One Hour Craft

How to Make a Heart Garland for Valentine’s Day! Very Pretty!!

Well, I decided to also make a tutorial for V-Day that is just not as racey. This is a lovely tutorial, quick, cheap, can involve the children if you wish, easy, pretty, fun. What more could you want?
A lot of people have been asking me lately where I get my ideas from for the site? Well, the question is where don’t I get them from? Friends who are artists, my own ideas based on crafts I have made, a lot of things are adaptations of objects and decor seen in magazine. The copious amount of time I spend in thrift stores hunting through old craft books also fills my mind with ideas. Also, nature. Whenever I am outdoors I seem to have a lot more ideas come to me than when I am at home in front of this computer screen (I nearly wrote ’scream’ just then, maybe a Freudian slip or maybe just time for a new computer). Hope this is helpful. This particular garland I saw in a paper shop some time ago and it must have been running around in my head because I just worked out how to make it.
Anyway, on with this sweet and lovely tutorial….

Ingredients

• About four or five sheets of paper. Or just use whatever scraps of paper you have if you are anything like me and you keep every little bit of paper that you are given because you just hate waste.
• 2 love heart cut-outs
• Cardboard
• Baking Paper (has to have at least one side that is not waxy and slippery).
• Pink or Red Thread (or whatever colour you choose)
• Little bits of ribbon, lace, rickrack
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine (although you could also sew these by hand if you can be bothered)

Step 1


I Googled the words ‘heart shape’. I then found a heart shape I liked and printed it. Since I wanted two sizes, I put the image into photoshop and changed the size. Of course, it is easy to find heart images. You can trace old cards, draw and make your own etc. When you have drawn and cut out the two different sized heart shapes, cut them out and glue them to cardboard. Then cut the cardboard to make two templates, one little and one larger. I made the original templates myself.Then, take the sheets of paper, turn them over and ask your children to trace around the hearts and then cut them out. While Milly did this, I started to do the sewing.I used twenty hearts for one galrland, but you can make it as long as you like. Use one hundred if you want.

(cut-out hearts ready to be sewn)
Step 2

Take the baking paper and break it in half length-wise (unless your hearts are really large). You will only need half the width.Set up your sewing machine and then place a larger heart about two inches from the top of the paper. Start to sew at the top of the paper and sew through the middle of the first heart.Continue to sew on the paper for two inches then place a smaller heart on the paper and sew through the middle of it.When I used a piece of plain paper, I cut a small piece of lace or ribbon, folded it, placed it in the middle of the heart and sewed over it (look at the purple ribbon in the photo below).
Step 3


When you have sewn four or five hearts onto the baking paper you will reach the end of the paper. When you are near the bottom of the paper, tuck another sheet under the first and continue to sew. Don’t forget to leave a space of about two inches between the hearts.
Continue making the chain until you have used all the hearts.

(A photo of the hearts all sewn onto the baking paper)
Step 4

Take the paper and gently tear it away from the hearts. Take your time doing this.And Ta -Da! Then you are left with a lovely heart garland. Isn’t that so cool that they remain sewn together? I thought that was quite clever really, well, actually I thought I was quite clever, to be honest.

Hang your garland wherever you like. I hung it on our bookshelf. If your child is keen you could even teach her how to sew them together. Milly was as happy as Larry doing this because she was busy cutting out hearts until the end.

How to Make Sexy String Panties for V-Day!

Em and I were on the phone talking when I was on holiday last week. We were chatting about Valentines Day craft tutorials to put on this site. We both decided, after not very long, that we would not recommend anyone make a mushy card for their boyfriend. A loveheart cake may have him bolting out the door. A romantic framed photo and you may just never see him again (Though marrieds may very well indulge in this sort of present-giving). We realised a while back that men are funny creatures (especially in the first few years – and before they have put a ring on your finger) who like to chase. Who are we to get in the way?
So, we decided to steer away from the how-to-turn-your-guy-off-in-two-seconds presents and present him with something that is much more likely to please him on this special day. Ta-da. This tutorial was born. These panties took such a small amount of time to make and were great fun. So, leave it to the men to present YOU with chocolates, mushy cards, stupid teddy bears holding hearts that say “I wuv you” and hit them where it hurts……You Will Need

The Pattern (Step 1)

Fabric – your choice – tshirt material, leather, vinyl, lace fabric, bright pink fur, whatever you like. If you are a die-hard recycler like we are, cut up your love’s old tshirt and use it for the material. He won’t be angry, we promise.
Underwear elastic – we bought it in bright pink

Ribbon for the ties

Thread for the sewing machine

Scisssors, pins

Sewing machine, overlocker

Step 1

Download the pattern below. Enlarge it to A3 size on a photocopier. This is a size ten Australian pattern. Size ten in Australia is a small. If you are larger, just take a pair of panties you already have and work out the size you need from that.
Click here to download Sexy Panties Pattern

Step 2

When you have printed out the pattern and enlarged it to the correct size, pin the whole pattern piece to the fabric you have chosen. There is no need to leave a seam allowance with this pattern.

Step 3

Cut out the main piece, then cut piece 2 of the pattern from the same fabric.
Step 4

Pin the crotch lining (unless you are making these crotchless of course ) to the inside of the panties fabric. Sew this with an overlocking stitch onto the panties piece. We sewed two straight lines across (as in photo above).

Step 5

Change your machine to the stitch which is a zig-zag with a broken line. This stitch will allow some stretch.

Place the underwear elastic on the edge of the panties and sew it on using the broken zig-zag stitch. Hold the end of the fabric which is furthest away from you and this will help you guide the fabric through. We didn’t bother to pin it all, deciding instead to live on the edge! When you are sewing the elastic you can stretch it a little with the hand which is closest to you, giving the pants more elasticity and a little more power to grip to your cheeks.

HOT TIP: If it is too difficult to grip the fabric with your hand while sewing you can grip the thread ends with your left hand and gently pull the fabric through – a great little sewing trick.

When you come to the corner of the fabric, fold the elastic around the corners and continue to sew until you have edged the whole piece with elastic.

Step 6

Cut the ribbon into four lengths about 30cm (12 inches long).

With the panties right side facing down, sew the ribbon onto each of the four corners. We just used the same stitch for this and went slowly over them a few times, forward then reversing. It is pretty important that these stay, especially if wearing a skirt (unless of course Britney is more your style. In which case, why are you reading this tutorial? huh?)

Step 6

Add a litte something to the panties by cutting out a pink love heart and sewing it to the front of the panties. We just used a straight stitch for this. We were about to sew the heart on, when one husband (who shall remain nameless) returned home and repositioned it a little lower for us!

You like? Trust me these are a WHOLE LOT skimpier on than the photo here. Unfortunately neither Em nor me wanted to model them and display our bottoms to the world, so you will have to make some and see!

Enjoy! Why not get together with a bunch of girlfriends and have a panty making afternoon? We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. These took us about ten minutes to make at the most. Hmm maybe there will be more underwear making around here….
Mia and Em

xxx

A Quick Note About the Bag Swap!

Hi ya everybody,

We are really excited over here because The Bag Swap is underway!  We have people from Portugal, New Zealand, USA, Britain, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and many more countries.

I have just finished emailing all of the participants in our Bag Swap, with their swap partner’s name and email address.  Please note, I have not written the email address in the email but it is at the top, because I have sent the one email to both swap partners.

Please make sure that you send your tote bags by February 10, 2007.  And I have asked everyone to include a postcard of where they are from, just for fun!

Hope you have a wonderful Swap experience.  When you have finished please upload any photos you have to our onehourcraft flickr group.

If you are only taking part our January Craft Challenge to make a tote bag, please still upload these photos to our flick group as well.

Have a great time sewing and swapping!

Mia 

How To Make Stunning Canvas Photos – These Rock!

I love these photos with their vibrant colours, grainy effects and rocking photoshop possibilities. Writing this tutorial was special for me. I put it together with my twin sister, Emma Mill (Binns). Hmm Hmm, I would just like to mention here that I am the eldest by seven minutes (does anybody care?). Emma made a gorgeous canvas photo for my daughter for her birthday and I have been wanting to learn how.

Here is a canvas made by Emma Mill, a photo in a series of her husband surfing. I love this.

Now. join the Binns Twins (cute eh?) to make your first canvas photo…

You will need:

1 canvas (cheap as to buy from any craft store – $4 we paid) 8 inch x 10 inch

At least 50cm white 100% cotton material

1 photo printed out onto photo transfer paper (we used Canon photo transfers)

1 pair scissors

1 iron

1 staple gun (my new favourite weapon of choice, imagine if we carried staple guns instead of a pepper spray, that’d show ‘em)

Step 1

Take the canvas and cut out material to fit it leaving a 3 inch border around the edge.

Step 2

Upload a photo to your computer, resize to fit the canvas or you could leave a little border like we did here.

Print out the photo in black and white or colour.

Iron the print onto the cotton fabric.

When you have ironed it wave it around for minute or two before ripping the back off to make sure it has dried.

Step 3

After a few minutes, peal off the transfer and marvel at the wonders of the computer age!

Step 4

Position the transfer on top of the canvas and make sure that it is correctly centred.

Step 5

Carefully turn the canvas over, holding the cotton transfer in place.

Pull it taut and staple two staples on either side of the frame.

Then staple two more staples at the top and the bottom of the frame.

Step 6

Now I am not going to mess with you, this is not Martha and we can just be human ok – this part is a little fiddly and chances are the back won’t look all that great on your first effort.  Don’t worry, people only see the front anyway.

Fold the corners in, like folding a present.

Then staple them down to the frame.  Make sure that you are pulling the fabric taut and watch for buckling.

Do this to all four corners.

Step 7

Cut away the extra fabric on the back.  Time to tidy it up a little.

Step 8

Staple the edges down into the middle of the frame.  This is also a little tricky so just take your time.  Don’t be scared it only really rates about a two on the tricky scale.

Ta – Da!  Your finished canvas from the back.

Turn it over – and here’s a gorgeous photo of my little nephew, Charile.

Looks wonderful on the mantle piece!

HOT TIP:

You can upload your image to Photoshop and do some way out things to it.  It can end up looking like some very cool Popart or a retro pattern.  Try all the different filters.  I intend to make some really funky ones in the near future.

We hope you enjoy making these,

Emma and Mia

Talk Talk Talk: Loads to Talk About..

Firstly the Bag Swap is closed. Sorry if you missed out, with the response I got I am sure we will be doing loads more swaps on this site. If you are in, then expect your email from me within the next five days with the email address and name of your swap partner. From then on it is up to you. I will not be doing any more than that. Okey Dokey.

Umm, I had something else to say. I forget. It is late. Life is good. Sleep is the best.

Take Care

Mia

How To Teach Your Child to Sew A Bag: Lesson 3

Uggh, I am having loads of problems with this site, please report any you have to me so I can iron them out.

Anyway, to brighter things, this is the third lesson in this series. I am assuming in this lesson that you have already worked through the two previous lessons. If not, please do. I won’t be repeating the basics in this lesson and am assuming that you will do the groundwork like making sure your child remembers where to place her hands and her feet.

This lesson was great. Amelia (Milly as we call her) loved it because she finally has something very spectacular to show for it.

Ta Da – Her First Bag!

Remember to bring along a large dose of patience and some sticky tape (if you need to tape your mouth together from the sheer frustrations and imperfection of it all). Milly is still game enough to sew and doesn’t seem to be too traumatised, so this is a good sign. Note that this lesson may require more help from you, depending on the age of the child. Littlies (5-8 year olds) will need more help than older ones.

Right, let’s get to it…

You will need:

Two felt squares

Fabric Glue

A ruler

Tailor’s chalk or felt-tipped pen

Floral Trim (or lace, rick rack)
Felt Ribbon

Thread

Sewing Machine

Step 1 – Attaching the Decorative Trim
Take the two felt squares. Ask your child to draw a line across both squares about 5cm from the top. Ask her to measure the floral trim and cut two pieces to cover each line. Ask her to then cover the line with a line of fabric glue, then stick the floral trim to each line. You made need to demonstrate on the first one, and let her complete the second one herself (remember ladies, don’t take over… resist the urge). Hold the trim down for a minute until it sticks. Then demonstrate how to sew the trim to the felt with a straight stitch. Let her start to do this when she feels confident. Milly had no troubles with this.

Step 2 – Sewing the Letter onto the Bag

Help your child to draw the first letter of her name on one of the felt squares. For little children there is nothing better than a monogram. Ask them to trace the lines and cut the amount of floral trim needed. Then ask her to glue the lines and to stick the trim to the lines. I sewed this part for Amelia, but talked to her the whole time (particularly when pivoting). If your child is older, she will probably be able to do this herself.

Step 3 – Ruling a line around the edge

Take this piece of felt and turn it over. On the underside, get your child to draw lines along the three edges that will be sewn (missing the top of course). Make sure that this line is drawn leaving at least two cms from the edge of the felt. If the lines are really crooked, send your child to check on the cat, dog, bird, weather (whatever) and subtly redirect them with the pen (good luck with this one).
Step 4 – Gluing the felt pieces together

Take both pieces of felt. Put the right sides together, makiing sure that the trimmed lines are matching each other. Ask your child to put a line of fabric glue along the inner edge of one of the felt squares (as shown below) and then ask her to stick the two pieces of felt together. She should press the two layers together for a minute or so until the glue begins to dry.

Step 5 – Sewing the felt pieces together

Sit your child down at the machine and ask her to sew around the line on the felt, sewing the two pieces of felt together. Help her to pivot at the corners. I told Miily when to slow down and when to pivot at the corners. She did a great job. It should look something like the photo below at this point. When this is done take the pinking shearings and have your child trim the edges of the bag.

Then have your child turn the bag inside-out. She will be amazed at what she has sewn.

Step 6 – Sewing the straps onto the bag

I did this part as it is a little fiddly. Take the felt ribbon and cut two lengths as long as you want the straps to be. Then sew these on the outside of the bag. The trick to getting them to stay is to sew a square first and then cross through the middle of it – yeah told you it was a little fiddly.

Then let her bathe in the glory, ask her to model it for you etc. Basically make a great big fuss over it.

I asked Milly, “Are you happy with it?”, and her first comment was, “Yeah but when can I sew with real fabric I am sick of this ferelt (yes, that is seven-year-old for felt). Well, soon. Maybe.

Enjoy! Tell your friends to come visit this new site. And please let me know if you make one, I want photos.
Mia

How to Teach a Child to Sew: Lesson 2

If you haven’t seen our first lesson, click here read it. Please use this one first as it is an important building block.

In this lesson I will show you how to teach your child to sew around the edge of a material and how to sew around corners (how to pivot). In the third lesson, you will be able to teach your child to sew a very easy bag . Once again, Milly (my little 7 year old princess) and I had a great time.

Ta Da! Lesson Number Two is finished. To give her more practice at sewing around edges, take the same piece of felt, a ruler and a felt-tipped pen. Draw a box a little smaller than the previous line of stitching. Do this for as many times as she wants to.

I guarantee she will be very impressed with herself. Tell her that in the next lesson you will be making a bag together! Whet her appetite for more sewing.

Please Remember….

• Don’t take your eyes from her for a minute. I didn’t take a photo of step 6 because I couldn’t take my eyes from her sewing.
• Remind her that as soon as you say ’stop’ she must take her foot off the pedal.
• Keep encouraging her and telling her what a great job she is doing!
• Have fun, enjoy this special time and know she will remember this for a long time to come!

Enjoy!

Mia

Our First Swap!

Look at the post below about our first swap.  It is going to be really exciting.  I am just writing a quick note to let everyone know that places are filling up really fast.  It has been open for less than a day and half the places are already gone!

So, if you want to be involved, please get in quick!  Once I have 100 people I have to stop.

Also, please follow the instructions carefully for joining the swap.  Feel free to leave a comment about it in the comments box but please please please email me your details, don’t leave them there.

Thanks.  I am really looking forward to being involved in this!

Mia

January’s One Hour Craft Challenge!

Hello, happy crafters, January’s Craft Challenge is a little late! Sorry, what with moving address it has taken longer than I had hoped to make a start! Well, after consultation with several readers, we have decided that the Challenge will be to make a tote bag. By a tote bag we mean something a little bigger than an ordinary handbag. I am so excited. I love making bags and am just in the mood for a new bag for the new year…..

Also we have something else we are so pleased to announce….

Our Inaugural One Hour Craft swap…

So, if you would like to enter this month’s challenge get to it and make a tote bag, then load up your photo to our flickr group!

This month you can also enter your creation into our Bag Swap! I am making a limit of 100 people in this swap. So please let your friends know!
If you are new to swaps, here is how it works: 100 people enter their names. We randomly pair people from all over the world. We then let you contact each other and let each other now your mailing address. Then you make a bag (a tote) and send it to your partner by the date outlined. Please please please only enter if you are genuine. Make contact with your partner and make sure that you are both sending out your items on the same day. Please don’t hold us responsable for the other person being unreliable (although on the Net, I have found that people who bother to enter swaps are usually really reliable and some of the gifts I have received have been awesome…

The swap is open to anyone who can sew a fairly decent tote bag…Please be willing to ship overseas when you sign up… You can ask your partner about their tastes and colours they prefer if you choose…
Want to join? Here’s what to do (it’s really important that you follow the instructions to be included).

1. Send me an e-mail at mariabinns@hotmail.com
2. Please type One Hour Craft Bag Swap in the subject line
3. In the email include your name
4. We will leave the address swapping to you and your partner

Please ship your packages by 10 February. I think one month is a good amount of time.

We will take names until next Monday morning. We will then send out the swap names and email addresses the following week. Then it is up to you..

Please check back here for more details. Please pass the word on on your blog or by email to your mates.

This will be so much fun!!!

OneHourCraft Team

PS Check in at onehourcraft.com in the next few days for masses of links to great bag tutorials!

January’s One Hour Craft Challenge!

Hello, happy crafters, January’s Craft Challenge is a little late! Sorry, what with moving address it has taken longer than I had hoped to make a start! Well, after consultation with several readers, we have decided that the Challenge will be to make a tote bag. By a tote bag we mean something a little bigger than an ordinary handbag. I am so excited. I love making bags and am just in the mood for a new bag for the new year…..

Also we have something else we are so pleased to announce….

Our Inaugural One Hour Craft swap…

So, if you would like to enter this month’s challenge get to it and make a tote bag, then load up your photo to our flickr group!

This month you can also enter your creation into our Bag Swap! I am making a limit of 100 people in this swap. So please let your friends know!
If you are new to swaps, here is how it works: 100 people enter their names. We randomly pair people from all over the world. We then let you contact each other and let each other now your mailing address. Then you make a bag (a tote) and send it to your partner by the date outlined. Please please please only enter if you are genuine. Make contact with your partner and make sure that you are both sending out your items on the same day. Please don’t hold us responsable for the other person being unreliable (although on the Net, I have found that people who bother to enter swaps are usually really reliable and some of the gifts I have received have been awesome…

The swap is open to anyone who can sew a fairly decent tote bag…Please be willing to ship overseas when you sign up… You can ask your partner about their tastes and colours they prefer if you choose…
Want to join? Here’s what to do (it’s really important that you follow the instructions to be included).

1. Send me an e-mail at mariabinns@hotmail.com
2. Please type One Hour Craft Bag Swap in the subject line
3. In the email include your name
4. We will leave the address swapping to you and your partner

Please ship your packages by 10 February. I think one month is a good amount of time.

We will take names until next Monday morning. We will then send out the swap names and email addresses the following week. Then it is up to you..

Please check back here for more details. Please pass the word on on your blog or by email to your mates.

This will be so much fun!!!

OneHourCraft Team

PS Check back here in the next few days for masses of links to great bag tutorials!