DIY Framed Vintage Wallpaper Magnetic Board

16 May, 2013 9:59 am / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hi guys! I do hope you all are having a lovely week! Today I am going to share with you one of my favorite of my recent projects, a diy vintage wallpaper magnetic board. Vintage wallpaper is one of my absolute favorite things in the entire world! I just adore the prints and textures! It’s so wonderful! I love finding new ways to use it too. I recently came across this pattern from one of my favorite vintage wallpaper shops, Hannah’s Treasures, and immediately thought it would make a great magnetic board for the bedroom at my mom’s house where I stay on visits. Making this little board was really easy, and it whipped up pretty quick too!

Here’s What You Need:

*16×20 Frame (the local flea market or thrift store is a great place to look)

*Paint (optional)

*1 Yard of Vintage Wallpaper

*1 Sheet of HVAC Thin Guage Sheet Metal (I bought mine at home depot, look in the hvac department)

*Acid Free Double Stick Tape

*Framing hardware if needed…

*Heavy Duty Tin Snips

*Foam core ( optional for backing if your frame does not come with backing)

Instructions:

The first thing you need to do is paint your frame if you are planning on painting it. While it dries you can cut and assemble your board. To start measure the opening of your frame. Mine was 16×20. So I marked on the metal 16″ wide and 20″ long. Then cut the metal down to size with the tin snips. You can cut down the foam core to fit your frame as well if you plan on using it. Now, trace your sheet metal dimensions onto the wrong side of your wallpaper, leave an inch on the top and an inch on the bottom for folding over. So if I have a 16×20 piece of metal, then I cut my paper to be 16×22″. Mark 1″ up on both the top and bottom of the wrapping paper. Lay out your metal on top of the paper in between the 1″ marks. Run a strip of double stick tape along the edge at the bottom and top edges of your wall paper on the wrong side. Now, fold over the edges of the paper in towards the middle of the metal and tape down snugly so that the paper is nice and taught across the metal. Next, lay your board into the opening in your frame face down and close up the back. Add a hanger to the middle of the back of the frame and you are ready to hang.

I love this fun magnetic board! It looks great in the room! It is a pretty way to organize and keep little notes and things while I am at my parent’s home. It is a great size too. I just adore the wallpaper and I have quite a bit left that I can use for future crafting, yay! I love how easy this project is to customize just by changing the style of the frame and the wallpaper. The sheet metal in the hvac department at the hardware store is really inexpensive too, so you can always change out the boards if the style of your room changes too. This really is such a fast and easy diy! It would make a great gift for college bound gals who need a memo board for their dorms. I hope some of you will give this one a try! It is so fun and easy, you’ll have a blast!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: 1940's, 1950's, cottage, crafts, diy, dorm, easy, fun, gift, girly, grad, handmade, home decor, lovely, magnet, magnetic board, memo board, messege, mid century, office organization, pink, recycle, repurpose, retro, shabby chic, sweet, tutorials, upcycle, vintage, vintage wallpaper, wallpaper

DIY Upcycled Vintage Jewelry Magnets

15 May, 2013 12:57 pm / 5 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Sorry I have been mia the last couple of days. I have been under the weather. But I am back and excited to share this project with you all today! I am going to show you how to make these fun little magnets out of vintage earrings and brooches. These could not be easier to make, and they whip up so fast!

Here’s What You Need:

*Jewelry pieces like earrings, pendants, and brooches

*Heavy duty wire cutters

*E6000

*Round craft magnets (you can find these at any craft store)

Instructions:

These are so easy! The first thing you do is cut off the finding part of your piece. For example if you have an earring, you will need to cut off the ear wire or clip for clip ons. Get as close to the base where it is glued or soldered on and carefully cut away with your pliers. For brooches that have been soldered it can take a few cuts but they will come off. Once you get the finding off you can grind down any sharp spots with a dremmel if you have any that bother you. You can also pick at them with your pliers and that can get most of the metal off that is in the way. So to finish these off, you need to glue the magnet on. So, lay your jewelry piece face down on a flat surface. Now take your magnet and place a large dab of glue onto the back side of the magnet. Carefully squish the glue and magnet onto the back of your jewelry piece. Let dry. Once the glue is cured you are ready to use your magnets.

I absolutely love these magnets! They just couldn’t be any easier to make! You can whip up a batch in under fifteen minutes. The best thing is that they look so nice and special, like something you would find at a boutique. You can find vintage jewelry parts by the bag full at your local flea market or at antique stores and thrift stores. Of course brooches can be really pricey, but you can often pick up broken pieces or mismatched pieces for next to nothing. This would be a fabulous project to use for gifts for birthdays or Christmas as well. So go ahead and dress up your space with some of these fun little magnets! You’ll love them!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, bee, birthday, brooch, christmas, crafts, decorating, diy, earrings, easy, enamel, flower, fridge, fun, gifts, handmade, holidays, home decor, jewelry, jewelry magnets, lovely, magnet, magnets, mid century, recycled, repurposed, retro, rhinestone, sparkly, style, sweet, turtle, tutorials, upcycled, vintage, vintage brooch

Shrinky Charm Bracelets Today at Free Pretty Things For You!

11 May, 2013 10:00 am / 8 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely day! I am so excited to announce that I have a little guest post over at Free Pretty Things for You today! For any of you who are unfamiliar with this fantastic blog, FPTFY is a free image and printables site chocked full of fun clip art, digital scrapbooking elements, craft projects, and tons of vintage charm! Keren, the fantastic gal behind the blog, has collaborated with me to create this fun printable sheet to use to make these fun charm bracelets! You can find my tutorial on the FPTFY website today Here.

You can find the printables Here and a lightened version made specifically for the shrinky paper Here

So definitely go check out the full tutorial and make some of these fun charm bracelets for your favorite gals! These are so fun to make! You’ll love them! And definitely go check out Keren’s blog, Free Pretty Things for You, Here! It is the absolute cutest!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY / Tagged: 1940's, 1950's, charm bracelet, children, clip art, cottage, crafts, deer, digital scrapbooking, diy, free printable, fun, gifts, handmade, images, jewelry, mid century, mothers day, retro, shrink plastic, shrinky dinks, sweet, tutorials, vintage, woodland

DIY Linen Phone Sleeve and My New Shutterfly Case

8 May, 2013 12:34 am / 1 Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! So, today I am going to share with you which of my Shutterfly phone case designs I went with, as well as an easy tutorial on how to make a protective sleeve for your phone. I was so excited when I got my new Shutterfly phone case this past week! It is just so ME! I decided to go with the simple chalkboard design with my #1 buddy Beaureguard. The little banner at the bottom means “the little pleasures” en Francais, and it comes from the saying “La vie est faite de petits bonheurs” or “Life is made of little pleasures” and I believe bonheur can also mean happiness or what makes one happy. And I’m sure I speak for most of us when I say my dog makes me happy!

My mom is a photographer, so I am no stranger to photo gifts you can get from a lab. Most of the time the quality in my opinion can be a bit lacking. I have to say though, I am very impressed with this case! The printing quality is fantastic, and it seems to be durable and nicely protective. It is a nice thick polycarbonate plastic that snaps on. When I first bought my phone, I got a designer case which was plastic and within a week the design was scratched off of it. For the last year I have been trying to find a case that was both somewhat protective and cute. This one totally does the trick!

Since I tend to wear a lot of skirts in the spring and summer, which means no pockets, I have made this little padded phone sleeve to safely carry my phone on skirt days. This sleeve is made for my iphone 4, but you can change-up the measurements to suit your phone’s dimensions. This is a really fast and easy project! It is a great way to use up scraps too.

Here’s What You Need:

*Scrap fabric or around 1/8 of a yard of fabric

*Scrap Batting or 1/8 of a yard

*Leather Lacing

*Button

*Thread and Needle

Instructions:

The first thing you need to do is cut your pieces. I made mine for my iphone 4. If you have an iphone 5 you may want to make it about an inch longer. I measured my phone and gave it a couple of extra inches around for seam allowance and wiggle room. So, cut two pieces for the outside front and back and two pieces for the lining at 4.5×7″. Cut two pieces of the batting at 4.5X7″. If you’d like a little pocket, cut a piece of your lining fabric to be 4.5×5″. I added a patch to the front piece of my sleeve. If you are adding any patch or embellishment sew it on now. Next, lay the outside pieces front and back on the front and back pieces of your batting face up. Stitch the batting to the fabric with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Now, take your pocket piece and turn it under 1/8″ and press. Turn the top under again 1/2″ and stitch down close to the edge where you turned it under on the wrong side. Now you are ready to stitch together your sleeve. Place the pocket piece on the front of your front sleeve face up and sandwich it in between the front and back pieces. The front and back should be right sides together. Stitch all the way around the three sides with a half-inch seam allowance leaving the top open. Stitch the lining pieces together the same way, making sure that the right sides are together. Clip corners and trim the seam allowance down a little on both. Turn the front piece right side out. Fold a small piece of leather lacing in half and stitch down to the pocket side of your outside sleeve. Now, shimmy your outside sleeve into the lining so that right sides are facing. Carefully stitch around the top with a quarter-inch seam allowance leaving an inch or so for turning. Now, pull your outside and lining out through the hole in the top. Press. Stuff the lining into the outer sleeve. Now top stitch around the top about an eighth inch away from the edge. Pull the loop over the top and mark where to put your button. Hand stitch the button on the back side. And that’s it. Pretty easy eh?

I absolutely ADORE my new phone case and padded sleeve! I love that it is a perfect size for scraps. I paired up natural linen with a scrap from an old vintage cutter tablecloth, and a retro quilting fabric for the pocket and the lining. This little sleeve is so versatile, you can really customize it to your style and taste by the patterns and fabric choices you use. This sleeve fits perfectly in the large pocket of my purse. In hind sight I wish I had sewn a loop of ribbon in the side seam so I could attach a clip to it and clip in on the handle of my bag. Will definitely have to try that next time. I hope I have inspired some of you to try out this little phone sleeve. You will love it! And definitely go check out Shutterfly’s IPhone cases Here. They are so fun and easy to customize. There are plenty of design options. They are on sale at 20% off right now too, so you can snag one for under $30. Pretty cool! I’ll be back Thursday with another fun DIY. Until then…

Happy Crafting!

*Disclosure: I was given a promotional code for a phone case from Shutterfly. No other compensation was given. All opinions are 100% my own. No foolin’, this phone case is awesome!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: beauegard, case, chalkboard, cottage, crafts, custom, diy, dog, easy, fabric, french, fun, handmade gifts, iggy, iphone, italian greyhound, navy, phone, phone case, photo gifts, photography, pictures, plastic, polycarbonate, recycled, red, retro, scrap, sewing, shutterfly, sleeve, sweet, tutorials, upcycled, vintage, vintage button, vintage inspired, vintage tablecloth, white, yellow

DIY Upcycled Vintage Tablecloth Duvet Cover

2 May, 2013 12:28 pm / 2 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hi guys! I am so excited to share todays project with you! Today I am going to show you how to make a duvet cover for your comforter from a sheet, some fabric, and a vintage tablecloth. Some f you may know by now that I have a rather large obsession with vintage linens, especially tablecloths! I love to repurpose them! I usually buy them when they are more on the shabby side and stained. I cut them up and make bags and other fun stuff with them. I never use tablecloths on my table since I have three very naughty cats. So, when I came across this beautiful tablecloth last fall that was in perfect condition, I had to find something cool to do with it that did not involve cutting it up. I thought it would make a fabulous bedspread or duvet! I made this one for my mom for Mother’s Day this year. I think she’s gonna like it!

Here’s What You Need:

*Vintage Tablecloth

*Flat Bed Sheet

*Large Ricrac trim (optional)

*Quilting Weight or home decor fabric

*Velcro

*Scissors, ruler, pins

*Sewing machine and thread

Instructions:

The first thing you need to do is figure out your measurements. Measure your comforter. I made this one for my mom’s king comforter which measured 102″x86″. So I cut my sheet down to size plus extra for seam allowance. I used 1/2″ seam allowance for the top and sides and 1″ for the bottom, so my measurements were 87.5x 103″. Cut your sheet to size. Now measure your tablecloth. Mine measured 56×70, so I knew I needed 48″ more to make up the difference. So my two side panels were 24″(1/2 of my 48″) by 86″ long. My bottom on top panels were 9.25″(87.5-69=18.5/2=9.25) long by 56″ wide. Once you have the fabric all cut, stitch the top and bottom of the tablecloth to the top and bottom fabric pieces right sides together. Press open seams. Now stitch the side panels to the sides of the tablecloth and top bottom panel piece on either side. Press open seams. You should now have a piece that has your tablecloth in the middle and is surrounded by four panels of fabric to make a top that is the same size as your sheet. If you are using trim, you can stitch the trim down with a quarter inch seam allowance around the sides and bottom. of the front piece. Measure your velcro piece. Mine was 30″. Mark the center of your front and back pieces. Measure your velcro and mark out from the center where you need to stitch your velcro. My velcro was 30″, so I measured out 15″ from the center on either side. Stitch down your velcro on the right sides of the bottom of both pieces where you marked. Now, starting at the velcro on one side, stitch the bottom using 1″ seam allowance, then turn and stitch up the side, top and other side with a half inch seam allowance and then back to the other side of the bottom with 1″ seam allowance. Clip loose threads and clip corners. OPen up the velcro and turn your duvet right side out. push the corners out with your scissors or a chopstick. Press your duvet and topstitch 1/8″ from the edge all the wa around. Stuff your comforter in your duvet and enjoy!

Isn’t it fantastic! I love it! Can’t wait to make one for myself! This project does take a bit of time, but it is well worth the effort. It took me an afternoon. I love that you can totally customize the design to suit your tastes and style! You can find vintage tablecloths at your local flea markets or online at Etsy or Ebay. So give this diy a try and add a little vintage sweetness to your bedroom!
Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: bedding, bedspread, blanket, blue, comforter, cottage, crafting, decor, decorating, diy, duvet, easy duvet, feminine, floral, gift idea, handmade, home decor, ladies, light, lovely, mid century, mint, perriwinkle, recycled, repurposed, retro, rose, sewing, shabby chic, stitch, sweet, tutorials, upcycled, vintage, vintage tablecloth, weekend, women

DIY Lace Trim Cake Bunting

30 April, 2013 10:33 pm / 2 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hi guys! I hope you all are having a fun week! After a fun girls getaway, we are heading home from DC today. The city was so fantastic! I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite pics from our trip soon. Today I have a super easy and fun diy project for you, a lace trim cake bunting. This bunting can be whipped up in just a few minutes and makes a super sweet addition to your spring cakes!

What You Need:

*Bamboo Skewers

*Lace Trim -1/2 to 2/3 yard

*Ribbon

*Thread and needle

*Paint (optional)

Instructions:

If you would like to paint your skewers, do so first. Once the paint is dried you are ready to go. Clip your trim to two pieces. I made mine 8.5″ and 10″ long. Thread your needle and thread through the end of one side of your trim. Clip the thread to about 4 or five inches. Now tie the threaded end of trim onto your skewer and knot securely. You can add a dab of glue for added security if you like. Repeat with other side and other skewer. Once you have the first strand tied, thread and tie the bottom strand of trim to the skewers right under the first strand. To finish, tie a small length of ribbon in a bow on each side of the skewer where the trim is tied. Now you are ready to use your bunting in your favorite cake.

I love this sweet bunting! It is lovely and feminine, and makes an adorable topper! This bunting would be perfect for a Mother’s day cake or even for a baby or bridal shower. I will be sharing my new favorite cake recipe soon. The best thing about this bunting is that it is so simple and customizable! I hope I have inspired some of you all to give this one a try. You’ll love it!

Happy Crafting!

Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: boho, Bunting, cake, cake bunting, cake topper, cottage, crafts, diy, entertaining, garland, gingham, home decor, lace, lace crafts, lvely, mothers day, party, pennant, pink, retro, ribbon, shower, sweet, topper, tutorials

Mother’s Day DIY Round Up

29 April, 2013 9:06 pm / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Happy Wednesday everyone! As you all know, Mother’s Day is coming up really soon. I always like to make gifts for my moms. It’s always nice to give something thoughtful and handmade to the ones you love most, especially mom. I have gathered a little collection of handmade diy gifts that I think would be especially nice for mommy’s day. Check em’ out:

Check out these fantastic Upcycled Wine Cork Pendants from Fiskars Here

Check out this adorable Fabric Covered Suitcase from The 36th Avenue Here

Check out these sweet No Sew Fabric Flowers from Dana Made It Here

Check out this amazing Retrotastic Camera Camera Bag from Happy Sew Lucky Here

Check out this fabulous DIY Hand Embroidered Portrait with Felt Flowers from Do Small Things With Love Here

Check out this lovely DIY Eco Friendly Soy Candle from Ruffled Here

Check out these sweet Mother’s Day Memory Jars from Centsational Girl Here

Check out this fun DIY Mini Boxy Make Up Bag from Say Yes to Hoboken Here

Check out this lovely DIY Solid Perfume Pocket Watch Locket from Design Sponge Here

And check out these beautiful Gold Leaf Paper Mache Bowls from Kelli Murray Here

Aren’t they all just lovely! I am not a mommy of two legged babies as of yet, but I would love any of these! I know my mom would too! Is there something special you are making for your mommy dear this year? My mom is getting the tablecloth duvet I recently made. I hope this little list has given you all some ideas and inspiration! You can find a lot more ideas through my pinterest boards as well Here.

Happy Crafting!

Posted in: Craft Round Ups, Crafting, DIY / Tagged: camera bag, candle, crafts, decor, diy, easy, embroidery, feminine, fun, gifting, gifts, gifts for women, girls, gold, handmade, home decor, jewelry. recycled, lovely, make up bag, memory jar, mod podge, mom, mothers, mothers day, paper mache, perfume locket, photography, retro, round up, sewing, suitcase, sweet

DIY Retro Scribble Painted Glassware

26 April, 2013 2:00 am / 4 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Today’s post is a bit late. I meant to have this up Thursday, but we have been travelling today to DC and just settled into our hotel for the evening. I will probably be a little sparse with posting for the next few days, but will definitely be posting instagrams daily of our time here in DC. So, today I have a fun and easy retro project for you. I am going to show you how to make these fun scribble glasses! A while back I had scored a set of vintage Hazel Atlas pink spaghetti scribble painted glasses at my local thrift store. They are by far some of my absolute favorite glasses! I thought it would be fun to try and make some myself, and I had a blast! They are so fun and easy to create!

Here’s What You Need:

*Glass dishes (tumblers, shakers, bowls, etc…)

*Martha Stewart Paint color of your choice in flat matte

*Martha Stewart Paint Bottle with Fine tip tops

*Rubbing Alcohol

Instructions:

The first thing you want to do is clean your glasses with rubbing alcohol. Let dry. You can add the paint to the bottle that came with the tip caps, or you can twist the smallest fine tip cap onto the original paint bottle. Test the flow a little first on a scrap piece of chipboard. Now squeezing the bottle as you go, paint some scribbly lines in small sections around your glassware. I made some crosshatching marks and then added some flowy scribbly marks to blend the sections together. You want it to look more free-handed and random than uniform. Once you have painted your scribblies all over the glassware, set aside to dry. The greatest thing about the Martha Stewart plant is that it hardens to a hand washable finish if it is left to air cure for a few weeks. Once your dishes have cured, you are ready to start using them. Yay!

I LOVE how these tumblers turned out! In fact, I liked them so much I made some salt and pepper shakers to match. This is such a simple and fun diy! It took me less than twenty minutes to complete. The best part is that you can make them in any color you like and on any type of glassware. You could make some fun martini glasses, a set of plates, or even a cake stand. Make some for yourself, or make them as gifts for your friends and family. They will love them! I hope I have inspired some of you to give this one a try! This would be a fantastic diy for a group or party too! You’ll have a blast!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: aqua, bar ware, cheap, crafts, diy, easy, fun, gifts, glass paint, glasses, handmade, kitchen, martha stewart, mid century, paint, reproduction, retro, salt and pepper shakers, scribble, spaghetti, tumblers, tutorials

DIY Ikea Lack Side Table Revamp

24 April, 2013 11:42 am / Leave a Comment / My So Called Crafty Life

Hi everybody! I had meant to post this one yesterday, but sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day. You know what I mean? We are getting ready to go up to Washington D.C. for Hannah’s highschool graduation trip. It’s going to be girls only, and we are so excited! Today’s DIY is actually one that the hubby and I made a few weeks back. We had a pair of black Ikea Lack side tables in our bedroom, that were functional, but just didn’t go with the furniture that we had in the room anymore. I had been searching for some side tables at all the thrift stores in town, and on craigslist, and just couldn’t find anything in our price range. So, we decided to take what we had and recycle it into what I wanted. I had picked up a side of railing from an old porch at my local ReStore and knew that the balusters would make fantastic table legs. So with some new legs, a little trim, and some paint our old side tables were reborn into these chunky and fun tables that really help pull my bedroom together! This project took a weekend, but it was totally worth the work!

Here’s What You Need:

*Ikea Lack Side Table

*Porch Balusters or other “legs”

*Decorative wood trim

*Scrap wood, or a square dowel smaller than your trim (you will be nailing the trim to this piece)

*Pliers

*Drill

*Mitre Saw or Hand Saw

*T-Square or Ruler

*Pin Nailer or hammer and tiny trim nails

*Wood Glue

*Kills Primer

*Paint

*Wood Onlays (optional)

Instructions:

The first thing you want to do is clean your lack table and take the legs off. Measure the center of your balusters to the edge. Now mark in on the underside of the table top that width. For example, if the measurement from the center of my baluster to the end was 1.5″ I would measure in from the edge of my tabletop 1.5″ on either side of each corner and mark an x where I need to drill. With a drill bit a hair smaller than the size of the hardware on the lack screws in the legs, drill pilot holes into the underside of the tabletop where you marked each corner. Now, remove the screws that are in your lack legs with a pair of pliers, just twist them out. If you want to cut down the balusters at all, now is the time to do that. I cut mine down two inches with a mitre saw. Mark the centers of your balusters. Now drill pilot holes into the top of the balusters. Twist the screws half way into the top center of each baluster. Then screw each leg into the pilot holes you drilled in the tabletop. The sides of the balusters should be just about flush with the edge of the tabletop. Now you are ready to add your trim. Measure the width of your baluster at the top. Take half of that measurement and draw a guide line between each leg on the underside of the tabletop with a ruler or t-square. Now, measure the length between each leg on each side and cut your scrap pieces and your trim pieces to length. Your scrap pieces can be shorter than your trim piece. Run a bead of wood glue down your scrap piece and glue down on the backside of the marked line. Nail in place with your pin nailer. Now run a bead of glue down your trim piece and fit your trim piece between the legs and flush up against the scrap piece of wood you just nailed down. Glue down, and then nail the trim piece to the scrap piece with your pin nailer. Repeat with the other sides, and let your glue dry. I used a couple of coats of kills primer on my table, and then a couple of coats of semigloss white paint. I added some aqua accents on my trim, and I painted my wood onlays aqua . Once my paint was dry, I glued and nailed my onlays onto the top sides of my legs.

I have to say I LOVE my new side tables! They really help pull together my furniture and they are sweet. I love the chunkiness of them, and the accents of aqua! The best thing about this redo is that you can totally customize it to your taste and style by the trim type and colors you use. And they were really inexpensive to make. So, if you ever get tired of your old ikea lack table, don’t toss it! Give it a makeover! You’ll be glad you did! Have a wonderful day everyone!

Happy Crafting!

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Posted in: Crafting, DIY, Tutorials / Tagged: aqua, balusters, bedroom, cheap, cool, cottage, crafts, decorating, diy, diy project, easy, frugal, fun, functional, home decor, ikea, ikea hacks, inexpensive, lack, lack side table, legs, lovely, make over, mid century, recycle, redo, retro, revamp, side table, sweet, trim, tutorials, upcycle, white

Repurposed Vintage Tablecloth Cross Body Tote

16 April, 2013 11:20 pm / 12 Comments / My So Called Crafty Life

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! Today I am going to share with you one of my favorite new tote bags! This fun and easy summer cross body tote is made from a fabulous old shabby tablecloth and features a luscious aqua leather strap with rivets. As many of you know by now, I just adore vintage tablecloths! I snag most every one I can get my hands on. I love to take an old tablecloth that has holes or stains and give it a new life! This particular tablecloth I knew would make a great spring or summer tote! The colors are fantastic! I found this gorgeous leather online at Endlessleather.com and knew it would be perfect for the tote! This is a pretty easy project as well, and can be completed in an hour or so, so it is perfect for a weekend diy!

Here’s What You Need:

*Cutter Tablecloth (one with stains, holes, etc)

*Lining fabric (I used some blue linen I had laying around)

*Ruler

*Scissors

*Leather Lacing 10mm ( I got mine Here)

*Leather Lacing 3mm (I got mine Here)

*Leather punch

*Small Rivets ( I found mine at Michaels)

*Vintage button

Instructions:

The first thing you want to do is measure and cut your fabric. Mark your width at 18″. Now go up and mark your height at 17″. At the top right and left measure in 2.5″ on each side. Now draw an angled line from the mark at the top to the bottom of the side seam, so the shape you end up with should be 13″ at the top width and 18″ at the bottom width with a 17″ height. Measure these dimensions on both the tablecloth and on your lining fabric and cut two of each. Now with right sides together, stitch the side seam, bottom seam and other side seam of the front and back tablecloth pieces, leaving the top open. Do the same thing with the lining. Press open seams. Grab the bottom corner of one side of your tablecloth bag outer. Match the side seam to the bottom seam, making a triangle. Measure down from the tip of the triangle at the seam 2.5″ and draw a line across making a triangle shape. Stitch along this line backstitching at the beginning and end. Now clip off the triangle to a half an inch away from the seam. Do the same thing for the other corner and the two corners on the lining bag piece. Once you have the gussets, press your pieces a bit more. Now, turn your tablecloth piece right side out and insert it into the lining piece, so that the right sides of the fabrics are touching. Pin around the top. Now, stitch around the top of the bag leaving a few inches in the center of the back of the bag open for turning. Pull the main tablecloth fabric out through the hole in the lining. Push the lining back down into the main bag and press the top. Cut a small piece of the 3mm leather lacing for your loop. Loop it and staystitch it between the outer and lining fabric in the middle of the back. Then Top stitch 1/4″ around the top of the bag. Fold your top over three inches and mark where you want your button to go on the front of the bag. Hand sew on the button. To add the strap, measure how long an area you wish the bag to hang with a tape measure. I measured 42″ long for mine. Cut your strap to length. Measure your holes for your rivets on the strap ends 1/2″ up from the bottom and then two more each a half inch apart from the previous, and then punch your holes with the leather punch. Measure and punch your holes in the side seam of your tote beginning at 3″ down from the top, punch holes. Insert the rivets into the leather and through the bag and then place the cap on the back. Hammer the rivets down flat. And now you have a fun tote to carry all your essentials for spring and summer!

(Sadie didn’t understand why she couldn’t come outside and help…)

I absolutely LOVE how my bag turned out! I love the cross body style, and I love how it folds over, giving me security, but I do have the extra room if I need it. I love how easy this bag would be to customize to your style and taste just by changing up the fabric and leather colors! It would make a fabulous gift for your favorite gal too! So next time you come across a shabby tablecloth with a fun print, snag it for yourself and make this fun cross body tote!

Happy Crafting!