Two Crafty Brownies

Rainbow Love! : Clay Rainbow Brooch Tutorial

Hello lovelies

Hurrah! It is officially the Summer hols in our house starting this afternoon! We are all exhausted and need a break from the daily grind. We are going to spend our holiday relaxing, adventuring, washing clothes and dishes, cooking, reading, playing, bickering and gardening! I am sure there are more verbs I could add to that mix but I am sure you get the gist.

The other Brownie is already holidaying and having a fab time by the looks of it. Did you see Jenny's holiday pics and list of travel essentials last week? I love the handmade thank you cards that Jenny leaves for hosts along the way. What a lovely idea!

If you follow us on instagram, you will know that in June, we took part in a wonderful challenge, #colourmyeveryday, which was a celebration of all things colour. Each day, there were different prompts such as ‘tin’, ‘building’, ‘flower’ etc to encourage variety and to get us thinking. It was created by the gorgeous Jo of Adventures and Tea Parties. It was an absolute joy to take part in, I took photos I wouldn’t have thought to take without it and our gallery was so much brighter for it! Jo was so complimentary and enthusiastic about everybody’s entries each day. It must have been hard work to run but I am sure a pleasure too!

Inspired by Jo’s #colourmyeveryday challenge I have dug out the air drying clay again and made a rainbow brooch!

What you need is:

Air drying clay - such as this one.

2 plastic trays - one to roll the clay out on, one to dry the clay on.

Non stick craft rolling pin such as this one with the 3mm rings attached.

Template of rainbow and clouds - Download Rainbow Brooch Template

Craft knife such as this.

Small pot of water.

Nail file.

Dust mask.

Slim paint brushes.

Porcelain paints such as these - you could aso use poster or acrylic paint too but these porcelain paints created a lovely gloss finish.

Gloss varnish - I used Fimo (polymer clay) gloss varnish. You can find it here.

Brooch back findings such as these.

Epoxy glue such as this.

What you do is:

Print out and cut around the rainbow template.

Break off a chunk of clay (size depends on how many brooches you want to make). Wrap the rest of the clay up using cling film to keep moist.

Knead the clay in your hands for a bit. A few squeezes will do!

Put the 3mm thickness markers onto the rolling pin and roll out the clay until it stops getting any thinner.

Place the rainbow template onto the rolled out clay and cut around it with a craft knife. Use a cutting motion rather than a slicing motion. The latter will pull the clay out of shape.

Separate the shapes from the rest of the clay. Wrap up the spare clay in cling film to use at a later date.

Smooth the edges of each rainbow with a finger dipped in water. Don’t worry if it is not completely smooth. Once dry the clay can be filed to smooth out further.

Leave to dry on the tray covered in cling film, according to the clay manufacturer’s instructions. I usually leave mine for about 48 hours. Keep an eye on them whilst they dry and carefully press down any raised bits. You could also turn them over after about 24 hours to speed up the drying process.

Once dry, using a nail file, file the edges of each rainbow to smooth them further. It is advisable to wear a dust mask because of the clay dust this process creates. Blow off any excess dust and wipe with a tissue to be sure.

Place the template labelled ‘red’ onto one of the rainbows, so the bottom edge of the template lines up with the bottom edge of the rainbow.

Using the red porcelain paint, paint the exposed area of the clay and leave to dry. This is the first rainbow stripe.

 Now paint an orange stripe underneath the red, allow to dry, then paint a yellow stripe and so on until all the colours have been painted.

Once dry, paint the clouds white. This is optional - you could just leave them.

Once the paint is dry, apply a layer of gloss varnish to the back of each rainbow and allow to dry. Then paint the front. This gives them a little extra durability and a nice shine. Allow to dry.

Once dry, with the rainbow brooch turned over to the wrong side, add a small dollop of glue to the middle and gently press a brooch backing onto the glue. Leave to dry - 24 hours will usually do.

Your brooch is done! Isn’t it cheery and colourful?! Wear with pride (tee hee)!

Well my lovelies, that is it for me until September. Jenny and I are going to take a little break in August but Jenny is back next week so I will leave it to her to sign off properly! Have a gorgeous weekend whatever you are up to!

Lots and lots of love and cuddles to last all Summer,

Lucy

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Fun Halloween Skull Makes and a Halloween Story!

Hello friends!

Thank you so much for all of the lovely comments and support after our last post about our Etsy shop launch. We feel very excited that our products are out there at last and even more thrilled that we have sold a few things!

Before we crack on with the Halloween crafting, I must just digress and tell you a funny little story….

So my youngest is a Halloween baby. Her due date was the 17th of October so she really took her time and after an agonising wait, she decided she was ready to meet us on the spookiest night of the year. I was at home for most of my labour, which started in the morning. I got in and out of the bath, in and out of bed and I paced up and down making ungodly noises (my eldest said I sounded like a cow!) pretty much until it got dark. At which time of course, Halloween activities in our local area ramped up a gear…....

You may have guessed what is coming next. My waters finally broke and I was feeling really hopeful that this would signal the beginning of the end. Er…..you know what I mean...I thought perhaps that this hellish pain would soon be over and we would finally meet our little bundle of joy! We had just called the midwives at our local hospital who encouraged us to get down there as soon as we could, when there was a knock at the door. We heard cries of, “Trick or treat! Trick or treat”, at which point I groaned and thought, “If we ignore them, they’ll go away....surely?” Well my husband had different ideas, yes he did. He answered the door! He then proceeded to have a good old chat with these trick or treaters (who we knew actually), remarking on the brilliance of their costumes, finding sweets to give them and so on. Nothing in his voice signalled the impending baby situation. You know, that there was any need to hurry to get his wife, who had been in labour for about 20 hours now, to the hospital!

But then it was as if he could hear me thinking, “I’ll give them a Halloween fright!, I’ll show them horror!”, and before I could drag my gruesome self to the door, he suddenly seemed to remember that I was bent double in agony and he told them the good news, to which they gave joyful cries of, “Oh wonderful!” and “Good luck!” and he closed the door to them and called a cab. The cab driver was so anxious that I was going to give birth in his taxi that he dropped us at the wrong entrance to the hospital and I had to hobble to the correct one! My sweet, little girl was eventually born in the water a few hours later and this story is one I love telling anyone who will listen every Halloween! So thanks for ‘listening’!

Anyway, having a Halloween birthday is pretty fab but at some point when she is older she may get tired of this recurring and possibly unavoidable theme each year. So with her birthday party in mind I went looking for some great little themed ‘things’ (e.g. buttons) that I could use to make other things (e.g. rings) to pop into the party bags. I found some fab plastic skulls in our local Poundstrecher (budget store) and with a bit of spray paint, a drill and a junior hacksaw, transformed them into necklaces, keyrings, pencil toppers and little pots! I think these skulls would be great at any time of the year too!

I love spray paint!......

What you need is:

Plastic skulls (approx. 5cm height) such as these

Spray paint such as this - I used a gleaming pink, copper chrome, shocking white, black and raspberry

A drill

Jump rings - I used 8mm, necklace chains and keyrings. This website is great for jewellery findings.

Jewellery pliers

Pencils

Washi tape such as this - you can get washi tape in most good stationers but I warn you it is so hard to choose and you'll end up with a washi tape habit!

A junior hacksaw like this one ( I know I’ve cracked this one before but when I grow up, I’ll be allowed an adult one!) - for the little pots

Sandpaper

Newspaper

Protective gear for spray painting. I make sure I spray paint outside and wear a dust mask but if you wanted to go the whole hog, you might want something like this!

 

What you do is:

Plastic Skull Necklaces and Keyrings

Make two marks 3mm apart on the top of a skull, going from front to back as opposed to side to side.

Drill (I used a size 2 drill bit) 2 holes into the skull, using those marks as a guide and ensuring that the holes are 3mm apart and not closer. If they end up closer, it will be difficult to get the jump ring through them.

Repeat with as many skulls as you are making.

NB : You should do this next stage outside! Place the skulls upright and spray paint them the desired colour, ensuring you protect the work table using newspaper and yourself by wearing protective gear such as a dust mask. After the first spray, allow to dry and then turn over to spray the bottom. Again, allow to dry.

Once dry, using jewellery pliers, first attach a jump ring (this is tricky and I lost a few but on the plus side, these skulls rattle!) and then attach the chain or the keyring.

Admire your work and perhaps have a cuppa! 

Plastic Skull Pencil Toppers

Drill a hole in the bottom of the skulls. I used a size 7 drill bit, chosen to make a tight fit when the pencil is inserted into the skull. Check the size of your pencil and experiment with drill bit size.

Spray paint as above.

Whilst the skulls are drying, cover the pencils in washi tape. Stick the washi tape lengthways from the bottom of the pencil to the top, cutting the washi tape as you go. I used two strips of tape per pencil.  I also used pencils that have rubbers/erasers at the top but this is not necessary as this part of the pencil will be inside the skulls!

Once the skulls are dry, poke your pencil into the hole. Making lists is so much more fun now!

Plastic Skull Pots

Mark a rough circle at the top of the skull.

 

Clamp the skull to your surface and using the junior hacksaw, cut a hole in the top, using the circle as a guide.

Sand the edges of the hole to ensure they are smooth and have no sharp bits.

Spray paint as above.

Once dry, add sweets, little chocs, paperclips or even a little plant!

I hope you enjoyed these fun, skull makes. I think the necklaces would jazz up any halloween costume or party outfit and the keyrings are cool. The little pots would add a bit of fun to any desk and I especially like the pencil toppers. My little one’s party bags are going to be great!

Remember skulls are not just for halloween! Oh and also remember that if you are ever in the presence of a woman giving birth on halloween, don’t answer the door to the trick or treaters - they might get more than they’ve bargained for!

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies!

Lucy xxxxxxxxx

Covered Button Gifts

Hello lovelies! I hope all is well with you......

Didn't you just love Lucy's autumn leaf necklace? I'm not sure I could make those as beautifully as she did (hint hint......)

It has been a rather emotional couple of weeks in my bit of Two Crafty Brownieland. Last thursday my eldest turned 20 (how??????) and two days later  we took him up to Nottingham and left him alone in a little university room.......

I have seen him almost every day for the last 20 years, so you can understand I was a bit emotional! I had spent the last few days in a flurry of laundry, lists, birthday cake and bedding, and then to drive away from him made my heart break. The great thing is that he was very cheerful and excited, and very ready to meet new people and do something different.

Back home, I am slowly getting used to him not being here. I know in my head this is a good thing, and the natural progression of life, but in my heart it is oh so hard to let one of my babies go........

To distract myself, I have been doing lots of crafting. Lu and I love covered buttons, Lu replaced all the buttons on one of her coats with them and has had loads of compliments. We got thinking about what else you could do with these, and so I bring you my Covered Button tutorial! We will be making covered button bookmarks, thumbtacks, fridge magnets and a pair of cute earrings.

What you need is

Buttons........

Hemline do various sizes, I used the 22mm and 15mm. These can be found in most haberdasheries.

You can buy flat backed buttons online, I got mine from here. Both types have a gadget to make it easier, (pictured above). These help you press the back onto the button. I would recommend this, unless you have very strong thumbs like Lucy!!

You will also need

Giant paperclips from here

Earring findings, I bought mine from our local shop

Magnets

Thumbtacks (I cut the plastic off with scissor to expose just the metal)

Fabric scraps

Glue (I use epoxy glue)

What you do is

Cut your fabric scraps to the right size. The Hemline buttons have a handy template on the back, and I used that to make some templates out of acrylic. I can just imagine Lucy's surprise at this........

If your fabric is thin, you may need a piece of calico to back it so the metal doesn't show through.

Cover your buttons according to the instructions with your gadget. If you are using the Hemline ones, make sure to take out the little metal loop first. If you are going to use them as buttons, leave it in.

Then use your epoxy glue to attach your various backings.

Display and admire with an appropriate drink in hand!!

Easy peasy (and cheap). I am glad to have a few little gifts to tuck away into my present box, especially with Christmas (yes I said it!!!) not so far away....... For those of us who try to make some of our gifts, it's never too early to start!

Well that's all for now, my darlings. Have a lovely weekend!

 

Jenny xxx

 

Autumn Leaf Necklace Tutorial

Hello lovelies!

I love Jenny's rag rug - such a good way of using up scraps of material and the result is fab and so pretty! This project is going on my 'new crafts to try' list, which if you are anything like Jenny and I, is a long one!

There is no mistaking it now - it is definitely Autumn. Here in the UK, well in London anyway, Summer came back for a bit. In fact it came back tropical style and Autumn was caught a little off guard! The kids had to wear suncream and hats to school and barbeques and picnic rugs were retrieved from their hibernation for that last blast of Summer heat. Now there is a certain autumnal chill in the air especially in the evenings, and the leaves are turning all the shades of brown and gold and falling to the ground. That’s ok, I’m happy to celebrate our seasons. I lived in Kenya when I was younger and the fact that the seasons changed was one of the things I really missed about the UK...that and marmite!

So to celebrate Autumn, I have decided to make a pretty leaf necklace, using air drying clay and sugar paste cutters. If you’ve read our blog for a little while, you may remember me mucking about with air drying clay before - making Christmas gifts and making Christmas decorations.

What you need is:

Air drying clay - I used a Fimo light air-dry clay which I definitely would not recommend. It turned out to be a bit too light and fragile, too porous and not solid enough for my liking! So for better results I would recommend a normal air drying clay such as this one.

A plastic tray

Non stick craft rolling pin such as this one.

Something to ensure the clay is of consistent thickness when rolled. I used 2 coasters measuring about 2mm thick but you can get guide rings which fit on to the ends of rolling pins such as these.

Leaf shaped sugar paste/small cookie cutter - the cutter I bought was a ‘plunger’ cutter which makes a vein pattern when pressed down onto the clay. You can find them here.

Cocktail stick/skewer.

Cling film.

Paint brush.

Nail file.

Paint  - I used poster paint but acrylic or even porcelain pens would work.

Gloss varnish - I used Fimo (polymer clay) gloss varnish. You can find it here.

Jewellery findings - 1 jump ring (I used 8mm) and a chain. Have a look at this website for all your jewellery finding needs!

Jewellery pliers such as these.

What you do is:

Break off a small piece of clay. You don’t need a lot for this project. Wrap the rest of the clay up using cling film to keep moist.

Roll out the clay, putting the thickness markers underneath the rolling pin to the sides of the clay.

Once the clay is at the desired thickness, press the large leaf cutter (or any of the others depending on the size of pendant you’d like) into the clay, making sure to plunge (love that word!) to make the vein pattern.

Lift the cutter up, lifting the clay leaf with it, smooth the bottom edges of the leaf and carefully press the plunger down to release the leaf into your hand.

The top edges of the leaf may be slightly rough. You can either smooth them down now using your finger dipped in water or leave until it is dry, when you can smooth the rough edges carefully with a nail file. I did the latter as I thought fiddling with it too much would misshapen it.

Whilst the leaf is still in your hand, press the cocktail stick or skewer into the top, twisting gently and repeat from the other side.

Leave on some clingfilm to dry. Follow instructions on the packaging for drying times. Normal air dry clay can take a few days to properly dry out. If you like, gently twist the leaf - this gives it a nice effect when dry.

When the leaf is dry, carefully smooth any rough edges. You should wear a dust mask for this, especially if you are filing lots of leaves.

Apply a few coats of the desired colour to your leaf, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. I painted mine a lovely bronze colour.

Once the paint is dry, apply 1 or 2 layers of gloss varnish to both the front and the back. Allow gloss to dry.

Using jewellery pliers, put the jump ring through the hole in the leaf which you made earlier, loop the chain onto the jump ring and close.

Your necklace is done and you can celebrate Autumn in style and at not much expense!

Of course you could mix it up a bit and use different colours, different size leaves, put multiple leaves on one necklace, make earrings and so on! So much fun! Here are some more I made....

If it is Autumn where you are lovelies, I hope this cooler but beautiful season is treating you well! Wherever you are, lots and lots of love,

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxx

5 No-sew Christmas Gift Ideas

Hello friends!

 

Firstly, Jenny and I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has ‘liked’ us, ‘followed’ us, commented and shown their love and support at this, the start of our creative journey as Two Crafty Brownies. You are just fab!

 

The Story

I love Christmas! I love the endless repetition of cheesy Christmas tunes blaring out from the radio, the twinkling of fairy lights everywhere you go, the singing of carols, the kids’ Christmas performances at school, getting together with friends and family, curling up with the kids in front of a good Christmas program on the telly, shedding a tear during the festive John Lewis Ad (You know what I mean...those penguins last year and the lonely man on the moon this year? Sniff!), and…..giving. I do love the feeling I get when I give a gift to someone, especially a gift I have made.

 

Herein lies the problem though. No matter whether I plan ahead or not, I seem to always get a bit fraught in the build up to Christmas after setting myself unrealistic goals and expectations that I can make gifts for everyone, sewing right up until Christmas eve and therefore spending less time relaxing and playing with the family, which is what the holiday should be all about. Handmade gifts can be kinder on the bank balance though so I decided there was a balance to be struck. How about buying some gifts and making some too - gifts that are less ambitious, simpler, perhaps no sewing at all and at points getting the tots involved, so spending a little bit of time teaching them that creativity and giving are so important? Yes please! So here are 5 gift ideas, makes that don’t break the bank, that require no sewing, a little bit of creativity and that I do believe your loved ones will be happy to receive. Spoiler Alert for my family and friends - oops!

 

 

1. Decorated pottery

 

Pottery painting workshops have become more and more popular but they can be a little dear. However you can easily decorate pottery at home, the results can be great and it can be such a fun family activity too. The idea is that whatever you are painting is for decorative use.

 

 

What you need is:

Small plant pots, sugar bowls, jugs, ceramic tiles, side plates etc - whatever you would like to decorate. I visited this shop which I am lucky enough to have nearby. I bought a jug to be used as a vase and some small sugar bowls to be used as small plant pots . You can buy plain white crockery from kitchen shops, large supermarkets and Ikea of course!

 

Small house plants (succulents are ideal) if you are going to decorate the sugar bowls as plant pots. You may also want to use some decorative stones, pebbles or shells to put inside the pots.

 

Ceramic/porcelain paint pens - I bought these pens. What is great about them is that they are water-based and can also be used on glass, plastic and metal. You can also buy ceramic paint and use paintbrushes to apply to the surfaces.

 

Newspaper to protect your work surface.

 

What you do is:

 

 

Protect the table you are working on with old newspaper.

 

Make sure all surfaces of the crockery you are painting on are clean and dry.

 

Plan your decoration - you can make a sketch of your design on a separate piece of paper, cut it out and using a pencil draw around it lightly onto the crockery first and then paint over it or if you like you can just go for it! We did a combination of both.

 

Read the instructions for the porcelain pens you buy before you start painting. They will need time to dry once applied and time in the oven to be heat-fixed, then cooled down. An adult should deal with this bit.

 

The ceramic paint pens I bought are dishwasher safe but I would err on the side of caution and wipe with a damp cloth to clean.

 

 

 

 

Don’t you think these will make lovely gifts? The kids loved decorating the plant pots for their teachers.

 

Some other painting pottery ideas and notes:

Paint a child’s favourite toy or character onto a small plate to be hung on the wall.

 

Use tiles/coasters to spell out a name, a letter for each one, or just an initial also to be hung on the wall or on a bedroom door.

 

2. Clay brooches/keyrings/necklaces/gift tags

 

 

Clay is such fun to play with and the kids loved getting stuck in! There are different types of clay you can buy. Polymer clay is one of my favourites as it comes in such a wide variety of colours so the possibilities of what you can make are endless. It can be costly though, especially if like me you feel the need to buy a rainbow! For this project however we used soft, white, air-drying clay.

 

What you need is:

 

 

Air-drying clay - I bought this one (in the pic) from a great local arts and crafts shop but this one can be found online.

 

Non-stick craft rolling pin. I bought a small one from a kitchen shop a few years ago but you can find them online, for instance here.  

 

Something to ensure that your rolled out clay is of a consistent thickness - I used two tiles which were about 3mm thick but you could also use small books, CDs etc.

 

A plastic tray.

 

Assorted cookie cutters. I have some great veggie/fruit cookie cutters I bought in the sale at Paperchase. They cut the shape but also emboss more detail into each one. I have also just bought this brilliant cookie embossing/message stamp kit - it is such fun!

 

Cup of water for smoothing out the clay.

 

Newspaper to protect your work surface.

 

Drying racks.

 

Paints for decorating - poster paints are fine but I used these porcelain paint pens (also used on the painted crockery above) because they give a really smooth, slightly shinier finish.

 

Jewellery findings - Brooch backs, keyrings, chains, jump rings (small metal rings that join a chain or keyring to a pendant). I have bought them here before.  You may also need jewellery pliers to help attach the jump rings.

 

Glue - I used an epoxy glue called Araldite (which involves mixing two substances together) to attach the brooch backs to the shapes. You can find this in hardware shops. Adults should deal with any glueing using epoxy glue.

 

What you do is:

Protect your work surface with the newspaper and fill a cup with water.

 

The clay should come with instructions of how to use it and how long it takes to dry etc. Break off a piece of clay, ensuring the rest of the clay is wrapped back up to keep moist.

 

Knead the clay in your hand for a minute to soften and warm up.

 

Put your thickness markers onto your tray either side of the clay making sure that they are slightly underneath the rolling pin. Roll out the clay.

 

 

Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the clay, embossing or message stamping if applicable.

 

If you want to use the shapes to make necklaces, keyrings or gift tags, at this stage, gently make a hole in the top of the shape using a skewer or cocktail stick. The hole needs to be large enough for a jump ring or cord to go through. I tend to put the skewer in from both sides and wriggle it around gently.

 

Carefully peel the shapes from the tray.

 

Dip your finger in the water and smooth out any rough edges and surfaces.

 

Place the shapes onto a drying rack to dry. This can take 4 to 5 days so plan ahead!

 

Once dry, paint the shapes, adding 2 or 3 coats if necessary. As mentioned I used these. Once painted, the shapes should be heat-fixed - follow the instructions that come with the pens. An adult should do this bit.

 

For good measure and added protection, I have added a coat of varnish. Find it here. Allow to dry.

 

Then either: Attach the brooch back using epoxy glue (follow instructions on glue packaging), attach keyring or chain for necklaces (with jump ring) or ribbon for the gift tag.

 

  

 

3. Decorated photo frames

 

 

A couple of Summers ago, I was lucky enough to pick up a bag full of pre-loved wooden photo frames at a school fair for a couple of quid. My big girl, H and I decorated them, wrote poems to put in them and turned them into pressies for her teachers when she left her primary school. Think about adding a photo, an initial of the person it is for, a print or a painted picture. I think these would make such lovely Christmas gifts!

 

What you need is:

Wooden photo frames - may be pre-loved, new, painted or not.

 

Newspaper to protect your table.

 

You may also need:

Fine sandpaper, acrylic wood paint (I used white).

 

PVA glue - to stick buttons on.

 

Paintbrushes.

 

Washi tape - you can get all kinds, including lace, fabric or paper. You can buy washi tape from all good craft shops and some stationers.

 

Buttons.

 

Specialist decoupage paper (decoupage is the art of decorating objects, furniture etc with small pieces of paper), decorative paper, wrapping paper or napkins (thinner paper is better), decoupage glue/varnish, decoupage paintbrush - you can get these and other decoupage paraphernalia from here.

 

What you do is:

Depending on the state of your photo frame and the effect that you want, you may need to sand the frame lightly and then paint with acrylic wood paint. I did this for the washi tape and button frames.

 

Allow the paint to dry and then either stick on the washi tape or apply PVA craft glue sticking the buttons on as you go. I actually laid the buttons on the frame without sticking first to see if I was happy with the overall look and then stuck them down.

 

 

For the decoupage wooden photo frame, take out any glass and backing, so you are left with the frame only. I used the frame as it was, without sanding as it was unvarnished.

 

 

Cut small pieces of the paper you have chosen.

 

Using the paintbrush, add a layer of the decoupage glue/varnish to a small area of the frame and place a piece of the paper on top, smoothing down with the paintbrush and a little more glue/varnish. Add another piece in the same way with a slight overlap. Continue to add layers of paper and glue, pausing when needed to allow one area to dry, before starting another.

 

 

 

Add your photo, picture etc and enjoy! Here's a photo of my frame with one of my boy's drawings. He calls this one 'Ninja Race'.

 

 

Once you have decoupaged once, you’ll be hooked I tell you! You just have to google ‘decoupage’ to get more inspiration. I decoupaged this polystyrene head a few years ago and used her as a prop at craft fairs.

 

 
 

4. Decorated t-shirt/babygro

 

 

A while back Jenny and I ran a few t-shirt decorating workshops for children, which were such a big hit! They loved decorating the t-shirts and wearing their creations afterwards. A few adults joined in the fun too! We had a group of 4 friends decorate a babygro for a baby. Their idea was to design a coat of arms which had four sections. There are just so many design possibilities.

 

What you need is:

 

 

Plain white t-shirts/babygros.

 

Fabric pens from here.

 

Newspaper to protect your work surface and to put inside your t-shirt to prevent the colour leaking onto to the other side.

 

Templates - these are optional but I do find templates so useful for so many projects. For the workshops we did, the templates were really useful and many children loved using them as the basis for their designs. To make a template, use a piece of paper, the size of which depends on the size of t-shirt and draw your design. Cut out and use as a guide to draw around onto your t-shirt. I tend to use the paper template to draw around onto cardboard to make a stronger and longer-lasting template.

 

What you do is:

 

 

Put a 2-layer piece of newspaper inside your t-shirt making sure it fits snugly inside.

 

If using a template, place onto your t-shirt in the desired position and draw around with a fabric pen. Follow any advice that comes with the fabric pens. Colour in as applicable. You will need to hold the t-shirt taught when you are drawing, otherwise it will wrinkle or ruche up making it difficult and possibly spoiling your design.

 

Leave to dry for about half an hour.

 

For an adult: once dry, heat fix the design with a warm dry iron (as per the instructions that come with the fabric pens).

 

 

 

Other ideas with fabric pens:

You could also decorate a plain white pillowcase, book/grocery bag, skirt or jeans.

You could even decorate a piece of fabric and put into one of the decorated frames (see above).

 

5. Make your own Craft Kit

This idea is an amalgamation of the above really. Craft kits are easy to come by now but have you ever thought of putting your own one together as a gift? For example decorate a t-shirt kit: Buy the correct sized t-shirt/pillow case/bag etc, fabric pens, include your own personalised instructions and you could even include some of your own templates. The recipient can then have fun decorating it themselves! Such a personal pressie. Any gift that spreads some crafty love gets my approval.

 

I do hope you might give one of these ideas a go. If you do, let me know how you get on!

 

Be kind to yourselves in the run up to and during Christmas my lovelies. Until next time,

 

Lucy xx