutorial or any content of the blog should be used without permission.

Bookmarks from used styrofoam containers: DIY

I detest styrofoam containers, otherwise also known as the handy thermocol boxes that have become a craze for packing cooked food.

Much as they look inevitable, I long for those days of the steel and brass boxes. I long for days when packing a dosa into banana leaves and using a twine to tie the dish up with a newspaper to wrap it was the most normal thing to do.

Today we are left with tonnes of the menacing material flooding global garbage. In my own home, I have grown tired of having to trash styrofoam food containers. Needless to say, they come in handy in a million ways. I would not recommend you go looking for those boxes, but if you do have pieces that land on your hands, use a wet tissue to wipe them clean and get started.

I made full use of the lid of one such container, and made bookmarks.

Here goes the procedure:

You will need,

-- a pair of scissors

-- wet tissue or a slightly damp clean cloth

-- decorative stickers to embellish

-- thick threads of matching colours

-- a hole-punch

-- paper-trimmer

Start by cutting the sheet to size, by doing away with the curves.

I did not want to stick to the standard measurements of bookmarks that are accepted internationally.

I made use of all the length it provided.

The next step is to use the paper trimmer and trim it to size. If you do not have a paper trimmer,
use a ruler and craft knife, or a ruler-pencil-scissors combo.

I then cut the sheet into three pieces. The sheet's width was enough for three bookmarks. You can choose the number by making a judgement call on how many pieces a sheet of this size can yield.

Out came my stash of stickers.

I had tacky glue handy. Unlike the normal craft glue, tacky glue is less messy when it comes to sticking paper and styrofoam. In this case, it was about stickers that were made with glossy paper, plastic sheet, and the likes.

Hot glue is also said to help. In case you are wondering why glue them at all when they come with glue attached anyways, there is no telling how such ready-glue surface will stick on the synthetic surface of thermocol.

Choose your stickers with a theme in mind, or arrange them in a way that pleases your eye.

You can use these bookmarks. I was not satisfied yet. 

So I used the easily available paper punch.

And threads of matching and contrasting colours...red and silver in this case.

After punching a hole, it was all about knotting the twine-size thick threads into the bookmarks.

If you have a corner rounder, nothing like it. I tried to round off the corners of two bookmarks. Am longing for a corner rounder someday soon. Let the pieces dry before use.

Use this upcycled set of bookmarks for yourself, to gift to friends, or as party favours. They are non-fussy, easy to make, perfect for kids though you must supervise them with the use of scissors and knife...

Enjoy your book and mark that `fell asleep here' page with some elan.

That's my latest book in the picture...am hoping to finish reading it soon.

Pictures Courtesy: Radhika M B

For permissions to use pictures and content, write to: radicreative@gmail.com

Cardboard Coasters with Washi Tape DIY

The most ubiquitous of things that can be trashed at home, are corrugated cardboard boxes and pieces of cardboard that come with products.

I dream of seeing such cardboard get compressed and carved into sturdy designer furniture some day. Until then, it is about wracking my brains about what can be done with those beige-brown pieces that invade our household lives.

About three years ago, Vidya Nair of Whatsurhomestory blog showed a radically different idea for wall decor. She used newspapers on a canvas and gingko leaves as glued brush strokes for her seasonal decor. I have been enamoured by her effort to this day, and it is one of those inspiring projects that prompts me to come up with ideas - mundane and unique for cardboards.

This time I decided to do away with the idea of buying coasters for home, and picked up cardboard pieces that come with our home delivered food.

It's that typical project for a lazy afternoon.

What you need:

-- Cardboard pieces that are sturdy
-- Washi tape of different colours
-- a paper trimmer
-- a pair of scissors
-- a marker pen for decorating cardboard edges
-- another thin marker to draw curves at corners
-- a guide curve (I used the plastic opener of a wet-tissues sachet)
-- optional, glue or Gorilla glue in case Washi tape does not stick
-- optional, is a ruler

Place your cardboard pieces alongside between the flap of the paper trimmer and its base, in such a way that you can cut them in the same size.

Place the base of your palm over the rotary blade cover, cup it and move it over the cardboard pieces in swift vertical movements a few times. The cardboard pieces get trimmed to your desired size. If you see them cut a little unevenly, use a pair of scissors to trim off.

Use the plastic guide-curve piece to mark out curves along the corners of these pieces using a ball-point pen, pencil or a fine tip marker pen.

If you have a corner rounder, nothing like it. But you can use a pair of scissors to shape off the corners into elegant curves.

 

 Now pick up the Washi tape and use it to decorate the beige coasters.

The tape may not stick well at times, which is why you need to keep some extra glue handy.

I have used the tape to entirely embellish my coasters.

I used a blue fine tip marker pen to outline the edges partly.

The cardboard coasters are ready - super quick and simple to make at home. Until after I was done with the colour combination, I did not realize that it resembers sea, foam and sand in its own unique way.

Enjoy your cup of tea or coffee with the earthy pieces.


Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B


For permissions to re-use, write to: radicreative@gmail.com  

Desktop paper clips stash with used ribbon spool: DIY

Holiday season usually brings with it the extensive use of ribbons - for gift wrapping, home decorations, and crafts. What do you do with left over spools from the tons of satin ribbons? Throw them? Trash them in the recycle bin?

I decided to keep use mine to stash away paper clips on my desktop. The fun part about it is that you do not have to burn your pocket for the super quick effort.

Materials that I used for the table top tiny knick knacks container -

-- a crafting or pen knife
-- tacky glue
-- some decorative ribbon
-- sand paper
-- a pair of scissors
-- some metallic acrylic paint
-- paint brush
-- Washi tape to keep handy
-- Burlap paper which is really jute cloth stuck hard on a paper
(you can use some fine quality jute fabric instead)
-- fabric flowers to embellish
-- 3-D outliner in gold colour to keep handy
-- a ball-pen, to mark out the circle on burlap card stock sheet (use an empty refill or pencil otherwise)

-- most importantly, you need the used ribbon spool which is essentially made from cardboard

For a start, use the pen knife to cut open one base of the spool.

This will leave rough edges on the other side, which you may smooth out. You can choose to sand these edges, or leave them rugged for that earthy look. After this, pick up a sheet of burlap or jute from the cardstock bundle. Alternatively, use either thick jute fabric or some patterned paper.

Use the base of the ribbon spool to mark out a circle on this, with a pen or pencil.

Cut the circle out.

Keep this aside. Now use some sandpaper to roughen the surface of the spool's base.

Stick the burlap circle on to this surface.

Let this dry in sunlight or at a window.

It is time now to decorate or embellish the container.

I used gold metallic acrylic paint to paint the protruding base and the rough edge of the cut out part of the container. And let it dry out. If you are running short of time,

The outer surface I used another piece of decorative ribbon to cover, and let some of the cardboard show to keep it looking real. A fabric flower went into the center to cover the hole. This covering is not necessary, but I wanted the effect.

Once this was done, I used the same decorative ribbon to embellish the spools inner suface too. The stash holder is ready for use. You may use this to decorate a note-board, the altar at home. As for me, my stash of large sized paper clips fit in perfectly.

Drop in your display tacs, ball pins, or maybe a key that you would otherwise forget.

Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B

For permissions to re-use, write to: radicreative@gmail.com