Easy DIY Coaster Tutorial

February 18, 2022 aschildmeierLeave a comment

I recently made some coasters for Christmas gifts and they were such a hit! Many have asked how to make them and they are SO simple that I thought I would throw together a quick tutorial for you all!

You will need the following supplies:

-Hot Glue Gun or Permanent Glue of Choice (Such as Tacky Glue, E6000, etc)

-Scrapbook Paper

-Felt

-Mod Podge & Foam Brush for Application

-Acrylic Water Resistant Sealant Spray (such as this one)

-Blank Ceramic Tiles (I like the 4×4 size such as these)

First, you will cut your scrapbook paper the correct size for your tiles being sure you have a tiny edge of tile peeking out evenly on all sides. If your paper fully covers the top of the tile without that edge the paper will not adhere nicely around the edges. I cut my paper to a 4×4 square size and made 6 coasters at a time. I also like to mix and match my paper prints instead of using all one matching print! Once your paper is cut you will spread a thin even layer of Mod Podge onto the surface of the tile. Carefully smooth your scrapbook square on top of the Mod Podge layer (working from the middle out to the edges) being sure you do not have any air bubbles. Once you are happy with the placement of your paper you will spread another thin even layer of Mod Podge on top. Be sure to go all the way to the edge and clean any drips that go over the sides before it dries. After that layer dries fully you will apply 1-2 more coats being sure they are thin even layers.

Next, after your Mod Podge is finished you will seal the coasters! Be sure you are in a WELL ventilated area ( I like to do this step outdoors). Spray the tops of each coaster being sure to use a thin even coating and apply 2-3 total coats being sure to let it fully dry between layers. It is SUPER important not to skip the water resistant sealant or your cups will stick to the coasters (ask me how I know….).

After the sealant dries you are almost finished! The final step is to put backing onto the tiles so they don’t scratch up your furniture. I have used both thin cork and felt for this step and highly prefer the felt. You will cut your felt to size like you did with your scrapbook paper. I cut my felt into 4×4 squares and then glued it onto the back of the tile. You can use your glue of choice and I have found that Tacky Glue has given the best results for my coasters but have also used hot glue. Now, go make all the coasters and have fun with it!

~Amanda~

Sewing Tutorials

Knotted Bow Headband Tutorial

September 19, 2020February 18, 2022 aschildmeier2 Comments

Have you seen the cute new knotted bow headbands in all the stores? My girls are obsessed with them and turns out they are super simple and quick to make! I made several this week for them and put together this easy tutorial so you can make them too.

You will need the following supplies:

-Basic sewing machine & sewing supplies (needle, thread, straight edge etc)

-Fabric, stretch fabric is recommended but not necessary, cut to 5″ wide and 15″ long

-Ribbon in 7/8″ width and coordinating color: 2 pieces cut to 2 inches each with ends heat sealed with a lighter to prevent fraying

-Blank plastic headband (I grabbed 1″ size here)

-Hot glue/glue gun

-PDF pattern piece below with 2 pieces of fabric cut on the fold for the knotted bow:

Headband Tutorial Pattern Piece

First, you will sew the 5″ x 15″ strip of fabric right sides together down the long side as shown clipped below. After it is sewn you will turn it right side out and set it aside.

Next, you will sew your knotted bow. You will pin or clip these right sides together and sew all the way around leaving a 2-3 inch gap (shown circled below) open. Turn this right side out through the open hole and and be sure to poke out the corners well. Then, sew the gap closed with a straight stitch and set this aside. **Please note I am not a pattern designer, this is a hand drawn pattern piece that I traced in my Silhouette software and converted to a PDF so it is not fancy but it does the job**

Next, you will assemble your headband. Slide the headband into the strip of fabric we have sewn. Be sure your seam is centered on the inside of the band. You will dab a small amount of hot glue to both ends on both inside and outside to hold the fabric in place. After that fold each side over to the outside (very important as if you fold to the inside it will hurt behind your ears) and dab glue to hold this in place. You will be sandwiching it together creating a fold/pleat on the outside as shown in the middle picture below. Finally, you will glue the pieces of grosgrain ribbon on the ends.

Your headband will look like this after gluing the fabric and ribbon on to the ends. It has a slouchy look which can be completely customized. You can adjust your fabric size to your preference to be slouchier, a more snug fit, etc.

Lastly, tie your knotted bow piece onto the headband and you are finished! This piece is also completely customizable. You can make the end pointier or more rounded or you can lengthen the piece in the middle for a longer knot (lengthening is recommended if using a non stretch fabric for your knot).

Now, go make all the headbands and have fun with it!

Craft Tutorials

DIY Embroidery Hoop Ornament

December 4, 2018 aschildmeierLeave a comment

I have been obsessing over embroidery hoops lately. I love them for wreaths, wall decor, just about anything! When we started decorating for Christmas this year I knew I wanted to incorporate them into our tree as ornaments. These were SO quick and easy so I put together a quick tutorial for you to add these to your Christmas tree too!

First, we need to get together our materials. You will need the following:

*Fabric, Approx 1/4 Yard: I used a buffalo plaid flannel from Joann

*3″ or 4″ Embroidery Hoops: I got a 10 pack of 3″ hoops from Amazon Here

*Heat Transfer Vinyl

*Twine or String of Your Choice

*Optional: Spray Paint, Additional Decorative Accents such as Greenery

I opted to spray paint my hoops gold to match my color theme on the tree. After the hoops are painted you will trace the hoop onto paper to make a template for cutting your fabric. Add approx 1/4″ to your circle to allow room for the fabric to be pulled taut into the ring. Once you have your template go ahead and cut your fabric. I found it easier to cut on the fold to get a more uniform circle. Cut your heat transfer vinyl designs as well. I used the same design on all 10 of my ornaments and purchased it in the Silhouette Design Store.

After you have everything cut and heat pressed you add them to the hoops. Be sure the design is centered and the fabric is pulled taut before tightening your hoops. After they are all put together I went ahead and cleaned up the backs by heat sealing the frayed threads. I also needed to add just a dab of hot glue to the tops under the screws to keep the fabric laying flat in that tiny spot. Finish them off by tying twine or other string to the tops to hang them on the tree. You can also add greenery or other decorative accents if you desire.

These ornaments look so pretty on our Christmas tree and tie the colors together so perfect! I can’t believe how fast and easy there were to make, I will be adding more of these soon. I can’t wait to see what you create for your embroidery hoop ornaments as well.

Merry Christmas!

Craft Tutorials

DIY Bow and Headband Holder

April 20, 2018 aschildmeierLeave a comment

With the arrival of our baby girl coming soon my nesting instincts have kicked into high gear. Number one priority right now is prepping all of the decor for her nursery! One item I have made for our girls room that I knew we needed in the babies room as well is a bow and headband holder. These are SO EASY to make and customize to your nursery theme that I wanted to share a quick tutorial with you!

You will need the following supplies to throw together this DIY bow and headband holder:

*Blank Canvas: I prefer the 12×24 size

*Fabric (for covering the canvas)

*Cup Hooks: I picked mine up at Home Depot but you can find them online as well

*Felt

*Grosgrain Ribbon in 1″ or 1.5″ width

*Glue Gun, Scissors, Measuring Tape or Ruler, Lighter (for heat sealing ends of ribbon)

Your first step will be to lay the canvas on top of your fabric and cut the fabric to size. It will need to be several inches larger on all 4 sides so that you have enough fabric to wrap around the back edges. Be sure your fabric design is STRAIGHT before cutting!

Next, you will wrap the top and bottom edges of fabric taut over the back of the frame and glue in place using hot glue. If your fabric is cut too large and hangs over the wooden frame trim it down before gluing. Be sure to check that the fabric is straight and taut on the canvas after gluing these two sides into place.

You will then glue the next 2 sides onto the back frame. Mine were too long and hung over the frame so I trimmed them down before gluing. You will tuck the corners in and glue first, see photos below. Again, be sure your fabric is tight and straight on the front of the canvas. After gluing down all 4 sides you can add fray check around the edges if you would like, I did not on this one but have on the ones I have gifted. These raw edges will later be covered so it isn’t necessary to fray check.

The next step is to add ribbon to the front of the frame to clip your bows onto. You will use your measuring tape to mark along the top and bottom back frame where you would like to attach the ribbons. I marked every 3 inches on mine and then chose to add only 4 ribbons instead of 6 as it covered too much of the fabric design on the front. My ribbons needed cut to 16 inches to fit this size canvas. You will then glue the ribbon down at each marking being sure to pull it taut before gluing the other end down.

After the ribbons have been added to the front of the frame I like to also add hanging ribbon to the bottom to clip additional bows onto. Being a bow maker my girls have LOADS of hair accessories and need as much storage on these holders as possible. Again, you will mark on the back of the frame using your tape measure where you would like to attach the ribbons. I spaced my hanging ribbon evenly between the ribbons on the front. I used 20 inches for my ribbon length, you will need to use your lighter to heat seal the bottom of the ribbon to prevent fraying.

Once all of your ribbon is added you will cover your back frame pieces with felt to cover the raw edges and give the back a nice finished look. **If you would like to add ribbon or twine to hang the frame from please add it BEFORE adding the felt. I chose to hang this one from the frame and not add a ribbon.** Measure the width of the wood on the back of your frame to cut your felt to size, 1.5″ width for my felt strips was perfect for this frame.

Your last step will be to add the cup hooks to hang your headbands onto! You will use your tape measure one more time to evenly space your hooks on both sides and the bottom of the frame. It is completely up to you how many hooks you would like! Since the canvas frame is wood these hooks screw right in so easily.

You are finished! Wasn’t that super easy and quick?! Now, go hang it up in your little girls room and organize all those adorable hair accessories!