Luggage tag using scrap fabric DIY

Every household has hidden scraps of fabric that go unused for umpteen reasons. Sometimes the reasons are obligatory, at other times sentimental. But it's not uncommon to find that piece of fabric or T-Shirt you thought would be useful and never really used.

I found such a piece I had picked up from the temple at a throwaway price because it was an offering to the deities there. I had once thought it would make for good altar decor. Now I have second thoughts, and want the fabric to be useful somehow. The memory of seeing those huge suitcases at the airport luggage belt - with handkerchiefs, satin ribbons, and sometimes torn rags hanging from the handles, prompted me to try a luggage tag. It's a failed piece to be honest, but I managed to salvage it, and I bet it will be useful to me or to a friend soon someday.

What you need for this project (hold it, it's not a quickie. You need loads of patience):

-- less than half a square foot of scrap fabric

-- embellishments to either stitch on to the fabric, or stick such as cloth flowers, buttons, beads...

-- a pair of cloth cutting scissors

-- marker pen, fine tip

-- an object to use as stencil - a rectangle, or circle or oval...I used a needle-case cardboard that came with it from the store

-- a piece of satin ribbon

-- cotton for fill or batting

-- Needle and threads of different colours to match the fabric or embellishments

-- optional is a velcro-tape self adhesive piece

-- quilting pins or ball headpins to hold cloth for sewing

I started by marking out using a needle case cardboard packaging as stencil, on the fabric.

I then pinned the ball pins about an inch and half from the marked lines, so it would make it easier to cut the fabric. The next step was to mark another dotted line along the marked line, about one third of an inch wide.

Cut along the dot-marked lines, and leave some space on what you want as the top of the fabric piece for luggage tag, so you may fix a hook, velcro tape or press-button.

I stitched up a button hole using the button hole stitch, but it did not really work out. It was because there was not enough fabric above the button hole, for accomodating both, stitches and a button after it got inserted.  You may use a velcro tape, or a press button set.

On what I wanted as the front side of the tag, I stitched up cloth flowers. I chose flower colours to match one of the different colours on the fabric print.

The next step. Use a running stitch and stitch along the original marked line. Leave a one inch or two inch gap, ideally on the top or bottom of the to-be tag.

It was time to fill the cotton batting in.

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I stitched the end of a six inch piece of satin ribbon (about half an inch or less wide) on to the rear inside of the would-be tag. It was a bit of a push and pull here. because of the faulty button hole. The stitched button was not so great to look at and its stitches showed on the rear of the ribbon, so I fixed a cloth flower to cover it up.

Now, this is not exactly a button-able piece or stickable one because of the velcro tape complication. But it will come in handy in the most unexpected of ways, as my life as a homemaker in our own home has been teaching me.

Use this tag for your own personal travels, or gift it to a teen.

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Spring-Summer wreath DIY

It's that time of the year when tendrils on branches turn a feast for your eyes. In the tropics it's summer already. Out here where I live, the last snow melts quick with the rising temperatures. The clock just sprang forward, and home-sters wait eagerly to fix their yard decor. As during any season, wreaths are common to door decor in the West.

A good wreath can cost your pocket too much though. If you are willing to spend a few dollars, and arm yourself with loads of patience, you can make wreaths at home. This project is available on the internet in plenty.

I used a pizza carton lid that was not soiled with the cooked pizza, and cut out a ring from it.

What you really need for this project, is a ton of gift-wrap tissue paper, or the paper we use to make kites in India, also known as Kite paper.

You will need:

Besides a pizza carton lid,

A pair of scissors

Gift wrap tissue paper or Kite paper (at least 15 sheets) in colours of your choice

Hot glue gun with a bunch of glue sticks for refill

pressing tool or maybe a popsicle stick

Tissue paper to wipe after using your glue gun

Plates of two sizes to draw out a wreath form or ring

Ribbon.

It's common for stores to entice you into buying wreaths for each season. So grab your scissors and spread out the sheets.

Use a steel plate that fits the pizza carton lid, and draw a circle.

Use a smaller plate and draw out another circle. This circle becomes a ring, allowing you to begin decorating.

I cut pieces from the colour sheets, of five inches by seven inches. The diameter of this circle ?(big one) is 8 inches. Now, roll the tissue pieces into irregularly shaped flowers. 

One end of the piece must be narrow, which you can twist. Stick this in with hot glue.Work on the outer part of this ring and then move towards the inner side.

The wreath I made looks like this, with the gap being hidden. But it is really the ring. Be careful when you work with hot glue gun. Keep it away from children, and certainly not in the proximity of your study. Also, when you work with the piece, use the vertical narrow end to twist and turn. And then stick. Fill in the gaps after sticking the outward looking folds by spreading out the broader end of the vertical rectangle piece.  Use a ribbon to hold the wreath.

When you use the glue gun, hot glue may stick to your hands, causing the fingers to burn. Keep a first aid kit ready. I love how the greens protrude.

Cut ribbon, about two feet long, so you can tie up the wreath to a door.

Enjoy the green wreath.

Pictures and content: Radhika M B

Write to: radiscribe@gmail.com

Simple spinning top with bottle caps DIY

One of the childhood games I have loved is the spinning top, something boys in our neighbourhoods rollicked in and we girls yearned to master. It is so universal that babies can watch with their mouths open when you as much as spin a lid.

It's why used plastic bottle caps that often cannot be recycled by the recycling companies, can find a new life as spinning tops.

The only other major material you will need, is the toothpick. You can never have enough of them around.

Use these spinning tops while running your head over some corporate hassle, or get your child to make it and play. It's a tiny toy for children and adults alike.

I made a set of three with the bottle caps I have had lying around home.

Here, are some tips through the project that takes barely a few minutes.


Materials you need:

-- of course the plastic bottle caps - ideally small in diameter for a good spin

-- toothpicks of good quality

-- a long needle

-- nail cutter (if your bottle cap has protrusions)

-- crimp tools or nail cuticle pushers, or thicker tapestry needle

(I used a tiny nose-plier that is part of my jewellery tools stash)

-- optional - paint pens to decorate

-- craft glue - optional - if you want to embellish with sequins or stickers that is

The bottle caps need a thorough wash and dry before you start off with anything.

With an orange juice bottle cap, I found the center of the cap and used the long needle to poke it. An option they say, is to heat up the center of the cap. But it makes it too tricky because you never know the right amount of heat you need to poke a hole. It can simply melt it, and instead you may end up making a nozzle cap.

How quickly an easily you poke a hole depends on the thickness of the cap and the sharpness of the needle.

I started with an orange cap an it was a thick one, needing more push and some gentle taps with my nail clipper and plier.

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Once the needle went in and I managed to pull it out through the other end, Here is where, my tiny nose plier came in handy.

I inserted the cone-nose of the plier to expand the hole a little. You need to be careful with this part. Push only as much as you need. Pick up a paint pen and draw in a design on the cap. 

Insert the toothpick. It is a bit of push and pull. Leave about an inch of the toothpick below the cap's lid.

I next tried this with a blue tetra-pack drink pack's lid. Barely an inch and a half in diameter, it was the most available colour. 

This was fairly easy to poke the hole into.

I used the nail cuticle pusher tool that has a pointed end similar to toothpicks, to widen the hole a little.

The next step was to paint it. I used a while paint pen.

This bead that you see in the picture did not really work for me.So i had to remove it. Leave the paint for five minutes so it dries well. The next step was to insert the toothpick. 

And another spinning top was ready. A tip you may find useful, is that I used a nail clippler to cut off the protective protrusions that came with the bottle cap. It took care to lift some weight off the cap and made the spin better.

I used a white cap too, that came with packaged drinking water bottle.

The spinning tops are ready to spin.

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You can try this with caps of different colours. Make sure they have a smaller diameter if you plan to use toothpicks.

For bottle caps and lids slightly larger in size, you may need to explore other spinning sticks.

When you poke holes, keep your hands safe. Be careful when you do this project with children.

Pictures Courtesy: Radhika M B

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

One big plastic drink bottle, two uses: How to

Searching online for that perfect piece of a kitchen utensil can be a pain if you have specifics about its make and looks. I got fed up with a search, for an extra ceramic jar to hold my stash of kitchen ladles. It's strange I cannot find the right one in the exact nano second I want it, when my soup is boiling away on the stove. Last week I noticed the plastic drink jar that got empty.

It was thick. It had a unique hand-friendly design. And it threatened to make me cry - I simply could not trash it.

Let's just say the need for a large container enough to hold ladles, and the availability of such a bottle coincided.

I needed one other thing in my kitchen, and scoured the internet away, with hardly any satisfying results - steel or copper funnel to ease storing grains. Too expensive. The drink bottle was a perfect fit for my need.

You can try this with thick plastic bottles that come with drinks or old plastic kitchen boxes that have a good depth. Use your discretion and get imaginative.

After the orange juice got over in my kitchen, all I had to do, was to wash it thoroughly. And bring out the craft knife.

The bright yellow cap I kept aside for future projects.

Among the other materials that came in useful for this project, were:

-- a nose plier

-- tweezer

-- candle and matchbox

-- fine-point marker pen

-- Gold hue paint pen to decorate

You will need to begin by marking out the exact line between the narrow mouth of the bottle and its broad base, that you want for - the funnel and for the ladle jar. I was lucky to find perfect contours on the container. You can mark out with the help of a masking tape.

Run the masking tape along the jar, and cut.

I am dreaming of the day I cut that piece of plastic with precision using my craft knife. The one I have is a sharp piece, but I am a long way from getting the angles right while cutting along cylindrical and elliptical bottles.

I made sure to pull out the `tab' ring from the funnel half of these two pieces.

And trim the uneven edges a little with the craft knife, the way I used to sharpen a pencil as a kid. I had to be careful.

Now, you make cut the container into two with all the precision in the world, but remember, you will still have to deal with sharp edges that can hurt. Here is where a candle comes in handy.

I lit the candle using the matchbox, and ran the cut or sharp edges of the two pieces one after another, over its flame. The idea is to blunt the edges out. If you have the skill you can turn them into artful shapes. Beware. The fumes are not good. So do this in open air if possible.

The funnel got ready. Uneven on edges. But a functional utility piece that will ease my kitchen woes.


I ran the jar half of the drink bottle over the candle next. While I did not feel any need to embellish or paint the funnel, the jar cried for some colour. Out came my gold coloured paint pen. I used its contours and draw away some lines. And over its edges I tried a wavy border to go with its uneven edges.

And the ladle holder was ready for use.

I do not know how long it will last. I did save some bucks on not one, but two pieces I wanted for my kitchen use.

Here is how the funnel looks, and has started to find use.

When you set out for a similar project, remember to keep children away from your work area. Also, remember to work outdoors. Choose a container with thick plastic.

If the container has plastic that is less thick, it can be repurposed for other uses - jewellery/jewelry, toys, household pieces, and the likes.

Just do not buy a bottle for the sake of the project.


Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B


For permission to reuse content and pictures: 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.